About Zettle
Overview
Zettle is a mobile point-of-sale and payment acceptance product originally built by the Swedish fintech company iZettle, which was founded in Stockholm in 2010 by Jacob de Geer and Magnus Nilsson. PayPal acquired iZettle in 2018 in a deal valued at about $2.2 billion, and in February 2021 the product was rebranded as "Zettle by PayPal." It is now operated by PayPal Holdings, Inc.
The product is aimed at small and mobile merchants and centers on a compact card reader paired with a free smartphone or tablet app. Through the Zettle app, merchants can accept chip cards, contactless cards, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay in person, send invoices, sell online, and access basic sales reporting and inventory tools. In the United States, PayPal also markets the same hardware and software under the name "PayPal Point of Sale," and supports Tap to Pay on iPhone for phone-only acceptance with no separate reader.
Pricing
Processing Rates
PayPal publishes a flat in-person card rate of 2.29% plus $0.09 per transaction for sales taken with a Zettle reader or with Tap to Pay on iPhone. Manually keyed card entries are charged at 3.49% plus $0.09 per transaction. There is no monthly software fee and no long-term contract.
Hardware Costs
The first Zettle card reader is priced at $29 plus tax, and each additional reader is $79 plus tax. The reader supports chip cards, contactless cards, and mobile wallets, and is rated for roughly eight hours or 100 transactions on a charge. A standalone terminal with a built-in barcode scanner is sold for around $239, and a printer-and-dock kit starts at about $269.
Legal & Regulatory Actions
PayPal merchant fee antitrust class action
PayPal, the corporate parent of Zettle, is the named defendant in an ongoing antitrust class action alleging that anti-steering provisions in its merchant agreements (covering PayPal, Venmo, and related products) suppress competition and force consumers to pay higher prices at participating merchants. The case is being prosecuted by Hagens Berman; more information is at Hagens Berman.
Zepeda v. PayPal account-hold settlement
In an earlier matter, PayPal settled a class action captioned Zepeda v. PayPal, Inc. for $3.2 million over allegations that the company improperly placed holds and reserves on customer accounts and mishandled disputed transactions. Background on the settlement is available at Top Class Actions.
Contact
Ownership/Leadership: Enrique Lores (President and CEO, PayPal Holdings)
Address: 2211 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95131
Phone: 408-967-1000
Website:zettle.com
Recent User Reviews
When PayPal put a hold on my business account to verify my business, my Zettle stopped working, which was understandable. However, when PayPal’s enquiries were satisfied, the hold on my Zettle wasn’t lifted. There was no way to query this with Zettle. They don’t appear to have an actual customer support department. Their “live chat” bot doesn’t answer any questions nor does it connect to a human. Emails go unanswered and their phone line doesn’t connect to anyone either. I am left unable to use my Zettle and therefore unable to take card payments for my business.
I agree; I don’t know why it’s taken me time to check for reviews! Spent money to kit up to use iZettle services for my products, just when I needed to start using the servic received an email notifying me of my account termination. Refused to give the reason. Sent them several emails to understand the rational behind sudden decision.
They sent me routine replies that addressed nothing. and eventually refused to respond, when I asked them why they sold me their equipment, knowing that they were going to terminate my account in the far/near future. Now, I have iZettle machine staring at me everyday in my shop! It’s true, “not all that glitters is gold”. Not all good businesses can be trusted.
Take care before you buy.