In this review of Recurly, we will provide a detailed overview of the company's subscription billing and credit card processing services. We will cover the range of services they offer, including automated recurring billing, revenue optimization, and comprehensive reporting tools. The review will identify the types of businesses that might benefit from these services, particularly those with subscription-based models. Additionally, we will examine client and customer reviews to highlight common trends and potential concerns. The article will also address the company's pricing structure, contract terms, and specific features provided. By the end of this review, you will understand whether Recurly meets your subscription billing and payment processing needs.
Company Overview
Recurly is a recurring billing service designed to help merchant accounts manage repeating payments and subscription billing. Recurly offers its own payment gateway and integrates with a number of third-party merchant account providers including Amazon Payments, PayPal, Braintree, Authorize.Net, Worldpay, and TSYS, but it does not provide its own merchant accounts, point-of-sale equipment, or mobile card processing. In other words, Recurly can be thought of as a third-party billing management service that merchants may use in conjunction with their existing merchant accounts. They also offer data reporting and analytics for their services.
In 2022, Recurly bought revenue recognition and forecasting company LeapRev.
Recurly supports a variety of payment gateways and methods, including credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets. This enables businesses to accept global payments and broaden their market reach.
Plan Flexibility and Customization
Recurly offers extensive customization options for creating subscription plans. Businesses can tailor billing frequencies, pricing models, and promotional codes to suit their specific requirements.
Dunning Management
The dunning management feature aims to recover revenue from failed transactions and payment declines. Recurly's system automatically notifies customers and retries the payment, helping to reduce involuntary churn.
Revenue Recognition and Reporting
Recurly provides tools for revenue recognition and financial reporting that adhere to accounting standards. This makes it easier for businesses to track and report revenue, manage financials, and forecast growth.
Fraud Management
Recurly prioritizes security with various fraud prevention mechanisms. These tools analyze transaction data to identify and prevent suspicious activities, enhancing overall payment security.
Analytics and Insights
Recurly's analytics dashboard offers detailed insights into key business metrics such as churn rates, lifetime value, and subscription growth, enabling businesses to make informed, data-driven decisions.
Integrations
Recurly supports multiple API integrations, allowing it to work seamlessly with other enterprise software solutions. This enhances its utility for businesses already using CRM, accounting, or other software.
Recurly focuses on the recurring billing part of payment processing
Recurly Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints
<10
Live Customer Support
No
Most Common Complaint
N/A
Recent Lawsuits
No
Clean Complaint Record
Our investigation reveals no significant negative Recurly reviews on key consumer protection websites, suggesting the company maintains a strong reputation. The only noteworthy incident involves a 2012 hardware outage, which led to the loss of some billing information for a limited number of clients. This event appears to have been an isolated incident and does not seem to have had a lasting impact on Recurly’s reputation. If you have any personal experiences or reviews about Recurly, please share them in the comments below.
Recurly Lawsuits
To date, there are no known outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Recurly. For those seeking to address any concerns with Recurly in a non-litigious manner, reporting to relevant supervisory organizations is an advisable course of action.
Recurly Customer Support Options
Recurly offers customer support through live chat from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST, alongside email support for less urgent queries. This availability ensures timely assistance for users seeking support during business hours.
Additionally, Recurly provides dedicated email support at [email protected] and live chat support through its website, offering multiple avenues for customer interaction and assistance.
Note: We have adjusted this company’s BBB rating according to our own standards. To better understand why we adjust BBB ratings, please see our Rating Criteria.
No BBB Complaints
The Better Business Bureau currently assigns Recurly an “F” and is not showing accreditation for the company. The BBB has 3 complaints related to Recurly in the past 36 months. 2 of the complaints were resolved to the satisfaction of the client, while 1 was either resolved to the dissatisfaction of the client or received no final response. The company has not received any informal reviews from merchants, although these reviews are typically not subject to BBB verification.
An “A” Performance Overall
In light of the company’s clean complaint record, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating to an “A” at this time. Readers should note, however, that there are good reasons to be skeptical of the BBB’s rating system.
Recurly provides three distinct pricing options for its services: Starter, Professional, and Elite. The Starter plan is initially free for the first year, then transitions to $249 monthly. Pricing details for the Professional and Elite plans are not disclosed on the Recurly website.
Given that Recurly operates as a third-party service, its fees are additional to the charges associated with a business’s existing merchant account. To minimize expenses, it’s advisable for merchants to combine Recurly’s services with a cost-effective payment processor.
No Long-Term Commitments
Recurly’s services are provided on a flexible, month-to-month basis without imposing monthly minimum fees, early termination fees, PCI compliance fees, or other common charges. The “Starter” plan caters to businesses needing to process credit card subscription payments. In contrast, the “Professional” plan offers additional features such as ACH payments, invoicing, integration with QuickBooks Online and Salesforce, multi-currency support, gift card support, and fraud management tools. Recurly’s pricing information indicates that certain fees are separate from those incurred through a client’s credit card processor, including transaction and cancellation fees.
Absence of Contract Complaints
Public feedback does not include complaints about Recurly’s pricing or contract terms, and the fees for its comprehensive features are competitively low. However, for businesses that already have recurring billing capabilities through their merchant account providers, the additional cost for Recurly’s expanded tools may not be justifiable. Recurly is ideally suited for businesses specifically looking for advanced recurring billing features. Such businesses could benefit from securing competitive rates with a merchant account provider and then integrating Recurly’s payment gateway, rather than the reverse approach of starting with a Recurly-compatible payment gateway.
Recurly markets itself primarily through traditional advertising methods and through strategic partnerships. The company does not appear to hire outside independent sales agents or engage in telemarketing, and we have not located any Recurly reviews that accuse the company’s sales representatives of deception or nondisclosure.
No Misleading Advertising
In addition, Recurly does not list any misleading rate quotes or teaser offers on its website. In light of these factors, we have awarded it an “A” rating in this category.
Our Recurly Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
Recurly is rated as a robust recurring billing credit card processing option for merchants, offering a comprehensive solution for subscription-based businesses. With its low-commitment pricing model, Recurly provides a host of advanced features that often surpass those available through traditional payment gateways. This makes it an excellent choice for mid-size and large subscription-style businesses seeking a competitively priced, feature-rich recurring billing platform. Recurly’s extensive capabilities cater to businesses that require more sophisticated billing solutions than those offered by their existing providers. These features include customizable billing schedules, detailed analytics, and automated dunning processes, which collectively enhance operational efficiency and customer retention.
However, it’s worth noting that Recurly may not be the ideal fit for smaller businesses that only need a basic recurring billing setup. For such businesses, the extensive feature set and associated costs may be unnecessary and overly complex. Smaller enterprises might find simpler and more cost-effective alternatives better suited to their needs. Recurly stands out as a solid option for larger subscription-based enterprises looking for a powerful and flexible recurring billing solution, while smaller businesses should consider their specific requirements before opting for this service.
Location & Ownership
Founded in 2010, the company is headquartered at 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA 94105. Dan Burkhart is the co-founder and CEO of Recurly.
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In the late 2000s, as a broke college student struggling to make ends meet, I was contacted by a merchant services company after uploading my resume to a job listings website. This company promised substantial commissions and ongoing residual income for simply persuading businesses to accept credit card payments. It seemed straightforward enough—after all, what business doesn’t need to process credit card payments? Following a phone interview with a persuasive “sales director,” I found myself embarking on what I believed would be an easy job that would significantly boost my bank account with reliable monthly income and large sales commissions. However, the lessons I learned would profoundly change my life in ways I could never have imagined.
After completing my sales training, I hit the ground running, eager to make sales. This broke college student was determined to improve his financial situation! My first attempt at a cold call, with no prior appointment, ended with a burly man in his 50s yelling at me to leave, claiming he had been “totally robbed” by someone like me before. As I hastily exited, puzzled and intimidated by his reaction, I couldn’t help but wonder what he meant. Throughout the day, I encountered similar hostility from other business owners, all expressing disdain for the industry I had been so excited to join that morning. Confused and curious, I decided to shift my approach from selling to listening.
I quickly uncovered that the merchant services sector was riddled with unethical practices, including hidden fees, deceptive marketing, fine-print traps, and much more. It dawned on me that I had nearly been tricked by a dubious company into selling overpriced services under contracts with long-term commitments, all without being fully aware of what I was promoting. Outraged, I resigned from that company but learned that there were indeed ethical credit card processing companies that treated their clients fairly. Over the next four years, I worked for one such company, assisting hundreds of businesses in securing cost-effective processing solutions. Yet, I also met many more who had been misled and trapped in onerous service agreements. Determined to help people steer clear of these unscrupulous providers, I launched this website in my spare time, dedicating myself to researching and sharing my findings on every merchant account provider I could investigate.
Gradually, more and more business owners began to discover my articles. As word spread, search engines started to rank my content highly, amplifying its reach. My efforts were making a difference! Eventually, the website garnered enough traffic to enable me to leave my job and focus on it full-time, a journey that has now spanned over a decade. This path has not been without its challenges; unscrupulous company owners have tried to intimidate and sue me into silence on several occasions. Yet, I have stood firm against each threat. Here I am, continuing to publish reviews and articles, hoping to safeguard others from the pitfalls of the credit card processing industry.
If you believe in my mission and wish to contribute, please share my articles on your websites and social media. Thank you for visiting!
Testimonials & Complaints
How Did Recurly Treat You?
1 User Reviews
David Buonomo
Recurly web site now states that invoices are $1.00 per invoice.
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David Buonomo
Recurly web site now states that invoices are $1.00 per invoice.