Clearhaus was established in 2011 in Denmark but proceeded to expand its services to other European countries in 2015. As of July 2017, the company already has a market share of 20% in Denmark. The Nordic Startup Awards also recognized Clearhaus in 2016.
As a principal member of Visa and Mastercard, the company works with over 30,000 European e-commerce shops. It also accepts other major debit and credit cards and currencies. The company prides itself on being customer-centric and technology-driven. In fact, it continues to expand by developing its own infrastructure and providing extensive APIs.
While it’s not indicated on the company’s website, reviews reveal that Clearhaus offers payment processing services to high-risk industries, too. It covers a broad spectrum of businesses—from startups to corporations.
Clearhaus accepts all major debit and credit cards. It can set up merchant accounts in as fast as three days to help businesses start accepting credit card payments. Aside from Visa and Mastercard, the company also processes Apple Pay and other alternative payment methods.
It does not say on its website that it works with high-risk industries. A quick look at the customer reviews about Clearhaus clearly showed that it has processed payments and set up merchant accounts for high-risk businesses.
Clearhaus is an acquirer. It is in charge of processing the payments. However, it does work with several common payment gateways to secure the information of the customers and merchants. These are the gateway the company is working with:
Clearhaus can handle various currencies. You can expand your market by accepting foreign currencies. As long as Visa and Mastercard support the currency, merchants can sell their products to that market.
Clearhaus doesn’t charge a setup and monthly fee. Locally issued cards will be charged 1.45% per transaction or a minimum of 0.2£ per transaction. For foreign-issued cards, the charge is 2.75% or a minimum of 0.4 £ per transaction.
The chargeback handling fee is 30£ while the refund fee is 0.25£.
Clearhaus can customize its pricing for businesses. If your monthly turnover reaches €50,000 per month, you will qualify for a custom offer. The company, however, did not publish information about its high-risk industry fees. Merchants can reach out to the company to have their fees calculated.
There are some mentions about Clearhaus’ hidden fees. However, the merchants did not provide details about such hidden costs.
There are some complaints about Clearhaus’ fees and customer service. The merchants said that the company isn’t ready for bigger clients based on their experience during the onboarding process. Some also complained about the lack of communication.
However, it should be noted that out of 253 reviews on Trustpilot, Clearhaus has a 4-star rating. The company also responds to good and bad reviews.
There are no formal rip-off reports against Clearhaus. However, one merchant said that it charges almost 800 euro as an initial fee and a 100 euro monthly fee for a CBD store. Another merchant said that the company kept his money and blocked his account.
Again, Clearhaus responded to these accusations on the review sites.
Other complaints include allegations that the company is not transparent with its fees. Some merchants said that Clearhaus closed their accounts even though they are fully compliant with the regulations.
Clearhaus is not accredited and rated by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) because it is not based in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The BBB gives ratings between A+ and F. Many merchants want to check BBB for a company’s rating and accreditation. However, the BBB is not the only association that accredits payment processing companies.
Clearhaus is not listed on the BBB website. There are no reviews or complaints about the company.
Clearhaus is a legitimate company. Although there are several complaints about it, there are also more positive reviews about their experience with the company. It also has a very comprehensive website that includes information about its pricing. A quick look at common professional networking sites shows that Clearhaus holds a steady presence.
ScamAdviser said that Clearhaus’ website has an average to good trust score and that it is not a scam website. This means that users can safely browse the site. ScamAdviser highlighted some positive elements of the website, including the domain name, the number of years it has been active, positive reviews, SSL certificate, and moneyback guarantee offers.
Some merchants called Clearhaus a scam on review sites because of the hidden charges and confiscated money. They also said their accounts had been shut down, and the company kept their money. However, the company was quick to respond to these accusations.
There are no lawsuits filed against Clearhaus.
Out of 253 reviews on Trustpilot, Clearhaus received 78% positive, 6% great, 1% average, 3% poor, and 12% bad. Merchants lauded the customer service because the team quickly addressed their needs. They called the company “superb” because of its fast service.
Another merchant said that Clearhaus is one of the best payment processors it has worked with. Although the owner asked many questions, the team answered them all. On top of that, the company received tremendous support from start to finish.
However, there are also bad reviews about Clearhaus. Some merchants said that it took more than four weeks to finalize a contract. Others mentioned that the company charged too high.
Although there are some bad reviews about Clearhaus, this does not mean merchants cannot trust the company to do its job. It has a good reputation for providing basic payment processing services. It is also transparent about its processing fees, even inviting clients to reach out for a customized quotation. Merchants, however, should always proceed with caution when partnering with any payment processor.
