Evo Payments Review

EVO Payments was initially founded in 1989 as Merchant Services Inc. so this is no spring chicken in the payments services industry. The company relaunched as EVO Merchant Services in 2003 before later rebranding itself under the current name and it’s worth knowing that the former brands may be referenced in some older reviews.

With EVO Payments UK, you certainly get experience and there are always pros and cons with using some of the more established names in payment services, which we address in this article. And, to clarify, this review focuses on EVO Payments UK and its suitability for businesses in the United Kingdom.

Products and Features

Evo Payments UK provides extensive payment services that should cover everything you need to take card payment in-store, online and on the go.

• Merchant accounts: EVO Payments is a direct processor that works with partner banks to handle your payments.
• In-store card payments: Take card payments at your business location.
• Online card payments: Take card payments online.
• Credit card terminals: Hardware for accepting payments in-store.
• Payment gateway: UI for accepting payments online.
• Virtual terminal: Take payments over the phone and by mail.
• Mobile payments: Take payments on the go with EVO Payments’ mobile card readers.
• International payments: Support for 150+ currencies in 50 countries.

As EVO Payments is a direct processor, the company can fully deal with your payments, meaning you don’t need to find an acquiring back yourself. Likewise, thanks to the company’s payment gateway and virtual terminal, you should have all the software you need for accepting payments online and over the phone.

If you decide EVO Payments UK is the provider for you, then it should be the only company you need to deal with.

EVO Payments Fees

One of the biggest problems with traditional payment service providers is they’re notoriously reluctant to publicly list pricing. EVO Payments used to be the same but the company has recently added four simple price plans for small businesses with flat rates based on your monthly card turnover.

These plans offer smaller businesses a simple, affordable pricing plan that covers all of the essentials without complex transfer fees. EVO Payments UK is the only service provider we’re aware of that currently offers this kind of simple payment plan for small businesses and publicly shows the pricing for all to see.

This is something we would like to see more often.

If you’re processing more than £9,000 per month, then you’ll qualify for EVO Payments’ Tailor Made plans, which are priced according to your business type, transaction value and other factors. You’ll need to contact the company’s sales team to discuss pricing for these bespoke plans.

Contract Length

Contracts with EVO Payments UK run on an 18-month basis, which is quite standard for traditional merchant account providers. Unfortunately, you have to be careful with these contracts as they often automatically renew one month before the current contract expires, which means you’ll be tied into another 18 months unless you send a written request asking not to be renewed in the final 30 days of your existing contract.

You’ll have to pay a termination fee for cancelling your contract outside of this brief window.

This causes all kinds of problems for people who don’t fully understand the terms of their contracts. It’s an unethical contract model but it’s a very common one and everything is there in writing – so know what you’re signing before you commit to anything.

Sales & Advertising Transparency

EVO Payments UK is one of the few payment service providers of its kind that shows any pricing on its website. Not only that but it’s simple pricing plans are perfect for smaller businesses who are so often neglected by companies like these.

However, there are some complaints about promises made by sales reps not materialising after customers have signed up. It’s difficult to say how legitimate these complaints are but we’ll take a look at this in more detail later and link to review sources so you can make up your own mind.

Customer Service and Technical Support

Unfortunately, customer service and support is one area that gets very mixed reviews for EVO Payments UK. Some customers find it difficult to contact support teams when they need them and there are some reports of accounts being closed or payments being withheld without explanation. In some cases, customers say closures and withheld funds were an error on EVO Payments’ side and complain that it’s difficult to rectify disputes with the company.

Positive Reviews and Testimonials

At the time of writing, EVO Payments UK has a score of 4.1 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 114reviews. That said, the feedback is very split with the majority of reviews either scoring a perfect 5/5 or a poor 1/5. Here are some typical positive reviews on Trustpilot:

“A simple card payment solution without all the nonsense fees. One simple payment every month, and ready to go, the card machine came within a week and was setup immediately.” – New Oriental Chef Woodford Green Ltd, Feb 2020

“Great customer service and very easy to deal with also backed up with a strong desire to help you and the business.” – Dean Haynes, Feb 2020

EVO Payments’ simple pricing plan is clearly appreciated and many customers seem happy with the services and support they receive – but not all.

Negative Reviews and Complaints

Negative reviews and complaints tend to focus on poor customer service and there are some complaints about withheld funds and unexpected charges.

“Good but could answer phones quicker and sort ur personal changes quicker.” – D & K Valeting, Feb 2020

“They quote one thing and charge you another. I have spend months of my time going round in circles trying to get back money that they owe me (and have promised on multiple occasions that they will refund).” –  Sam Speller, April, 2020

Aside from this, there are also a few complaints about card terminals not working although many of these issues were apparently resolved quickly while other customers suggest they weren’t so lucky.

Final Verdict

EVO Payments UK provides comprehensive payment services and has an excellent pricing model for small businesses, which isn’t something we can say about many traditional merchant account providers. As a result, the company is genuinely suitable for businesses of all sizes and a realistic option for SMEs, not only larger businesses.

Unfortunately, EVO Payments still uses the traditional contract policy of 18-month commitments that automatically renew. Hopefully, this is something the company will address in the future – after all, the simple pricing plans were only introduced recently and the company deserves credit for that forward-thinking change.

Hopefully, there will be more of this to come.

We also have some slight concerns about the percentage of reviews citing poor or slow customer service. Likewise, talk of account closures, withheld funds and unexpected fees is unwelcome but these are common complaints in this industry and EVO Payments’ remains strong.

See how Evo compares with other UK payment processing companies.