Read The Fine Print... trust your gut.
Seeking a more streamlined alternative to my payment processor, I transitioned to Authorize.net. Regrettably, this decision introduced a new set of operational challenges and frustrations. Prospective users of Authorize.net are strongly cautioned to undertake a thorough examination of all contractual terms and conditions. They do not advertise that they automatically sign you up for a payment processor. Authorize.net did not disclose to me about any RISK holds, RISK hold requirements [documents] nor was I given directions to set up the payment processor account that was with a third party processor. In my experience, their policies were notably intricate and laden with fine print. It is paramount to recognize that Authorize.net functions as a payment gateway, rather than a direct payment processor. Post-account approval, a disconcerting incident occurred wherein a customer transaction was processed despite the system ostensibly remaining in "TEST" mode—an early indicator of potential systemic issues. Subsequently, upon transitioning to "LIVE" operations and processing a legitimate payment, the whereabouts of the transacted funds became a point of significant concern. There was a conspicuous lack of clarity regarding Authorize.net's utilization of third party processor for merchant account services. Although this third-party processor is presented as an independent entity, it functions more akin to an internal department, further complicated by restricted customer support availability (weekdays, Pacific Time). It was also concerning to discover the emails that were now being sent from Authorize.net employees were from a '@VISA.com' email domain. My attempts to resolve these issues necessitated three separate interactions with their merchant support. The most recent engagement was particularly unsatisfactory: I was provided with information I had strong reasons to believe was inaccurate. Upon requesting clarification and while the support agent was ostensibly verifying the details, the call was abruptly terminated. Prior to this disconnection, I was informed that the Risk Department required a comprehensive review of my account to assign a risk assessment. A final effort to remediate this challenging vendor relationship and navigate the initial period of operational friction involved an attempt to utilize their online chat support; however, this communication channel also proved inconclusive as my message was apparently cut short. On 6/6/25, I was assured via phone that my first payout was scheduled and will be received within three business days. Yet, just ten minutes later, I received an email from the RISK assessment department that my funds were now frozen as this department conducted a review. They requested several documents, two I had already submitted during the initial application. This sudden review, coming a full week after the transaction, 06/09/25 I was emailed to let me know it will take 1 to 2 business days to review these documents, only to contradict themselves two hours later by emailing requesting that a document show certain customer information. on 6/10/2025 I was then given a max of four days to get a response and on 6/13/2025 my merchant account was now closed without any reason or purpose. The same day Authorize.net referred my portal account to a new third-party from which I stopped and had the entire account closed and reverted back to my original payment processor. I highly suggest looking into whom they assigned you as your merchant account holder ASAP.
By Jordan B.