Payoneer just cut off Achieve Community's payment processor services, and the timing tells you everything you need to know.

An Achieve Community affiliate bragged about it on social media back in November 2014: "Payoneer is the processor and they do not take on ponzi's or pyramid schemes." Turns out Payoneer agreed. The company that handles payouts for Google, Airbnb, Elance-oDesk and Getty Images has terminated services for Achieve and all its affiliates, effective November 30th.

Achieve Community wasted no time damage-controlling the situation. In a backoffice update, the company told members to drain their Payoneer accounts immediately. "Payoneer will not be working with our Achieve accounts after November 30th," the message read. Whether Payoneer froze any funds remains unclear, but member accounts are being axed at month's end.

Co-founder Troy Barnes blamed it on volume. He claimed Achieve had paid out $2,760,000 to members in 19 weeks and that Payoneer simply couldn't handle the cash flow. "The only reason that Achieve is not paying out today is that our processor can't handle the volume of Money we are paying our members," he wrote.

That claim doesn't hold water. Google, Airbnb and Getty Images process far larger transaction volumes through the same platform without issue. If Payoneer can handle billion-dollar companies, it can handle a few million from Achieve.

Partner Kristi Johnson doubled down with her own statement, admitting they've suspended all signups and repurchases. "We aren't going to take in money until we can pay it out," she said. She acknowledged the damage: "To be completely honest I don't know what affect this will have on our momentum." She promised meetings with replacement payment processors and banks, but offered no timeline.

What she didn't say is far more telling. She didn't acknowledge why Payoneer actually walked away. She didn't explain how a company supposedly generating millions in weekly payouts can't find a legitimate payment processor willing to work with them. And she didn't address the elephant in the room: companies operating legitimate business models don't lose their payment processors.

Payment processors, especially established ones like Payoneer, terminate relationships with high-risk ventures. Pyramid schemes and MLM operations routinely get cut off because they're illegal or operate in legal gray zones. Major processors have compliance departments that assess whether a company's business model is sustainable and lawful. Payoneer's decision to terminate Achieve Community's services suggests their compliance team reached a conclusion.

For Achieve's members, the message is clear. Get your money out while you can. For everyone else watching this unfold, it's a reminder that when a payment processor walks, it's rarely about transaction volume.

🤖 Quick Answer

What happened between Payoneer and Achieve Community?
Payoneer terminated payment processing services for Achieve Community and its affiliates effective November 30th, 2014. An affiliate had previously stated that Payoneer does not work with Ponzi or pyramid schemes, suggesting regulatory concerns. Achieve Community instructed members to withdraw funds immediately from their Payoneer accounts before the deadline.

Why did Payoneer discontinue services with Achieve Community?
Payoneer's decision reflected concerns about Achieve Community's business model. The processor, which serves major companies like Google and Airbnb, maintains strict compliance standards. The termination followed public statements by affiliates acknowledging Payoneer's policy against supporting fraudulent schemes, indicating potential violations of payment processing regulations.

What was Achieve Community's response to the termination?
Achieve Community issued a backoffice update instructing members

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