PayAnywhere

Overview

PayAnywhere is a point-of-sale and payment service for U.S. businesses that need both in-person checkout and remote payment options. It suits merchants who also want inventory and back-office reporting in the same system. Its breadth is useful, but transaction fees vary by payment method and its service territory stops at the United States.

Key features

In-person and remote payments

Merchants can accept chip, contactless, magstripe, PIN debit, and EBT payments, as well as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and other digital wallets. Tap to Pay and offline payments are supported, and a reader is not required. That gives businesses several ways to take payment without committing to a reader-based setup, although the stated transaction rates still differ between in-person and keyed transactions.

The browser-based Virtual Terminal handles orders taken online or by phone without payment hardware. Payment Links can request a fixed amount, offer multiple amounts, or let the customer choose an amount; merchants can share them by email or text, embed a button, or use a QR code. Recurring payments are supported. These options make PayAnywhere more than a counter checkout tool, particularly for businesses that collect payments remotely.

Inventory, reporting, and staff

The cloud catalog includes categories, price variants, modifiers, bulk uploads, discounts, stock alerts, and sales tracking. Those controls can help merchants manage varied products and monitor stock, while reporting spans sales, customers, employees, inventory, deposits, and chargebacks. Reports can be exported or scheduled by email. Transactional data can be exported to QuickBooks, and the maker describes a Chargezoom integration for syncing transactions with QuickBooks Online.

Employee roles include administrator, manager, cashier, and reporter. A Homebase partnership adds scheduling, time tracking, and payroll. For merchants who want operational tools alongside payments, that is a stronger proposition than a terminal alone; businesses needing only occasional card acceptance may have little reason to use the wider toolkit.

Funding and security

Next-day funding is the default, while same-day funding is available at no charge, subject to the processing cutoff times. The Virtual Terminal uses end-to-end encryption, tokenization, and in-house processing; Payment Links use point-to-point encryption and tokenization. PCI Plus includes a support team and SecureTrust platform, and eligible PCI Level-3 or Level-4 businesses may receive up to $100,000 in breach-related expenditure protection.

Pricing

That plan charges 2.69% for swipe, dip, or tap transactions and 3.49% + $0.19 for keyed transactions. The higher keyed rate matters for merchants taking many phone or online orders, so the payment mix should factor into the decision.

Custom pricing is also offered, with terms based on processing volume, average transaction amount, and other business factors. It is the route to consider for businesses whose scale or transaction profile may warrant a tailored arrangement. No seat, quota, or renewal terms are given for the free plan, so its practical limits cannot be compared with the paid options.

Platforms

PayAnywhere supports Android, iOS, and web. The browser terminal is useful for taking remote orders without hardware, while mobile support accommodates merchants taking payments away from a fixed counter. Services may only be used in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, which rules it out for businesses operating elsewhere.

Who it's for

PayAnywhere is best suited to U.S. merchants who want in-person payment acceptance alongside remote checkout, inventory controls, staff roles, and sales reporting. The no-reader requirement, Tap to Pay, and offline payment support add flexibility for mobile or varied checkout needs. It is less compelling for businesses outside its service territory or those whose keyed transactions make the higher rate a poor fit.

Pros and cons

• Pros: A broad set of in-person payment methods, including EBT and digital wallets, with Tap to Pay and offline support, gives merchants multiple checkout options.
• Pros: The Virtual Terminal, configurable Payment Links, and recurring payments cover remote and repeat collections as well as face-to-face sales.
• Pros: Inventory, employee roles, reporting, and QuickBooks data export bring useful back-office functions into the same service.
• Cons: The 3.49% + $0.19 keyed rate is higher than the 2.69% rate for swipe, dip, or tap, which can weigh on businesses with substantial remote orders.
• Cons: Use is restricted to the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, excluding merchants operating outside that area.

Alternatives

For a category-wide comparison, browse Mobile Payment Processing Software.

Zeller is worth comparing if a free-to-run POS with no monthly subscription or software licence fee is the priority; its Zeller Terminal is required and transaction fees apply. SwipeSimple may suit eligible businesses considering its Connect Zero offer, where card-paying customers cover a 3.5% card fee. Helcim is another option for merchants who prefer no account monthly fees and interchange-plus rates that vary by volume and payment type.

QuickBooks GoPayment is a mobile alternative for businesses willing to use a QuickBooks Payments account, subject to eligibility, credit, and application approval. Paid for Stripe is another freemium option for iOS and Android. MobilePayments may appeal to merchants comparing a per-transaction price, with its listed in-person card rate at $1.39 per contact and additional charges for Tap to Pay on iPhone and business and non-EU cards. Lopay offers a free Essential plan with unlimited team members, Thursday bank payouts, and $10 in processing fees waived per $100 spent on card. Clover Go is an alternative for businesses comparing Starter or Essentials plans with contact-sales pricing.

Verdict

Choose PayAnywhere if your U.S. business needs both in-person and remote payment tools plus inventory, staff, and reporting features in one service. Its strongest case is that operational range, with next-day funding as the default and same-day funding available at no charge. Look elsewhere if you operate beyond its U.S. service area or expect keyed transactions to dominate, since the higher keyed rate may make the payment mix costly.