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This review of RAYL Innovations, a Canadian software company, examines key aspects of its operations that have raised questions, including rates, fees, contract terms, customer complaints, and industry ratings. We’ll look at how RAYL presents its payment processing services compared to what customers actually experience, highlighting any discrepancies in its marketing. The review will also explore reported connections between RAYL Innovations and the disputed processor PayVida, with attention to figures such as Robert Ronning and Ryan Strauss. By analyzing employee and user feedback, we provide a balanced look at the company’s reputation while also reviewing its customer support, marketing tactics, and the broader challenges it faces in the payment processing industry.
About RAYL Innovations
RAYL Innovations Homepage
RAYL Innovations is a Canadian SaaS company based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Ronning, Zoost, and Strauss Connection
There appear to be connections to the now-shuttered payment processor PayVida and its controversial leadership team, including Robert Ronning (previously Robert Zoost) and Ryan Strauss, the two founders and frontmen of that company. PayVida’s former CFO now serving as the current CEO of RAYL. PayVida’s leadership was the subject of several lawsuits and some overall shady business practices that can be read about in our PayVida Review. While the exact nature of this relationship isn’t entirely clear, RAYL appears to be trying to shed some of the bad PR associated with PayVida.
CPO received information from an unverified source outlining the connections between the two companies. While we initially could not confirm all the details of the email, we can confirm some of the connections listed in this review and the sender appears to be well-informed about the leadership structure of the two companies:
“Jeremy Wright, former Director and CFO of PayVida now Director / CFO of RAYL
Jaime Zimmerman, former Chief Tech of PayVida and now Chief Tech of RAYL
Ali Sinawi Director/ former Investor Relations of PayVida now Investor Relations of RAYL”
The email also details active emails ryan@rayl and rob@rayl, accusing the two of being associated with RAYL even if not publicly acknowledged. A quick glance at Robert Ronning’s LinkedIn showed a “Lead Visionary” position at “Exciting New Payment company” since 2020. The profile also contains multiple activity posts concerning RAYL. While we have never taken into account PayVida’s puzzling leadership’s legal troubles in our reviews, the initial uncertainty of their involvement in the new company certainly did not inspire confidence.
In early 2022 Jeremy Wright reached out in an email and clarified the exact nature of RAYL’s relationship with Ronning and Strauss: “RAYL engaged Ronning and Strauss as consultants to advise on strategy and operational matters respectively. RAYL ended its working relationship with Ronning July 29, 2021, as RAYL no longer required Ronning’s support. As at the date of this submission, Strauss continues to provide support to RAYL on a consulting basis.”
The reported connections between the two companies appear to be somewhat true, although Ronning and Strauss only participated in the creation of RAYL Innovations from a consulting standpoint and were never officially on the corporate team. Jeremy Write also contends he was only a “fractional CFO” for PayVida and never a director, though multiple online sources still list him as such. While we tried to confirm his title through multiple online sources, his own LinkedIn profile was strangely missing any information concerning PayVida. Mr. Wright stressed the lack of connection between PayVida and RAYL Innovations.
Mr. Wright was also adamant that RAYL Innovations has never taken credit card payments, although their website previously advertised payment services and rates: “RAYL empowers you to accept credit cards and even hidden payment methods using QR Codes and Crypto Currencies.” These particular service listings have since been removed from the website. It would appear this correction is in reference to RAYL Innovation’s recent IP acquisition and the expected relaunch of their payment services.
RAYL does not disclose its partner banks through which it processes its payments.
Products & Merchant Services
Payment Processing
RAYL has indicated that it no longer provides payment processing through its RAYL.PAY service, as confirmed by Jeremey Wright of RAYL in an email. Despite this, the company continues to advertise its intention to offer payment processing on its website. RAYL’s advertised plans include an interchange-plus pricing model and POS solutions with same-day funding. However, no additional details have been provided regarding how or when these services will be implemented. If you have any further information or experience regarding RAYL’s payment acceptance process or integrations, please leave it in the comment section below.
Digital Banking
RAYL Innovations offers digital banking services that allow businesses to manage their finances efficiently. These services include online banking and mobile banking, providing easy access to financial resources.
Business Management
RAYL Innovations provides a range of business management services aimed at improving operational efficiency. These services cover various aspects of business operations, from administrative tasks to strategic planning.
RAYL.Apptive App
The RAYL.Apptive App is a business management application that integrates several business functions. It includes tools for managing sales, purchases, invoicing, inventory, human resources, and customer relationship management (CRM), centralizing business operations.
Customer Reviews & Sentiment
Overview of RAYL Reviews
RAYL, emerging as a new entity in the payments landscape, has a limited number of reviews available online. This scarcity reflects both the brand’s novelty and its efforts to distance itself from the legacy of PayVida. The available feedback, sparse in both criticism and praise, suggests that RAYL is still establishing its presence and reputation. We encourage you to share your RAYL experiences in the comments below to help build a clearer picture of the company’s service quality.
Assessment of RAYL Customer Support
RAYL provides a corporate contact number but lacks a specialized customer service line, leading to a provisional “C” rating for customer support. The absence of a dedicated service number may hinder timely and efficient resolution of customer queries and issues.
Industry Scores & User Ratings
Online Ratings Summary
BBB Rating
N/A
Google Maps
4.5
Average Rating
4.5
No BBB Profile
Rayl Does not maintain a Better Business Bureau profile at this time, and we will not take it into account for our rating.
Google Maps Rating for RAYL Innovations
RAYL Innovations has a 4.5 out of 5 star review based on 6 user reviews on Google Maps.
Positive Feedback
I joined RAYL Apptive to access the software suite. The price was great, saved quite a few bucks, but even better there was live training sessions with a real person so I could get my questions answered immediately.
Processing Rates & Fees
Uncertain Contract Terms
RAYL’s website indicates an interchange-plus model, but according to RAYL’s CFO Jeremy Wright, the company has never provided payment processing services. This is perplexing given the presence of a “Payment Solutions” section on the RAYL website, typical of payment processing businesses, offering connections with POS terminals and card swipers.
Contract Negotiation
As we currently lack access to a RAYL merchant account contract, we urge the company to provide one for review. Without this information, it remains unclear what rates or fees RAYL would entail. We invite businesses that have engaged with RAYL for payment services to share their experiences in the comments below. It’s essential for business owners to negotiate pricing and contract terms and thoroughly review all agreements before signing. We also recommend exploring our list of the top merchant account providers.
Lawsuits & Legal History
No significant class-action lawsuits or Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaints have been identified against RAYL. Clients seeking non-litigious remedies for their concerns with RAYL are advised to report them to appropriate supervisory organizations and contribute reviews to enrich the discourse in the comments section of this article.
Employee Reviews & Sales Practices
No Independent Sales Teams
From the information we have gathered about sales positions available at RAYL, we have found no indication that RAYL enlists outside independent sales agents. This is encouraging for businesses considering RAYL. Their interchange-plus model also encourages transparency in their rates and fees. This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors. We implore our readers to share their experiences with RAYL’s sales staff in the comments below.
Potential Hidden Costs
While the upfront costs of the interchange-plus model are very easy to see, there are reports of extra charges associated with storage. We currently do not have any information about this and how it relates to clients using the RAYL system. If any of our readers have current information on extra costs associated, please comment below.
RAYL Innovations Competitors
Compare RAYL Innovations to competitors that earned top marks.
We advise caution when considering RAYL as a credit card processing provider, mainly due to concerns about the background of its leadership. There is a significant likelihood that the leadership at RAYL is the same as, or closely connected to, the leadership of PayVida, a company previously criticized for its business practices. Adding to these concerns, RAYL has made efforts that seem aimed at obscuring these potential connections and has neither confirmed nor denied links to individuals like Robert Ronning/Zoost or Ryan Strauss, who have histories of questionable conduct.
While RAYL’s complaint record currently appears clean, the possibility of having leaders with a past of unethical behavior is troubling. Moreover, it is particularly disconcerting that RAYL has explicitly denied processing payments to us, despite having a clearly marked Payment Solutions section on their website, which adds a layer of confusion and mistrust about their operations. We strongly encourage anyone with insights, experiences, or feedback regarding these issues to share their thoughts in the comment section below to help others in the community form a well-rounded view of the provider’s reliability and integrity.
