Our Fiserv Review, A Business Owner’s Perspective

An image of fiserv's logo
2/5
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How did they treat you? ▼

Overview

In this article we will provide an in-depth analysis of Fiserv, formerly known as First Data, detailing everything a business needs to know before utilizing the company's merchant services. We'll begin by detailing the company's history, including its significant acquisitions and mergers. Then, we will delve into the various services offered by Fiserv, such as credit and debit card processing, hardware sales and leasing, payment gateways, and e-commerce solutions. We'll explain Fiserv's role as a direct processor and its partnerships with various resellers and sub-ISOs.

We will then address the challenges and controversies that have surrounded Fiserv, including common customer complaints, legal issues, and government fines. This will involve a critical look at the company's customer support options, alongside providing essential contact information for different service needs.

Further, this article will explore Fiserv's online ratings and customer feedback. We aim to shed light on the common issues faced by its clients, offering a balanced view of the company's performance from the perspective of its users.

Additionally, we'll examine Fiserv's fee structure and contract terms, paying special attention to the implications of dealing with its network of resellers. The article will also scrutinize Fiserv's sales tactics and the impact of its extensive network of independent resellers on its overall reputation.

About Fiserv

Fiserv's Hompage

Fiserv, also previously known as First Data, stands as a global giant among credit card processing services. The company primarily generates revenue by offering back-end card processing services to Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs), banks, and various merchant service providers worldwide. Fiserv has also made strides in the point-of-sale technology sector with its Clover POS system (see our Clover POS Review). A significant expansion occurred in May 2017 when Fiserv acquired CardConnect for $750 million, followed by the purchase of BluePay in October of the same year. In a landmark development, First Data merged with Fiserv in January 2019 through an all-stock deal valued at $22 billion, with Frank Bisignano, the former CEO of First Data, continuing as the CEO of the merged entity.

Continuing its growth trajectory, Fiserv acquired Radius8 for $14 million and Ondot Systems for $270 million in 2021, along with the purchase of BentoBox for an undisclosed sum. The company's acquisition spree didn't stop there; it also included Finxact, Merchant One, The City POS, and Yacare. Additionally, Fiserv has formed a strategic partnership with Central Payments, further expanding its influence and capabilities in the financial services technology sector.

Fiserv's Services

Fiserv offers a comprehensive range of products and services primarily focused on financial transactions, merchant services, and payment processing, catering primarily to U.S. businesses and financial institutions. Here's a summary of their key offerings:

  • Credit and Debit Card Processing: Fiserv provides extensive card processing services, including authorization, settlement, and funding for credit and debit card transactions.
  • Point-of-Sale (POS) Solutions: Fiserv offers a versatile point-of-sale solution with its Clover POS system, which includes hardware and software for processing sales transactions, managing inventory, and customer engagement.
  • Mobile and Online Payment Solutions: They offer solutions for online and mobile payments, enabling businesses to accept payments through websites, mobile apps, and other digital platforms.
  • Merchant Cash Advances: Fiserv provides financial loan products like merchant cash advances, offering businesses access to working capital based on their future sales.
  • E-commerce Solutions: They offer a range of e-commerce solutions, including payment gateways and shopping cart integration, to facilitate online transactions.
  • Fraud and Risk Management: Fiserv provides tools and services for fraud detection and risk management to protect businesses and their customers from fraudulent activities.
  • Data Analytics and Reporting: They offer data analytics and reporting tools to help businesses track transactions, understand customer behavior, and make informed decisions.
  • Financial Services Technology: Beyond merchant services, Fiserv is known for its financial services technology solutions, offering a wide range of products for banks and financial institutions, including account processing services, electronic bill payment, and digital banking solutions.
  • Acquisitions and Partnerships: Fiserv's growth strategy includes acquiring companies like CardConnect, BluePay, and Ondot Systems, and forming partnerships to expand its service offerings and technological capabilities

Reseller Network & Banking Partnerships

Fiserv distinguishes itself in the merchant services industry as a direct processor with major credit card networks like Visa and MasterCard. This direct processing capability sets the company apart from many other merchant services organizations that rely on intermediary banks or processors like Fiserv to handle transactions. Being a direct processor allows Fiserv to have more control over the processing and, potentially, offer more competitive rates to high volume businesses.

While Fiserv does maintain a modest direct sales force, the company predominantly leverages partnerships with third-party resellers through a white label program that allows companies to market and sell merchant services under their own branding. This extensive network of partners has enabled Fiserv to reach a broad range of clients across various industries and geographical locations.

Furthermore, Fiserv has played significant role in the credit card processing operations of some of the largest banks in the United States, providing the underlying credit card processing services for Wells Fargo Merchant Services and, formerly, Bank of America Merchant Services which ended its joint venture in 2020 to provide its own merchant services. These partnerships, along with thousands of others, contribute to Fiserv's status as one of the largest, if not the largest, processor in the world.

Equipment Leasing Controversy

In addition to its core credit card processing services, Fiserv operates a POS (Point of Sale) leasing division through First Data Global Leasing. However, this division has received significant amount of negative reviews, with much of criticism directed at the terms and conditions of the leasing agreements and the quality of the leased equipment. In fact, a competitor offering nearly identical leasing services was was shut down by the New York Attorney General (see our review of Northern Leasing Systems).

Location & Leadership

Address:255 Fiserv Drive
Brookfield, WI 53045
CEO:Frank Bisignano
Phone:(800) 872-7882
Website:fiserv.com
Video Summary of Our Fiserv Review
Pros & Cons
Pros: Cons:
Broad service offerings Potentially higher fees
Reliable network infrastructure Complex pricing structure
Global reach Lengthy contract terms
Advanced security features Inconsistent customer support
Diverse payment options Equipment lease commitments
Comprehensive reporting tools Steep cancellation penalties

Fiserv Customer Reviews

Here's What Their Clients Say

Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints 1,000+
Testimonials Few
Most Common Complaint Hidden Fees
Most Common Praise Technology
Lawsuits 10+

As part of our research process, we dug deep into Fiserv’s customer reviews and commentary. Through this process we uncovered trends and patterns in client satisfaction that can help you know what to expect with this credit card processor.  In examining customer feedback about Fiserv across various online forums and comment sections, it’s evident that alongside the challenges, there are also several positive trends in user experiences.

What Clients Say They Like about Fiserv

  1. Modern and Reliable Technology: A common thread of positive feedback was centered around the reliability of Fiserv’s “Clover” payment hardware product line. Many customers appreciate its advanced features and capabilities, which include efficient payment processing, robust security measures, and user-friendly interfaces.
  2. Support for Businesses of Varying Sizes: Fiserv is often commended for its support of small and medium-sized businesses, as well as its enterprise level payment systems. Users have expressed satisfaction with how Fiserv’s solutions are tailored to meet the unique needs of their businesses, providing them with tools that were previously accessible only to larger corporations.
  3. Customization and Flexibility: Another positive aspect frequently mentioned is the customization and flexibility of Fiserv’s services. Businesses from various sectors have stated that they benefited from the ability to tailor Fiserv’s solutions to their specific needs. This flexibility was particularly appreciated in situations where reviewers reported unique requirements or when their business was undergoing changes to its operations.
  4. Global Reach and Comprehensive Services: Fiserv’s global presence and comprehensive range of services have also been positively noted. Customers from different parts of the world have highlighted the convenience of accessing a wide array of financial services under one umbrella.
  5. Positive Customer Service Experiences: While there are mixed reviews about customer service, there are also numerous accounts of positive interactions. These include experiences with knowledgeable and helpful customer support teams, quick and effective resolution of issues, and a proactive approach to customer care.

What Clients Did Not Like

Fiserv also suffers from a considerable number of customer complaints covering varying aspects the company’s fees, policies, and services. We located a high number of negative Fiserv reviews, with more than 600 in our comment section below,  and over 400 more on other consumer protection websites.

  1. Concerns Over Sales Practices and Transparency: A notable trend in customer feedback involves concerns about sales practices. Many users report experiences with deceptive sales tactics, particularly from resellers and sales agents. This includes instances where the terms and conditions of contracts were not fully disclosed at the outset, leading to surprises and misunderstandings later on. Customers have expressed frustration over being placed into merchant account contracts directly with Fiserv through resellers without clear communication about the important terms and conditions.
  2. Customer Service Experiences: Another significant area of feedback is customer service. There are numerous accounts of challenges in dealing with Fiserv’s customer support, including long wait times, difficulty in getting issues resolved, and a perceived lack of attentiveness to customer concerns. This has been a point of contention for many, especially when dealing with complex issues like billing disputes and service-length commitments.
  3. Billing and Contract Disputes: Billing issues are a recurrent theme in the feedback. Customers frequently mention disputes over billing, hidden fees, higher than expected rates, and difficulties in resolving these disputes satisfactorily. The complexity and length of contracts, coupled with a lack of clarity in some cases, have also been points of concern, leading to dissatisfaction among some users.
  4. Hardware Costs and Commitments: Common customer grievances regarding Fiserv’s credit card processing hardware often center around a few key issues. Firstly, we found frequent mentions of dissatisfaction with the costs associated with credit card processing hardware. Customers often express surprise at hidden fees or higher-than-expected charges. Secondly, the lease terms for Fiserv’s hardware are another point of contention. Users report that these terms can be lengthy and inflexible, making it challenging for businesses to upgrade or change their hardware without incurring additional costs. Lastly, some customers have experienced difficulties with the hardware itself, citing issues with functionality or reliability, which can disrupt daily business operations.

Problems With Resellers and ISOs

a screen capture of fiserv's website showing some of its reseller partners
Fiserv Resellers

As previously mentioned, Fiserv partners with numerous resellers and ISOs (Independent Sales Organizations) to varying degrees. In some cases, resellers market Fiserv under the Fiserv brand and in others, resellers market Fiserv’s underlying processing under their own branding. This business practice as lead to some confusion for business owners, as well as a pattern in complaints related to resellers.

  • Misleading Sales Tactics: Customers frequently report encountering misleading or aggressive sales tactics from some of Fiserv’s resellers and ISOs. This includes making promises about rates and fees that are not upheld, and providing incomplete or inaccurate information about the services offered.
  • Lack of Transparency in Contract Terms: Many complaints revolve around a lack of transparency in contract terms. Customers often find themselves locked into long-term contracts with high cancellation fees, which were not clearly communicated at the outset. Some customer reviews reported that the unexpected costs placed financial burdens on their businesses.
  • Hidden Fees and Unexpected Charges: Another common issue is the presence of hidden fees, higher than promised rates, or unexpected charges that were not disclosed during the sales process. Customers have reported being surprised by various additional costs that significantly increased the overall expense of using Fiserv’s services.
  • Inconsistent Customer Support: The level of customer support provided by resellers and ISOs can be inconsistent, with support in some cases being supplied directly by Fiserv and at other times by the resellers themselves. Some customers have also reported difficulties in getting timely and effective assistance for their issues. This inconsistency has lead to frustration and a lack of trust in Fiserv, according to many client reviews.
  • Quality and Reliability of Equipment: Concerns have also been raised about the quality and reliability of the credit card processing equipment provided by some resellers. Issues range from equipment malfunctioning to outdated technology, which some have reported as impeding their business operations.
  • Pressure to Lease Equipment: Customers have expressed concerns about being pressured to lease credit card processing equipment, often at rates that are not competitive. These leasing agreements can also come with long-term commitments and strict terms, which are almost never in the best interest of the business.

Fiserv Lawsuits & Government Actions

Fiserv has been the defendant in several lawsuits and has caught the attention of regulators on a few occasions.

  • Fiserv’s Acquisition of First Data:
    • Valued at $22 billion.
    • Faced a class-action lawsuit by Alan Skulsky, a minority stockholder in First Data, in the Delaware Chancery Court.
  • Legal Issues of First Data (Part of Fiserv):
    • In 2017, faced a class-action lawsuit in New York.
    • Allegations of imposing excessive termination fees on equipment leases.
    • The lawsuit demanded a jury trial, highlighting concerns over unfair financial practices.
  • Lawsuit Against First Data by Peel Payments (2016):
    • Peel Payments, a First Data reseller, filed the lawsuit.
    • Alleged significant increase in authorization fees for some merchants, from $0.05 to over $0.60 per transaction.
    • Noted that typical authorization fees do not exceed $0.30, even in high-risk environments.
  • Lawsuit Against Fiserv by Bessemer System Federal Credit Union (April 2019):
    • Alleged failure to address vulnerabilities in the platform for banking websites and online applications.
    • Raised concerns about the security and reliability of Fiserv’s digital infrastructure.
  • Lawsuit Against Fiserv’s Bank of America Merchant Services Arm (July 2021):
    • Claims of charging excessive fees not included in merchant contracts.
    • Highlighted ongoing concerns about billing transparency and fairness.
  • Lawsuit by Municipal Credit Union Against Fiserv (2022):
    • Alleged negligent and fraudulent practices leading to a data breach.
    • Breach exposed sensitive information of thousands of MCU members.
    • MCU sought compensation for protection costs and damages for member harm.
  • Repeated Fines for Labor Violations:
    • Fiserv/First Data has been fined multiple times for labor violations.
    • These include wage and hour violations, totaling $51,565, and economic sanction violations amounting to $23,336.
  • Settlement for Fraud Charges:
    • First Data, a part of Fiserv, agreed to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its involvement in four scams.
    • Settled FTC charges related to aiding illegal actions by an independent sales organization.
    • The settlement amount was $40.2 million.
    • These charges were from alleged illegal actions committed from 2012 to 2014.
    • Source: Reuters

Customer Support Options

When it comes to customer service, Fiserv serves its merchant account customers directly via a 24/7 customer service call center. Resellers can also assist companies with their own customer service. As a third option, Fiserv offers customer support for resellers at an additional cost to the reseller. In a few Fiserv reviews, merchants have reported confusion about which company is responsible for servicing their account.

Customer Service Numbers

  • (800) 872-7882 – Sales
  • (800) 877-8021 – CheckFree Online Bill Pay
  • (800) 848-1337 – CheckFree Online Bill Pay Collections
  • (800) 554-8969 – Debit Card Services
  • (800) 564-9184 – MyCheckFree
  • (800) 967-9649 – BillMatrix
  • (877) 675-6378 – Popmoney
  • (800) 676-6148 – Walk-In Payments/CheckFreePay

See the top-rated merchant accounts for great customer service. before risking your payment acceptance with any merchant account provider.

Fiserv Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

Online Ratings Summary
BBB Rating 1/5
Trust Pilot Rating 1.9/5
Software Advice Rating 4.3/5
Average Rating 2.4/5

Fiserv BBB Rating Analysis

a screen capture showing fiserv's bbb rating
Fiserv’s 1-star rating with the BBB

Fiserv, Inc. has an average customer review rating of 1 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, based on 89 customer reviews. Common themes among these reviews include complaints about poor customer service, issues with account handling, and dissatisfaction with the company’s response to customer concerns.

Negative Feedback

I am with business for so long. Lately they tried to rob me by telling my processing machine is obsolete and needed to be changed. I thought it was true and they quickly sent me a new machine which I never use then they withdraw more than $1000 from my account without letting me know. I have to fight before they even refund $800 and they refused to refund the remaining. This is last two months fight and today with surprise they withdraw $361 and when I called them they said restocking fee. I told them if they don’t refund me they will hear from me. Be aware of scam.
– Review from November 3, 2023

This company (Clover) is a scam, they said that 3 of the deposit my company received were higher than our daily average so they put the funds on hold on 10/20 when I called back on 10/23 they told me that they decided to close the account and they would be releasing my funds and I would receive them within 24/48 hours. I still did not receive my funds on 10/26 so I called them back and they said that there was an issue but the funds were released I should be receiving them back on tomorrow 10/27. Tomorrow came and I still did not receive the funds and they said that there was a delay on their end and I would be receiving the funds by 10/30 or 10/31 at the latest and I don’t need to worry. Today 10/31 I called and they said that they were not sure who I spoke to and that there has been no attempt on their end to send the money to bank account and they were not sure because that is handled by a different department and the best she could do is send them an email but could not provide me with their contact info. Now I’m sitting here with my thumb up my A$$ and have no clue what to do or who to talk to and they are holding my $8835 with no timeframe of when I will get it back. I’m a SMB owner and not having this money is really going to put me a hole. Please please stay away from this company.
– Review from October 31, 2023

Positive Feedback

There are no positive reviews published about Fiserv, Inc. on Better Business Bureau.

Source: Better Business Bureau

Trustpilot Rating Analysis

Fiserv, Inc. has an average customer review rating of 1.9 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot based on 13 customer reviews. The common themes in the reviews include poor customer service, issues with their merchant services, and difficulties in resolving problems.

Negative Feedback

Don’t do business with Fiserv or any business they own. Their merchant services are the worst and their customer service is worthless. No one can ever actually resolve anything. Reports for merchants are terrible. No customer order number for the transactions. They used to have order numbers and they took them away and refuse to put them back on the reporting. After spending thousands of dollars to have custom code written to reconcile the merchant account, bank account and sales from my website they changed the reporting and all the money I spent is down the drain. Now I have to reconcile by hand one transaction at a time. It’s crazy! Today I tried to issue a refund and it won’t go through their Clover system. I called customer service and they cannot get it to go through either. Now they tell me I have to wait 3 days for them to figure out the problem. I am supposed to call my customer and tell them to wait 3 days. How does that make my business look to my customer??? I have been on the telephone with them for over 2 hours and am on hold to speak with a supervisor. This company is the worst company I have ever dealt with. Very unprofessional! Save yourself a ton of stress and stay away from anything Fiserv, First Data, Clover….
– Review from November 13, 2023

You are NOT important to us!! I quit Fiserve on 8/1/2023 – I received an email from customer service confirming my request to close my account on 8/4/23. NO WHERE in any of the 3 emails I received did it say “trickle fees” would show up, for up to 60 days, after closing. I’ve been charged a Visa month end fee for 2 months now. I gave them August as we did process for the first 3 days. Now I want my money back! All the customer service rep (Appropriately named Boycott) said “It’s a valid charge” (You say!!!) He requested my fee to be refunded, but I needed to wait, up to 72 hours, for a response.
After being on hold for almost 30 minutes – Nothing says “you’re not important to us” like being on hold – or being transferred multiple times from CSR to CSR.
My bank now does inhouse credit card processing. If they go back to using Fiserve as 3rd party – I will find a new bank!
– Review from October 3, 2023

Positive Feedback

There are no positive reviews published about Fiserv on Trustpilot.

Source: Trustpilot

Software Advice Rating Analysis

Fiserv has an average customer review rating of 4.1 stars on Software Advice based on 23 customer reviews. Common themes in the reviews include appreciation for its ease of use and integration with other software like QuickBooks and Shopify. However, some users mention issues such as system lag, difficulties with customer service, and limitations in software functionality.

Negative Feedback

LISA from the banking sector, who has been using Fiserv for more than 2 years, reviewed the service in July 2021. She finds the Maxxar software for phone banking very basic and antiquated, lacking advanced features and voice options. She also mentions frequent service disruptions and a general lack of support for this product.
– Review from July 2021

Ryan, from the computer software industry, using Fiserv monthly for less than 2 years, reviewed it in August 2023. He appreciates the robustness of the payment processor but criticizes the slow customer service response time, mentioning that they have had tickets open for months without answers.
– Review from August 2023

Positive Feedback

Eve, from the hospital & health care sector, using Fiserv daily for less than 12 months, gave a review in November 2018. She finds it quick and easy to take payments, appreciates the integration with QuickBooks and Invoice ASAP, and likes the feature of resending receipts easily.
– Review from November 2018

Dustin, from the medical practice industry, using Fiserv daily for less than 12 months, reviewed it in August 2018. He praises the ease of use, the simplicity of processing payments, and the fast processing of transactions.
– Review from August 2018

Source: Software Advice

Fiserv Fees, Rates & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Cost & Fees Summary
Processing Rates Negotiable
Service Length Commitments Possible
Early Termination Fees Possible
Monthly & Annual Fees Yes, Negotiable
Hardware Options Purchase or Lease

In this section we’ll discuss several important topics related to the costs and contract terms a business owner could experience when selecting Fiserv, or one of its resellers, for credit card processing services. We uncovered several factors that can greatly influence the service length commitment required and the associated costs.

Fiserv Rates and Fees Explained

a screen capture from fiserv's website covering rates and fees
Fiserv discussing rates and fees on its website.

Fiserv offers merchant account services directly with a pricing structure that can significantly vary based on a business owner’s negotiation skills and understanding of merchant account fees. Unlike some competitors, Fiserv does not publicly advertise a standardized fee structure for its credit card processing services. Instead, the company grants considerable discretion to its sales representatives to set fees and rates stuctures. This approach leads to a wide variation in pricing, often depending on the business owner’s level of knowledge the pricing models available in the broader market.

Business owners with a deeper understanding of merchant account fees and industry benchmarks are in a better position to negotiate more favorable rates. Knowledgeable merchants can challenge high fees or unfavorable terms, pushing for reductions or alterations that align more closely with industry standards or their specific transaction patterns. Conversely, less informed business owners often accept the first offer made by a sales representative, potentially leading to higher costs.

Costs Related to Sales Commissions

Fiserv’s sales representatives, motivated by commission structures, often have a financial incentive to sell merchant accounts with higher rates and fees. The commission system within Fiserv is designed to reward sales representatives for securing contracts with higher costs, creating a potential conflict of interest. This incentive can lead representatives to prioritize their own earnings over the best financial interests of the merchant, especially if the business owner is not well-versed in merchant account fee structures.

Tiered Pricing vs. Interchange-plus

Moreover, Fiserv’s sales representatives are more likely to offer tiered pricing models to merchants. Tiered pricing is often criticized for its lack of transparency compared to the Interchange-plus model. In a tiered pricing structure, transactions are grouped into different tiers, each with its own rate. This model can be more expensive for merchants, as it often includes higher markups and less predictability in fees. In contrast, Interchange-plus pricing is more transparent, as it separates the interchange fees set by credit card networks from the processor’s markup, making it easier for merchants to understand exactly what they are paying for each transaction.

Hardware Costs

Fiserv primarily markets it “Clover” branded product line of POS systems and payment processing hardware (See our Clover Review), but continues to offer various other traditional equipment options. The company does not openly disclose its pricing for hardware, which suggests that sales representative retain flexibility to negotiate prices, raise costs for higher commissions, or reduce costs to compete with other offers. It is unclear if Fiserv is still offering hardware leasing through the notorious division of First Data Global leasing, which marketed expensive lease agreements and trapped clients is leases that couldn’t be cancelled without incurring a costly penalty.

The Contract

As with Fiserv’s costs, the service agreement and its associated terms appear to also vary based upon a business owner’s knowledge and the sales person. The company was notorious for only marketing binding long-term agreements with stiff early termination fees, but appears to have softened its policies in this area. Although, it may be possible to achieve a month-to-month service agreement, numerous customer reviews state surprise over cancellation fees and automatically renewing contracts. Such agreements are likely influenced by discounts on equipment or other offers by Fiserv, but the general sentiment among clients is that concessions provided by Fiserv have not been equitable to the commitment required for services.

Pricing Through Fiserv Resellers

Fiserv’s costs, when it comes to resellers, is notable for its significant variability. This is largely because resellers have the discretion to set their own pricing terms, which can lead to a wide range of costs for the end user. While some resellers adopt an honest and transparent approach to pricing, clearly outlining their fees and margins, others may not be as forthcoming. This lack of uniformity can be attributed to the fact that resellers are permitted to add their own margins and monthly fees on top of Fiserv’s base rates. As a result, the pricing offered by one reseller can differ greatly from another. This variability underscores the importance for potential clients to conduct thorough research and comparisons when choosing a Fiserv reseller, as the financial implications of these differences can be substantial. The ability for resellers to independently set prices means that the same Fiserv services could come with vastly different price tags, depending on who is selling them.

Reseller Contracts

Resellers have the option to set a business up directly with Fiserv, wherein the terms of service, including the length of the agreement, cancellation policies, and costs associated with hardware, are directly tied to Fiserv’s policies. These direct agreements are often marketed by very small resellers that are acting more as sales agents than full scale merchant services organizations.

Larger resellers have the autonomy to tailor their service agreements, which can include modifying the length of the contract, offering different cancellation terms, and varying the costs associated with leasing or purchasing hardware. This flexibility allows resellers to create customized solutions that might be more closely aligned with the specific needs of a business. For instance, a reseller might offer shorter contract terms or more competitive hardware pricing to attract certain types of businesses. However, this flexibility can also lead to less favorable terms for the merchant. Some resellers might impose longer contract lengths, higher cancellation fees, or more expensive hardware costs as a way to increase their margins. Additionally, the level of customer service and support can differ when dealing with a reseller, as opposed to dealing directly with Fiserv.

We strongly encourage any business considering Fiserv or a Fiserv reseller to fully read and understand all aspects of the pricing and contract terms being marketed to them. Less complicated credit card processing options can also be found among this list.

Fiserv Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs

Should You Work For Them?

Jobs & Marketing Summary
Independent Sales Positions: Yes
W2 Positions: Yes
Sales Tactics Complaints: Yes
Glassdoor Rating: 3.4 Stars
Indeed Rating: 3 Stars

We analyzed numerous employees reviews from various sources to gain insight into the company’s work culture, management practices, and overall employee satisfaction – variables that can also affect a business owner’s experience with the company.

Work Environment and Culture

Employees often describe the work environment at Fiserv as fast-paced and dynamic, reflecting the company’s position in the rapidly evolving financial technology industry. Many appreciate the opportunity to work on challenging projects that push the boundaries of financial services and technology. The company’s commitment to innovation is frequently cited as a motivating factor, providing employees with a sense of being at the forefront of industry changes.

However, some reviews indicate that the fast-paced nature of the work can lead to a high-stress environment. Employees have mentioned the pressure to meet tight deadlines and manage large workloads, which can sometimes impact work-life balance. Despite these challenges, there is a general consensus that the work is intellectually stimulating and offers opportunities for professional growth.

Management and Leadership

The leadership at Fiserv receives mixed reviews from employees. On the positive side, some employees commend their managers for being supportive and fostering a collaborative work environment. They appreciate the open-door policy of some managers and their willingness to listen to employee concerns and suggestions.

Conversely, other reviews point to inconsistencies in management styles across different departments and locations. Some employees have expressed concerns about a lack of clear communication from upper management, leading to uncertainties about company direction and employee expectations. There are also mentions of challenges in getting recognition and visibility for achievements, particularly in larger teams.

Employee Benefits and Compensation

Fiserv is often recognized for offering competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package. Employees appreciate the health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off policies. These benefits are seen as reflective of the company’s commitment to its employees’ well-being and long-term financial security.

However, some reviews suggest that the compensation may not always be commensurate with the workload or industry standards, particularly in junior or mid-level positions. There are also comments about the variability in pay scales across different roles and departments.

Sales Positions & Tactics

User reviews of Fiserv often touch upon the company’s sales tactics. These reviews, primarily from clients and customers, provide a different angle on how Fiserv trains it saleforce.

A recurring theme in these reviews is the mention of aggressive sales tactics. Some users have reported experiences with sales representatives who are highly persistent, sometimes to the point of being intrusive. There are accounts of representatives using high-pressure strategies to close deals, which can leave customers feeling overwhelmed or coerced.

Additionally, there are mentions of a lack of transparency in sales pitches, with some customers finding that the actual terms and conditions of services differ from what was initially presented. This includes discrepancies in pricing, contract terms, and the specifics of service offerings.

Actual Employee Reviews

People are great, not super demanding, great work-life balance, AMAZING maternity leave, and great benefits overall. Managers are wonderful and don’t micromanage.

I’ve worked for Fiserv for 10 years. I’ve been remote for the last 8. When leadership changed to Frank Bisignano the entire organization started on a downward spiral. This list is long so I will try to keep it succinct 1. Pay has not kept up with either the market or inflation. 2. No flexibility in work arrangements. Remote is no longer an option. Relocation is a requirement and working onsite from a local office instead of moving is not an accepted compromise.

Our Fiserv Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

Fiserv, formerly known as First Data, stands as a significant player in the credit card processing industry, offering a wide array of services that cater to businesses of various sizes and types. While the company boasts a comprehensive suite of products and a global reach, the customer feedback and reviews present a mixed picture.

On one hand, Fiserv’s vast array of services, including its Clover POS product line, merchant cash advances, and online reporting tools, are appreciated by many businesses for their efficiency, ease of use, and comprehensiveness. However, on the other hand, concerns about transparency in pricing, contract terms, and customer service issues are noteworthy. The variability in experiences, particularly with regard to hidden fees, long-term contracts, and customer support, suggests that while Fiserv has the potential to be a powerful ally for businesses, the actual experience can vary greatly. This inconsistency highlights the importance for potential clients to approach Fiserv with a thorough understanding of their specific business needs and a readiness to negotiate terms that are most favorable to their situation.

Furthermore, the role of resellers in Fiserv’s business model adds another layer of complexity. The ability of resellers to set their own pricing and terms means that experiences can differ widely depending on the specific reseller. This underscores the need for businesses to conduct due diligence when selecting a Fiserv reseller. As with any significant business decision, it is crucial to thoroughly research and understand all aspects of any agreements with Fiserv, or Fiserv reseller, to ensure they align with expectations and business objectives.

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Which is Most Important for You?

If you had to pick one, which quality would you say will be the most important with your next credit card processor? Tap or click your selection to register your vote:

  1. Low Transaction Fees
  2. No Monthly Fees
  3. No Contract
  4. Reliable Customer Support
  5. Quick Signup

Testimonials & Complaints

How Did Fiserv Treat You?

648 User Reviews

  • Kimberly

    Aisle One Mobile Market

    I feel that this company is also a scam. They have horrible customer service. They debited $338.99 from my checking account and after 3 days of 2-3 hrs calls to every department couldn’t verify for what and would not return

  • Rajni Javed

    Ayat Timbers International Ltd

    They are scammers. One of their agent contacted us pretending from our old paymnet processing company. He claimed they are changing our machines as our old ones are outdated. This agent mentioned there is no contract and there will be a flat fee, no etra chrges will be deducted. I was so shocked to receive a lease agreement in the mail with all different charges. I emailed [email protected] in december to cancel this service they started on the basis of lies. I have text messages from their represntative when i asked him about lease and service charges. . I didn’t hear anything from them. We made few phone calls and they did care and keep deducting payment from our account. They are scammers.

  • Phoenicia salter

    If I could give zeros I would. I have been waiting on my FSA/HSS spending account card through Healthways since December and I have yet to get it. All they keep doing is putting in cases that have gone unresolved. Flash forward 2 months later I have funds I can not access because no card has been shipped…smh.

  • Karl Colaguori

    Innisfil powersports

    Stay away from this company, they are crooks total scam company. Can not get help in any way they just run you around in circles. Reach someone you think is normal then it always ends the same no answers no call backs . I incourage every person with a problem to file a report with bbb and let’s put a stop to this robbery

  • Don McLeish

    Boathouse Cafe

    When is theft not considered theft? Who owns your money anyway?

    Often not you and not the people you attempt to give it to, it turns out, if you use Fiserv (formerly first Data).

    The last time you bought a coffee or lunch in a café, did you use a debit or credit card? You probably assumed that that cute little card processing machine was transferring money from your account to the merchant. What you probably did not know is that there is usually an intermediary, a “payment gateway” that is supposed to promptly pass that money on from customer to merchant (less, of course, their 2% piece of your pie and a hefty charge to the merchant). Sometimes they do. Sometimes, however, they just keep the money for an indeterminate length of time without explanation. When commercial interest rates are over 10%, this is a potentially profitable strategy for companies like Fiserv.
    The credit and debit card industry in Canada generally subscribe to a so-called “code of conduct”
    https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/industry/laws-regulations/credit-debit-code-conduct.html
    which is supposed to limit their ability to simply absorb payments and provide timely resolution to disputes but it is apparently woefully inadequate. In the case of ……, a new business, all payments made by credit or debit cards have been held by Fiserv without explanation. They chose to neither to remit payments to the merchant to whom they were intended, nor, on request, return them to the individuals who made the payments. They did not respond in any meaningful way to repeated requests for an explanation, other than empty promises to respond later.

    Under common law, and common sense, if A intends to pay B a sum of money and C acquires and holds the money without the consent of either party, this is simply theft. Now one can complain under the “code of conduct”, which specifies “If a merchant believes that its service providers’ conduct is contrary to the Code, they may report the issue to their acquirer. …..
    The acquirer will review the issue with the merchant, undertake an investigation and respond to the merchant within ninety days.
    If the acquirer’s complaint process is exhausted and a satisfactory resolution not achieved, the merchant may submit the complaint to the payment card networks.’’

    In other words, every transaction is potentially 90 days free money for Fiserv. And then, you can begin to rewrite your complaint to an independent agency which will start a process all over again.
    Still no response from these people after they simply stole our transactions!!!!!!!

  • Anita

    Jeevanaya Wellness

    The string of emails with no resolution from First Data:

    ” To whom it may concern:

    I would like to cancel my contract with your company.
    I have not received any support or help in setting up the payment process hardware or software, using clover machine.

    I had also called several times and each time I was informed that someone from technical department would call me to sort out the issue. Till date, I have but received any call to transfer the inventory from one software to another, and no one has followed up via email asking if the system was running smoothly at all.

    With this kind of poor services, I can’t imagine staying in a contract for any number of months.
    Therefore, I’m demanding that you cancel my contract with no charges to my account for cancellation and no charges for monthly fee anymore.

    Sincerely,
    Anita

    Atif .
    Thu, May 18, 8:27 PM
    to me

    Thanks for your Email…!
    After your email company started investigating your quer, there were two people who got in contact with you regarding your account issue, one is RM that’s me and second in our customer support, they offered you the resolution but you denied to pay 15$ for upgrading your account.
    I will ask my team to give you a call on friday and again update about the upgrade of the account.
    You are demanding cancellation of a lease contract which is not possible, as you have signed that contract willingly.

    On behalf of my company, I request you that what happened happened, let’s have a new start to move things forward without any hassle.

    I am Seeking to establish a long-term business relationship with you.

    Cheers

    Atif Mumtaz
    Manager Priority Customers
    Swipe Partners.
    Mobile & Whatsapp: (469) 259-9706
    Email: [email protected]
    Website: http://www.swipepartners.com
    Address: 4750 Yonge St Unit 341, North York, ON M2N 5M6, Canada.
    Helpline: +1 855-232-9262

    5:55 PM (9 minutes ago)
    to Atif

    This has been 8 weeks since I last emailed you and then spoke with one of your representatives and a supervisor. Your company would be considered a scammer if they are charging businesses under the shield of a contract, and not providing the services that were promised during the sales call and on the contract. As I said earlier, I am not benefitting from simply keeping your machine if I can’t use the software. Therefore, I am asking you to cancel my account effective immediately and stop debiting any monies from my account. I will be taking this matter to my bank, and then to small claims court.
    Since the last time I spoke with a supervisor, she had promised me a call back from the technical department to see if they could help me with the software.Till this date, I have not received any phone call, voicemail, messages or email from your office regarding this matter. When your company had to sell this product to businesses such as ours, I was receiving calls everyday, almost 2-3 times a day, even when I would tell them I was busy. Now, after you have gotten acces to my account information and debiting my account on a monthly basis, there is absolutely no response from your side.

    This is a scam and is unacceptable. The $15 upgrade that you mentioned in your email is not in my contract. I had told the rep very clearly that I am using Square right now and I will only move to Clover if I am getting the same convenience of itemized software that can be switched over to Clover from Square. He said that it was not a problem at all, and with this contract it will be included. And I remember that he had called me the next day after apparently finding this information from one of his seniors. I confirmed the fee for all the above and he mentioned it was $35 per month only, nothing more.

    With unreliable people behind these services, I can’t be staying in a contract for any number of months.
    Therefore, I’m demanding that you cancel my contract with no charges to my account for cancellation and no charges for monthly fee anymore.

    Thanks,
    Anita

  • kelly c

    I will be looking for another credit card company. They hire people from other countries who can not speak english. I was on a call for over 1 hour and they just kept transfering me to someone else issue was not resolved. This is the worst credit card company I have had in 25 years. They have held my deposts for 1 week and have threatened I need to wait 2 more days for any money.

  • Dennis

    westview Motel

    Completely a scam company. I signed up for 4 years contract with first data ( now fiserv) and they covertly made me sign 6 years contract for the rental. Are you kidding? Why would I need 2 years extra rental when the contract is over? Not only that, they have so many hidden fees. Dont be fooled by their percentage rates. It’s a big lie and they still gonna charge you for hidden fees you don’t even know what you are paying for
    Never sign up with First data or Fiserv

  • Chris Patch

    Fiserv, through my credit union, ran an insufficient fund charge not once but three times thereby draining my account… further they then went over my head and paid the amount – I would not have wanted that and was planning on taking care of it myself a few days later – this lead to their suspending my ability to use bill pay and unable to pay any bills as my account was held hostage until I paid them for their mistake or it would be sent to collections; I am on a limited income (SSDI) and cannot afford this and their error in judgment! This suspension needs to be lifted ASAP! It will cost the credit union I use another member otherwise!

  • Frustrated in BC

    Top of the World Ranch LLC

    Worst company of thieves. You can sign on but you cannot get rid of them. Continue to charge our account after speaking with multiple persons, including lease dept. Got to the arduous end of the process, they cut me off and did not call back even though asked for my number. Continued to charge the account. GO elsewhere!

    • ana

      Quesadillas y Chilaquiles

      Hello from Vancouver BC. I can relate. I have not been able to cancel the service for the last 6 years!!!!! No restaurant for the last 6 years but paying the service, THIEVES. My bank tells me i cannot cancel/stop the automatic payment, because I set it up with first data.

  • Danny's Auto LLLC

    Danny's Auto LLC

    I have also found out that at one point I was part of Bank of America Merchant Services. And for whatever reason was told that I was going to be transferred to Fiserv. I recently went to the Bank Of America Branch office to complain about my money that has been put on hold which is not as much as what some have reported on there complaints. But to me it has kept me from paying my bills on time. But Bank of America has dropped them and now Bank of America wants me back with them. But I want no more part of any of them I have chosen Square. I see what I am being charged for and not getting charged for using there process servers plus other hidden charges like having to sign up for validations ever so many months and if you don’t you get charged for not doing so.

  • R.I. Davies

    Blue Flasher Marine Salvage @ Towing

    I will not waste time, first data is the worst company I have ever had to deal with and I am having to still deal with it. I have seriously considered going to the fraud department of the federal government to straight out the ridiculous various positions first data has taken I am not sure yet if I am dealing with a clever fraud operation or not.

  • Daniel Rivera

    Danny's Auto LLC

    Beware this merchant Service has been in litigation with the Federal Trade Committee. For scamming customers I was charged twice for equipment I never purchased. Also charged $100.00 for collection fees.

  • Merchant

    Fiserve has RUINED FirstData, their weekend support is absolutely atrocious! trying to retrieve full credit card information for customers is nearly impossible, the poor English speaking individuals in various countries where you get routed have no clue what they are doing. Typically acquisition fallout, I’ll be dumping them and going with another processor. FirstData/Fiserve/CardConnect one in the same.

  • Patrick

    Horrible company scammers there in Canada Toronto Ontario, going through brokers, scamming small businesses for their money. I recently signed and changed over with your fast, talking sales representatives from the broker. I made a mistake and changed my merchant service now after two weeks, they are holding 30 K of my money. The risk department has no consideration. If there even is a risk department they were based in the US will not respond to me, asking me questions and want to three months of bank statements now they will not reply to me, nor give me my money I can no longer use my portal for transactions as I will not get the money. I did not know all this, especially with clover first data and changing their name. I did a few transactions everything went through. I did a bigger transaction and they held it now they will not talk to me nor give me my money I keep talking to the broker and they say I’m gonna get paid, but I never have yet. It has been almost 3 weeks and nothing in reply. The American government needs to come down on these crooks for good and I’m glad they got sued for all their money, and I hope they lose everything the people working for them. Yes I understand. They have a job and getting paid, but they should have some morals. The American government should get down to business with these people and I’m so happy for the people suing them for millions of dollars for overcharging because they are fraudsters in scammers and they will pay for everything they’ve done sincerely a small business in Toronto Ontario.

  • Patrick Boily

    Do not use this company!! They freeze accounts that have been with them for years and provide some of the worst customers service imaginable. Incredibly rude customer service. Tens of thousands of dollars have been frozen from my account and I’m not sure when I’ll get it back. Based on other stories from previous customers, it’s not looking good.

  • Robert L.

    FCR Works Shocks

    Ee have been in business for 35 years, Huntington recently set up our merchant account for us, the first transaction we ran was flagged, all legit sales, we provided fiserv with everything, our product is gone, they have our 9,000 and said that they are holding it for 60 days upon further review. the huntington merch rep now conveniently wont answer her phone and we cannot pay our bills and our employees this week before christmas. If anyone can help please let me know!!!

  • Geri B

    One of our customers asked if we would resell his 10 Clover Duo complete systems for them. Fiserv/ First Data told them they had to buy all new systems if they wanted to use a different credit card processor. They paid almost $2000 for each system, these were not “free” for using their processing service. The systems were not even a year old. No one will help or even answer questions as to why these can’t be used by another company. Even if they agree to use the original cc bank, Clover refuses to allow people to reuse them.
    I know people who work in the concessions business who say that they can wipe these units to be reused. Many sports and entertainment venues that use Clover are able to update regularly and are not forced to purchase new equipment.
    What a waste! Are we expected to just dump them all in landfills?

  • Marc

    Crawford Motel

    I called customer service and they could not find my acct.. Absolutely could not understand the tech and after 10 minutes of trying to get customer service and giving all my info i hung up. Now I switch bye bye

  • John Wilson

    Advancedmart

    I told that i could keep an account on hold fir only $5 because i wasn’t using it. First thing they did was charge me a $125 fee. I then closed the account and they refused to refund any of the money. Gave me the run around.

  • Francisco Cid Del Prado

    CID AUTO BODY AND PAINT

    I made a contract with SDCCU bank, but they used Clover for merchant services and Clover uses first data. I decided to move to a smaller bank because it looked like a good deal with what they were offering over at San Diego County Credit Union.
    On the first day of using these new terminals my first transaction, made on November 24, was for $1 and we saw that it worked but we didn’t see the deposit because normally it gets deposited the next day. So I continued to make charges with the terminal with no issues processing thousands of dollars per day until I noticed there was no deposit into my account. ( A total of $21,000 ) I got ahold of Clover and they said there was a security hold of my account. I was left to talk to their risk management department (someone named Terrance) stated that I needed to fill out some extra documentation. I finally called on December 6th, and they stated that my funds would be released within 24-48 hours. I then got a Letter from First data, which was dated the 2nd of December. I tried calling and was only able to leave a voicemail to Mr. Justin Benbow and all he stated was that he was going to conference with them on the 14th. I called on that day, no one answered. Ten minutes later Mr. Justin Benbow, stated that they were closing my account because of supposed ” Potential fraudulent charges.” I didn’t know why they were doing that because I was just trying to do business with a local bank. They stated that it was within their jurisdiction that they could hold my funds for up to 60 days. At this point in time, it has been more than 60 days and I can’t talk with anybody from the first data. I then spoke to Mr. Tony Rodriguez who was very aggressive. He stated that I would not get back my money and that my business was at risk. He also stated that he did not care. I am missing the $21,000 that rightfully belong to me still. I also stated that this was killing my business because I had no cash flow. He stated he did not care. I can’t get anyone to help me. These are a bunch of criminals and thieves who only use your money to make more money. I understand that this is a business, but what they are doing is stealing from people for no reason.

  • A

    Spa

    For several weeks first data has been stealing a large percentage of income from me. Clover reports show 1 figure that’s supposed to be sent directly to my bank, instead first data sends me much lower numbers. So far in the last 5 weeks they’ve stolen over 12k that I know of. At first I thought I was going bankrupt or tons of gift card clients were coming in. No turns out you cannot trust your merchant processor. I’m not only a small business but I’m a single woman who currently cannot pay her buildings rent or bills because of first data. I want my money back.

  • JACOB

    Fiserv took 15% of my total profits last month. Only 68% of that was actually shown in bank statements. There is literally 32% fees, which are simply missing. It is time to drop this merchant. I would rather pay the early cancellation fee that continue to be robbed by these guys every month. To top it off, they planned on increasing my fees by 0.10% across the board for all card types, and I had to call them to tell them I am not ok with it, or they would just make it part of my terms of service. So basically, If I am not watching them like a hawk, they will try and pull a fast one on me without me noticing. What the hell is this company?

  • jerry

    JK Services

    Bunch of criminals work at First Data or their new name fiserv. First the salesman lied to me telling me the equipment was free, no charges. Then after I got the machine, turns out I have to pay for the machine for 48 months. They also told me you only need a internet connection to hook up the gate way. turns out , I needed a landline to hook up the gateway. So, I decided to return the equipment to First Data and cancel the equipment, than 6 month later, they tell me they did not receive the machine, I sent it in a return package they sent me to ship it to. They said they will need to charge me for 4 years to pay off the machine. I said ok reluctantly because I did not want to damage my credit, it is now 6 years and they are still charging me for the machine every month. Tried calling them multiple times, but cannot get in touch. These guys are outright criminals. Don’t deal with these guys, they will steal your money and hold your money for months before paying you. Get more reliable company like Square.

  • Sue

    Annom

    The worse!!! I had over 11g taken out of my account because they said my TIN/FEIN was incorrect! They said the IRS required them to do so. The IRS doesn’t have my money and 1st Data says they do but don’t know.
    I’m a sm business that got nothing from the pandemic..now this. Going to shut down my business. I can’t get anyone to help me…
    Do not do business here.

  • Anonymous

    Smoothie Shop

    Three words. Legalized scam company. Last year, Bank of America partnered up and handed their customers to Fiserv (First Data) for merchant services. I am absolutely FURIOUS at my own bank to do this to us. The company practically AND SECRETLY signed us up an additional contract without our knowledge and we were paying for unnecessary fees and equipment lease payments. Took us 3 months to cancel because they kept beating around the bush and sent us on different call departments that could hardly speak English.
    WE FINALLY GOT RETURN LABELS TO SHIP BACK THE EQUIPMENTS, AND THEY SAID THEY NEVER RECEIVED OUR EQUIPMENTS UNTIL WE THREATEN TO BRING THIS TO COURT AND SUE THEM. DO NOT!!! DO NOT!!! DO NOT GET FISERV!! SCAM. COMPANY. TAKES ADVANTAGE OF SMALL BUSINESSES.

  • Zac Creel

    SHORTY CREEL MOTORS

    I agree they are the most crooked in the business they should be held accountable for all the harm they have caused to small family owned business they have scammed ( robbed for all they could )

  • Charles Flanders

    worst company i have ever dealt with of any kind i am 77 years old and have dealt with many good people but this is not one of those i have always maintained perfect credit when these people want you pay charges you don’t owe they immediately threaten to turn you over to the credit bureau i have paid them way more than originally agreed on and paid my lease off way in advance to get rid of their deceptive practices , for approximately 3 and a half years i paid them without ever using their products or services even after they agreed to cancel my contact within 2 weeks after signing also it is almost impossible to get them on the phone and when you do they pass you from 1 agent to another and you never get one who acts like they know what your talking about if you do business with them you will be signed to an unbreakable lease and even if you never once use them or their equipment you still have to pay dearly to them and they throw charges on you that is not in the contract i was never late paying them but i had no choice or risk a negative report on my credit which is otherwise perfect. i understand they are being sued by several companies right now , i would sue them and have legal grounds to do so but the cost to sue them would be more than i could get from them and they realize that

  • Maggie Smith

    I am currently shopping for processors. I have heard good and bad things about this company so im still on the fence. Though, i will say as i read these reviews id mark some of them unfair because i see a lot of reviews that only shows the business owners lack of accountability , all you have to do is read what youre signing. I dont think its a companies fault because u didnt care to read your terms.

  • REG THIESSEN

    I strongly advise not to do business with this company. We made a huge mistake switching to them. Shortly after signing on we started getting false declines and had several customers that double paid. Called First Data and they blamed the consumer or user error which was an easy cop out. I could see that on one false decline but 5 in one day out of a total of 40 transactions? We made a mistake of ordering a second terminal which we realized we wouldn’t need after. They refused to take it back and gave some BS answer on how it was programmed for our business. These guys are crooks, they see nothing as their fault. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM PERIOD.

  • Stef

    We recently became a victim of First Data’s unethical tactics. We had a bot try and run several different card types over 65k times. We were told that we were not PCI compliant nor did we have security measures in place at the time. All which were false.

    This has been a nightmare for my wife who has put all her blood sweat and tears into her 9+ year business to have it come to this. They took every single cent she had in her business account. Forcing her to have to close her business. All in a pandemic no less.

    After 10 or so calls to FD we got nowhere. Just the run around. We don’t have the money to sue and don’t know where else to turn. We’ve reached out to local news stations, anywhere to shine a light on this horrendous nightmare. Companies like FD should not be able to get away with this.

    • Michael Engberg

      Fiserv / Payeezy Absolutely , the worst business I have ever done business with. The same thing happened with my small business and I have been doing business with First Data since 2009 , never once have we ever had an incident like this occur . We had 25k authorizations first night run through and we automatically shut down the site. Spoke with the Payeezy gateway and fiserv for hours and hours putting things in place to make sure that this would not happen again . Lo and behold 72 hrs later through the middle of the night 11k authorizations run through again. All in all this has cost us $2300.00 and its our fault for allowing a unsafe website. Nobody seems to account for this and when you call all they do is transfer you back and fourth between the 2 and then tell you how sorry they are. And that they will hope to do better next time. They are raping the small business and they know it. All i can say is in the end God does win so continue to do what you do you will have your day of reckoning not by me.

  • Susan Kayser

    I made a credit card payment thru another bank (not Regions) and they charged me a late fee and an interest penalty. As I had made the payment through Regions Bank Bill Pay which I found out is run by Fiserv, I was understandably upset as I have an excellent credit rating and always pay ahead of time. Needless to say, I made two more payments, each time hoping the other bank would receive the payments. The payments had the correct account number and address. Regions refused to help. We had a conference call with the other bank, which also did not resolve the issues. Finally, the other bank sent me two letters in the mail, stating that they had conducted a thorough investigation, and never received the money for either payment. I took these letters into Regions bank and they were finally credited back to me after my having to fight for over a month. This past weekend I attempted to use Bill Pay which was blocked. I do not think it was even legal, as I have $6858.50 in my account. I wasted 40 minutes waiting on the phone and calling Regions. I then was told to call Bill Pay Fiserv again and wasted another 1 hour, 9 minutes and 10 seconds before the phone rep turned on the bill pay. I attempted to find out why it had been blocked and she could give me no reasonable answer, while a previous person had told me that there was still an issue with a payment. So instead of charging me again for the $132.61 (which had been previously reversed as the other bank had never received the payment) they blocked my account leaving me with NO ACCESS TO MY $6858.50 FOR 4 DAYS!!!!! I do not believe this is even legal! I am worried that I may be blocked again as there was no reasonable explanation, only that it concerned these payments. If Fiserv does not have my money (as the one rep claimed) and they issued the check to the other bank for $132.61, (which the other bank states they never received thus never cashed, then Fiserv needs to find out who stole my money. It is very simple, whoever stole the money, had to endorse the check. There is a record. Instead, Fiserv has been giving me a run around for over a month and being blocked was a horrific experience, placing me at risk for not paying a bill on time. Also, I had to pull teeth to get the information that Regions Bill Pay was run by Fiserv. After some research, I discovered that Fiserv changed their name after receiving over 1000 complaints. I found an article titled, “Fiserv subsidiary paying $40 million to settle fraud allegations,” as of May 20, 2020. They have received 813 complaints in the last 3 years (and most people are too busy to complain). They also received a D rating. So why is Regions Bank using them for the Bill Pay. Unethical company, with possible Illegal activity for blocking me from my funds. THEY SHOULD BE OUT OF BUSINESS! If there is a class action suit, please contact me.

  • Stef Serafin

    We just got taken for $5k. You should list a database of lawyers willing to file suit against First Data.

    I’m so glad to know we’re not alone in this. Our business will have to close due to this insanity. I can’t believe they’re allowed to stay in business.

  • Clay Travis

    Absolutely stay away from First data, since they were bought by fiserv they have ZERO ability to talk to me about my account or online features. I haven’t been able to contact a representative in a year.
    Instead they constantly call offering high interest predatory loans. I’ve asked them to stop treating me like I’m entering a Money tree… But they just keep on coming. Finally I shipped around and Moneris has lowered fees and isn’t owned by a predatory loan company.
    Do NOT agree to these loans they are 300% worse than a regular bank loan no matter how they spin it.

  • Mike Rolle

    This has been the ABSOLUTE WORST company I have EVER worked with. VERY poor communication capability both with the Clover side and the Firstdata/Fiserv support side.
    I don’t see any way the company could be worse. Once the term is up we are gone. 
    We did not go through a broker so this does not reflect on any broker.
    The last straw was trying to get our deposit account changed to our new business banking account. We initially set it up to deposit to our personal account and the company was well aware that we were in the setup process for the business bank account.
    Turns out that, unlike every other processor I have ever worked with, the end-user cannot change their own deposit account though we were told we could do so before we purchased. There is a ridiculous and tedious “process” to go through before they will change the account to the correct one. This has literally been 7 weeks trying to get this done. They “require” a new document signed and sent in to some unknown individual or department to complete. We did sign the document but it was not a “wet” signature. We used the same signature on our origin documents without problem. We sent it from the same email address used to open the account with them. I am at the number used to set up the account, but they so inept that they cannot operate the same way to change the account over.
    Absolutely pathetic.

  • Kandice Moore

    I don’t know how this company stays in business! They removed $$ from my account 3 times for 1 customer return! I have been fighting for over 4 months trying to get the fraudulently withdrawn $$ back from them! I authorized them to remove the $$ from my account 1 time to refund the customer, not 3! Glad I went back to Square!

  • Travis

    First data renamed as Fiserv coz they know they are a scammer. Highly recommend that you avoid leasing your equipment, as you’ll get locked into a noncancelable contract, which will cost you many times more than what the equipment is worth over the life of the lease.

  • Mark Erwin

    Allow me to echo the criticism of a terrible company. The portal was designed in 1999. I expected a green DOS prompt to pop up. Trying to get online statements took 4 days with no resolution. We would get encryptic emails of the failure the day after attempting. Phone service with “Precious” (That is really her name) was voicemail and never a returned phone call. First Data was recommended by our bank, MidFirst. Great bank… terrible merchant service provider. We opted for Century Business Solutions because they integrate with QuickBooks. Wow! Night and Day difference. Bye Bye FirstData/Clover/Payezze!

  • Gazell. Stewart

    I don’t know how First Data Global and velocity can treat people So bad. Velocity sends their slick talking salesman out telling you to switch your machines for better rates and put you in a 4 year contract. They had me paying both contracts for over 7 months. Then tell me I would get a refund, but what about this contract that they lied and put me in. Then tell me they are sending me a check and send them the rest ,why. Then send me another check registered mail. I am so fed up I told them to send it to first data global lease. I send all their machines back and then they sends me a email asking about machines that they got back in April. They are so messed up over there first Data and Velocity. I am 62 years old too old for their Games they are pulling on consumers. I am done.They can do what ever they want., But I am done. G.s.

  • Jason

    Horrible customer service and accountability. This company is not there when you need them. Customer service are under trained, do not listen and don’t know how to respond to issues that aren’t in their script.

    The sales reps are your best buddies until they get there contract signed. The contract I had was sent by DocuSign as Daniel Peake, the sales artist was not available to come to my shop which is protocol for them to do with new accounts. The insurance portion was crossed out.
    When my machine was stolen in a police reported robbery First Data were nowhere to be found for customer support

    A truly greedy and non-professional organization that has cost me thousands in business and even more to break contract…

    Run, don’t walk from this horrible company

  • Karen Clark

    Worst customer service experience ever! I had never heard of First Data until they started sending me collection notices. They claim I signed a non-cancellable contract, but they can’t give me a copy of it. Customer service is worthless and ends difficult calls by hanging up and snarling, “Have a nice day.” Of course no supervisors are ever available to escalate concerns. I’ve filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (as have hundreds of others). This company needs to be stopped.

  • Craig D.

    I can understand a $9.95 monthly lease fee, like other providers but NO I am being charged $245.00 a month for 4 years. That’s $11,760 total. I’m a small business( 5 Employee’s) and I thought i was going to be saving money going through FirstData but instead I’m being robbed by FirstData. Read your contract VERY well before signing.

  • Ted

    Everything was going fine until I had a streak of large transactions and instead of welcoming the boost in sales volume, I got several calls from processing telling me that they were going to cancel my account unless these types of transactions stopped occuring. Then the paperwork came and all the hopes started to stack up that we had to jump through and of course as a merchant we have no control over this and I ended up having to find someone else that could handle our processing needs.


    This post will help: Best High Volume Merchant Accounts

    -Phillip

  • DEL

    I was employed by FDMS some years ago. I worked in HR in the Hagerstown office. I witnessed some of the most unethical, immoral, and illegal practices that I have ever seen. Although I refused to perform any of these ridiculous acts, I was asked not only to shred (“negative feedback”) employee surveys, but also to fill out a bunch of “positive feedback” surveys. I witnessed employee layoffs based on reasons other than performance and/or department needs. I witnessed layoffs based on race, popularity, and other personal reasons. I witnessed managers who wrote discriminatory remarks directly onto resumes of people interviewed. For example, notes were written on resumes that supposedly helped management remember which candidate was which. Notes included references to race, weight, height, foreign accents, and other notable attributes. I witnessed firing of employees with reasons noted in the employees file that weren’t true. For example, 1 employee was fired for insubordination – which was a complete lie. I could go on and on about how horrible this company was while I was there – and I was there for less than 9 months. Remember, I refused to perform the illegal, immoral, and unethical practices that I was asked to perform however some colleagues did not refuse.

    • Defeated

      I am experiencing this now as an agent for Citizen’s One. I can’t reach out to anyone and I feel alone for standing up for my teammates. Management is a joke and do not know their jobs and because I voiced my opinion, I am now being labeled hostile. So many unethical things happening and I may lose my job for standing up and saying something…

  • Brooklynn K.

    I cancelled my merchant services, three months later still received charges (was thinking 60 days tops for ending charges may still pop up) but at 90 days and $200 later, for being charged to use the First Data processing, although no transactions were being done in my account, I called to cancel again. After the rep had done so he informed me I would not be refunded as the account was closed. My first complaint to him was I needed a refund. This company is awful! I knew fees were high but was reassured by my bank this company was the best out there. They were so wrong. Adding up fees and lease charges and merchant charges, I lost A Lot of money in my small business with this company. I agree this company should be shut down!

    There has to be someone who can help us!


    This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

  • Gary Wilds

    First Data…
    Well the rep came in very nice guy, went over all the legal stuff & contract stuff. I never remember him saying that I would be leasing the terminal! but apparently I am for $39.00 per month, I am also in a 48 month contract,
    so in 48 months I will be paying $1,872.00!!!
    I now see I can buy this terminal online D Javoo Z11 for wait for it… $100.00.
    I called customer service, that was a nightmare.
    Finally got to talk to a Woman in India, she had no answers, just read stuff off her computer screen.
    The Rep I had of course never takes my calls or calls me back.
    I strongly would NOT recommend this company.
    Find someone else


    This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

  • Olivier P.

    I used the clover flex for an event. it worked well.. until it was time to receive my funds!!

    They decided to freeze more than 100,000$ in sales without any reason. it brings me lot of consequences, stress and troubles with my clients.

    the team at first data did not answer my emails, my calls, etc. the service was awefull from the begginning to the end (i’m still waiting for my funds!)

    I wish that any business owners and entrepreneurs will have to ever deal with a company that freeze his own money without any good reason.

    Olivier P.


    This post will help: How to Make Your Payment Processor Release Your Money

  • Rob Hayes

    We have many machines from fdms. One keeps switching off midway through a transaction, I phoned tech support who said they would send out a new battery. I explained that the machine still switched off when it was on charge so doubtful that its the battery. She said they had to send a battery first, so more days trading without being able to take card payments. I asked that the supervisor phone me but of course they didn’t (they never do).
    The tech dept can be really poor.


    This post will help: Best Merchant Accounts for Caterers
    -Phillip

  • Tabitha Matheson

    Warning!!! Stay away from using the services of First Data. My company have been without a working credit/debit machine for over a week. Their customer for resolving issues is absolutely horrible. Numerous times they promised to call or email back but didn’t. Over a four day period we were left on hold for anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours with no resolution. It has been a frustrating fight costing us time and dollars.


    This post will help: Best EMV Terminals

  • Sava

    if it was possible would leave a minus score i would, they are holding onto my funds, in excess of 5 figures, it has been established that the funds are mine, they are keeping them because they can!
    this puts my business in jeopardy, say they intend to hold funds for 180 days and can keep for upto 540 days, most likely put my funds into a high interest account earning them interest while my business struggles.
    no explanations offered even though asked for on numerous occasions.


    This post will help: How to Make Your Payment Processor Release Your Money

    -Phillip

  • JAY DENTON

    This company is absolutely the worst I have ever dealt with.
    I’ve been fighting with them every month since signing up in November, 2018. In my case, I signed up with Pearl Payments but the statements come from First Data, and Ascentium Capital is also involved, so I’m not sure who is most at fault. (a Pearl rep showed up at my office following a robo call to advise me that he would be in the area, and he and his company convinced me that switching to their processing would save me money compared to another processor I was averaging just over 2.2%, with some statements under 2%)
    I’ve had many different account managers who continually started out strong and have began to make corrections and assured that each succeeding statement will be correct, and in most cases EVENTUAL refunds were processed; only to find that the same problem happens each month. As I reached back out to those who promised to help, to advise that we still are not where we were promised, they began to ignore my phone calls and emails. (3 so far, and 2 of them being ‘director of operations’ type status with the company)

    I sent a letter in January asking for the account to be closed, but was immediately followed up with promises to make a permanent and immediate change that will be “unbeatable”..Only to then have a February statement of around 33%, a March of 9.7%, and an April of 6.7%; ( plus a lease every month required for 4 years). My other processor has never been over 3%, all inclusive, with not one issue needing to be addressed.

    In early March, I was contacted by a supervisor of some sort named Andre, who seemed promising. (This was following a second demand for cancellation due to their incompetence.) He processed a refund which took about 4 weeks to receive from the time that one of the other reps promised it to be delivered.
    Thru May 12 2019 I’ve received 6 monthly statements and every one of them has been incredibly upside down, requiring me to babysit for refunds.

    Andre and I have had professional and very hopeful conversation up front, but just like all other reps in the past, he’s not getting it done, and proceeded to ignore all calls and emails, for whatever the reason may be.

    Upon further investigation of my April statement, the promised rate of half a percent, “Pass through”, is as guaranteed; but an interchange fee of $5 to 6 on every transaction, Plus multiple other fees, makes the “unbeatable” rate an impossible one to achieve.
    They keep telling me to increase my credit card volume in order to get the rate down, but this was not the agreement nor do I trust them any further.

    On May 16, after months of requests, I was finally sent a copy of the e-doc that I signed, and discovered that despite the verbal promises that I can be released of contract at any time should this processing not work out, within the contract, is a non-cancellable 4 year agreement for the basic equipment, totaling $2600 prior to any processing fees and membership costs.

    I also discovered that the e-doc was altered by them and re-dated on multiple pages 4 days after the actual meeting in which I authorized the initial agreement; Document certified time stamps of my signature are on 11/12, written dates beside my copied signatures are on 11/16.
    therefore, it has been necessary to formally and legally dispute the falsified contract, which would have never been necessary if they upheld their promises.

    Dozens of hours have been spent fighting a company that promised the best rates and turned out to be a scam.

    Stay away from this company.


    This post will help: How to Report Bad Credit Card Processors

  • Shan

    They have third party like consolidated payments work for them and they Fraud the customers providing wrong information.
    Never sign a paper, they will tell you it’s just formality .I even returned their machine but still charged my account. Tried so many times to call first data but not able to solve the problem. I asked them to return my machine if you charging me but nothing happened.
    Never try first data


    This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

  • Edwin Monzon

    First Data is the absolute worst. Sales people promise equipment they don’t have. The sales employment has a high turn around. Therefore it becomes your word vs the sales man who isn’t even there anymore. Customer support waits the last second to complete any tasks. The majority of them are rude & unwilling to answer questions. Their cancellation process is a joke covered in loops so that they can keep charging while your trying.to meet their cancellation qualifications. The % rate does up to what’s written on the contract. Even the damn contract it self is written to be misleading. I will never work with them again. I will never recommend them to anyone. I believe companies like this are what’s wrong with today’s business practices. No respect for customers and you can’t tell until you pass the first 30days.


    This post will help: Best Automotive Merchant Accounts

  • Elena

    We have several Restuarants. We were recommended first data as the rates tend to be lower. WE went along with the recommendation and have been greatly disappointed. The payment terminal used along with clover puts the majority of transactions into a pre auth mode and ends up double charging clients. We opened our new restaurant a few months ago and now have over 100 angry customers calling and emailing saying they have been double charged. When we call first data they are of zero help and either cant answer why this is happening or say its impossible. We have all the angry calls emails and charge backs to prove it


    Related: Top Merchant Accounts for Restaurants

  • Steve

    Have worked with First Data with no issues for nearly 10 years. Less then 0.01% chargebacks in that time span. One day we login and the account was cancelled. We called, left messages, sent emails but no one answered. Customer service is a joke. They will not help you. Luckily we were able to receive our final balance but I’ve heard horror stories where they will keep your money for 6 months. First Data is a joke. Their fees are incredibly high compared to others. VERY HAPPY to move on from their terrible service. STAY AWAY!


    This post will help: Best E-Commerce Merchant Accounts

  • Edward Dupay

    I need to leave a review for first data. They are stealing from me. $84.85 every month. I can not get them to stop. I call them they say call Clover. Clover says call suntrust. Suntrust says call first data. They keep stealing my money.have not processed in many many months. Service was awful and I was always frozen out of my account. Spent an hour tracking down new password every-time


    This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

  • Clancy Laizure

    I mistakenly went with this company on the promise of lower fees. It was not pointed out to me that I would also have to lease the card processing equipment from a different source, i.e. AscentiumCapital which is part of the contract most of us do not read. They are not up front regarding fees. As for promising lower fees, this is not true. Heartland is better. I would advise all small business owners to avoid these companies altogether and go with Touch Bistro or ShopKeep or Litespeed. With these companies they sell you all the equipment outright and you pay a lot less in the long run.


    This post will help: Find and Eliminate Hidden Fees In Your Monthly Bill

    -Phillip

  • Kathy Mcneill

    My daughter was taking care of my business while I was out taking care my husband got talked into switching our credit card machine out she thought it was a good business decision, she told them we already had our own credit card machine they said they cant program our they had to send one of theirs they sent a carbon copy of the one we had, charging us $100.00 a month for 48 months that’s $4 800.00 for a $300.00 machine, I got involved I said my daughter had no authority nor is she on any accounts, they said I should have realized she did that sooner than I did, if I cancel they will draft $4,000.00 out of my account. I’m not done with these people yet. ADVICE stay far far away from first data.

    This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

  • Charley Yang

    I signed up with a sales rep for “low cost” card processing after he promised again and again that the terminal is free and there is no early termination fee. So I was surprised to get an invoice from First Data. It is $85/month for 48 month. When I called to tell them that I never used the terminal (when the rep came in to install the terminal, I told the rep that I would not use it unless I got to see all the paper work with all the terms and conditions) and I want to return it. First Data told me that I would have to pay the full contract amount. I asked for a copy of lease agreement so I could see what is in it. First Data said they would send me a copy but they never did. Today, when I called, the lady from First Data asked me why I want to see the lease agreement. I told her that I want to see who signed it since I never saw it. She said it is an electronic signature any way. My question is: Can I file criminal charges against First Data and the sales rep for signing my name on the lease agreement without my knowledge ?


    This post will help: How to Report Bad Credit Card Processors

  • Charlotte Takemoto

    Received bill dated 01/02/19 for a washer/dryer repair call on 07/09/18 from A&e Factory Service. The First Data computer could not understand my credit card number whether I spoke or keyed it in. I was born in the USA and do not have an accent. Dissatisfied with First Data telephone payment service! How do protect consumers or merchants if the computer can’t process information?

    From The Editor
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  • Brandie Ricketts

    I have been with first data since 2015. It has been the worst business experience I have ever had. I have been counting down the days until I could cancel this contract. It started with a contract where I had no annual fee. Now I am being billed $200 a year. When my husband was ill and had open heart surgery, I put our business on hold and therefor had no transactions for a few months. That cost me $175 a month. Every time I call customer service, I get a different story. For example I called this morning to finally cancel this and buy out the lease contract. The rep told me he will send me an email confirmation it is done. Additionally, I advised him the address was not correct on the account and to please update. His response was that it did not need update, they send no mail. I then called back after I hung up, discussed the cancelation again, the new rep advised me I need to send it in writing. I asked about the annual fee and was advised the fee was for 2018, not 2019. Since my contract says no annual fee, I am not sure how these people get away with this. Oh, I know, I am a very small merchant. Affording a lawyer is far more than bending over. Between the people that sold me this service ‘Prestige‘ and First Data Services and the First Data Leasing – I have been ripped off since early 2015. I am so excited that I am almost done with this company, I just wish I could stop them from taking advantage of any more small businesses.

    From The Editor
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  • Nainesh Mehta

    They are killing small businesses with their annual maintenance fees,PCi complaince admin fees, and PCI validation fee.first data wants to charge their cost of doing business to it’s customers but they don’t want merchants to charge it’s customers convenience/processing fees,it’s the small business who have to pay all fees and can’t recover the fees.Only solution I see is accept cash only for small businesses.

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  • Amanda McCall

    Do not go with these people!! Not only did they overcharge us grossly but when I cancelled they claimed they never received the cancellation letter and three months after I cancelled started pulling money out of my account for over $350! When I called them they just said they could do that! I disputed the charges and the bank reversed them and they had the nerve to send me to collections over it after I had repeatedly called them to discuss the charges never getting a call back. Disgusting business practices.

    From The Editor
    This Post Might Help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

  • Bergman's Automotive

    They are a ripoff for their equipment and the lease is very expensive, direct prcessors is the con company that stuck me with equiptment that I allready owned. And now I have to pay a very large amount of money for the equiptment of $5000.00 for the lease! both of your companys should go out business, because of your dishonesty!

    From The Editor
    This Post Might Help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

  • Kevin Goodman

    **Stay Away – AVOID AT ALL COST **
    These criminals operating from Marietta, GA are total scam. First they will charge you $300 for their Payeezy gateway. They will offer you a good rate of 1.89%, then within a few months it goes up to 4.5%. They will tell you as long as you fill the PCI compliance questionnaire, you won’t get charged, yet you will see $50 monthly charge for this and they will say that you didn’t fail to pass the questionnaire even though you point out to them that your PCI is perfectly correct.

    Then, after they stiff you for couple of months, they terminate your merchant account without notice or cause; and without giving you a grace period to try to find another credit card processor for your business. As such, your business will suffer and you will lose sale and end up with tons of bills to pay without any revenue.

    And to add insult to injury, they charge you $500 for account termination, even though the agreement says that this charge is applied if you terminate the account and not if they cancel it. But of course, they will stiff you no matter what.

    These people are inhumane, they should be prosecuted for stealing from hard-working small businesses. Everyone who suffered from them should complain to the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General. They should go out of business, they are totally rude and their customer service is absolutely abysmal. It’s not only the worst, but it’s like dealing with thugs from third-world countries.

    From The Editor
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    • AMANDA PANTANO

      Monsters! i am being charged 171$ a month to lease a machine worth $400 for 48 months! i was lied to by a 3rd party who just wanted me to sign a deal. In the agreement it says that they can lie as well haha. This was through a company called Pacific payment systems. Random Fees $200 and up just for signing up between june and aug of this year???, my bill is 4x more than i was promised even with the same amount of sales, 0% debit card processing???? bull****! i am being charged what equals out to be about 4%. I complained to no avail. I was lied to and they never returned calls. This is Pacific Payment systems. Now first data is charging me for the machine and i cannot cancel without paying the full price of the lease. I am in the process of shutting down the bank account and ruining my credit over this. They should be in jail for harming small businesses. I hope someone sees this and takes it seriously. Read the fine print! They can lie, so do not trust what you are told. Predators.

      From The Editor
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  • muhammed yildirim

    This company is the worst merchant services that i have ever had. At the beginning they were so rude for training. Then i didn’t want additional help from them. At the end, the bank closed my account without giving any information. Then they have stopped doing transactions because i got this system through the bank. Anyway i asked them to use the same system for different bank. They didn’t accept it. Couple months later they called me to get further lease payments and penalties. And i told them, there is no mistake related with us, so we didn’t want to make any further payment. Then, they have threatened us if don’t make full payment, they will get collectibles including my business and also me. I have paid it, but i will take this issue to the court. They have to payback!..

    From The Editor
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  • Luna Lovegood

    First Data is one of the worst companies we have dealt with in our professional capacity as owners of a dog food store open since 2002.

    The customer service is horrible, every time we call they have no record of previous conversations, they are overpriced and lock businesses in contracts that are not worth it! We found a much better service – local in Canada too, not giving our business to the US company anymore – there is no contract and our fees were cut in half! Stay away from First Data! Even something as simple as getting a statement replaced from them turns out to be a two hour phone hold and the request to pay a fee!

    While I’m writing this I’ve been on hold with First Data *Yet Again* for 45 minutes to solve an issue with closing our accounts, which was supposed to be solved three months ago…. they haunt us even after the fact. There are much better solutions out there.

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  • Ashley

    This company is absolutely HORRIBLE! They never can transfer for you to the correct person – or anyone who knows what is going on for that matter. They double dip into your account – essentially stealing money from small businesses and then when you catch it they have no clue how it happened. Just absolutely horrible company and horrible customer service – would NOT recommend to any small business who wants to survive

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  • Tom Relic

    I was turned down by Moneris. Square Reader doent work in a TAXI which they didnt tell me until after purchasing tap and loosing money for cards which read approved offline and declined online. First Data approved me instantly. The machine came a couple days later. They sent me a free car charger twice after my mail was lost or stolen, FREE. Deposits are on time. Hold times on the phone were minimal and actually talked to people who sounded like they graduated highschool. First Data Canada is a 5 star for me so far. Any issues, I have my Rep Pattricks extention if I need it. I hate banks, but I cant complain so far about these guys!

  • Neil Hansen

    I have email transcripts that prove I requested my account be closed persuant to their statement regarding new terms and fees, that I adhered to the time frame for opting out, and that the representative offered in written email to provide formal documentation of account closure upon return of their devices. I have USPS certified proof of their receipt of the devices. I get no responses to my certified letters- just more billing. They ignore the fact that I DO respond in writing to them, asking them questions they ignore. They promised that all transactions would be between 1.39-1.68% in fees, but they were actually 3.6%. They won’t answer questions to explain why. Any deadlines, time frames, late fees, etc they claim are false because i HAVE responded in timely fashion to them, but they ignore that fact. Just more bills for money i do not owe them. This company is unbelievable. They should be shut down for deceptive and negligent practices.

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  • Lisa Nichols

    First Data uses deception when discussing rates. We were sent the wrong equipment. Customer support is very poor. We quickly realized we had made a poor decision giving them our business. When we returned the equipment, we were charged exorbitant restocking fees. We would give them a rating of 0 and would never recommend them to anyone.

  • Bonny Jenkins

    If you own a small business, take some responsibility! Oh, you were scammed into a 4 year terminal lease?? You had to sign a contract for that lease. You should read what you are signing. Also, as far as hidden fees.. these fees are, again, outlined in your contact. Don’t sign what you haven’t read. It’s that simple. As for those of you that were charged for months or years when you thought you had closed your account…don’t you pay attention to your bank account to see the money being taken? Notify First Data right away. Don’t sit on it for years and expect a full refund for your negligence. Just a thought.

  • Dave

    Same service here. Some guy called Karthik from India takes the sales call. He also pretends to be running a larger business. It really funny and stupid but when he directs the call to service, customer support or billing, it is still him with a different name. He could have at least changed his voice.
    He also took $750 upfront setup fee… What a joke!
    The he has the nerve to tell me to call his 800 number after 7 days of not replying to his email. When you do call the 800 number, you never get them….or should I say him…
    STAY AWAY!!!
    firstdatamerchants.com/ BEWARE!!!


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  • Dennis

    BUYER BEWARE!!
    When these guys contacted me with “great rates” I told them I would not sign a contact that would not let me out. So they wrote a clause in my contract that I could get out for any reason without penalties. After 2 years of charges higher than I was told the final straw was my terminal quit working because they failed to update it. I cancelled my service they told me that I would have to pay a $250 fee, after showing them my contract they waved the fee, then proceeded to take it from my bank anyway, after trying to get it back (they told me for 2 weeks it would be in my account any day) I blocked their ability to get into my account then they took another $250 from me using another of their business names I hadn’t blocked. They don’t answer emails in a timely fashion, they NEVER answer the phone & so far after multiple messages for 2 weeks have never called me back. FIND ANOTHER COMPANY TO PROCESS YOUR PAYMENTS.

  • Patrick

    A really uncaring company that has no concern over customers. Finally finished our in March with much heartache. Sent back their machine, six weeks later the remove £500 from our account after disputing the return of their machine. Now they tell us we need to wait 7-10 for us to have our monies returned. As a charity we find this not acceptable and was wandering if we have a legal stance to charge them with fraud.

  • Wayne Shay

    This is the absolute worse company I have ever done business with in the 20 years I have had a restaurant; absolutely TERRIBLE; lies about customer service (which is zero) and everything else they talk to you about; low life sales representative that will lie to you as well; will not call you back once the deal is made when you have a problem; TERRIBLE PEOPLE TO DO BUSINES WITH; I would NEVER recommend them to anyone; such a rip-off company….WARNING………

  • Marcia Dobbs-Smith

    I can not believe that First Data can remain in business with so many negative reviews. They are a totally unscrupulous entity. The latest attempt to improve ratings in unconscionable. They make a promise of refund, immediately send a survey to rate them, but NEVER come through with refund. Before this last scam the trick was to promise rate reduction, but NEVER follow through on the promised rate reduction. In fact it went UP! Upon each conversation I received a survey. I gave positive reviews because the agent was so understanding and kind, but in reality agent was a liar and did not follow through on the promises made. How can First Data be allowed to perpetuate these scams on small businesses in America? This is not Nigeria. Don’t we have laws?

  • Melissa

    How do I get these people to stop calling me? Someone from this company calls a minimum once a week. That’s a minimum. If I say I’m not interested it’s because I’m really not interested and my phone number should be removed from their database. I’ve received this call as many as 3 times in one week. That’s excessive! I almost have their entire sales pitch memorized! That’s how often I get this call from THIS company. I should not have to call and asked to be removed from their list if I’ve said I’m not interested 20 times in the last 4 months.

  • Teresa

    I just spent approximately an hour and a half on the phone with Jim Bradshaw who claimed to be the VP of their sales and marketing department. He was really nice for most of the conversation up to the end when I refused to give him a $5,000 investment for which he claimed I would receive $12,000 back within 60 to 90 days. He tried hard to convince me and when I said no, he got pissed off and slammed down the phone on me. Sounded too much like one of those schemes where they tell you you can make money while you sleep!

  • Evan

    They started charging pic compliance fees even though I passed, never got any refunds even though I was promised several times that I would get refund, had to close bank account to get them to stop charged now they won’t quit harrowing me

  • Customer Who Would Not Recommend this Company

    Our company used First Data for years. When we discovered a problem, where they had been charging our company for a service we did not use, we tried to contact them to resolve the issue.

    Not only did they transfer us around the company in an endless loop and waste hours of our time, one of their representatives in the customer service department, Andres, actually was so unprofessional he hung up on us in the middle of a phone conversation.

    Our next call will be to the regulatory agency which oversees merchant processing companies.

  • Lois

    Please DO NOT use this company! I have just spent about 2 hours on the phone with them and am no closer to having the problem figured out. They do not seem to be honest and you will be locked into a 4 year contract before you even know what you did. They say they are cheaper, but I am not convinced that they are and you will have untold stress trying to get your books to balance. The lady on the phone tried to help, but her accent made her very difficult to understand

  • James Elliott

    Please please please heed the reviews if you are thinking of joining First Data as your merchant services provider. They are an absolute disgrace. The salesman will promise you the world probably including Amazon vouchers. You’ll never see them and after you put pen to paper you will never see him, he won’t answer your calls either.

    You’ll also get great rates which will soon be doubled (or more). The real kicker though is that you’ll sign up for the terminal lease for 4 years but it turns out the terminals only work with First Data.

    This means that when the inevitable fee hike occurs, you’ll have 2 choices a) accept the new fees or b) pay a huge terminal cancellation cost.

    In a nutshell if you’re thinking of joining them DO NOT DO IT, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

  • Kacie powers

    Do not use First a data. I was told when I signed up I could cancel at anytime (I did not want to sign a contract longer than a year & they falsely verbalized I could cancel if the business closes down).
    Business closed down, first data told me I have to pay the remained of the four year lease that they are not responsible for what the sales people say to get the business. I did not pay remainder and they dinged my credit score. Look elsewhere for credit card processing.

  • P. Pittman

    Tom was the best sales person ever. He went the extra mile trying to get this account to work for me. That is the best thing about my FD experience. The people in the office that actually work with the accounts and place all the charges are HORRIBLE! I received so many charges it was unbelievable. The only monthly charge I was supposed to be charged was 4.95, so Tom said. I couldn’t handle or keep up with all the charges that were added to my account. Every week it was something new and none of it was substantiated. There was never any explanation or itemization. All my bank would tell me is that the charges came from First Data. I talked to them about my account and even sent statements and was told on several occasions that the situation would be rectified, to no avail. My only hope at this point is to get out and have all of those fees reversed so that my business can be back on it’s feet. I’m going back to square.

  • William Dahglren

    First Data has no interest in helping SMB’s. Their lease terms are predatory and cost SMB’s even if you’re providing them with multiple accounts.

    This is a classic case of a big corporation not caring about their image because they KNOW you HAVE to work with them. You bank at Wells, you HAVE to work with them unless you want to get fleeced by a company that HAS to charge higher rates.

    Awful customer service. Awful company. Avoid if you can.

  • Adam Bailey

    This company is a huge scam. I sold my business in 2014. I sent back the credit card systems and closed all the accounts. They told me they has two years left on the lease agreement. The new buyer said he would payout the two years that were remaining but they needed to close the account after that. They continued to bill and auto renew the monthly fee. Then they said they can only close out the account once the machines are returned. The issue is they were returned four years ago and now they want to charge me for them. When I called them about this they told me it’s not their issue and there’s is nothing they can do. when I asked to talk to a manager the agent told me there are no supervisors or managers that can assist me. She also told me she did not have an employee number nor would give me her name. When I asked to be transferred to someone else so I could get help she hung up on me.

  • terrance shaw

    I would never recommend this company. As a new company We was sold a POS system 4 years ago that was already old as the hills. Once we sign the lease we found out that this company had up to date POS systems that they neglected to give us. Not once over the past 4 years did they offer to update our equipment or do anything to make us happy. Put us on the hook for a 48 months lease at 235.00(over 11k for a relic), I know we didnt know any better. All I can say is shame on 1st Data for treating any company the way we have been treated.

  • Yarina

    I am so frustrated with this company that they deserve I left my first negative review ever!
    They continue charging me even after I cancel the service. Fake leases and overcharging. This is the worst company I have ever had the misfortune to deal with.

  • James

    Horrible company. We switched to them in 2013 only to find out recently that they never closed an account we had with them since 2002 (so they have been charging us for 2 accounts!). Both accounts have now been closed and we will never be doing business with them again (thankfully).

  • Peter

    Do not, I REPEAT, DO NOT do business with these guys. They rip small businesses off with their plans and credit card reading machines. Do your research, do not sign any contracts without reading them. They don’t care about the customer and their ignorance, all they want is the $$$$$.

  • Cynthia Pascual

    I bought a restaurant in Addison, Tx. 10/2015 I contact First Data as a bad recommendation of Carlos Escobar, in that moment he was working for BBVA in the Woodlands, Houston , Tx. This person insisted to send me a First Data person simply to guide about the POS and the service that they offer. This person push me to buy the equipment, he recommended something that I really don’t need based in the specifications of my sales and the type of restaurant. I called him, like 5 times, to say I changed my mind, I want the negociatiation back I said it was not what I need, but he said “Sorry you signed and no way back with the purchase” 12/2015 . Since that time to now 12/2017, I talked with First Data customer service, BBVA managers, First Data sales, and no One can give an answer and my money back! First Data simply took $7,300 from my business account and the equipment. Is this a robbery? This has been a nightmare!

  • jeremy clarke

    We changed our card terminal and First Data arranged to collect the old one which they did. Weeks later I got a letter stating that I hadn’t returned the terminal despite the fact that they collected it! I phoned to discuss and it was agreed that everything would be put on hold to allow investigation, 3 days later almost £900 was taken from our business account for “lost terminal”.
    01/11 – I called First Data, they were unable to answer why the money had been taken and promised a call back – it didn’t happen.
    03/11 – I called again was told the money would be refunded in 10 days.
    15/11 – no money in our account I called again, was told they would look into it and call me back – it didn’t happen.
    23/11 – still no calls back, still no money back in our account so I called again, was told refund had been authorised, I asked for the complaints procedure and was promised a call back – it didn’t happen.
    29/11 – still no calls back, still no money back in our account so I called again, was advised that the refund had been raised on 24/11, not 3/11 as previously advised! I asked for complaints procedure and was advised that I would receive a call back from a senior who would instigate the complaints procedure – that didn’t happen.
    01/12 – still no money, still no call back from First Data so I called again, was passed through to the person who had told me on the 02/11 that the refund was being processed who now stated that it was processed not on the 02/11 nor the 24/11 as I had been previously advised but on the 29/11! Was promised a call back – that didn’t happen.
    06/12 – still no calls back, still no refund so I called again to specifically ask for contact details of the complaints team. After 15 minutes on the phone and having given security details and contact numbers at least 3 times I was told that it was not possible to give me the contact details of the complaints department as it was only available internally. I have now given them 1 hour before I contact the FCA and report them as FCA website states that members must have a complaints procedure!
    All in all I have made 7 calls to this organisation totalling 94 minutes of my time and to date since the money was erroneously taken from our account on 03/10/2017, I have not received the refund an apology or a call back!

  • Mike M

    First Data is involved in an ill advised, I’ll fated “Transformation” of an industry that corporate executives know very little about. They try multiple new directives, philosophies, waste everyone’s time and money and go back to the original way of doing business. It’s The Blind leading The Blind throughout this entire organization, thus the very poor customer experience and high dissatisfaction levels. High turnover, unqualified management at every level,inferior customer support, entry level employees at every position, First Data continues to implode 5 years into this ill conceived “Transformation”. First Data is the next GE or JCPenney. Stay Away.

  • Shawn Meyer

    Worst ever! I was young n dumb n they ripped me off! It was all legal and I was dumb for signing but they at the worst company I’ve ever done business with in my 15 years of running a business. Spent over 5000.00 more than I should have

  • Brandie A.

    I was told by the rep that clover by first data was capable of meeting my needs. The rep showed me all the wonderful aspects of the system and then touched on what I needed it do. I trusted him. Over two years later, I am still operating and paying for two systems because it does not meet my needs as a service provider. I can see how it works great for strictly retail but not ideal for booking and tracking services. I was so bummed and of course 2 years ago I was told I could “buy out” the lease for over $3,000 even though I was lied to about it’s capabilities. Fast forward, I am no longer able to deal with having to work out of two systems so I called again. I have 21 months left and they said I could return the equipment and pay the remainder of the lease. Return it so you can re-lease it to another sucker and still charge me the remainder of the lease??? Is that even ethical?
    I have never left a negative review in my life! I am sick over this. Making this poor decision because of a shady sales rep has cost my small business just over $2,500 and counting. By the end of the lease it will double. I will never use first data or clover. Poor business practices.

  • Shinae Kim

    They are scammers and deceitful. I signed up with a pos company and they messed up big time and it was too much of a hassle to stay with them so they let us cancel everything and even said they would take care of the contract with first data since we never used their system. Well we thought everything was fine and all of a sudden I get a call from the collections agency wanting 1100.00 for cancelling their contract. I was seriously thinking they got the wrong person but nope. They said even though we cancelled with the pos system service we signed a contract saying we cannot terminate this contract for 48 months. I was flipping furious because no one ever told me nor did I see that anywhere in the contract. So everyone needs to be careful of this and I will for sure publicize this matter and make sure the merchant services verbally explain what will haplen even if there is a 30 day money back guarantee that you are still stuck with the credit processor first data that demands a 48 month contract.

  • Ken S

    Poor customer service, excess service charges and purposefully confusing statements. I should have shopped for processors before accepting my bank’s recommendation to use First Data. After changing processors and notifying First Data, I have continued to receive charges for minimum services. Excessive attempts to contact customer service have been futile. 20 minute hold times, unhelpful agents, and outright lies are standard business practices with this company. Amazing that after 8 years of doing business with this company, they could care less that they lose customers. I guess their thought is that there is always another sucker out there to replace the the ones they lose.

  • Vinod Kapur

    FirstData, IgnitePayments or First Data, Ignite Payments, previously known as Cardservice International creates all kinds of artificial obstacles so that their merchants (you and me) do not ever comply with PCI standards. If you’re not watching your account statement at least on a monthly basis their fees from around 2.4% and 4.2% respectively will quickly, within weeks, climb to 2.9% and 5.0% and more. They charge over $700 in PCI non-compliance fees and new charges are being invented as I write this review.

  • Vahe K

    I’ve been in processing business for more than 15 years and all you need when opening a merchant account is an honest account manager/ sales rep.

    Most people think when it comes to their money, they need a big reputable company like their bank or someone who also processes for big brands like 7-11 or shell etc..

    Your sales rep has the power of put you on the best rate plan with no cancellation fees and free equipment OR the worst plan with NON-CANCELLABLE contract and charge you 100 times more than what the equipment is worth and you can not do anything because this industry is non-regulated.

    You can be on the best plan with First Data or on the worst plan with Heartland.

    Stop blaming the processors and if you have a rep who treats you well and does honest business, introduce her/him to your fellow business owners.

    Want to know how to tell if your sales rep is honest?
    Here are a few steps that will help you make a better decision although it won’t guarantee anything but at least you’re doing your due diligence.

    1. Ask the rep to leave the paperwork for you to read and come back tomorrow, if they say they can’t for WHATEVER REASON, don’t sign up with them.

    2. An equipment lease, never benefits the merchant but always benefits the rep.
    The rep may quit the company tomorrow but you’ll be locked into that lease for 4-5 years.

    3.they can always give you good rates with no lease or contract.

    4.there are never special rates for 4th of July weekend or today or this week or this month. All rates are always available.

    5. Ask your rep to give you a list of reference who are his/her current merchants.
    You don’t have to call them but if the rep gives you the list, she is probably being honest.

    6. READ YOUR CONTRACT, READ YOUR CONTRACT, READ YOUR CONTRACT.

    you don’t need to know big, legal, non understandable terms.

    Just look for the words “cancellation” “termination” “early” “penalty” “years” and “months”

    There are more indications that can get too technical but the best way still is to find a guy who you can trust (not by instinct but by logic)
    The good ones work really hard.

  • Chris Moller

    This company is very suspect. Once they got a hold of my bank account number to process credit cards they began taking money out they were not approved to. I ended up having to close my bank account and switch banks in order to get then to stop charging my account.

  • Diana Schofield

    I hated First Data and thought they were conniving in their set up and they charge an outlandish amount for their physical card processing machine. i quite them and got the identical equipment free with lower rates from North American Bancard. do NOT use this company.

  • JB

    Been with this company about 5 years and found out they were raising prices for swipes without letting me know. So decide to go with different company and come to find out the First Data has there own encryption that other companies cannot erase .When asked for first data to take off soft ware and certificate so new company could download. They refused saying we were not with company anymore and they could not help! Glad to be leaving this company! Horrible customer service! Good news is new company giving us a terminal for free! and will be saving 8% each month!

  • Randy A. Breeden

    I was previously employed by First Data and left the company on good terms. I left to start my own business and was told that if I ever wished to return to First Data, they would look forward to that day. It is now some years later, and I had always admired First Data and had decided to re-employment at their organization. I recently applied for one of the many vacant customer service positions at First Data. About three months passed during which I heard nothing in from the company. The other week I finally received an email thanking me for my application “However, the company is seeking better-qualified candidates for open customer service positions?

    My experience in customer service is significant by way of measure. I have been a successful manager, senior customer service representative, business owner and as noted prior, a First Data CSR, in good standing. Since having left First Data some years ago, I have completed one college degree in Accounting and am about to finish a second Accounting degree, 3.9611 GPA.

    The firms rejection and undervaluation of my qualifications, left me to ponder what went wrong. I performed very well for the company, in the past. I spoke highly of First Data, even used them faithfully for 20 plus years, as the credit card processor for my own business. Other processors would try and lure me away from First Data, yet I remained loyal to the firm even when their processing charges, were higher. So what went wrong, why did First Data reject what otherwise appear as an excellent, even stellar skill set?

    I received word from several anonymous sources as to where I may have erred in reapplying to First Data. I disclosed a qualification in my reapply to First Data that I did not hold when I initially worked for the company. The latter qualification is one of my being a service connected disabled U.S. Veteran, Honorably Discharged. I made sure to make First Data aware that my military service connected disabilities in no way hinder my ability to function and that I required no special workplace mods. I have since been told though, that I should not have disclosed my service connected Veteran Status because First Data and other large corporations praise disabled Veterans publicly but frown upon them in private. So, a note to all disabled Veterans, keep your service connected Veteran status under wraps when applying to companies such as First Data Merchant Services, it will get your application, rejected.

  • Rfox

    There’s mis-commucation with thr agent while we cancle our services. Our account was NOT CLOSED for 7 years. Of course we moved from our original location and did not received the statements. And we did, we call back many times to explained the situation and tried to close our account and get our money back since they withdraw certain amount every month(amount different than what statement indicate). We never got satisfied amount of money back or to close our account we had to wait for long time. Even though it’s NOT OUR FAULT. The conversation was recorded and they had file. However, they keep instated that it was mis communication and we had to follow their policy. Knowing most of their agents are foreigners and it’s been always so difficult to solve any types of issues with them… I do not think it was fair. Customer Royalty department or financial department were NOT sincerely Helpful or even tried to. To me, they were all very sweet when you have business with them but once you show them that you tries to get away from them, they turn into absolutely disgusting. I wish I can do 0star for this company. Absolutely horrible customer care or service. I always have been a business guy and I will be in the future. I will never go back to first data or recommend to anyone that I know. Thanks for the great life lesson first data ☺

  • Hector

    My account with first data has been terminated for over 2 years. I don’t use their services for anything. Both devices have been sent back over 2 years ago. But i am still getting billed by ignite. Was on the phone with a rep about 20 minutes ago and she noticed that i haven’t been using their services, but I’m still getting billed. On top of that there’s a cancellation fee for a service I’m not using. This is outrageous!!! Do not use first data that company sucks ASS!!!

  • Howard

    I have been a First Data Customer since 1988. First through one of their resellers, called Bypass, which they Ultimately bought & now run, and also directly. I have never lost a single dime in all these years. Yes there have been issues with equipment becoming obsolete and no longer being supported, in what I would consider too short a time frame, but that wasn’t something I believe they had much control over as regulations change & they simply have to adapt to them. I recall when Y2K was coming up. New Terminal. Then CVV2 and name and address verification became the norm, New Terninal. I had a great Relationship Manager who always took great care of me, so it was always a fairly smooth transition.

    My recent issue was when the chipped card terminals became available. I was told I needed a new pinpad, but for over a year they kept sending me pinpads with the wrong encryption, so it wouldn’t work. Fortunately I had the original non chip type pinpad, so I was still able to process Debits, just had to continue to SWIPE.

    Even after I got the correct pinpad, the next issue was that the software to support the chipped cards wasn’t ready, so another wait of 1 1/2 more years, and that brings us to present day.

    The Terminal is now deemed at end of life, so even though the software is now ready, they won’t be able to download it to the old terminal, so now I need a new terminal again. Thankfully the new terminal will be chip card ready when I receive it.

    I have read all the horror stories of not being able to get in touch with anyone at First Data, but I never had any problems.
    I imagine most of these problems are simply due to people calling the wrong place. If you have a reseller they are where you must go for Customer Service.
    If you call 1st Data and you don’t have an account directly with them, they are not going to even talk to you.

    Yes there have been frustrations, but never LOST ANY MONEY processing with them.

    Moral of the story, read your contract and KNOW WHAT you are agreeing to before you sign on the dotted line.

  • Susan Boggon-Smith

    I was first told by the sales agent that the charges would be cheaper than paypal and i-zettle. Even with the terminal rental my small business sole trader account would end up ‘evens’ with charges with the advantage of being able to take money anywhere with the machine. It is true the machine works anywhere and is accurate and the support is good. But the cost of taking about £4,000 per annum is 4.7% for the card processing costs and a massive 12% in total including the machine rental. The contract small print is complex, and it is for 4 years. I think this is mis-sellng and deemed to be unfair contract terms being imposed upon the small business user. I will never use them again.

  • Harold Marshall

    First Data Merchant card processing service is the worst!! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! STAY AWAY FROM FIRST DATA, It’ll save you a lot of money and hardship! I own a liquor store and apparently someone’s been purchasing items from my store with a bad or stolen credit card, We take all proper steps in processing card payments, as far as, checking ID and getting the signatures. While someone fraud me while using First Data as my merchant service, they (First Data) treated me as if I fraud them. They’re holding my money in some “reserve account” while still trying to remove money from my bank account daily. The person (Shana Ballard) they have in charge of investigating these charge backs is sooooo unprofessional. She never answers the phone or return calls. Instead of trying to work with you to try to catch these people doing the fraud, they’ll rather come after you and your money. I’ve never wrote a bad review on any person or company in my life, but this company doesn’t deserve to be in business. I wouldn’t recommend them to my worst enemy!! I guest all things happen for a reason because after going through this, I’ve found out that I was paying high processing fees compared to other companies. First Data Merchant Service is the biggest fraud!!!

    • First Data Customer

      I have to agree with this customer. First Data are awful and Shana Ballard will never call you back no matter how many times you leave a message. The best thing to do is to ask for her supervisor. I’m shocked she still has a job.

  • Tom

    Beware, FirstData (Cardservice International, Linkpoint) is DANGEROUS! They ripped me off and even faked PCI non-compliance many times with huge charges and penalties resulting and then their employee started posting fake libel about their customers.

  • Sonja Salgue

    Just be aware of the hidden prints and don’t trust this company for you business. We closed our business and no longer needed the service. We were charged for the cancellation of the services. They never informed us of this. My husband was send for collection by Northstar Location Services, LLC. We settle the claim and little that we know that they had another case. They never informed us of two claims, we were under the impression that we had settle everything . The First Data Global Leasing is a nightmare. I hope this does help other business owners.

  • Tim Cameron

    Had terminal for four days and it crashed. Couldn’t replace it for 24-48 hours because we are rural businesses. I drive two hours and met technician and picked up replacement terminal and drove two hours back. Called FIrst Data to set it up. After two hours of trying… they decided this terminal was defective also.
    We run a seasonal greenhouse and it’s planting season and the long May weekend is the busiest.
    First data said one would be sent out with a technician to set up another terminal by 2:00 pm next day. Never arrived….
    After many calls and speaking with floor manager at FD…and the technician on 3-way call… authorization will be emailed to drive to our location… Never happened…
    Now it’s the next morning…Saturday of the long weekend… no terminal, technician has still not received authorization to attend….back on the phone with FD…. and the process begins again….
    We have lost customers and sales because most folks rely on using a card for payment and don’t carry cash… there are at least 5 other greenhouse businesses in the area… our customers will and did go elsewhere…not to mention lost time by driving and spending 6-7 hours on the phone with them….ridiculous
    I have never experienced such poor customer service by any company in my life and can’t believe First Data can be so useless….
    We will be changing companies at first opportunity….

  • Keith Zetoff

    I have worked with Vantiv, Heartland, and Elavon in the past, First Data is much better than all of my other experiences. The key is to connect with the right Agent. First Data has over 1000 1099 Agents, some are good, some are not. First Data itself is a highly Govt scrutinized (since they are the largest processor in the world) company that does provide virtually every service. I also only use Interchange Plus Pricing which means all fees are transparent to us. I wouldnt move anywhere else now.

  • Wilene C Dunn

    Bank of America chose them as their merchant company and they are horrible. Customer Service is not helpful and there process is guilty till proven innocent and they hold money. There is nothing ever okay with not informing a customer who uses their services for business credit card processing that you are going to hold their funds even after compliance with their risk management and their intrusive questions that border on confidentiality infringement

  • MajiRasooll

    Beware of this company- They will do anything to get ur business and once you sign up with them, forget about getting any of your issues resolved. They have been giving me a run around for 5+ months even though they are holding on to about $20000 + of my money( through gateway services). I have called more than 50 times but nothing has happened. Just giving me a run around. The worst customer service ever.

  • Alex

    I have no idea who this company is I called a few time asking to tell me why they were sending me a certified letter I have no business dealing no connections whatsoever I just want to know why is a compysending me a letter when I never even heard of them

  • Jose

    Very unprofessional company. First they couldn’t help me with my situation and they gave me the runaround. I’m disappointed that my bank does business with them. They sneak in fees into your agreement and they rack up. They don’t care about the American people. They come out of the woodwork once your business has dissolved to claim fees that you have no knowledge. Horrible company.

  • Rifai Market

    I would also give them a negative also is possible to First Data. I guess they are in the monopoly business, they don’t care what you tell them or say about them and there are not willing to help you. We closed our business last year and we had 6 more months for the lease to end so we agreed to pay them the rest of the 6 months or they were going to charge us like $500 something. Anyways, after the beginning of the year they kept on charging us even though we never asked them to renew and we called and told them we closed down the business and they have it noted but they said if you don’t call us back or send the equipment back we will keep charging you even though we were not even using the stupid machine that cost maybe $10 from China. Tried to talk them into refunding our money but they won’t do it although I called them 3 times. Unfortunately, on top of everything we couldn’t find the stupid machine after so many months and we ended up paying them $180 to close the account. So even after 4 years or paying them $50 a month they made us pay $180 on top. I will admit that some of it is our fault not noticing the charges right away but the way they handled our matter what pissed me off. They don’t give a flying sh** about you or you loses all they want is to suck your blood. They never however mention that we have to call again and cancel again after the lease ended so we thought we are in the clear since we called and informed them of the closure. We had so many companies we were dealing with and they wanted to charge us penalties but they waived it as they felt sorry for us going out of business but these guys don’t give a flying crab about you.

  • Ritesh Bhatia

    Worst company in canada probably well after global payments. Way too many problems every week and customer service just does not care. They are located in some 3rd world country so they are not happy with their $2/HR pay may be that’s why they are unhappy and rude all the time. I have dealt with them probably 6 or 7 times never have I ever had a good experience with them. Switching over to Moneris soon.

  • Sammy Davis

    This company is a PURE FRAUD. Please stay away from them. My Bank of America teller/banker connected me to one of their reps and assuming they were legitimate company, I signup the cc processing machine. We did not like their payment processing and we returned their equipment within two months. We were insured that is all we had to do and we don’t owe anything. This same people placed erroneous negative balances on my personal credit reports! Mind you, we returned the equipment and paid all we owed in FULL before cancelling it. They are simply fraud. I called to even try to pay whatever amount they are alleging that we owe, they would not accept any payment other then Checking account. That is right, You have to provide routing number and account number is the only method of payment! why? Because they know they are fraud they would not accept a CC payment as you dispute it!

    In short: PLEASE STAY AWAY FIRST DATA. IT IS A FRAUD.

  • andrew

    hello, all. my wife and opened an old fashioned 50’s diner. used first data and of course the clover system! do not in any way use the system or deal with these people. I just received a letter from a collection firm in florida. we were lied too, misled, did not receive our money from credit card purchases. you cant contact these people either. after seeing all of this, why hasn’t someone started a class action law suit on these people? im looking into it now.

    • Nicole

      No attorney wants to file a class action lawsuit because they are too large apparently. They pretty much own 80% of the credit card processing industry. This is how they get away with it.

      Read my review above. The same thing happened to me!

      PS. I was also using the Clover system…as I found it to be an extremely quick way to process phone sales for my travel agency/tour agency. I could process a reservation in under 2 minutes. I’d save the receipt number and create a reservation. I loved the system during busy season! What I didn’t love is having my money stolen!

  • Robert

    I forgot to mention in my earlier complain about First Data that the rude girl in the risk management dept told me in addition to saying she would close my account if I returned my customers money and if I had my customers push a chargeback through ( * because First Data was holding over $7000 and NOT depositing into my account) she also told me after I asked to speak to her manager in which she REFUSED to do so, that if I did speak to a manager that she would also close my account because SHE is the one who approves merchant accounts. This little girls name is Crystal Donaldson ( last name was unclear and that’s what I was able to get out of her.)
    Either way DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH FIRST DATA UNLESS YOU WANT DAMAGE DONE TO YOUR BUSINESS AND LOSE CUSTOMERS AND SPEND HOURS ON THE PHONE WITH THESE MORONS trying to get something fixed that they will NEVER be able to do.

  • Robert

    DO NOT EVER USE FIRST DATA. THEY ARE RIP OFF ARTISTS. Initially we chose First Data because we have a Sams Club business account. first data promises you one thing and then does another. Our contract was a flat rate amount per month and they took a percentage of my sales. Within 3 days they took money out of my account that didn’t belong to them and had to call my bank and report FRAUD. My new merchant account was activated and I had over $7000 in sales divided among 4 customers in a 3 day period.. First Data promised funds in my account within 24hrs. NO money was ever deposited into my account. 2 weeks go by and still nothing after spending mulitiple hours on the phone with them and being transferred to a manager that was NOT a US citizen and his location was in the Caribbean! I was threatened by a girl named Crystal in the risk management dept that if I returned the money to my customers she would close my account.She threatened if I told my customers to do a chargeback she would close my account. I did returns on all 4 transactions and remember NOT $1 ever made its way into my account. First Data was now holding my customers money hostage. I am not a new business owner Ive been in business for almost 20 years and have a very good track record for NO chargebacks. This company needs its ass sued off and be put out of business. It has inconvenienced my customers and myself and has caused damage to my business in this short amount of time. Time to sue First Data for FRAUD.

  • Donald Britton

    Dealing with this company (Sam Merchants, First
    Data, has been nothing short of a nightmare. I processed a credit card on Dec. 16, 2016, the funds were supposed to have been deposited in my account within 48 hours. I waited 3 days and finally call Sam Merchants aka First Data. and was told my funds were in risk management being handled by Aurelia Auguste. I call risk management and got an answering machine. I waited 2 day with no reply from Aurelia Auguste. After 3 more days i got an email from this woman, telling me to correspond through email. I tried the email she gave me and it wasn’t functioning. Long story made short these people kept my customers money and tried to go into my bank account and take money out. I saw the name Sam’s on the web and thought they were a reputable company, not so they are a rip-off.

  • Colin McLay

    DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! Before signing an agreement with First Data we were assured we would be getting a reduction in credit card/debit fees with NO HIDDEN FEES. As soon as we got the first statement we realized we had been duped. We called and were assured by the sales manager that we would only be charged the $495 cancellation fee and he would get the contract for 48 months of renting their piece of junk machine nullified. After waiting 2 weeks we contact First Data only to find the sales manager has NO AUTHORIZATION to do as promised. We have already switched back to our old provider and are currently trying to find a way to nullify this contract. Every response we get from the company is of course from someone who’s sole job it is to say “no” to everything we request. If you are ever approached by someone trying to “save you money” on your credit card transactions make sure they ARE NOT from First Data.

  • Brian bruce

    Absolutely horrible! Their errors cost me business. Their inability to provide a machine that could function on a digital phone line is just an example of how inept and unwilling they were to do their job correctly. Lots of talk and they take no ownership of their errors.
    Too expensive to get the worst customer service and consumer protection!

  • Sharon Paisley

    Unbelievably rude customer service. I just called this company to find out why we had a bill from them when we don’t have anything being leased from them and I was told that I shouldn’t have opened the mail since it wasn’t addressed to me personally. It was addressed to the business. REALLY? I own the business, and it was addressed to the business. Then when I asked her what we were supposedly leasing from her, she hung up on me. I don’t know who these guys are, but I would never use them.

  • Luigi Guillen

    DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!! HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. PLEASE READ!

    In October 2016 a young gentleman came into my office promising lower rates, a fancy equipment with no rental fees, no setup fees, and a 30 free trial. On my first bank statement. I saw that they took out $100.00 for setup fee and $87.00 for the rental of the equipment? I called the office to complain and they do not recall offering those promotions. Oh and the 30-day free trial ? non-existant on their books. I spoke to a manager that not only he was rude but he didn’t want to give me the information of the salesman that came to my office. It is 1/13/2017 and I am still being charged $87 for an equipment we don’t use.

    If you have any question on how bad this company is, contact me. I will gladly tell you about my experience 202-630-8740

  • Robert Anthony

    Almost all of you with complaints are not First Data customers. Someone called you and lied to you claiming that they work with First Data or are partnered with them when in actuality they are not affiliated at all except in that te 3rd party company that is ripping you off uses the first data platform. So those of you with Truly 360 or any company that your contract doesnt actually say First data then you are misled and are paying some random guy money to his company that he adds his fees to first datas fees. First data has nothing to do with these companies and are trying to expose lying companies who say they are affiliated or partnered with First Data. The reason your customer service issues are not being resolved is because you signed a contract with another company so because you were fooled into a long term contract with a 3rd party company you can not expect a different company to fix another companies issues. If you order from McDonalds burger king wont refund your money. I too fell for this and thought I was signing up with first data until i double checked the contract and the contract actually said MiCamp solutions so their rep kept telling me they were first data but they are not.

  • Blake Newman

    If you need a merchant account to accept credit cards for your business – DO NOT USE FIRST DATA. They are such crooks and make it expensive to stop doing business with them. They suck you into a long-term contract and then when you try to break the contract, they play whack-o-mole with you. If you call one minute before the contract expires, you get hit with a $500 early termination penalty. If you call one minute after the contract expires, you get automatically renewed and they hit you with another month’s fee. Unbelievable. And, every time you call, plan on 45 minutes to wait on hold, be transferred, wait on hold, be transferred. All their customer people know how to say is I’m sorry, I apologize, I’m sorry. But, they can’t solve any of your problems. Some of the sorriest people I’ve ever talked to.

  • Albert

    I have been banking with Wells Fargo since 1993 and it is truly such a shame that Wells Fargo has such a terrible partner, First Data, who doesn’t care about business. The reps at First Data have NO customer service and they literally interrogate their customers. They challenged me to switch to a different merchant services company because they claimed my “transaction was too big.” First Data is literally playing God and very clearly has no interest in doing business. Because my “transaction was too big,” they closed my account and I was unable to run any other transactions. STAY AWAY FROM FIRST DATA!!

  • Paul Harrison

    Unfortunately I have been a client of first data for less than 1 year and have no option but to pay a penalty or stick with them until my contract is up. I will most definitely cancel as soon as possible. If I were to rate the company’s customer service on a scale of 1-10, I would score them at -15. They are the worst payment processor I have ever worked with. Recently they have lost a rather large sum from a settlement I made on Dec 19, 2016. I informed them of this error on Dec20, I have the Visa slip with the authorization, from a large corporation that I have done business with for several years and have successfully used that card on several occasions. When the settlement was completed it showed successful, but again as I have stated the funds have some how been lost. They have responded with a standard “we will review and have an answer in 3 – 5 business days”. That put us into Christmas so we know that it will be closer to a week or more. I have been told by the companies support that there is not a hold, then I have been told there is a security issue, and then i have been told there is no security issue…so I am lost. Whenever you try to contact some one from corporate you keep getting sent back to the service center…talk about being stonewalled…..I am going to make it my personal goal in lifer to advise every business owner I meet to STAY AWAY FROM FIRST DATA. I belong to a few business groups in my community and get the opportunity to meet on a regular basis. Please if you read this STAY AWAY FROM FIRST DATA

    The people I speak with in customer service are rude, and couldn’t care less that this is causing a major problem for my small business, when I stress that point, I get the standard “our policy is 3 – 5 days and you will just have to wait. This company has the WORST…by far customer service that I have EVER been subjected to. They are absolutely HORRIBLE, and every number you call takes you back to the same service center. I am left with only one alternative and that is to drive to head office and sit in the lobby and wait until some one in senior management sees me…..I will wait all day if I have to!!

    Once again DO NOT USE FIRST DATA!!!

  • niki gower

    First Data has to to the worse customer service and attitude from a company ever.

    Trying to cancel my contract after 3 years due to having to start trading as a limited company. I was looking to take a new terminal out as the same time but had to cancel my sole trader one first. I spent hours on the phone explaining, they said I need to give 30day notice and just send an emai. so I send the email with correct info…. only to get a reply back a few day later saying “becuase the email address don’t and may name in it they cannot acknowledge the cancellation request due to data protection, (the same email I have used with them since day one). I then phone up to explain to them that it is a valid email fro me and my company, but I was met with constant stupid lies about data protection, yet the confirmed all my details over the phone to pass data protections.. yet another company trying to hold on to customer using scams and causing the contract to roll into another months billing period. The staff lack basic common sense in my opinion.
    If toy are looking to use cardnet or first data then please take my advice and avoid them at all costs.
    You can see they are a poor company just by looking on the search engines for 1000s of cases of bad feedback.

    All I can say is Kirsty Miller Developing Senior you have lost a new customer for 2017, I have signed up with your competitors via my bank. I little customer service and common sense is all that is needed in life.

    Developing Senior
    First Data Global Leasing,
    Jupiter House, Paycocke Road,Basildon
    Essex, SS14 3HX

  • Paula McGill

    I’ve been with First Data for two years. The first six months was horrible with numerous glitches. The company also took a extremely long time to provide me with a machine with chip software. Finally, in the summer of 2016, I received a new machine with the software. From that point until today things ran smoothly.

    Today, I notice they had removed money from my account for November. This debit was 9 days early. From my understanding numerous merchants were debited early. I can only imagine the amount of interest this company is earning on this “accidental” early debit.

    When I called they refused to correct the “mistake.” Instead, the company reasoned, it would just have to do it again in 9 days and it would take that long to correct the “mistake.” I just don’t buy it.

    After two years, my New Year’s resolution is to get rid of this company and find another company.

  • Steve Brandt

    Lately every time I wake up in the middle of the night or in the morning, I am thinking about how badly I was cheated and lied to by Richard West of Santa Barbara, a rep from Truly 360. First Data is a Truly 360s partnering company. They use Truly360 as a front man so to speak. Richard West of Truly360 came in our jewelry store and made lots of promises, like, there is only a $500.00 fee for stopping whenever you like. And it is mixed with promises of getting you at the top of google search and guaranteed to increase business by a lot.
    It’s been over two months and my store does not come up on search and they basically get you to sign and then you don’t see them anymore. So at $200.00 per month for nothing I decided to cancel and go ahead and pay the $500.00 penalty. Then I find out that I can’t get out of it period without paying $9599.52. So I’m screwed. Don’t use Richard West from Santa Barbara as your agent and don’t use Truly360 the so called trusted company. And I believe First data knows exactly what is happening.

  • William Jenkins

    I’ve been with these people for four years. Never been more disappointed in my life. They’re unable to resolve the simplest of issues. And lots of hidden fees. If not for the contract I would have left these people a long time ago. 0 customer service. This has been my experience.

  • Darren Perry

    This is without a shadow of any doubt, the worst company we have EVER dealt with.

    They are incredibly over priced, have horrendous customer service and have made numerous and costly mistakes to my account resulting in stress, grief not to mention the extra money we had to pay.

    I am now in the process of changing to World pay, whom I wish I had used in the first place.

  • Charlotte

    DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH FIRST DATA!! They will rip you off in any possible way that they can. Although I clearly closed my account with them and paid high cancellation fees, they continue to debit my bank account on a monthly basis. Their business practices are unethical and revolting. Their “customer service” is terrible. Please take your business elsewhere. Try Square, for instance.

  • Joyce F.

    To say First Data Merchant Services charges excessive fees is an understatement!! They charged us $20.00 per month additional fee for NOT going on the internet to fill out information that we didn’t know we had to fill out! When I did cancel their service, they continued to take out a minimum monthly fee plus the extra $20.00 per month. When I tried to get this account closed, I had to wait 1-2 hours to receive a message that they could not be reached. Since the payments were all done electronically through our bank account, I requested my bank to put a stop payment on the account. First Data Merchant Services sent this account to a collection agency in spite of my request to close the account. There was no recourse and the customer service representative said she could not make any changes to the account.

  • PA

    I have an online health food supplement shop. The payments over the weekend have not been processed by First Data as they have not confirmed my merchant number with Realex, and Realex emailed the information request to FD on the 3rd. The WORST part is that I, the business owner, CANNOT SPEAK with a human at FD, that can help me with this problem, they refer me back to Realex. WHY NO CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER…. it is a pathetic way to treat their customers, in this day of technology.

  • Jeffrey Cyr

    I had no issues with First Data until they decided NOT to contact me to tell me my lease was up 6 months ago on my FD100 and now they still want $168 to buy the terminal?!? I told them I paid $210 for 6 months that I didn’t even. We’d to pay. That money would have been the payoff on the equipment. So they will screw you and keep leasing you the equipment until you call. Instead of doing what an honest business does and call you to tell you your lease is up so you can buy the equipment or send it back. That just bad bad business. Will. It recommend to anyone.

  • Andrew Thomson

    We wanted to change providers and found out that we had an UNCANCELABLE contract. NO BUY OUT. Trying to talk with them was a nightmare. They were super quick to ding your credit and take you to collections. Now they have sent me to collections again saying that i have another contract with them. I do not know for what, i am just a very small business.

  • Haluk Kantar

    Has anyone had an issue with thefree paper program from First Data? I am in a rather unique situation whereas we were enrolled in free paper and ink program for what years and one day First Data decided to charge my bank account over $80,000.00 for paper that they say was not in the free paper program.

    When we were getting paper, they would send monthly bills that showed the paper and shipping and the bills were $0.00 but after 2 years they decided to charge me.

    We are in litigation and I am trying to find others that may have the same situation. First Data does not do business in good faith and we will prevail and possibly create a class action suit.

    I can be reached at [REDACTED – personal contact information].

  • Michael Bagby

    I made the mistake of signing up with First Data for my business.When I went to check on the deposit for the first day I couldn’t access my account with my phone like I had the day before.

    Calling customer service was a long painful process that resulted in my being told that the representative couldn’t help me and that I’d need to talk with someone else. I quit using their service then and got a bill for $80 to process a $45 charge. When I called the local rep to cancel my service I asked if there was something he could do about the bill. A few days later I get an email from him saying I’d have to call customer service to cancel and called customer service again.

    Another long call resulted in a representative telling me they couldn’t help me either with the rep asking for a time and number to reach me to discuss getting a refund. 1:00 – 4:00 was the timeframe I gave them, and they left a message before 10:00 this morning saying I couldn’t return the reader since I’d had it for over 60 days. I’ve actually only had it 58 days, and when I asked how they came up with 61 days was told that they included the time the reader was being shipped in determining the 61 days. When I asked about the delay in hearing from the local rep and having to leave a message because no one was available to help me the day before I was told that wasn’t their problem.

    If they would have refunded me the costs of getting the reader and the minimum monthly charge amount I would have been satisfied and not found our about the class action lawsuit.

    But since they didn’t do that I’m going to join the lawsuit as well as telling others about it so they don’t make the same mistake I did.

  • Gerard Mazza

    I have a small physician office and contracted with First Data three years ago Their lease on the credit card processing machine was $150 a mont for three years. Now that ti si finally paid off, they ate charging me a $737 buyout fee. I have decided to go with another company and they are charging me $139 to buy a new unit outright and their processing fees are less.

  • Gary

    Stay away from this company. We were mislead and told we had to take 3 credit card machines for a $387 lease fee and we only needed 1. Credit card processing fees were higher than we were told. Said we could get out of contract. Stay away from them we were lied to on just about everything. F rating

  • Jorge

    They , First Data leasing credit card equipment and the USA international mechant service ,are a bunch of thiefs , they make contract where the leasing of the equipment end one year after merchant service. I am paying without receiving any service. It does not make sense , the only answer I found is They do it rip off the merchant.

  • Ocean

    Junk junk junk! I was charged 13 months each month after canceling my merchant services. WHY WONT YOU CANCEL MY ACCOUNT! Every time it’s some slow talker making me repeat my sentences 5 times. And every time it’s a different reason. Thanks first data for stealing almost $800 from me. Theives. G2h

  • Joy

    Have this device for a year. Good thing is easy to use but insecure for business owner. Received several chargeback and the clover company can’t solve the issue or even willing to assist business owner. Not recommended if you are business owner.

  • annette

    Geez, I really wish I had found this review page before I got suckered in by a full of crap sales person also. Absolute blatant lie after lie….but you don’t find out till it’s too late and they have you locked into a 60 month lease.

    Since everyone on here has had a horrendous experience with First Data, we should get together and do something about it. As a small business owner I don’t have the means for legal fees, but after reading some of these reviews (443 complaints that are all too familiar with my own experiences) I am bursting with anger! I think it’s time the little guys fight back!

    • Patti

      I agree with you Annette, I just out of a 4 1/2 year contract, after it was completely closed they still took $150 out of my account, I was told it can’t be refunded, I’m changing my bank account number.

  • qing

    I have same problem as yours. I feel so bad,bad,bad. I didn’t signed any contract but only fill out personal information with the person who’s name is Adel. A few days ago I received the mail from First Data to notice to me I signed 48 months contract with them. I said I want to cancel the contract, they said I need pay off over $3000. I call Adel, He threatened to me, if I cancelled without pay, my credit score will very bad. I want to find the way to sue him and First Data. You contact to me via this email: [REDACTED – personal contact information] and I knew the other lady want to sue him too.

  • clint

    Terrible in any aspect. If you sign, you can’t get out and you will regret it for long time.
    Signing with them, it was the worst decision I’ve made in my life.
    Stay away from it.

  • M. Martin

    First data (www.firstdata.com) should be investigated for theft and misconduct. First, they charge you much higher rates than they tell you when you signup. Then they add optional and unauthorized fees to your bill every month. When you question the fees, they give you the runaround and then say they will fix it, but don’t.

    If you ask me, they need to be in jail for their gross misconduct.

    • M. Martin

      Also, according the BBB, they go by many other names (below) and apparently are associated with Wells Fargo Bank and Bank of America.

      https://www.wellsfargo.com/biz/merchant/

      Why the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) is not yet investigating or protecting consumers from this “Company” is unknown.

      Other business names:

      First Data McDonough, First Data Merchant Services Corporation (FDMS), First Data Northeast GA, Money Network, First Data, First Data Corporation, Concord EFS, First Data Technologies, Inc., First Data Resources LLC,, TASQ Technology, REMITCO, LLC, Ignite Payments, LLC, Clover Network, Inc., Clover MarketPlace, LLC, Integrated Payment Systems, Inc., First Data Payment Services, LLC, Valuelink, LLC, Star Networks, Inc., First Data Government Solutions, Inc., Perka, Inc., Money Network, LLC, FundsXpress Financial Network, Inc., First Data Canada, Ltd., First Data Solutions, First Data Card Services, Telecheck Merchant Services

  • barb list

    Worst experience ever,did not do what they promised after 6 weeks. I canceled my service, also MANY more fees from credit cards on top of 2.4% promised.They offered Sams club renewal to use their services & after 6 wks they told me to send copy of letter stating this & they would think about it. Really?

  • Dimple

    I only can say worst service. We ordered terminals from this company in ontario almost 1 months before our store opening but we got more than 1 month after the store opened still after that we have to call them almost every single day to fix stuff. Worst customer service…I strongly don’t recommend this company.

  • Pam Dadoun

    First Data
    MUST be avoided they are Cowboys We weren’t happy with their terminal and cancelled the contract within 48 hours. We have spoken to numerous different departments but they still keep sending demands and even though we did not use the terminal and cancelled immediately they are now demanding over £600

    Stay away from them

  • J.

    I am unbelievably shocked on how bad the service was. My account was cancelled after a month and no one could tell me why other than my website wasn’t compliant. Well, that would be a reason to cancel an account if folks could make payments via my website but they couldn’t. Payment was only made through their Payeezy account which isn’t easy at all. The representative could not clearly articulate the reason the account was closed and fumbled through the conversation. She tried to redirect me to several other folks who also were clueless. I swear this was the worst customer service and information representatives out there. Please be wary of this and try out another service. Bank of America should be ashamed of themselves that they would allow their customers to deal with such a large headache.

  • Kraig

    Let me start by providing a bit of my background, I am a web developer for a digital marketing firm. We have done countless merchant processing integrations for our clients using a wide variety of services from Authorize.net to PayPal to Stripe and nearly everything in between.
    Recently I have encountered a handful of clients using First Data that wish to accept payments on their web sites. Normally this would be done through some kind of in house API and is fairly straightforward. This is not the case for First Data. Instead they have a 3rd party called Payeezy that has built and maintains their API. What this means for my clients is that support is basically non-existent.
    Even just creating the connection between my developer account and their merchant account has been terribly trying and almost always involves a string of emails (sometimes dozens of them) between me, my client, Payeezy and First Data. In one of these exchanges the First Data people requested that I no longer speak to the Payeezy people but it was ultimately the Payeezy people that solved the issue.
    In my most recent encounter my client was asked by First Data to have me call a number and speak to someone about getting them hooked up. The person I spoke to started the conversation by telling me that I called the wrong help desk number (even though I called the number my client gave me). She then argued with me for 15 minutes about what I was trying to do and finally told me I had to email someone else.
    In 15 minutes I could have set my client up with a totally different API and by now the client would be watching the online payments coming instead we are still waiting on a response from the email I sent. How disappointing.

  • Lee Knight

    I would like to say to anyone considering using First Data as their card processing company DON’T! My experience using them has been a disaster. After the initial call from the Sales Representative they promised very good rates for us to move from our existing supplier, promising to save us £100’s of pounds per year. This would of been the case if they did not decide to put the rates up after 6 months. So after they changed the rates we looked to cancel the contract only to find out that the overall cancellation settlement was extortionate. They tied us into a long term hire of the terminal to give us a lower rate and then failed to tell us that if we decided to leave we had to settle the contract in full! Totally mis-sold. There was also an additional cancellation charge, so we complained and negotiated a slightly better rate and continued with the service. Ongoing the customer services team have a terrible response time. When we had terminal problems we were put on hold for on average 15 to 20 minutes per time, only to get through and then being passed from one department to another. This was a frequent occurrence. Last November First Data had a system failure that resulted in their terminals from Spire not working at all. This shockingly went on for over 2 weeks. Luckily we had a virtual terminal with another supplier so we could continue card transactions without disrupting our business. First Data Merchant Services were blaming First Data Global Leasing (who hire out the terminals and are a separate company to First Data Merchant Services – another reason to avoid) and vice versa therefore resulting in us being passed from one to another – extremely frustrating and time consuming. No solution was forthcoming and as said before, it took them over 2 weeks to get a new terminal out to us. Needless to say we have now cancelled and this had other hidden charges. My Advice AVOID AVOID AVOID.

  • sasha hein

    Our company has had the FirstData FD130 duo for about 2 weeks now. Out of this time the equipment has not worked for 4 days. I call support and Habib tells me it must be our internet provider’s fault. I call the internet provider and confirm it is the FirstData equipment that has the issue. I call FirstData back and a different person who barely speaks English tells me (I think) that it must be our internet provider “for the FD130 is functioning properly”. NO IT IS NOT. I can’t use it to make a sale and forget about getting a voice authorization! I was on hold for 3 minutes waiting for an authorization on a $5 sale. Customer walked out. FirstData is not concerned with customer service, they are concerned with getting YOUR money into THEIR collective pocket. Awful, awful, AWFUL!!!

  • Morry

    First Data is a pathetic excuse for a processing company. Nearly impossible statements to read, terrible customer service. I cancelled service with them in Jan ’16 and they still charged me a fee for six more months. RUN, don’t walk from First Data!!! I was told in no uncertain terms…..too bad!

  • Valerie

    I have a lease through First Date set up through the processing company – United Card Solutions. United Card Solutions is a company you definitely need to stay away from and First Data is a totally difficult lease company to deal with – I have been hung up on, they had my address wrong which was a 6 call fiasco to fix and they don’t care how much your processing company lied to you – they will not try to make things right.
    I would not use equipment from them / right now mine is in a drawer and I’m trying to get things straightened out – which is not making much progress. Telecheck is just as bad –
    Just an all around horrible experience.

  • John H

    There is a reason First Data has to utilize collection agencies. In my opinion, the rates are high, the service is poor. After closing an old bank account that they were sucking money out of after several disputes we were sent to a collection agency for non-payment. After being sent to a collection agency, and repeated requests to have a copy of the contract/lease agreement sent over being ignored, we had a rough time deciding to blindly pay the balance. We reluctantly did so to clear the owners credit report and move forward. Do not do business with this company.

  • Anthony Jared

    After over 10 years using Cardservice International’s LinkPoint / FirstData now I started getting the following message on a blank page without any prior notgice or explanation when I try to access my merchant account at http://www.linkpointcentral.com in order to process my business transactions (c hgarge customers cards): “The requested service cannot be accessed from your location.”

    BEWARE!

    • Anthony Jared

      Appears they have changed the URL address of their LinkPoint website for merchants without notifying their merchants!!! So unprofessional!!! Additionally, they closed my account for MyClientLine.net where I view my monthly statements and chargebacks etc.!!! That is completely insane. When I login to my account it just says:
      ==================================
      xxxxxxxxx your account has been disabled due to inactivity.

      Please contact your Security Administrator or Help Desk.
      =================================

      And that does not even provide a link or a phone number to any email, phone, chat etc. how tom resolve this!!!

  • Michael

    Credit card machine was delivered after I opened a merchant account at a credit union. Sales person from First Data set it up without explaining recurring charge of $185. per month for the little machine. She also failed to set it as promised up for payments to be deposited the following day. When I have brought questions about this service to my credit union, their phone calls take hours of my time and fail to get any questions answered. The customer service people are obvious scammers. Lots of talk without any answers.

  • Wafie

    First Data is a group of thieves. Their customer service is sucks, they increase the price without you being away until you find out by reading the details in the statement.
    Stay away

  • James

    My business, unfortunately, went out of business. I had merchant services through First Data under a non-binding – term free contract which could be canceled at any time for any reason. When my business collapsed, I did just that – canceled my services. Unfortunately, I don’t think billing received the memo because they kept billing my account and auto drafting funds – I called them to find out why and they stated the account is still active – again, I canceled and again received verification of the cancellation. Next month – they hit my account again. So I blocked them. Now I’m being contacted by a debt collection agency for what, I have no idea. They have not processed a single transaction in almost a year and I canceled their services about 8 months ago – and 6 months ago. Please, for your own peace of mind, do not use this service provider. Once they get your information they feel like they are perpetually entitled to your wallet. Use anyone else.

  • Carmen Fussell

    The representative lied to get our business then refused to accept our calls. We were told certain charges would be waived and we can cancel within 90days wirh no charge. That was a lie. Although we returned the equipment because of incompatiblity and called numerous times they continued to charge us. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.

  • HELLO

    This is how I got out from first data:
    I went to wellsfargo as a starting entrepreneur. Everything looked ok. They innocently (because the bankers do not know the reality. Then bankers made me an appointment with wellsfargo merchant services.

    Sales representative of the merchant services looked really nice, he gave me some paper to sign, i read partially and sign them. They are not willing to tell you that you will be charged monthly by 2 companies (wellsfargo merchant services and first data) plus the hidden fees and the % of the card processing.

    HOW I GET OUT FROM FIRST DATA:

    I call first data about 10 times. No one were willing to help me, they skip my questions by transferring me to other representative. I ended up talking with about 7 to 9 representatives in one call. I asked them for the contract I sang. They ask me for my email address and let me know that I was going to obtain the contract after 10 days for a technical problem. I knew they were lying, but I just couldn’t do nothing. if you talk bad to them, they won’t help you, well they don’t help.

    as a believer, I started using my faith, praying , and doing the right things so God (asking him in Jesus name) can hear my prayers. Then I have the idea to look fo the contract online, and I found it!
    I found in 10 pages an option that showed me how I can terminate the contract:

    If they have send you a fee that you do not know where it comes from without a 90 days prior notice, then you have 30 days to CANCEL the contract! Within those 30 days you have to send a termination notice to them. (their fax do not work, so I send it via email and postal service)

    Guess what? I was missing only 1 day, I was on the 29 day when I found the contract (not a doubt that God’ power took me out of there, so stop using your own forces if you believe me and ask for help while doing good thing in life & stopping what your conscience tells you is not ok). This is the termination notice I did.

    This is a writing notice of termination of the agreement between Firstdata Global Leasing and (your company name), signed by (your name), the manager(or the position in your company) of (your company)
    We acknowledge the termination rights stated on the agreement:
    Not authorized bank charges/fees not stated on the agreement and not 90 days prior notice: an unexpected invoice on (date) for the amount of xxx$
    As stated in the Article VI: general term and agreements: 25.1 section (i): ​​<<—this is the agreement​ doc
    I have the right to cancel this agreement within the 30 days of the last invoice for increase and additional fees (subject to a 90 days prior notice). The last invoice date is on (date of the invoice with the hidden fees).

    Make sure to write your account # on the termination notice. I also send the notice with the invoice to their address by postal service:
    First Data Global Leasing
    IMSQB
    Customer Service.
    Intuit Canada PO BOX 4282
    Edmonton, Alberta
    T6E 4T2

    And then I obtain a cancellation verification by email. Those are the emails I send the notice and invoice copy to:

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    And mainly to :

    [email protected]

    [email protected]

    • Ned W

      Dear Sir – I am glad you were able to get out of this nightmare! Please advise, what kind of charge did you find that allowed you to get out of this contract? I am in the same mess and want to be out of it ASAP!
      Thank you so much.

  • Joe

    VERY LOW CHARGEBACK ACCEPTANCE RATIO – 0.0026%

    I had some smooth processing with this MSP for a while we came to $100,000 in sales on over 2,600 transactions. Then one 80 years old client did not recognize a charge and disputed 2 chargebacks for $40 each.

    Result — suspended account under review, no processing for one week and few part timers I had to let go to stay afloat and not bankrupt.

    Eventually got the money on hold and letter with explanation, including:

    Our review of your processing revealed that your chargeback to sales ratio was 0.0000 % with a year to date chargeback to sales ratio of 0.0026 %. It is requested that your chargeback to sales ratio be reduced to 0.0000%. Should you fail to do so, we may be compelled to terminate your merchant account.

    I have not processed since then out of my choice and we have moved to a different normal and reasonable MSP.

    STAY AWAY!

  • jj

    Hi,
    I own Dairy Queen its been 4 weeks. Dairy Queen has partnership with first data so we have to have merchant service from first data. we applied there 4 weeks back but still we are waiting for merchant account. They said my partner has some issue so he can’t open account but how about me?? why they don’t opening account on my name?? I keep calling there but still they waiting for reply from management. And its Dairy Queen common guys!!
    and This business have been here last 10 years just changing ownership. I don’t know how long they will take it because we are using old owner account and that’s not good.
    I hope someone see this and get back to me soon with good news

  • Nick

    Horrible company. I don’t know why this big of a company does business like this. Run by a bunch of idiots who don’t know a thing about customer service. Bad communication, dispute process, and fees, fees FEES.

  • Vannessa

    They simply don’t care. First Data is in partnership with Payment Systems. I waited 4 months to avoid the early cancellation fee, and they refused to cancel my contract after emailing them 2 times. Finally I get an email to call them. I specifically said I want everything in writing. My email and signed contract is confirmation I am sure I want to cancel. But instead they just let my contract keep going and going like they never spoke or wrote to me. They don’t care about you. They don’t fix anything. And will turn it back on you. There might good people who work there but can’t do anything for you that work there because of there processes is so lost. I hope they have the good sense to quit. I also hope someone files a lawsuit to straighten them out. No cancellation should be this difficult. If they are in Georgia, you will have to report this to the State Attorney General of Georgia as well as your State Attorney General for your own state. There are just to many scammers in the Credit Card processing business, who hide behind faulty contract practices. I have a headache trying to sort through all of them.

    • JOE DOE

      I will be cancelling with them soon. If they give me trouble I will sue. I have a wonderful lawyer (friend) and did this before a year ago (and won) so… let’s wait what’s gonna happen.

  • rick

    eric young is awful!! i wouldn’t recommend this company to anyone! he signed us up and is charging us when he said it wouldn’t be a charge!! he is totally fraud!!!!!!!!beware!!!!!!he wont even answer the phone what a phony i will contact bbb also and give them the news! he doesn’t even have the owner of the company on the lease or paperwork! what a douche!!fraud fraud fraud beware!!!

  • Katherine Presley

    DO NOT use this company. They have an agent representing their company sell you equipment and they do NOT tell you everything. They lead you to believe what they want you to believe, then get you to sign an agreement that has very fine print in the contract that holds you to the contract regardless of what else happens. They have in fine print has it is NON cancellable for 4 years but they lead you to believe its a two year agreement that you can cancel. They have access to your bank account because you can only sign up by using automatic drafts for payments. If you miss a payment they access unreal penaltys and interest. If you close account, they come after you personally, because as they let you know, you signed a personal guarantee. So much was not disclosed up front, then they get you with the fine print in pages and pages of their agreement. My business was closed after 1 year but we were held to the POS system for 3 more years that sat in a box and we had to pay each month or get access more and more fees, and then they would come after us personally.

  • Ajay Bhat

    05/25/2015
    There are hidden account closure fees. At the time of account opening I made clear to sales agent that I don’t need any contract or any closure fees.
    Please beware if you do business with #First Data. I really feel sorry for people who work for #First Data. If we try to classify and fit a company into evil bucket, #First Data will fit it perfectly. I am a small business owner and started a computer store couple of years ago. For payment solution I contacted First Data. Their sales rep was all about helping small businesses grow. I clearly explained the rep that I am trying a new business, so I don’t want any contracts or lease. The rep explained that they help small businesses all the time, and even if we decide to close the store there won’t be any penalties. After two years of running the store, we decide to close down, as market had changed and there was less demand for the services we were offering. We returned the credit card machine. The credit machine was small one and not worth more than $75. When I called First Data, they said I have to pay them $660 and another $100 to close the account. After doing business with them for almost two years and paying them high credit card fees and charges, the company wants me to pay them $750 to close the account. They aren’t willing to listen to anything. Their one liner is : “If you don’t pay us $750, we will report it to credit agency”. When I told them about the promise of their sales agent made, they replied that the agent may have lied to us. So you guys, First Data, lie to get the business, and then hold the personal credit hostage to extract more money. As a small business should I now be spending time on phones explaining myself and looking for legal remedies, or pay the ransom and continue put more efforts in growing my small business?
    Merry Christmas to you all..!! This is the Christmas gift I got from First Data. Hope good sense prevails and they treat small business as not someone they can take hostage for a ransom.

    04/26/2015
    I had also contacted, in Dec 2015, the First Data agent who had sold me the terminal. Since she had promised that I won’t have any penalty or fees or contract if I decided to close early. After 3 months she got back to me in 03/2016 and said that FirstData has rejected her request. When I called FirstData I was told that she was just a salesperson, and she doesn’t work for FirstData but her business card says FirstData. I was also told that salesperson can lie but I will still have to pay more than $750. My credit score has dropped by more than 150 points. The lease number is 052-1018468-000. I have been terribly cheated and FirstData reps on phone are telling me that it is okay to be cheated by a salesperson. Can someone please help me with this case and guide me as what I should be doing. Should I register a FIR , will that help or any other means to solve this issue will be appreciated.

  • Kenneth Splitstone

    My first credit card transaction was deposited in my bank in under 48 hours. The next several over a few days where never deposited, but yet they took out the fees per transaction everyday. Long story short, after much complaining with no answer I emailed [email protected] and threatened to take them to court and call the police. They jumped and begged me to stay a client and promised to have the money in my bank it 24-48 hours. I never should have done that. I did get my money in 5 days, but the transactions after that I have never received, yet again they take out the fees daily. They will no longer talk to me. If I call their so called security department they say my merchant id is no good and can not talk to me without my merchant id!

  • Fred Gall

    These Guys Are Criminals!
    Do Not Use Their Services!
    In spite of my account being closed they’re still charging me a monthly fee of $76.95 and a non-compliance fee of $19.95. After a long phone call with their customer service they’re telling me that I have another account that being charged! I only have one account!
    They’ve employed deceitful tactics at every turn.
    Do Not….Repeat Do Not Use This Company.

  • Alyson Hyder

    This is the worst processing company I have ever experienced. I had two merchant accounts without knowing and got charged monthly fees for both. After trying for over a year to get refunds I canceled both accounts. They promise to call back but never do. They charged me non PCI compliance fees (on both accounts) although I am PCI compliant.
    Do not use this company.

  • Revathy

    This company really bad. Thear sale agent came to my shop and he told me. If you sign up you can save
    More and I will cover allama of your extra cancelation
    Fee. I was in trust to go so he told me you sign the paper and I will fill up the form and email to before process. This was happen on November 18,2015. I sign the form with out filling. After couple days I asked where is my form he told I will send but he did not. I decided to cancelled the application so I phone first data directly on November 25 to stop the processing the application but the customer service representative said we didn’t get any application you contact you sale agent. Then sent to a email to don’t process my application I am not going to get your service. He replied it is all ready approved I can’t cancel now and I will cancel when the mechine arrive it was all on November 25th. I found that he sent my application to process on December and the approved on January 0 3rd he is lier be careful Vancouver Canada sale agent did that. I received the terminal on January 22nd. I call him and come to take the terminal and cancel my account. But he didn’t come and not answer my phone. I called fisrt data to close my account they closedon’t my account then I asked about my terminal how to return she told me you need to contact first data global leasing even I called first data global leasing the customer service representative said your terminal is non cancellation lease if you want to closed you need to pay $1100. Until she tell I didn’t know the terminal lease. I explained what the sale agent did but she I can’t do anything you contact first data. So I contact first data the customer representative said you send the terminal to where from shipped I will send the email to first data global leasing. I sent the terminal back to them. After few I show that the took money from my account for terminal. I call first data why they took money from my account theyou told me that it took from first data global leasing. But before they no charge on the account. I never use their terminal or I never process any payment. I called so many time to cancel they keep taking money and they always saying we are working on but almost to month nothing. I think they all supported to their sales agent. No matter what you lie to the customer.
    Why they did not take any action to their sale agent. All cheating. Be care full.
    Is any one have any idea

  • Tonya

    Everyone that has this experience with First Data, Please report this to the Attorney General in your State and the U.S. Attorney General. It is companies such as these that are burdening our economy and commerce.

    Ask them to provide you copies of the contracts they are holding you accountable to. They don’t have good record keeping. When I did this, I could see that the copy they provided, was not the same as mine and my name had actually been forged, and was not even the same contract!. Yes, that’s a big allegation and it is true. Unbelievable practices. I switched (extremely expensive and frustrating process) a few years ago and have not had one issue with my new processor. First Data needs to GO AWAY!

    • Nicola Bennett

      Tonya, I just received an email with documents that I “claimed ” to have signed. I have never signed nor reviewed any of the document I received. I am now trying to figure out my best cause of action.

      • Sharon McDuffie

        Let me know if you have any good ideas…I just discovered they have been dwindling me out of 142/month for the last…yes…10 years! I thought it was a student loan payment coming out and never once have I made a charge using their services because I ended up going with PayPal instead…do we sue? Has anyone had luck with that?

  • Robert M

    First Data is #1 scum sucking merchant processor. DO NOT USE THEM!! ANYONE BUT FIRST DATA.

    We paid 2 years worth of monthly fees for a merchant processor we didn’t end up using. They hid the 3 year term agreement on page 34 of the ADDENDUM agreement, that wasn’t even enclosed. Then since we didn’t have a website, and we were not using the merchant processing they added a $40/mo fee for non compliance. Our website was not secure enough.. Even tho there was no website, there was nothing using that merchant. Eventually after 2 years of paying it, we closed the entity. We had scheduled them to stop on a certain date, to coincide with everything.

    These scum sucking bottom feeders, didn’t cancel on the date.. So what did they do.. Charged us the early termination fee and sent it to collections.

    We paid close to $3,000 for a merchant processor we didn’t even use.

    I really hope karma works, because they have a black ball of crap coming their way of bibilical portions.

  • Peter Bishop

    I signed up with First Data via Ignite Payments. It went smoothly initially, and I was happy till I started integrated Payeezy. When I found out there was going to be some work to get it up and running — as payeezy supports limited number of languages. The payeezy support team’s response was less than adequate (that’s when they responded at all).

    I decided to cancel my First Data account. The agreed cancellation fee was $20 – but the threatening letters from their collection department started showing up merely 4 days after I cancelled the account. The cancellation fee now is in the hundreds of dollars (we never processed a thing with them). And if I don’t pay, this will impact “my personal credit score”.

    What did I really get into? And who are these people?

    The collection department is impossible to reach. I spent my Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday just trying to talk to someone (pfff the time wasted on that).

    And when I got through to someone at First Data — the person at the other end said – I “should be charged only $20” but someone has put in a different amount in the “comments section”. And she would call me back in 24 hours. She never did. Three days later, I called back, and a different person managed to reach the collection department on my behalf. The collection department agreed to settle for the original cancellation fee $20. They never apologized or explained the fees.

    Based on their transactions, I have seen on my bank account — I’m now cancelling my bank account to get rid of them.


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  • Betty

    AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!

    My account was put on hold without my knowledge. Initially when I contacted First Data they advised that there was no problem and transactions could take up to 5 days to credit. On the 5th day still no money. I rang First Data and was told that my account was on hold because I had a large transaction go through the machine (customer payment for a wedding party 25k). I sent paperwork across to prove the transaction was legitimate but First Data still was not happy and wanted to hold this money in addition to the rest of my other takings for that week 10k. After a lot of stress/persistence/ several phone calls I got them to refund the customer for the wedding party. She then paid by bank transfer. I didn’t have much luck with the other payments which they have decided to hold for 3months in case of chargebacks??! In addition to that they have closed my account without notice so I’m frantically running around trying to make other arrangements. …. Result, a 95% drop in business takings.
    My advise if considering to use First Data is DON’T!!! It’s is incomprehendable as to why they continue to hold customer money in this manner. They have refunded the transaction they considered ‘suspicious’ however they are holding onto over 10k of my money which has completely nothing to do with that transaction. If you ask me they are the ones acting suspiciously!


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  • King

    I tried to cancel Telecheck because my company doesn’t accept checks. Telecheck has been debiting my account $30 per month. After asking me all this personal information, they finally said my Federal Tax ID number doesn’t match their records so they can’t cancel it. We’ve had the same tax id number for nearly 30 years. I am going to the back and stop their ACHs. Very unprofessional organization.


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  • Kathy loftis

    Awful, awful, awful!
    after four attempts at canceling my services sending them faxes verbal confirmation and secure documents stating my cancellation, am still being charged! Let’s just say they want their money and will do whatever they want to get it ! After I have sent over a fax the third time I received yet another confirmation that my account was canceled so I decided to take a precautionary measure and had my bank and stop payment on any other transactions from this company . And you won’t believe what they did they put me in collections! I don’t even know how I could possibly be in collections I have documentation stating that I have canceled yet there I am willing to review that . This company is bogus fraudulent and is a big scam !


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  • Jay M

    First Data is the worst company I have ever dealt with in all my 55 years. Absolutely no customer service what-so-ever. When and “if” you can get to a person they tell you to call the branch of my bank – Citibank. On 02-10-16 (evening on the east coast) the site was down again.
    I can never log in. The site is down often. The site never accepts my user name and password. I swear they change it ever time I log out so the next time I need something I have to spend 45 minutes on the phone trying to figure out how to log back in again. It’s like pulling teeth. I hate First Data and the ridiculous way they run their Client line website.


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  • Steve Beaumont

    Don’t be a stupid idiot! Do not use First Data Merchant Services at any cost. That’s because it’s going to cost you more in monthly hidden and added fees far beyond the credit card processing fees and terminal machine lease agreement. We are a small business and use their services for weekend vending at art shows. We signed up through Sam’s Club because I’ve always enjoyed their quality services. But don’t be swindled. First Data Merchant Services has nothing in common with Sam’s Club. Every month expect unexplained fees far above what you signed up for. Yearly property tax fees, insurance fees and an annual service charge fee for the leased terminal plus a monthly Transarmor “security’ fee ($24.95), a non-compliance fee ($14.95), and a lots of under $10 charges and of course the actual credit card processing fees automatically deducted from your account each month. Even if you don’t use their services one month you’ll be hit up for a non-use fee. When you call them to challenge a fee be prepared to wait on hold 20 minutes for a rep who will then pepper you with tons of “security” questions – merchant #, lease #, bank #, last three customer transaction #s, company name, your name, title, social security #, tax i.d. #, address, cross streets, phone, email, etc. What they will say is that the charges questioned are in the fine print of your agreement. When you dispute that, you will sent to another rep who ask the same “security” questions all over again – as if they don’t have computers to keep track of their customers. They will tell you another rep will call and issue directions for refund in two days. After three days and no call back, you will start the process all over again only to be told the fees are outlined in your original agreement. To become compliant, you are directed to another website with tons of poorly worded questions – many not having to do with your business. Once you are “compliant,” the monthly fees still continue. Now that my contract is up I couldn’t quit them fast enough. If you are a vendor, do yourself a favor and use both Paypal and Square through your phone or iPad and keep whichever one works for you. They are both easy to work with and way, way, way cheaper. Customers trust them and you will not feel like a stupid idiot for choosing First Data Merchant Services.


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  • Jesse Jittan

    This place is a nightmare, I’ve been working with them for 8+ years, and its because people like me, they continue to get away with the crap. I just kept procrastinating on finding another merchant because it was gunna take too much time. But after 8 years and thousands of dollars later, I am drawing a line in the sand for myself and for anyone who is considering FirstData. On top of overpriced, they have the worst customer service and doesn’t seem to have many call centers in the US, the country that made them a giant to begin with. The people are like robots when you call in and you always end up mad, please beware of this company, don’t be a fool like I did and stayed with them for so many years. We must as a people, stand up, and make a change for companies that prey on the weakness of the American public.


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  • Margaret Smith

    This is in reference to their rental of credit card processing machines through First Data and In my case involves CPN too. I was totally ripped off by both of them. I am paying for years on a machine that can not even be used. CPN refused to update it so that is my beef with them. First Data continues to charge me for it even though I don’t have the machine any more. On top of that FIrst Data overcharged me on this machine by about $1000.00 and then makes me and every one else pay a fee that they claim they send to your State as property tax every year. The tax that is charged to you is based on a average amount instead of what your state actually charges. How illegal is that? So you know they aren’t sending the money to the State. Where does that money go? Of course I was stupid enough to sign a contract with them. The terms are there. I can’t decide who is worse CPN or First Data both rip offs and possibly illegal actions.


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  • suzanne

    Unprofessional, unhelpful. They ask you to send in paperwork, and after 3 or 4 attempts they still say they have not received the papers. I am trying recorded delivery now, but I am not hopeful.

    Warning to all solicitor firms, First DATA do not comply with the SRA account rules and they will put your in serious breach. If you are a legal firm, do not use this company.


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  • Julia

    DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!!
    I can’t believe they are still in business!

    They put my account on hold without letting me know, while being unaware of it i kept on processing transactions (around 18K), and when i knew it, it was all on hold because of 3 chargebacks out of 100!!!!! After long two weeks of me chasing him. i really mean word CHASING because they do not answer any phone calls or email, they first offered in the morning to keep my account active but with a reserve of 35% from each sale until it reaches $53,000 in a year period time so they could make sure i m NOT A HIGH RISK CLIENT, and after few hrs they said my account is closed and they will be holding my money for 3 month if no other chargebacks come across. Of course it will! Because i lost business because of FIRSTDATA!!!!!!

    NEVER NEVER NEVER USE THIS COMPANY!!!!!!!!!


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  • Vieuxmarche

    The WORST Company very rude representatives. I paid for a machine over 5 years ago and returned it when I changed providers. They took over $4,000.00 for a machine that was outdated and overpriced. NOW THEY REFUSE TO GIVE ME THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT ADDRESS so my attorney can sue them and get my money. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY


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  • Katherine Presley

    TERRIBLE company that has NO ethics. They put everything in fine print, rush you to sign papers, never tell you everything and sign you up for 4 year NON-CANCELABLE lease. They paid their sales represnetaive BIG money to get you to sign up with them. They get BIG commission and do not tell you everything and lie to get you signed up. Then they disappear. Deborah Kopman was our sales reprensentaive. BEWARE and RUN! from this company.


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    • Rachel

      Katherine, Can you please tell me if there is any way to get out of the 4 year lease contract with First Data Global Co. I am being charged over 200 dollars a month for 4 years.which totals over 10,000. for a credit card machine. The guy who signed me up ,assured me I would not be in a contract. I should have read the fine print before I signed. Can you help me? Did you get unhooked? I am sick thinking about it. Please let me know either here or by email at [REDACTED – personal contact information] Thanks


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  • Quan Dinh

    I run a small business and use Sam’s Club/First Data as the Merchant service. One day I discovered that First Data changed my bank account information without my knowledge and approval. None of my transactions went into my bank account for over a month. Once I discovered the problem and told First Data, First Data dragged its feet in solving it. In addition, contacting the Client Experience department or any departments was painful – long wait time, no-one answered their phone, and a lots of finger pointing (finance is not releasing the money, the refunding is waiting for my manager to approve, the funding is being escalating to the director’s level…. and so on… one excuse after another and it was my money that they are holding on.

    Stay away from First Data / Sam’s Club Merchant Service

    • Youth Football

      Everything below is accurate….Under no circumstances should anyone do business with these people. It is unfortunate the that Government BBB doesn’t step in and deal with this company….Everyone that they are associated with is as bad. EMPS, Authorize.net, etc…..they are all about signing up companies under false information and then hitting them with hidden charges and third party companies.

    • Bruce

      Our company has used First Data for 9 years, and we’ve never had one Negative experience. Completely Professional services, and could not be Happier!
      Super Quick Merchant Deposits, and with competitive pricing. I suggest that if you’re having bad experiences, then look inward. I can’t express how when I read some of these Negative comments that I felt an obligation to stand up for their Team of Professionals.
      Folks, not ONE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE! That says a lot, and I’m not Naive. I know the tricks used by the Sleezy Merchant processors. Sign you up, and then raise your fees, while at the same time delaying or worse not releasing your Deposits due to their lame excuses.
      Example/s: You didn’t get enough customer information, or we’re holding 80% of your deposits until you build a History with our company.
      Folks, that is what they do, so Good Luck out there!
      Thank you,
      Bruce A

    • Jen

      Frist Data also changed my bank account without my knowledge and approval. I have been in the same problems like your case that I could not get the my money……finger pointing around…..

      Quan, I would like to know if they returned your money yet….how long does it take? did you have any legal help? I am looking for help and your respond is very appreciated.


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    • Ajay Bhat

      Please beware if you do business with #First Data. I really feel sorry for people who work for #First Data. If try to classify and fit a company into evil bucket, #First Data will fit it perfectly. I am a small business owner and started a computer store couple of years ago. For payment solution I contacted First Data. Their sales rep was all about helping small businesses grow. I clearly explained the rep that I am trying a new business, so I don’t want any contracts or lease. The rep explained that they help small businesses all the time, and even if we decide to close the store there won’t be any penalties. After two years of running the store, we decide to close down, as market had changed and there was less demand for the services we were offering. We returned the credit card machine. The credit machine was small one and not worth more than $75. When I called First Data, they said I have to pay them $660 and another $100 to close the account. After doing business with them for almost two years and paying them high credit card fees and charges, the company wants me to pay them $750 to close the account. They aren’t willing to listen to anything. Their one liner is : “If you don’t pay us $750, we will report it to credit agency”. When I told them about the promise of their sales agent made, they replied that the agent may have lied to us. So you guys, First Data, lie to get the business, and then hold the personal credit hostage to extract more money. As a small business should I now be spending time on phones explaining myself and looking for legal remedies, or pay the ransom and continue put more efforts in growing my small business?
      Merry Christmas to you all..!! This is the Christmas gift I got from First Data. Hope good sense prevails and they treat small business as not someone they can take hostage for a ransom.


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  • Richard

    I had credit card processing fees debited from my business bank account by First Data. The problem? I never processed a credit card charge. Granted, the amount withdrawn was minuscule but if First Data can mistakenly remove a little money from your bank account, they can just as effortlessly heist a lot of money from it. First Data never acknowledged their mistake and made no attempt to properly and promptly return the money. Only after I contacted my bank about the matter were the erroneous charges eventually reversed.

    Not to appear pessimistic about First Data getting their comeuppance but no government agency is going rescue consumers and merchants from this unscrupulous company. Only direct market competition and/or the criminal indictment of key corporate officers will accomplish the necessary task.

  • Lana M

    I, too, wish I had looked at the complaints before spending the last 3 years stuck with First Data. I finally got to make the call today to cancel my contract only for them to tell me the fees that will be taken out with my next statement….fees for TransArmour is $19.95 a month….a service I never agreed to. When I asked for a copy showing where I signed, they could not provide it. I asked to be reimbursed for the past 9 months of that service and was told that could not happen. The (horrible) customer service rep I was speaking to then said she could show where it had been occurring for the past 3 months on my statement. I told her to please send those statements because that would be the very first statement they had ever sent me. She verified that she had the correct mailing address and I explained to her that the only way I get statements is to go online…and anything mailed to me would be like the notice about adding the TransArmour to my account….and must be imaginary. This goes along with 3 years of hell from them. Rude customer service reps with no ability to solve problems or help. We have a small business but process credit cards 24/7. After being on hold for 10 minutes, you then have to repeat everything to get an authorization number…and God forbid it be on a holiday. No one is available then!!! I had made numerous calls asking to be released from my contract since I did not feel they were living up to their promises only to wait 2 weeks for a call back from a supervisor who rudely denied my request.
    I now tell people I am sorry for them when I see the First Data logo on their machines. I know the hell they are going thru.
    I did my research this time and found a company that is cheaper, I can do transactions on my computer instead of a terminal and can process transactions on my phone with much much lower fees.
    I will be contacting their regulatory agency to make a formal complaint.

  • sign makers llc. glenda sue akers

    I have changed from this company at the beginning of this year. they sent me a ‘pqyoff ‘ if 193.99 that I paid on 5/10/15. then I was turned over to collections and I paid the balance under duress of $ 666.99 on 7/6. well now as of this month November 2015 they are trying to get 302.11 that they turned over to trans world for collections!!! I am sick to death of these people – I love my bank and if I was a board member I would have changed years ago from this company. they service is awful and NO ONE WILL CALL YOU BACK.

    if I didn’t love my bank so much I think I would switch just to avoid this company. someone needs to get with it and take me off this merry go round. I refuse to pay but as you know bad reports are not good for businesses and they know it.

  • Josh Renfro

    Back at the end of March and beginning of April we purchased the Clover system and were going to use First Data as our processor. The sales associate Benjamin Peete told us we 90 days during which we could return the system and choose not to proceed. Within one week of signing up we found a system that met our needs much better the clover and First Data. So I called Benjamin to cancel our service and get reimbursed. He answered and said I would receive an email with the shipping labels to return it and also would receive a refund in full. I waited a month and nothing happened. I received no refund and return labels. Since May of this year I have made over 100 phone calls to Benjamin to get this remedied. 75% of the time he never answers. The other 25% of the time he puts me on hold to get in touch with somebody who can help. I have sat on hold for over an hour half several times. Many times the call has hung up on me. I have NEVER once actually talked to any one else who could help me.
    To make matters worse I then received an email from First Data saying that had not charged me for my account since we started and so they were going to retroactively charge me for service I never used all the way back to January. Ironically, I only signed up at the end of March/beginning of April. I have been charged and continue to be charged for a service I have never used. It is October 26th, almost 7 months after I signed up I have spent countless hours of my time and I am no closer to getting reimbursed or helped. I was told today by Benjamin that we would have a conference call at 2:00 CST and yet again I never receieved a call. I tried to call him three times and he never once picked up. This has been the worst customer service experience I have ever had.

    CAUTION: if you are considering using clover or first data. Be very carefull! Make sure you want it. The system itself seemed like a great system, but the lack of customer service and outright lack of integrity shown by first data has been astounding. I have been told and promised that I would be helped dozens of times and not once has that promised been followed through.

    • Chris

      This worked for me, but it took some time……First, call your bank and get a new account number that will stop first data from taking anymore money from your account. If the bank is unwilling to help, get a different bank. I had Chase. The minute I closed my account, Chase was then willing to help. But was to late for then. You maybe able to strongarm your bank. But be prepared to move. Banks do not like change…….. Second, Take the rep to small claims court. The max here in Los Angeles is $10,000. That will get his attention. Tell the rep he has until your court date to fix this……..If he does, your golden. If he doesn’t and he loses in court, which i’m 99% sure he will, He is on the hook for ALL your damages…..here in Cali, losing goes on your credit report and he doesn’t want that amount on his credit……I only got about a 3rd of my money back, but there is still a lien on this rep’s home (his office was in his house) and a lien on his car until I get my money from him. And not I’m letting up!!!…I also filed a complaint with The Federal Trade Commission and emailed my Congressman ….I hoped this helped, Chris

    • Jocelyn

      Horrible company, I wish I would have seen these comments before choosing first data and Pivotal Payments. They are holding our money hostage in order for us to sign a new contract or purchase the terminal at an over-priced fee. We have been with them 4 years. You are lucky if you can reach them they keep putting on hold, or hanging up. They have no respect for their clients, they just want more and more money from you.

  • Emilia Laurel

    The worst nightmare, this is a really bad service and very expensive, they charge you with all kinds of fees and the representatives never help, if you want to get out of their service, they charge you with a outrageous fee, bad , bad service

    • Dans

      Even if you pay the fee, the leasing company will charge you until your contract is up. I’m out now, but my account was charged every month until the obligation was done that was on the contract for the use of the machine that I sent back to them and didn’t use. I use square now and it’s wonderful. Have no complaints about it.

  • Tim Chavey

    These people are absolutely, souless crooks. We bit the bullet on August 2015 and paid the $500.00 just to be rid of them as we were using the service maybe once every other month. As of today’s date they are still removing funds from our bank and calling them only results in them threatning you with collection? What a peice of work these people are. Some boiler room company that once they get their hooks into you, you had better just hang on for the ride. They have a standard policy mantra: NO. Do anything you can to stay clear of this incredibly deceptional company. The sale rep that sold me has NEVER called me back regarding the lie he told me in that once a year you can opt-in or opt-out. My bad for not getting it in wrting s I’m a trusting person. In the name of God almighty First Data, just let us go when we want to go! We got in, (our bad), now we want out, not to be lied to and have to call the 800 number from hell over and over again and each time give away our valuable information. My wife and I are drafting a letter to the Attorney General’s office in a formal complaint. Not sure how far it will go but if everyone drafts a letter to thier local AG office’s somebody will eventualy take notice, Ues you can appeal but to do that is at best impossible and I’ve been told they wipe thier butts with the appeal letters.

  • Kathy

    I own my machine and my fees were 300.00 per month. I have a small business and 2 employees so I do not use the machine on a daily basis. I am trying to get compliant for the new credit cars with chips. Most banks that have clients using their machines are providing upgrades at no cost. When a sales rep called me they quoted me 1700 for a new chip enabled machine. When I tried to cancel I was told I could lease a key pad for 9.99 per month for the next 48 months. When I said I was not interested and asked to have it canceled the woman became rude and told me it was the wrong department then hung up on me. I called Oct 5th 2015 and was on hold for over 3 hours trying to cancel my account. When I finally reach a real person, I was told that other companies are lying to me and my rates will triple. “First Data has the best rates anywhere. I told this woman I just wanted to cancel and she kept saying if I don’t keep it professional she will hang up on me. I was professional. Next she asked me “security questions” as “Name the businesses in your neighborhood. We live in a small town without any traffic lights nor do we have cell service here and there is only a handful of businesses in this town. When I gave her the names of the businesses she told me I was wrong and she was going to hang up. I ask her to ask me another question and apparently I got that right. She then switched me to someone else and I had to go through another grueling session to cancel. I would never do business with them again, and god forbid if you ask them about your statements..you are ALWAYS WRONG.

  • Nancy Loughran

    Do not use this company. The charges are off the wall and they make promises they do not deliver. I received a letter stating my final account balance and they want to keep charging me fees. Solicitor now informed and hope this company gets what it deserves as it is blatantly nothing but a greed driven corporation ripping off small business owners with off the wall charges..

  • Jane

    This is the worse company any small business can deal with. The sales people claim a lot of things but none are true. Long story short their machine sucks, and the reps are non responsive when you have a problem. I cannot run a business when their machine is not reliable. I have lost sales on my busiest day of the year because their machine took down my router! Worse yet, there is no back up because they claim their machine does not support digital lines…what era do we live in?? They promised the problem will be resolved, and sadly it’s past the 3 month trial, and they keep promising I will get a backup but it’s been 6 months and nothing! Also their payment schedule changes all the time. Sales posted on Thursday, friday, and the weekend do not get paid until the following Tuesday! Worse yet, their own sales people don’t even know how to read the monthly statements.
    Lies, lies, lies! Worse mistake I have ever made in the 10 years I have been in business. People – do your homework and don’t scammed by Firstdata. I have opted to go with another company but keep first data’s contract because 500 dollars is too much for cancellation, but I am stuck with the machine lease for 5 years! I am so done with FirstData I just want out!

  • Joseph Calarco

    Wow! Am I glad I found this website. Here’s what happened to me last week. First Data took $598.52 from the company checking account, and also $33.37 two days prior to that. These monies were the penalty fees for early cancellation. Also, last week the Wall Street Journal had an article about First Data’s upcoming IPO which should be available in the first two weeks of October. My thoughts are to transfer $25,000 from my checking account into my brokerage account and purchase all the shares I can buy with that money on the day the IPO hits the market. I feel confident the stock will increase in value on that very first day and then selling it for a profitable return on my investment, thus getting back what First Data got from me. However, since there is a week or so to go before the IPO is available I thought it would be wise to do some research on the company first.
    A big factor in First Data’s favor is that it the largest company of its kind in the world, handling more than 80% of all the card transactions world-wide. Another big factor is that it is highly profitable as evidenced by abstracting all of the negative comments in these blogs. Of course, there is one major factor that is worrisome…the fact that it has a huge debt. One of the reasons for the IPO is to raise enough money through the sale of their stock to pay it off and be debt free. I am very confident it will happen in its favor thus making a lot of money for all of the investors. However, a lot can happen in a week that could throw a monkey wrench into the gears. If Congress ever got a hold of this website and made available all of these blogs and pressure was put on First Data to reimburse the writers of these blogs it very well may cause First Data to postpone the IPO until further notice. Additionally, such an action could put First Data into a deeper debt than it has now, therefore making it less profitable and worthy of going public. In conclusion…TIME will tell.

  • Marcia Dobbs-Smith

    First Data is the worst credit card processor in the business. They have numerous re-sellers that they blame for all issues encountered by unsuspecting merchants. Predatory tactics are the norm. Lies, lack of responsibility, and poor customer relations are hallmarks First Data. AVOID at ALL COST!!! Want details? FD charged me in excess of $100 in PCI noncompliance fees. I had completed the requirements with Security Metrics, the previous FD subcontractor, only to be told that Security Metrics was the “new” subcontractor. FD promised a refund, but it never came.
    I was contacted by FD two years ago with threats that my equipment was going to be out of date in October and I MUST purchase new equipment. I purchased the equipment, and then found out that the EMV requirement went in to effect TWO YEARS later. I was also told that I would pay for the equipment by the fees that I would save by using a pin pad for debit card sales. NOT true. In fact I am paying MORE than for credit card sales. It never has and still does not work. I have made numerous calls and spent hours on hold, only to be told that i would receive a call back. Never have had even one call returned. I have initiated a complaint with the Leslie Rutledge, Attorney General of the Great State of Arkansas, in hopes that future merchants will not be subject to the frustration and thievery that I have been victim to.

    • Eric McNamee

      Marcia,

      The reason you are paying more for PIN debit transactions is because PIN debit authorizations are typically higher than standard credit authorization fees. However, if your transaction size is greater than $60 then a PIN debit transaction would be more affordable than running it as credit due the difference in charges on the debit network vs the credit network. It’s a ridiculously complex payment matrix but it is true. Also, if your business is a fuel station or grocery then there is a $2.00 cap on PIN debit fees regardless of transaction size.

      As per the non-compliance fees there is a PCI-SAQ questionnaire all merchants that processing within First Data’s network have to take annually to validate their PCI compliance. There is a difference between a validated PCI certificate and having a certified scan from Security Metrics. You should be able to validate your PCI certificate through your online access to your account.

      Also, I come across merchants awaiting a refund from their processor all the time. Refunds on a merchant account are extremely rare but you will hear reps saying “oh, it’s on the way” blah blah blah. If I were you I would contact a representative at First Data and request a copy of the refund submission ticket they have in their logging system. Every single call is with FD is logged in the notation section on the account, including ticket submission requests.

      • Marcia Dobbs

        My business is an upscale clothing store. Our average transaction is $150+ First Data DIRECT not a re-seller, coerced me into purchasing their proprietary equipment encoded to prohibit transferring service to another provider, by stressing EMINENT need for EMV capability and promising lower rates on debit cards. NOT TRUE! The rate was higher on debit cards and the EMV requirements for October were two years down the road and still have not been fully implemented.

  • Christine Summers

    Do not use this company. The hidden fees and terms will put you under if you’re a small business. I cancelled my account because my business is just too small to pay all of the fees associates with First Data’s credit card and Merchant Services. I signed up through Rabobank in Julian California. I was told that I could try it out to see if it worked for me. As it turns out I was locked in for 5 years. I tried to cancel when I realized how much it cost my business to have this service but was unable to (month 3). The customer service was appalling. The salesmen was gone from the company. The bank said they would take care of it so they took my equipment and sent it back. Six months later it was still not taken care of and then the bank closed their branch in Julian. I finally settled with the company for $800 to buy out my contract. which had 2 years left. Now I am receiving collection notices and I cannot get anyone on the phone. I have called many times and I either get looped through recorded messages or I get disconnected after being on hold, one time after 20 minutes. I think the next step is to contact a lawyer.

  • NVUS Enterprises LLC

    With our small Cafe, we also have been fooled into a non-cancelable 48 months contract by a pleasing Wells Fargo Consultant. Now, I am stack with this stupid contract and have to pay for the lease of a machine that costs a mere fraction of these expenses. What a fraud. They use a behavioral physiology very well, when you are in a process of opening a business you tend to forget to read the fine prints and trust your bank’s consultants and they use it to their advantage. I cannot believe that after so many complaints nothing can be done about these practices. Another lesson learned for hard earned cash. Each time I fail to do my research on-line and trust those “specialist professionals” who suppose to help you, I tend to regret. Too bad a lot of other new operators will fall into this trap before they get to reading these complaints.

  • Eric

    I’ve had a terrible experience with this company. They refuse to acknowledge that the equipment has been returned. We have proof it was returned. They acknowledged it and then sent another bill a few months later pretending they hadn’t acknowledged it.

    Their lease policy, collections, and fees are atrocious. This not a friendly or efficient company to deal with. Find another.

    • Dana Gruen

      As I read all these, it is all so familiar!
      I returned the machine and even paid a fee to get out of it all but like clickwork, my lease fee was still withdrawn from my bank account. I looked on other forums that said if they “feel” like it they might wave the fee… But they didn’t because they don’t have to due to the contract. One thing though, once the contract was up, to the exact date, the withdrawing stopped but oh how much they got out of me before it was over!! I’m a small business owner and went with Square. It was great! There are other merchandise payment company’s that have lower percentages but I’m good with Square. Not had ANY problems so don’t want to mess that up and get caught in anything like First Data again!!

  • Gunner Frok

    They have the trickiest program going right down to returning your terminal when you are forced to update, which I thought should be covered in the $100 plus maintenance they charge me every year. First time I returned a terminal because of high rates and hidden costs and switched to PNC they continued to take payment from my bank account for 7 months till I got the bank to stop payments. Get this the bank (PNC not much better than FD) said they would only refund the last quarter. This time, four years later, I get notice from PNC MS that I have to update my terminal through, WAIT FOR IT, FIRST DATA. So I watched my statements closely and sure enough after the second month on the new terminal there was a withdraw for the old one they had received back from me 55 days earlier. I think this must be some kind of scam they are running to rake in a couple extra million a year. I know this, after this contract is up there are many CC processors way better than FD and I will choose one of them. Do yourself a favor and stay far away from First Data. Be careful using your local bank also because they probably use FD to process, make sure you ask. That is how I ended up back with them after I left the first time they screwed me over the first time.

  • Laura Taylor

    I was scammed by a door-to-door salesman. He changed the contract after signing. The copy that I made with my signature is totally different than the copy that was filed with First Data. Nobody protected me! First Data hired lawyers to harass me day and night. I settled out of court by paying $2,000 on a $12,000 contract. The actual cost of the equipment has a retail value of $300. I returned it and contacted First Data all within 30 days of the contract. This was the worst scam in scam history. First Data does NOT protect their customers.

    • Ellie Kim

      I was scammed by door to door salesman. I have same situation as laura taylor. He was sugar coated every word and changed contract that i signed. Now firstdata lawyer harrass me to collecting money. …I am having a difficult time to stop them. Could you give me a tip to sue them? How much did it cost to hire a lawyer? I am having a difficult time everyday…

      • Eric McNamee

        Ellie/Laura

        First Data is the processor whereas the lease is held with First Data Global Leasing (FDGL) and their # is 1 877-257-2094. They have their own review on CPO – https://www.cardpaymentoptions.com/terminals/first-data-global-leasing/

        I work for a merchant services company so I know how the leasing procedure works. When you fill out the merchant application there is a section that says “Initial Here” to order a lease. The sales rep in this case may have initialed for you. Whenever a lease is ordered though, and the equipment is delivered, First Data Global Leasing always calls the merchant to do the lease verification. Those calls are always recorded, always. If the lease is not verified then the equipment is to be returned and the sales rep does NOT earn their large commission check for the sale. So you can call FDGL and request they review the audio confirmation of the lease verification because if you didn’t speak with them then someone else did. It may have been where the sales rep did the verification for you which is fraud plain and simple. When it’s fraud, they side with the merchant because they have no choice otherwise.

  • Diana Castano

    The experience with First Data has been a nightmare!! We opened a new health business in January, 2015. In October, 2014 we opened our business bank accounts in SunTrust and naively we fell for one of those signs they post advertising merchant services. The “business consultant” was very kind and responsive, she responded to our texts and calls promptly when we were in the process of signing in and when the installation of the terminal (which she did herself…) messed up our WiFi system. She told us the option of buying or leasing the machine, when asked about what would be better, she just explained that after a year if something happened to the machine, we would have to pay out of pocket about $700 for a machine. Again, naively, we though oh no, lets go for the lease to be in the safe side. Later we found out that those machines rarely break, not even when used in business that are busier than ours. We are health providers, starting, we don’t have a big volume.
    We did not that we were being charged so much!! The few transactions we have processed have resulted in a 20% for First Data and Sun Trust. Too much!! The lease is un-breakable, so they told us the “buy out” is $1,700 and the machine has to be returned!!! They are nuts!!
    We have 2 business in 1 processing machine (FD300). Well, obviously the have our bank account info but I don’t know what happened in their system, the bank was not accepting their transactions or something and they put in collections one of our businesses. They also charged us twice for the equipment, but that was refunded. Because my account was in collection (due to their inefficient system) the processing account was cancelled and 2 transactions that were done in April 23rd and 30th have not been credited to my bank account.
    Today I spent a lot of time trying to solve the problem with the collections in my account. They kept sending me to collections, then to customer service, then to collections again. The call was cut twice. And the last women Mary Martin (from collections) apparently solved the problem but was so rude. I warned her, asking her to please bear with me because this whole thing has been very frustrating. She said that until that moment nobody has helped me like her and that I was being rude when I was just telling her the process that we have gone through with such horrible company. I was not rude but she raised her voice and told me that she was going to hang up and she did. This company just wants to rip you off. Do not do business with them unless you want more stress and less money in your bank.

  • Cheryl Richardson

    We are a small non profit organization, whose bank required us to contract with First Data in order to receive credit card donations. We paid monthly fees for several years.

    In fall 2014, First Data sent a letter that I did not read, stating they would begin providing us an additional service for 30 dollars per month, unless we ‘opted out’ of the service. After I found the charges on our statements and learned where they had come from , we stopped all credit card use and cancelled our account with First Data.

    Last month, First Data took 400 dollars from our bank account. I found a letter First Data sent in February, stating, “You are required to remit immediate payment pursuant to the terms of your Merchant Processing Agreement.” My bank has not yet determined whether the payment they took was legal.

    In the future we will stick with PayPal and handheld mobile devices to accept credit card donations.

    • Kathy

      Please call your State Department of Consumer Protection and report this to them. Ask them to please help you with this matter. Can also try the Fedral Trade Commission in Washington DC. The Better Business Bureau, scream at any entity that will listen and help you to rescind your contract. Gather evidence and write it all down, give them references, details of what has happened. It will take a little of your time but it might be the only way to stop FirstData. Good Luck.

      • Eric McNamee

        Cheryl/Kathy,

        Contacting the FTC, BBB and SDCP may help but I may have a better and far faster solution if your setup was done the way First Data normally sets up accounts.

        If you filled out a three page application (Page 1 with business/owner information, page 2 & 3 for signatures) and got your account approved THEN received your “Welcome Kit” in the mail a week or so later you can easily get your cancellation fee back. The First Data Confirmation Page relates to the First Data Program Guide Section A.3 “Additional Fees and Early Termination”. If you received the Program Guide after you signed the agreement you can sue them for fraud because they had you sign the “contract terms” without showing you the contract terms in writing prior to signage. It’s an unfortunate practice in merchant services but any time a consumer or business signs an agreement without seeing the agreement then the signor should not be held liable for the contract agreement. If you’ve ever signed up for cable/internet over the phone where they go through the contract terms in a recorded conversation you’ll catch my drift. I would consult with an attorney and file a claim in small claims court, if First Data doesn’t send a representative then you win by default in most states.

  • Najmus

    We just opened a small business account since it was the start we weren’t sure if we would be able to keep up with the total amount you need to keep in the account in order to avoid fees so the bank recommended to get the merchant service to avoid the fees which was the biggest mistake we made. they are totally different from what we were told. Since no one came to connect the machine we Haven’t once used the machine in the 4 months we have had it and were being charge for not making min amount on the machine But how the heck do we use it when it’s not in working order. You talk to one person about everything and yout won’t hear from that person again. wanted to cancel but they say you can’t cancel and if you do there will be a $2500 Fee! Pretty stressed out here. We opened it to avoid the bank fees and now we’re being charge by the merchant as well as tha bank since the bank says your not using it so the whole thing was for nothing.

  • Greg Bye

    These creeps started billing me again this month after I paid off the ridiculous contract two years ago! They just hung up on me when I told them that I don’t want a fax number to send my information. My fault for signing up in 2012 then found that the charges are out of line and way more expensive than Square. I am a street vendor and just started my business. This is a bogus operation. Wells Fargo bank suggested that I use this service. I changed banks after that to Boeing Employees Credit Union. Much easier, safer, less expensive.

  • Maria de Diego

    THE WORST SERVICE EVER! I have never had a worst experience with any company I have ever worked with. Back in September 2014 I called to cancel my account since I switched providers and my 3 year contract was coming up. They told me it was up in November and I said, I don’t want to renew the account, cancel it. February 24th 2015, I am looking through my accounts when, surprise surprise, they had started charging me their monthly fee, I called straight away to cancel yet again. I spoke to a woman who said, sorry and told me she would cancel my account and would try to get my money back. March 1st comes around and I get charged again! As of this morning I have been on the phone for 3 hours getting passed from department to department and being hung up on several times. I finally speak to a supervisor who tells me that because their incompetent customer service did not make notes on my account they cannot refund me the money, (this after 3 hours!!) not only that but I am told that I have one chance to guess the secret question, the phone number on my account, it seems pretty easy but considering the account was set up by my website developer who I no longer work with and who has several numbers, not easy at all. I ask for a different question, this after verifying BUSINESS NAME, ADDRESS, TAX ID, ACCOUNT NUMBER, NAME OF OWNER, MERCHANT ACCOUNT NUMBER, ROUTING NUMBER I get the number wrong so they tell me they cant cancel and hang up on me. Again I call (3 1/2 hours into this!) And Finally “supposedly” my account has been canceled. Businesses like this should go Bankrupt, I repeat, WORST COMPANY I HAVE EVER WORKED WITH, SAVE YOURSELF THE NIGHTMARE.

  • Arlene Reardon

    FIrst Data Merchant Services is one of the worst merchant services companies I’ve ever had the error of ever signing up to process my accounts. The automatically start billing you for additional money, then I called to cancel the additional processing and they never processed it. So I got billed again and told they couldn’t reverse the charge. So…I called again to cancel this additional charge each month! Then I called on my anniversary to cancel the account completely and continued to be billed for 2 more months!!! I’m on the phone now trying to get my account cancelled ONE MORE TIME! this is my 5th call to them!!! Next call is to the Board of Insurance And Banking to file a complaint on them!!! They are HORRIBLE!!! Avoid this company like the plague!

  • William Printy

    I got scammed by First Direct Merchant Processing Solutions in Sarasota, FL (the salespeople/reseller). They signed me up for First Data Merchant Services (the actual bank processor). Alex Stevens is the owner. I have been in business 12 years. Dealt with 4 different processors. This is criminal level. I received my machine on Thursday Nov. 27. They tried to charge me $75 for a full Nov. months fees on Dec. 5 before I even got activated! I called and was told by Mary not to worry they would correct to zero no fees should be charged for Nov. Not done. I have not received my first transaction $200 in almost 60 days. I have called over 30 times to First Data and First Direct to resolve. Nothing but runaround. I was charged $274 on Jan 5 for Dec. fees. My contract states clearly fees should be $64. I was verbally told fees would be $10 per month only and I have that in writing from “fax of offer” from Mary salesperson. Fine print on actual “agreement” which was not verbally mentioned states $50 minimum per month so I won’t even argue paying $50 min plus $10 stmt plus $4 reg fee, but that does not add up to $274. I made at least 5 calls to resolve. Nothing. On Feb 4 got charged $222. (With no transactions of course because I still haven’t received first transaction). This is $700 I am out of. I was told by poor salesperson Mary that all this will be fixed. over 60 days of nothing. I have talked to Alex Stevens twice and was hung up on. He states he does not have the time to talk to me. quote ” He does not want to hear about the contract I signed” – This goes way beyond poor service to the criminal fraud level. I have wasted over 10 hours at least trying to resolve. Nothing.

  • Gerald Wingate

    AVOID THESE SLUGS AT ALL POINTS. First they will give you these credit card machines that NEVER work in the first place. When you give them back, (which I did to three of them) they then turn and tell you that they aren’t responsible for the machines but they just did the financing which means that they made you a loan for these machines that you will have to repay REGARDLESS of your satisfaction or not. Then when you show them that the machines have been returned and the contract is over, they bring on the legal eagles in the form of Lazega and Johannson who takes you to court and you don’t even know you had an appointment in the first place. They do this to get a judgement against you when you aren’t even there to defend yourself. Next step in that parade is you get a bunch of interrogatories in the mail that if you don’t fill them out to their satisfaction you go to jail till you do. Once that is done your house has a lien on it and your bank account is garnished with EVERY cent of money that you have is taken without any notice at all so that First Data Merchant Services can get their money from you whether you agree or not. These people are a rip off of the worst degree and I recommend you just go through your bank and they will allow you to process credit card payments that way.

  • Cheryl Richardson

    First Data apparently used an ‘opt out’ strategy to begin billing our non profit association an additional 19.95 a month in additional credit card security charges without our consent.

    The customer service supervisor told us they sent a letter in either September or October 2014 explaining they would add credit card security services to our account worth 19.95 per month if we did not refuse those services by responding to the letter stating we did not want the additional service.

    As the only administrator/director/jack of all trades operating the association, I typically ignore financial correspondence that is not an invoice or a statement.

    So they began charging our account 19.95 per month in October 2014.

    When I asked for a refund of changes that we had not authorized, I was told:

    – our refund request was denied by the finance department.
    – the charges were not due to billing error,
    – first data does not approve refunds to accounts that are ‘non active,’ ie we had not received credit card payments for some time.

    This appears to me to be old fashioned fraud.

    Which agencies might be interested in taking action against these folks?

  • Julie

    DO NOT EVER USE THIS COMPANY! We have bee trying to cancel services with them for over a month now only to be met with documents we never signed putting us into contracts we can not cancel and more fees than one can imagine. They lie about their processing rates from the get go, ours were between 8-10% at all times because of extra fees they never disclose and much more bull****. Now they are debiting our checking accounts for 500$ at a time and demanding more money. So again I repeat DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY.

  • BethAnne

    Oh how I wish I knew these things before I got involved with EMPS First Data! Being a first time small business owner, I went to my bank for card processing. They were connected to First Data at the time. I trusted them and their representative and signed up. Eventually their name was no longer associated to First Data but EMPS was. My representative was no longer available either (his phone number had been disconnected). I closed my cash-suffering business in April and tried to close my account with First Data. They informed me that I had a contract until January 1 and the only way to not incur the $500 fee for ending the contract early was to pay the statement fee of $5.95 each month. I decided to not fight it since I didn’t read the fine print of my contract and just paid the $5.95 per month. I called Monday, January 4 and cancelled my account. In the meantime I was charged 99.95 in November for the Annual Compliance Fee and when I brought it up to Salvadore he said there was no way it could be waived because I was still under my contract with them (which they won’t let you get out of). Then I was charged another $5.95 January 5 so I called again. Amber’s reason for that was because it was for an earlier statement and I would probably incur a couple more charges of $5.95. I again asked if the $99.95 could be waived because there was nothing I needed to “comply” with since the business was closed (and incidentally they were informed of that fact back in April). Again, she said no. So in other words, I couldn’t get out of my contract, and I have to accept a charge (without my consent) for something that I won’t be using. I haven’t even completed a compliance document that I usually have to complete and submit so I’m still not sure how they can charge me for that. I feel like I have been ripped off by a bad, bad company.

  • Peyman rouholfada

    DO NOT TRUST THIS COMPANY. I got their contract through East Payment, and the fees on the contract does not matche the charges on my bank account at all. First they say its only 1.1% of the amount and 0.7 cents per transaction which is good comparing to other companies, but they come up with some other crazy charges like annual fees and monthly fees that you don’t see on the contract. When i called the main office they said you have to talk To East payment. When i called east payment i talked to the ” president ” of the company and i ask him what are these extra charges and explaining that your contract says otherwise, he was speechless and said I can’t help you. They are very unprofessional, and untrustworthy. STAY AWAY FROM THEM.

  • Gary Coe

    I joined first Data early last year, 2014 with rates that sounded competitive. However, there were hidden fees that showed up within 30 days which nearly broke me. I am talking an extra thousand or so over the normal rate per month. I switched after about 4 months which meant I had to buy all new POS equipment as well. I just paid their hidden $500 fee for early cancellation and will never deal with this horrible dishonest company again. they are very dishonest and hard.

  • Connie Williams

    I have only been with first data for a couple of months. I have a very small business and was hoping that I could generate more revenue if I were able to accept credit cards. I went to Wells Fargo to set up a business account and was talked in to doing a merchant services account and leasing the credit card processing equipment through First Data. In the 2 months that I have had this service I have processed 1 charge for $60 and paid $218 in set up and processing fees. I called Wells Fargo and they want to charge me a $500 cancellation fee as well as First Data is not willing to release me from my lease agreement for the credit card processing equipment that I am willing to return to them in perfect condition. But they are not willing to discuss the cancellation of the lease at all. They said that I signed a non-cancellable lease agreement and that it is not cancellable.
    Their customer service is awful, he was not at all helpful when I talk with them on the phone.

  • Drew

    Doug Olsen (owner of First Data, FirstData, CardService International) is an exztremely rude individual that is emailing own customers with rude comments and insults including wirtds such as “stupid”. Here’s his latest response to my request after in the recent past they refused to send me a copy of our Contract:

    Doug
    Not again……

    On Nov 21, 2014, at 6:48 AM, [email protected]> wrote:

    > Hallo,
    >
    > Please urgently email me a copy of my CONTRACT with CardServiceInternational. I lost my copy and need it to see what I signed up for over a decade ago. You are charging me accordingly to the CONTRACT we signed thus you must provide me a copy of the Contract upon my request. Do so without any delay. Send it via email in response to this email.
    > Thank you.
    >
    > Regards,
    >
    > XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    > Merchant # XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

  • Kara

    Answered the phone, had a man named Jake with a strong accent ask for my manager, John. I need to take a name and company before I pass a call along, and he was reluctant to give me that info and kept mumbling it, then demanding he talks to John. Once I finally understood him, I asked John if he’d like to take the call and he said no, but I could get a callback number. I told Jake that John was unavailable, but would call him back. Jake rudely asked me “Do you make the decisions for your manager?” He then told me he could not give me a number we could reach him at, and continued to demand to speak to John. I eventually told him we’re not interested and I hung up.
    We are not a customer of First Data, so it was a sales call. I cannot comprehend why someone would be so rude during their first contact with someone they want to sell to.

  • Johana

    First data is ridiculous merchant service. I have been doing business for several years but this merchant service is useless and scam. First the agent was in hurry to sign me the contract and told me, you can terminate your contract anytime but my business is already closed and now they are telling us that it is not cancelable and made us to pay 48 months money. They already report my credit to my credit bureaus which is affecting my credit.

    Can somebody help me to get rid of this big mess situation?
    I can’t pay that much money which i never owe.

  • Lydia

    Bank of America solicited my business merchant services account by telling me that since my business accounts were with BofA that having its Merchant Services would mean a seamless and advantageous operation for me the owner. Never was I told that the processing actually happened through another company, First Data. Here is my experience:

    1. Frequently, when swiping a client card for processing a charge, the First Data Terminal failed. We had a T3 connection through AT&T. AT&T never accepted the fault and consistently said it was an issue with First Data. The First Data fault remedy? Unplug and re-plug the terminal. Why were the failure an issue?? Each time it happened the client’s card was charged twice, which was a huge client dissatisfier!

    2. When the business was sold in late 2013 and the new owner transferred the First Data terminal we ended the BofA Merchant Services at the same time. However, each month afterwards the BofA business checking account was charged a new BofA fee of $25. When I inquired with BofA about it I was told it was a new banking fee on checking accounts. In October 2014, that fee jumped to $160. It was at that time I was now told that the $25 was not a BofA fee but a Merchant Services fee and that the $160 was for the prospective annual fee for First Data!! I was livid! Obfuscation at its costly best! Not a single merchant services transaction in over one year but the account was charged $25 x 12 + $160. That is $460 in fees for doing nothing.

    I have filed a complaint with BofA and with First Data but I expect the same haughty treatment in that process that I have experienced in working through figuring out what BofA and First Data did to us! BUYER BEWARE!!

  • Steve

    Scam – DO NOT USE THEM.

    When I signed up for First Data through GoDaddy, they told me there would be a one-time fee to set up. Sneaky people. Read the fine print. I was initially charged $10.00 a month. Then it grew to $20. Then to $40. I just called today and they told me they hard to charge more money because I was “Non-Compliant”. All I wanted to do was sell a few products through Go-Daddy and I got scammed. i called them up to dispute and was given a hassle. they said if I wanted to cancel their services I would be charged $75.00 early termination fee. I did it anyway. I notified my Bank to stop payment to these people.

    DO NOT Go WITH FIRST DATA. They are sneaky and fraudulent.

    • Gem

      Hi there,

      I work for FD in UK (I do appreciate they may have slightly different procedures to UK in America however I will try to give some advice on peoples comments in relation to FD being “unfair”). Please be very careful when cancelling your Direct Debit Instruction with your bank if you have not yet paid the cancellation fee and cancelled the account as this is actually a breach of contract…a term that is listed in the Terms and Conditions of your contract. (although you may have already cancelled as wasn’t 100% sure from your message).

      All cancellation fees are usually listed in the T & C of your Merchant Service Application (in UK £200.00 Termination Fee) and also the T & C of your Lease Agreement. With the Lease if you cancel before the specified term length (36 month, 48 month or 60 month) you will need to buy out the contract- this is the same as Mobile Phone contracts and no different to them. The problem with most people is that they do not bother reading the terms and conditions and happily sign away! I deal with Complaints on a daily basis and the problem with he said/she said claims when it comes to sellers is that the contract supercedes any verbal agreement you may have had with the seller. The reason for this is because we are not there and any Merchant/Seller could say that they were told they could have “Free months” of lease agreement etc and then disagree with each other.

      It is always a good idea to read the terms and if the sales rep is pushy tell them you want time to review the paper work and arrange for them to come back- if they REALLY want that sale then they WILL arrange to come back at a later date to retrieve the documents from you….Ever seen the South Park episode “Human Centi-pad”?? ALWAYS read the terms as you may not know what you are agreeing to. I know they are lengthly but that;s why the seller will not go through every single term- its your responsibility as the signee to be reading them- FULLY! They are not hidden terms as the terms are fully available to you. By signing the contract you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions (usually a small booklet that goes with the contract).

      Trust me on this one when I say I now read terms for EVERYTHING!! Even the Apple updates on my PC…you can never be sure!

      Also contracts should be readily available if you request them as they contain your own personal and business data. If you are struggling to get copies please escalate to a Manager/Director as you should not be refused your right to these documents!

  • Dawn McWherter

    I have been being charged almost anywhere from 50- 60 dollars a month for FDMS in addition to the 24.00 a month for the leased machine. The machine stopped working and would not batch out, I had to make calls to get the amounts that were swiped put into my account. They wanted to charge me 50.00 to overnight a new machine, I told them I would not pay that. I have not hooked up the machine since I got it which was over a month ago, but I a still charged the 60.00 for fees. When I have tried to do the pci compliance, the website told me they would email me a new password, which never happened. As of today I tried to log on and fill out my compliance and they want me to accept a new user agreement, which says, Package Offering, Subscription fees-handled through your relationship with Santander Merchant Services- I have never heard of them, so how do I have a relationship with them. I will not sign any agreement with anything to do with First Data or Merchant Services, I have never experienced such a scam, the undisclosed fees are ridiculous. I dont use the machine anymore, they never email me a statement showing my charges unless I spend 30 minutes on the phone with them asking for one. The stress these companies are putting on small business owners is crazy, and nothing is being done about it. I wont agree to anything with these scammers, I cannot believe big banks actually are endorsing these people. I would not have ever used them if it was not for my bank recommending them. Chemical Bank has actually told me the only way for them to stop accessing my account, two times a month, taking fees as much as they want is to close my business account. This needs to be stopped. There needs to be something done about this.

  • Tony Loft

    Here we go again. I thought I was done with this crap. It started when I was working on launching a website through GoDaddy. There was a link to First Data as an option for my shopping cart. I am extremely new to all of this, I did not realize that I didn’t even need them, because I already had Paypal setup. So I fill out the application to get their services. When I was finished it said it would send me an email if I was accepted. A month later I get a charge on my bank account for $10, then $50. I never got any sort of email confirming whether or not they accepted my application. Also, in my statement they use GoDaddy’s name as to who was taking the money out. Godaddy says they have nothing to do with it. Which is complete B.S. because I would have never even went to the link if it weren’t for GoDaddy having it as an option. They really should realize they are sending their customers to the wolves, and for them not be somewhat responsible is just foolish. Anyway, back to First Data. After harassing them for two weeks about a refund. They finally issued me $50 back, but kept the $10. The initial transaction was on 8/15/2014. The refund was on 8/27/2014. Now I just got an $85 charge from them on 10/3/2014. I am certain this is there early termination fee, which I was told would be taken off. EARLY TERMINATION FEE, for what? I never even used their services. What a complete scam. I am so sick of dealing with companies like this. Even when they get caught stealing, nothing happens. Because that is what this is, Stealing. I am so fed up, I am eliminating anything to do with GoDaddy as well. For them to just put their hands up and act like they don’t know what’s going on, is a complete joke. Sorry for the rant, I am just a single Dad, completely struggling. I am working 20 hour days, trying to get my own online store going. Every penny counts at this point. I don’t have the money or time to deal with things like this. I just didn’t want this to happen without telling someone. Hopefully someone reads this and it can help them before they get into the issues I am having. Thanks for hearing me out.
    Tony

    • Jim

      Two and a half months later, and the process to fire First Data seems to be getting streamlined (their employees sounded like they had practice).

      GoDaddy.com no longer offers the quick shopping cart and First Data as an option, and a GoDaddy rep called me last week and walked me through setting up their new online store which avoids First Data.

  • Lacey

    We changed merchant services in June. We went with a local company, they told us they could save us money. Also told us that we did not have to lease the credit card machine, used those exact words! Come to find out we were being billed monthly $160.00 for the credit card machine. Called the salesman, who is no longer with the company, talked to his supervisor and got no where. The lease is for 48 months, it also says it is non-cancelable. If we stick with this lease we will end up paying $7680.00, which is ridiculous!! With our old merchant service the machine was leased but it was about $30 a month. We really felt taken advantage of! Any advice on how to get out of the lease? We would like to switch back to our old service. At the end of the day it is all expensive no matter what company you go with but I had much rather to business with someone honest.

    • Kathy

      Hi Lacey,
      I hope I can help you by telling you what I did. First read all the complaints and replies on this board. There are people on here that are having problems and many of the replies are helpful to all of us. Now, I called my State Department of Consumer Protection and told them of how I was being scammed by FirstData, they helped me from there with filing reports and complaints, etc. I also filled complaints with the BBB, the Feds were on strike back then but because they use phone lines, I was going to file with the FCC, and any office I could find that related to financial and business…I did talk to a lawyer but they were not very helpful…wanting an incredible amount of money per hour. The State helped me he most and my contract was rescinded. I hope you can get this kind of help from your State and be done with these people as I am. good luck! Kathy

    • Mark

      When I signed up with BAMS I was NOT told by the rep that I was signing a 48 month lease. After reading over the contract and realizing what I had just signed up for I immediately emailed the rep back and told him I wanted the lease cancelled. Unlike a lot of peoples experience here, he offered to reverse the lease. I went and talked to my bank manager as part of the process and she emailed the rep directly which greatly helped the process. It took about 3 months of back and fourth emails to get a new contract and money refunded. I ended up buying the terminal outright which cost around $900. The still got me for about $300 because you can buy these terminals online for $500-$600 and get them activated.

  • Richard

    I am currently within days of my contract expiring with First Data (via Sam’s Club). Weeks ago, I took the prudent precaution of removing almost all funds from the business bank account of mine that First Data has access to. I retained a very small balance just to keep the account active.

    I have my suspicions that an unethical company such as First Data will attempt to extract funds from my soon to expire merchant services account without cause or notice. The best indication of First Data’s future behavior is their previous behavior.

    Since I did not plan to process any credit card transactions through First Data by way of my Sam’s Club merchant processing account from over 30 days out until the end of my contract, I will prepare to restrict First Data from gaining access to my account now or anytime in the future.

    According to my bank’s representative, the best and most secure way to accomplish this is by having my bank assign me a new account with a new account number. This will stop any unauthorized withdrawals from occurring.

    It just so happens that my merchant account contract is due to expire in the middle of a billing cycle and I will not need to process any further transactions through First Data. Therefore, I expect there should be no activity (withdrawals or deposits) generated by First Data.

    If one of my clients prefers to use a credit card as payment I am already signed up with another merchant processor. Accordingly, I have absolutely no necessity to utilize Sam’s Club and First Data between today and the remainder of my contract.

    A few weeks ago, I contacted First Data to confirm the date of my contact’s expiration. The First Data representative told me that once my contract expires I have a four-day grace period to decide if I want to enter into another contract. If I do nothing, my merchant services account begins on a month-to month basis. The representative specifically instructed me to wait until the day after my contract expires so there would be no chance of being hit with an early termination fee. According the representative from First Data, I am not permitted to make a decision on ending my relationship with First Data in advance. In other words, I cannot simply tell First Data days or weeks ahead of time, “At the stroke of midnight, at the precise moment my contract expires please go ahead and cancel my account.” Even though I am not able to instruct First Data not to renew my contract until the day after the end of my contract, consumers should be aware that First Data may withdrawal funds to cover service fees for the next subsequent month of service. At that point, the burden will rest with the merchant to expend time and effort in order to obtain a refund.

    • matt

      Richard,

      these are all good precautions to take. The only down fall to this is that your old account is never really closed and if it is a business account the funds will be reversed and debited to your old account if First data decides they want your money. Your bank will not tell you this and First data will claim that it is a business to business transaction and you have 24 hrs to report it. I hope this does not happen to you but they have done this to me. (BEWARE)

      • Richard

        Matt,

        Thank you for your reply. Your comment requires a bit more of an explanation. Once my old bank account is closed and my Merchant Services contract has expired how can First Data seek to obtain funds from an account that no longer exists and from a contractual agreement that is no longer valid?

    • Kathy

      Richard,
      Personally, I would not trust the FirstData rep and what they said…been there and I even spoke with upper levels. I would read the contract and make sure to comply with what the contract states, then I would hope my doing what the contract says to do would end the FirstData connection. Also, did your banker tell you to check your credit records after you close your account-to keep FirstData from making withdrawals? If you read back in the histOry of comments of dealing with FirstData, you will read the stories about how they damage credit records of clients that close their bank accounts. When I worked with our State to stop FirstData’s scam with my business…the FirstData lawyer informed me to check my credit record and if something came up, he would take care of it. Good luck to you! I truly hope everything goes your way. Kathy

      • Richard

        You bring up a valid point about the damage First Data may be able to do by damaging a vendor’s credit score but it is my understanding that specific guidelines must be adhered to before any company places a negative mark on a merchants credit history. First Data must provide ample notification of any balance due. The merchant has the right to dispute the debt and to make use of the appeal process if necessary. There are further stipulations within the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

  • Mike

    This company promised that my rates would be lower with them if I switched over to them. My rates have been higher ever since. If you call to ask about why charges are not disclosed, they start reading off a script and give you the run around by switching you to different departments. With the time it takes to answer all their security questions at each new department they send you, I think they hope you will finally just hang up. They told me in the beginning there were no contracts so I cancelled with them after two months. Then they still took money out of my checking account for the next two months. I called them back and they blamed an interchange charge for credit cards I processed when I was with them. This came out to be 10.49%! I think they found a way to hide a cancellation fee in there but they won’t admit it. I am so glad I am done with them, I hope.

  • ENDU

    First Data is the worst SCUM merchant I have ever dealt with. DO NOT go with this company. The rates look good but the service is ridiculous! They will take your money and cancel your account. I am so sorry that I ever looked them up anymore. I am paying the cancelation fee right now for 0 transactions service I give them F-
    NO RECOMMEND this merchant for NO ONE.

    • Kathy

      Send a letter to the department of consumer protection in your state, or call them and ask them to help you with this. FirstData does this all the time, they are big banks and they steal from us constantly…until we all scream to our state about these crooks, it will keep happening because they have the money and that gives them more power to continue their scam. Also read the comment Matt wrote below. Thanks and I really hope this helps you get your money back!

  • Ed

    I signed up with First Data a few months ago to process online credit card transactions on their website. When I signed up, I was under the impression that the only fee I would be charged was a percentage of the transaction as I had no equipment to lease. I later found out that I was being billed monthly fees, regardless of whether I had any credit card transactions. I called and cancelled their service. Three weeks later, they took $500 out of my checking account. This withdrawal was not reflected in the monthly statement that they sent me. When I called to see why they had taken my money, I was told that even though it was not specifically stated in my contract, one of the small print statements in the computer program guide indicated that if I cancelled the service within three years that they would take a $500 early cancellation fee. This fee was not disclosed to me when I cancelled. They just took it. It was a shock. I will never use this company or its services again.

    • Matt

      Please send a letter based on the information and facts to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If you do not receive any type of resolution or refund further action is needed. This a serious problem that needs to be addressed to the proper people.

  • John

    Going with First Data was the biggest business mistake that I have made. I joined specifically because there would be no cancellation fee. I have been with them for 18 months and have found a better processor through Flagship Merchant Services. Now First Data says that there is a 500$ fee to cancel service. My bank, Suntrust, solicited me to go with them. Since I already had a home equity line and business and personal checking with them I agreed. I will pull all my business from Suntrust due to the extortionist tactics of “Suntrust Merchant Services” aka First Data.

        • Matt

          PH# 301-745-7000.

          The only contact that will talk on behalf of the president is Stacie Webb. She will give you the run around and will use all honest information you provide to her against you (beware). I highly recommend that if they owe you money take them to small claims court. Prior to doing so look up their business entity information based on the state that you are conducting business to make sure you send the court info to the correct location.This is a pain to do but is the only way to recover lost funds. Also I recommend sending a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to investigate this. The BBB will not do this and has already been flooded with negative reviews.

          Hope this helps

        • John

          *Second Update* When I call the 800 number to cancel, they still give me the run around and threaten a 500 dollar cancellation fee. I have opened a new business account with a different bank and will just close the old business account. When First Data calls me, I will simply say “Sue me!” and give them the phone number of my (excellent) attorney.

  • marie

    First Data is a rip off from the start. They can apparantly change the contract on their end at anytime but when they do you are not allowed to cancell them. I do not like dealing with them when their is a problem because they act like it is no big deal that you are not happy with them because it is their right to change what theyj want when they want. Worst choice I ever made.

    • Kathy

      Marie,
      Please call your State Department of Consumer Protection, Department of Commerce, or who will ever listen to you to file a complaint. Call the FCC if you have to as FirstData uses phone lines for transactions. File complaints to leave a solid paper trail for notes in case you need to reference them in the future. Call the police if they are removing funds from your bank account without proper notification and or your permission. It’s all time consuming but it will help you get your message out there, and possibly get FirstData to dissolve your contract. I screamed until they finally stopped and listened and I got rid of FirstData and will never go back to them for anything. In fact, the bank that I had been with for 30 years had recommended FirstData to me, they are not my bank anymore. Take care and good luck to you! Kathy

  • Richard

    When First Data makes a mistake it is the merchant who pays the price.

    First Data customers may be familiar with the term: Courtesy Processing. For those who aren’t, a courtesy processing is a credit card transaction that is handled over the telephone manually, with the assistance of a First Data customer service representative. There are several reasons why a courtesy processing may be needed. If a merchant’s credit card terminal is not performing properly, if a merchant is having problems with the telephone line connected to their terminal or they are in an area where a connection is not possible, the merchant may need to process the charge over the phone.

    With that as a preface, let me advise all merchants who use First Data as their credit card processor to carefully inspect each and every charge, either via their online merchant account or on their printed statement. If a merchant detects a charge that they do not understand or they suspect is in error, question the charge’s authenticity with First Data as soon as possible. Merchants may need to devote an inordinate amount of time to get answers to their questions or to resolve the issue but it will more than likely result in a lesson well learned.

    A few days following a courtesy processing, I noticed a strange debit to my bank account. When I contacted someone from First Data about the charge they indicated it was a result of something that had to do with my terminal. I knew this was in error because my terminal wasn’t used to process this particular charge. A First Data employee handled the full amount of the sale, entirely over the phone. As soon as I explained to the First Data representative that my terminal was never utilized and that the transaction was performed through a courtesy processing, she opened up a case and sent the matter was turned over to one of First Data’s account specialists. Eight days later I received a call from a representative at First Data. This person said the charge was generated by American Express and suggested I call AmEx. I suspected it was an attempt by First Data to pass the buck. First Data does shirk their responsibilities routinely. Each time I called American Express and they looked up my merchant account, AmEx told me that because my contract was with First Data and my account was categorized as a “one-point processor” American Express could not look into my account. Therefore, they could not provide any information. I expended time and effort to ask American Express some general questions and each answer I received pinned the blame onto First Data.

    As a researched the matter further, it was disclosed to me that First Data’s account specialist should have taken the time to initiate a conference call between First Data, American Express and myself. That is the only way American Express can peer into a one-point account to see the charges and debits. Later, through the helpfulness of an American Express merchant service representative, I found out there is another way. It does not involve wasting time and further frustration having to deal with complacent First Data employees. More on this process a bit later.

    I called First Data, went through the usual hoop jumping and dozen or so keypad selections in order to be connected to a live (and I use the term loosely) customer service representative. I asked to speak with a supervisor and got connected to one after a considerable time on-hold. I explained the situation to the supervisor. Initially, he operated under the assumption that I was the one who would initiate the conference call with American Express. I responded by telling him it was my understanding that First Data should handle the communication. After many more minutes on hold I was finally told that American Express was on the line. Unfortunately, the supervisor from First Data wasn’t. He either dropped out of the conversation through error or deliberately. Regardless, there was never any attempt by this First Data supervisor to call me back. I proceeded with my conversation, one-on-one with the representative from American Express. I received a wealth of information.

    American Express told me the surcharge was generated because of two, non-compliance error codes. Without going into technical detail about the actual codes, after explaining to the representative from AmEx the method by which First Data handles over-the-phone processing, he said all the signs pointed back to errors (either human or computer) by First Data. This directly resulted in the charge to my account. Since my terminal was never a part of the transaction process, First Data was solely responsible for any approval codes or transaction identifiers generated during the courtesy processing sequence.

    The American Express representative confirmed that if First Data had bothered to contact American Express, they would have been told about the errors that in all likelihood caused the problem. The American Express representative tracked the problem to a First Data employee or a computer fault. First Data could not have been bothered to investigate their own oversights. As a First Data customer for many years, I can attest that First Data’s unwillingness to acknowledge their mistakes is systemic, not isolated.

    After hearing the circumstances that resulted in the surcharge to my account, the American Express representative took the necessary steps to begin the refund process. This responsibility initially belonged to First Data, who chose to avoid their obligation. The American Express representative instructed me to contact First Data, provide them with the error codes and inform them that a mistake was made.

    Now I will share with merchants who accept American Express the little known way for AmEx to look into your merchant transactions and fees without having to go through First Data. When a merchant contacts American Express merchant services, provide the AmEx phone representative with what is known as your “entitlement number”. Then, wait to see if AmEx can see the transactions within your one-point processor account. If AmEx tells you they cannot access your account tell the representative that a specialty group at American Express known as the ESSU department needs to be contacted. This department can look at a merchant’s American Express transaction history without having to involve the less than customer service oriented staff at First Data.

    If First Data owes you money because of an error on their part, don’t give up the fight. Go up the chain of command until you reach a First Data employee who will take ownership of your issue and resolve the problem. Keep stirring the pot until you get the matter is remedied to your satisfaction.

  • Jen

    DO NOT DEAL WITH THIS COMPANY. We have experienced nothing but problems with First Payment, and their sub company VLS who are now hounding us for money that we simply do not owe. Do not get pulled in by promises of amazing service, reliability and rates as this simply will not happen. I just wish we had found this thread before the rep who promised all those amazing things walked in the door………….

  • asher

    I am furious

    I have just found out that they are keep charging me for an open account.
    before I cancelled they services, months before, I only asked to change the pricing schedule
    the account manager sent me papers to sign on
    now i see that it was to open a new account where they could charge me a monthly fee of $37.5

    what is going on?

  • Mike

    Do Not Use First Data! They quote you one price to sign you up (this is even after they review your income information) then what they charge is nothing like what they had said. I tried to call my sales rep that signed me up and he will not return any phone calls or emails. When you speak to customer service, they are rude and keep sending you over to someone else. Every time you are sent somewhere else, they ask for your verification information even though you just supplied them with the info. My guess is they try to get you to hang up and quit asking questions.

    THIS IS A HORRIBLE COMPANY TO WORK WITH!
    It was such a stress relief when I closed my account with them. Stay Away from them.

  • Lisa

    This company needs to be stopped. How can a company be permitted to rob a small business bank
    account simply because they have your bank account number in order to allow cc transactions to come in?
    Does a business sign up with them to be robbed?

    Why doesn’t the state do anything to stop them?

    First Data has repeatedly tried to debit large amounts of money from our new business bank account,
    for non-working equipment that they claim they never received, which we had sent to them FedEx.
    The first time the debit was $1,300. They tried again 3 more times, with one of those times being over
    $1,000 as well. Each time, this put our new business account into overdraft.

    It took hours and hours that we didn’t have to spare, to get them to acknowledge anything at all… actually
    hours each time… 4-5 hours at a time on the phone… not to mention the stress while trying to work on
    our new business.

    First Data acknowledged that they received the returned equipment but claimed that the account was sent
    to Collections by mistake and that’s where the problem supposedly was. After the 3rd time they tried to rob
    us, they assured us that it would never happen again. Then it happened again for one of the largest sums.

    Needless to say, being a new small and struggling business, this could have put us under each time had
    we not been able to stop it with the bank. Our bank’s attitude is nonchalant or neutral, even though it seems
    to clearly be theft. How can these companies get away with stealing money right from your account?

    • Matt

      Lisa,

      File a complaint with the Attorney generals office within the state that you live in and the state that the other business is located in. Also copy your letter and file it with the BBB. This is a very brief summary of our experience.

      As of today 8/13/2014 we have a negative balance of about $5,000.00 in our business checking account.

      Matt

      Complaint Details
      On May 15th 2014 we discovered that our business checking account was overdrawn by about $700.00. After further investigation with the help of our local bank manager we found that First Data Merchant services was labeling ACH debits as GODADDYPS DEPOSITS and had been stealing money from our business account. We contacted Fist data merchant services by phone on 5/16/2014 and spoke with Amber. She stated that the debits are charge backs related to fraud and that we should have known better when processing any of the transactions. On 5/28/2014 the debited amount had risen to $4,738.45. We then received a phone call that same day from Joe at First data merchant services stating that our account had been terminated due to being a high risk account and that they would have to absorb the amount of money lost. Joe then stated that we would receive a letter of account termination in the mail within a few days which never showed up. On 6/22/2014 we received a threatening letter stating that we need to send a check in the amount of $2,276.08 or we would receive a negative impact on our personal credit score. Since then we have contacted the local Police department and FBI/IC3.

      Bottom line.

      We were never notified of any charge backs.

      • Kathy

        Good to hear you are going after them. Keep us posted, I really would like to know how this works out for you as FirstData stole from me, too. Unfortunately, my bank was the one that recommended them to me and like a fool, I trusted them because I’d been with them for almost 30 years. FirstData stole from me and I’ve lost more than just money. It’s been over a year now since my contract was dissolved with FirstData and my customers still ask if my card reader is working. They should be stopped but seems no one with that kind of power is willing to help us little people out here. I hope you and the FBI take them down once and for all.

        Warning to many people out there, FirstData is using other names to operate their scam, make sure you research who owns the merchant service you are thinking of using. Take Care, Kathy

      • Tony

        GoDaddy had no record of these charges.

        REMOVE FUNDS
        GODADDYPS FINCL ADJ
        ACH-FED
        Complete
        -$ 50.00
        $ 122.67
        01:46:19
        6022
        REMOVE FUNDS
        GODADDYPS FINCL ADJ
        ACH-FED
        Complete
        -$ 10.00
        $ 172.67

  • Brian Felton

    I signed up with The Merchant Services in Northport, AL. and cancelled quickly when I never received the C.C. machines. I was told everything would be null and void. I recently have been receiving calls and mail from First Data that I owe them $2500 on machines I’ve never used or had possession. The Merchant Services Co. tell me there is nothing they can do either nor can they provide me with a signed slip that I ever received those machines. Not sure what to do next!

    • Kathy

      Please call your State Department of Consumer Protection and explain what has happened, they can direct you as to where to call for help, or help you. Also file complaints with the BBB, your local Police Dept., any office in D.C. That will take your complaint.
      Whenever you talk to FirstData, tell them you are recording them and please do record them as this helps you to keep your notes of what was said, etc. Good luck to you, don’t give up! Kathy

  • Craig P

    We have been trying to cancel with them for 8 months ! Their debit processing stopped working for 8 weeks so we finally had to tell them we had to cancel. I have talked to over a dozen people with various hold times ranging from 45min to 2 hours. Each time I am told that I am important and that everything is taken care of. We keep getting bills. We sent the cancel form 3 times now. And now after nearly a year, they want to send me a bill for 500 for early cancellation. What a joke !

  • Pamela

    I too have been a victim of First Data. I was going to lease the new Clover system. The lease fell through, but they had taken a first & last months lease payment, I was given all kinds of excuses. I am still trying to get my money back. The best thing I can tell you is this, if you are a small business or micro business as I am get the Square register. I did and I love it. No salesman, no hassle, no contracts, no hidden fees. They have done a lot, and they are still improving. Best of all everything is straightforward.

  • Anwar

    First Data THE MOST DISGUSTING COMPANY on this planet with rude/unprofessional employees. BIG scam- their agents/resellers like Bank of America get you into a contract stating there is absolutely no commitment and later you will find out that you are on HOOK for 5 years. I have there JUNK CC machine that I used only few months of my business and when I called them to close this account I was surprised that you can close the account but you cannot get red-off the equipment lease and I will have to pay the lease for 5 years. I do not have that business and I am not processing anything on that machine BUT I have been paying for that piece of junk First Data equipment for last 3 years. They take money from my account without letting me for other craps like fee/tax which I never heard. PLEASE if you hear the word FIRST DATA run as fast as you can and NEVER do any business with them or their resellers. You will be doing yourself a huge favor. First Data Go to HELL you will be bank corrupt one day.

  • Addie Myers

    I had requested my service be terminated and buy out my contract in Jan 2014,. The company said they would mail me information on how to return the machine. I called on other numerous occasions also and still never recieved anything to sent the machine back so they continue to bill me each month. I called on 7/8 to recancel again they rep said they would email me the information with in 24 hours, so on 7/11 i called back and still did not sent my lease agreement or information to cancel the rep said they had no record of it. yeah right, they are a scam

  • Dawn

    First Data and EMPS work together to scam people and small businesses that can barely make it. I am a victim of that scam and continue to be charged outrageous fees every month, they enrolled me in Platinum Service Programs without my knowledge which they charge even more for then their undisclosed fees that are already too high. They do not send monthly statements until I have to go through a 20 minute phone call, they have not separated credit and debits on my bank account. The list goes on and on.

  • Richard

    A new policy on annual PCI compliance fees leads to further mischief and mayhem by First Data.

    I was debited $39.95 for an annual compliance fee about three months before my current, annual PCI compliance certificate expires. These funds were taken from my bank account without my knowledge or consent. I do not utilize First Data for my annual PCI compliance but rather, choose the services of a third party PCI compliance institution. This company is more professional to work with and their fees are lower than First Data.

    Last year, First Data debited my account for annual compliance fees after I had paid a third party to certify a favorable PCI compliance standing. After a considerable amount of time and trouble on my part and following quite a bit of resistance from First Data, I was finally credited the fees they had erroneously extracted from my bank account.

    After absconding with my money this year, First Data told me that regardless of what company certifies my business as PCI compliant, an annual compliance fee of $39.95 will be accessed from First Data.

    I spoke with the company who currently certifies my PCI compliance and they indicated that there is no need for a merchant to be paying double and unnecessary compliance fees. This representative also said that once a business is PCI compliant, this certification should carry over to all credit card companies within their contract, as long as the processing is for the same business entity.

    Merchants processing through First Data received a spring bulletin indicating that merchants will no longer receive complimentary Sam’s Club memberships. Instead, First Data will absorb their annual PCI compliance fees. There is a catch, however. In order to be eligible for complimentary annual compliance certification a merchant must purchase a Sam’s Club Plus membership. The cost for this membership is usually $100.00 per year. Coercing merchants to pay Sam’s Club for an annual membership so they will not incur an annual PCI compliance fee is not only bad business deal or merchants but smacks of collusion (whether deliberate or unintentional) between Sam’s Club and First Data.

    I spoke to a representative from Sam’s Club about this and she said she has been made aware that many merchants are angry about First Data’s new policy on PCI compliance fees.

    As bad as this alleged scheme between First Data and Sam’s Club appears to be, there may be something far more nefarious going on, according to a independent firm that certifies the PCI compliance of merchants. The representative I spoke with said he thinks he knows what First Data is up to as far as PCI compliance fees are concerned. When First Data forces merchants to pay PCI compliance fees, even though these merchants are already certified through an outside, independent company, this provides First Data with an advantage when it comes time for merchants to renew their certification with a PCI compliance authority. Business owners who would otherwise sign up with a third-party company for their PCI certification will either reluctantly award the role to First Data or lose money. After all, if merchants must put up with First Data extracting money from their account with no hope of retribution or refund, why not just surrender to First Data each year when it comes time to for PCI certification renewals? Better to pay once for annual PCI certification rather than twice, even if First Data’s price is higher than the competition’s. First Data must be aware of this and their policy assures First Data will make their money on compliance fee regardless of what entity is chosen by the merchant to oversee their certification. It’s a win-win for First Data and a lose-lose for merchants who fall victim to First Data’s hijinks.

    This incident, as well as the other experiences illustrated on this forum should be a forewarning to anyone having to do business with an unethical, inept and unremorseful company such as First Data.

  • Lisa

    First Data is nothing but a scam with the Merchant Processors. Their customer service is TERRIBLE!!!!! 20 minute hold times?! Are you kidding me! There processors are out dated and often do not process cards in the proper category thus resulting in higher fees (premium, debit, reward cards etc…) They are fraudulent and do not disclose all fees. I was thinking about passing on the lease to the buyer of my business but I would still be held accountable for the remaining 2 years of the contract. To buy the contract out is over $2000. They have Wee Small Business by the balls. I am going to cancel and start filing complaints like Kathy Channing stated in this thread. First Data and other like them need to be stopped.

  • Barbara

    I too have fallen victim to First Data and their shady business practices. I was never able to process even 1 credit card through there system and they continue to charge me every month for what they say is a fee for the debt they incurred, I have gained nothing and I don’t understand what this debt they incurred is. I called their customer service and I got a lecture about if I bought a car it would be the same as my debt with them. Where is the car, the asset I would have to offset the loan. What are they even talking about they are the worst at customer service. This month they sent me a property tax charge even thought I don’t have their equipment any more and only had it for a month. I too will close my account and let this go to collections I have no other choice other then giving them money every month for no reason what so ever.

  • Gillian Cordery

    Do not use First Data. It has taken me over a year to cancel my account with them. I have faxed and mailed and called repeatedly and they still debited my bank account with monthly fee and a $151.75 membership fee. In total they took over $500 from me. They threatened to sue me if I cancelled my bank account to stop them from being able to access my money. They will put you on hold pass you around and give you other numbers to call. You cannot get a name to reference back to when speaking to the 100th person so you start from scratch each and every time you call to try to cancel. Do not use them.

  • Richard

    Here’s the latest from “Foist Data”: Security Metrics and First Data had quite a falling out about a year ago. This meant that Security Metrics wasn’t First Data’s contracted vendor to administer PCI compliance certifications to First Data’s merchants. This did not stop Security Metrics from soliciting First Data’s client base in order to extract annual PCI compliance fees from them. No matter however, since Security Metrics is more professional and easier to deal with than First Data. Security Metrics doesn’t arbitrarily yank fees out of your bank account without notice and as a further bonus, Security Metrics will permit a merchant to renew their PCI compliance for as little as $29.95. That’s noticeably less than what First Data charges.

    Since, in all likelihood I will not be renewing my contract with Sam’s Club Merchant Processing later this year, I did not want to waste good money on another year of PCI compliance fees with First Data. Besides, I am already PCI complaint with another credit card processing company that offered me a much better deal than Sam’s Club. When I spoke with a customer retention specialist with First Data last year, she assured me that if I did not intend to process any card charges after February of 2014 through the end of my contract in September, I would not have to pay for a year’s worth of PCI compliance fees.

    The problem with the pledge one First Data employee makes is the failure in finding another employee with First Data who will honor the initial promise. While having it out with yet another inept, attitude latent First Data employee, I was initially told I was PCI compliant. Suddenly, in the middle of our dispute I became noncompliant. I thought this strange, specially since First Data had to issue me a credit for attempting to force me to pay twice for PCI compliance fees on the same account. Why would First Data approve a credit for PCI compliance fees if I wasn’t PCI compliant to begin with?

    Sure enough, I obtained my PCI compliance certificate from Security Metrics and I am indisputably complient through July of 2014. I had to email my certificate of compliance to First Data twice before someone in their PCI compliance department with affirm the received information.

    In a recent bulletin, the muckety-mucks who reside within the protective ivory towers at First Data have decided to bait their merchants with “free” PCI compliance while they take away the incentive of the annual, complementary Sam’s Club membership. This is known as a zero-sum game.

    I am looking forward to giving Sam’s Club and First Data the heave-ho at the end of my contract.

    • Richard

      I thought First Data’s malicious mayhem and gross negligence had subsided, at least for the time being. Reading my most recent merchant statement however, I see that the systematic incompetence and lack of adherence to customer care continues.

      After contacting First Data about an separate issue and unexpectedly finding out they never updated my PCI compliance information, their top notch staff working in conjunction with their stellar computer records system erroniously debited my account for noncompliance fees. Coincidentally, this debit occurred on the very same day I made First Data aware of their mistake and sent them a copy of my PCI compliance certificate. Adding duplicity to ineptness, a First Data employee from their PCI Compliance Department assured me I would not be penalized for First Data’s error. First Data then proceeded to extract fees from my bank account later that same day.

      After a good 20 minutes on the phone with a “Customer Loyalty” representative and a PCI Compliance Department employee recently, I am still uncertain when my money will be properly returned to me.

      As unbelievable as it seems, the person from First Data’s PCI Compliance Department actually instructed me to forward an email I received from his own department back to the same department that originally sent it to me. This email confirmed First Data’s receipt of my PCI certificate as well as confirming my current status as complient.

      With such a blatent disregard for ethical business practices as well as the demeaning and disrespectful way First Data treats their customers, I can’t help but wonder why a major class action lawsuit against First Data has not been announced.

  • Robin Barrows

    We were saddled with First Data by our local bank when we opened out guest house in 2006. Since we are absentee owners credit cards are the only form of payment that work for us. We have been battling first data ever since over their numerous fees and security charges making the cost of using credit cards well over 6% and some months well over 10%. Their statements are horrifically confusing. The happiest day of our business lives was when we switched to another credit card servicer. It was not that hard to do and we wished we had done it years ago!!!!!!

    • Drew

      Robin, what card provider did you switch to? Is there another card provider which can use LinkpointCentral interface? CardserviceInternational PCI fees are double charging me etc. Now they charged me $27 for not using my merchant account for a month ending up in $75 of fees for not making any money for one month due to sickness and vacation. The Cardserviceinternational.com domain owner (and perhaps the company owner?) Doug Olsen is a very rude individual, who treats customers like dogs and writes insulting language to me including words such as “stupid” etc. After requesting a copy of my 11 year old contract he sends insults to me and refuses to give me a copy of my contract, yet charges me fees accordingly to a contract which he does not seem to have a copy of? They would not provide support via email and force their customer to call a phone number in USA even if I am in a hospital and on vacation overseas. This USA arrogance will damage their economy further.

  • Sally

    I have been quite happy with First Data in my many years with them so I don’t really understand why all of you are so angry. My friend showed me this site because they were thinking of using First Data like me but had 2nd thoughts after reading all the negative comments. I don’t know about all of you but I thoroughly read through contracts I’m signing and when I signed with First Data I had many questions about the credit card machine lease term as well as other fees on it. My sales person provided straight answers. Their rates are competitive with other companies but occasionally they’ve increased. I’ve heard from other business owners they all do but I just call First Data for a rate review and they lower them. This is the same as I go through for many other services I receive like phone and cable, it’s sort of annoying but really all service providers, airlines, car rental, hotels are feeing us all to death. Initially I optioned not to lease after confirming with the sales rep the part of the contract that states the lease is non-cancelable because my business was new and I didn’t feel confident I would be still be in business for 3 or 4 years. They explained to me how leases work, all leases, car, apartment, copy machines, etc. that all of those leases are non-cancelable as well, this is not a cancelable rental but a non-cancelable lease. This made sense to me! I’ve since been very successful in my business and decided to lease a point of sale system from them to help me better manage my business which I love and learned all their leases include replacement warranty!

    • Lisa

      I find this hard to believe. I too would call monthly to check qualifying and competitive rates with First Data. Nothing – their so called “Customer Loyalty/Retention Department” was a joke. They would return my call at 2 AM. Really? And they knew exactly my type of business and the hours of operation. After all, it is stated on the contract.

  • ZoiaEducator

    I am being scammed by First Data Global Leasing right now. I had a bad service from them for 6 months JUN13-JAN14 and I returned to them their credit card machine. But they are flooding me with threats to report to collection, trying to extort money for their fake electronic leas of 48 months. No small business owner would ever sigh such a lease.
    Please contact me at consign at zoiasfashions dot com. United people could reach better results against this parasites who live milking small business owners’ accounts. Please let me know if anybody here has found class action against FDGL. I see complaints from 2006 all over the Internet on them. But the fat multi-headed corporation is prospering on other people’s headaches. This is very wrong that a Consumer does not know how to fight this monster that has at least 8 addresses all over the USA. My UTube is zoiacalifornia. Please see my posts against First Data. Please join me! Thank you.

  • William

    Has anyone been charged cancellation fees or anything else to their Sam’s Credit Card from First Data for terminating their contract? I’ve just closed my account so they can’t get anymore money from my bank account but I’m concerned they may hit my Sam’s card now. I intend to terminate by business account with Sam’s Club for pushing this company on their members. I will boycott any banks or other businesses who promote them. I have also filed complaints with two online sites gathering complaints for a class action suit against First Data, just do an internet search for class action first data.

    • Kathy Channing

      William,
      I do not know what Sams Club will do or if First Data can charge your card but from what I’ve read and have been told by the Senior Legal Analyst at First Data Global Leasing, you will need to check your credit records. I am assuming they will damage your credit records via not being able to collect? Please contact your State agencies, Department of Trade and Consumer Protection under unfair business practices.
      Good luck to you, I battled with First Data Global Leasing for over a year and my bank is who recommended them to me. I also had to repeatedly go to my bank after First Data Global Leasing had agreed to terminate my contract and tell my bank to stop them from removing funds. I had to literately scream at the bank manager and tell him if he continued to allow them to remove funds from my account, that I would call the police and tell them I am being robbed and that he was in on it. Again, good luck to you. Kathy

      • William

        Thanks for the reply Kathy and thank goodness for this website. Thank you Phillip! I’m going to let all my business aquaintances know about your site and advise them to go here before signing up with any merchant card processors.

  • Bob Segal

    First customer service is the worst. I was consistently told to leave messages for any questions and never got a return call. After 3 years, I cancelled my account due to excessive fees and was told I would receive an email form to complete. It never arrived and when I asked what email they sent it to the customer service rep repeated an incorrect address. After a month of no activity I received a statement showing nearly $100 in fees deducted from my bank. When I call, I was told the account was still open and would not be closed until the form was completed. They claimed the fees were valid and I would not be reimbursed. The customer service rep belligerent, interrupting, and made threatening remarks. There is no reason to deal with a company like this when there are many good companies out there.

  • Kathy Channing

    I thought I was done with First Data Global Leasing? I’d recently wrote and told you all of how you can report First Data to your State Department (commerce, Attorney General, etc., where ever you can get your complaint heard and get some assistance), anyway, I thought I was done with them. I gave my bank copies of the letter stating that my contract had been rescinded and it is signed by FDGL senior legal analyst. I’d also told my bank that this company was not to remove funds from my account.
    The other day when looking thru my account, I see First Data removed funds and the bank allowed it!!! Might be time to go above the State and see who else is going to listen.
    Can you imagine what would happen to any one of us, if we removed funds from another account? I am sick to my stomach with this bank and FDGL. There is no doubt they both stand to gain on my losses!
    Stay away from First Data and tell your friends to stay away from them too!

  • Kathy Channing

    To all the victims of First Data Global Leasing Merchant Services ,
    I was able to get the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection in my State to help stop First Data Global Leasing from destroying my small business and my credit score of 8+. I called their office and was asked to file a complaint on line. A week or so later, I’d received a call from one of the officials in the State working for the Department of Agriculture under Fair trade practices, and he asked me several questions. He said he would do the best he could to help me and added that it could take months to years to resolve. I told him First Data was sued by the State of New York for 60 million under RICO laws and that nothing has changed, the pattern is still the same and that they could easily be sued using RICO law today. I added that I didn’t care about the money First Data caused me to loose, I just wanted the contract they made up dissolved and First Data to leave me alone for the rest of my life.
    About one month later, I’d received a letter from the Senior Legal Analyst at First Data Global Leasing stating the lease agreement with First Data would be terminated, and a letter from the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection stating that First Data Global Leasing would be put on their watch list for the next 3 years! Do not give up. file complaints with every single office you can find that will listen to you. I hope this is the end of my dealings with First Data Global Leasing and I hope this information will help some of you out there struggling with this company. Good luck to you! Kathy

    • holiday

      My husband’s small business did not survive it’s first two years. It’s been closed since January and daily we get a nasty-gram at home and to the business location from these people stating he signed a NON-CANCELABLE lease. They won’t produce a signed copy of this NON-CANCELABLE lease but they sure are adding up the PAST DUE fees.. They want over $1000 to buy out of contract. The business is closed and done with. How do we get them off our backs? Please advise.
      Holiday

  • Michael Long

    First Data is the worst credit card processing company in the world!! They don’t disclose anything!! Their fraud protection is a joke and non existent!! They cripple small business owners!! Please DON’T USE FIRST DATA!!

    • Kenneth Harris

      I was not with them long enough and encounter similar problems. First Data/ First Bank Merchant Services stole funds from my bank account and then closed my account with them. I will not rest until something is done.

  • David

    First Data is a big mess. Their customer service is abhorrent, their systems are in chaos, and I strongly recommend not doing business with them if you can help it. I fault the various managers and leaders of the company; they have their heads up their rear ends.

  • Mandy

    After canceling our contract and returning the credit card machine. We were told we could not break the lease and continued to debit our account. After stopping the draft the company continued to to harass our employees and would disclose iinformation to whom ever would answer the phone. First Data terrible choice for merchant services. Down right rip off!!!!

  • Glen

    I completed application with first data for high ticket transactions but when I tried to run a card they would not do it. They sent me a letter of more requirements to submit for a transaction , so I sent that to them . When my agent said go ahead and send another transaction through I did . that transaction was refused also. I promptly cancelled first data. They charged me $500. for early termination and this with no transaction ever going through.

  • Tonya

    This organization needs to be investigated!! As a giant bank, I think they should be held accountable to unethical practices and FORGERY! I have a very well documented case but it will be a lot of my time and resources to have any justice. Don’t get involved with this bank or do business with a bank that will sell your processing to FIRST DATA!! They are criminals!

  • Tina

    I started with First Data in August of 2013. I ran a high transaction after getting approval from the Overseas American Express, which first transaction processed nicely. My client approved the second transaction, again after approval, and First Data security officer denied the claim, took the money out of my account, which in turn put my account in the negative. I could not get anyone to help me this and had to end up cutting ALL service with First Data. It was so bad that I had to close out my business account and re-open a new one!! I am still receiving letters and bills from them. Would not ever advise anyone to do business with them!!

  • The Ratical Frye, LLC

    I signed up with Firstdata, wit intentions of using their card reader device for a seasonal food truck business in Wisconsin. The account opened in Nov of 2012 and this account was not used until I’d opened my business in April of 2013, but my bank statement shows debits for card swipes and FirsData actually removed these charges from my account. I explained that I was not open and they have not resolved this problem to date (October 2013). So they take from your account even if you are not using their service.
    In fact, this card reading instrument turned out to be a broken piece of equipment. So when I opened my food truck, my customers could not use the credit card swipe (unless it by chance worked) and the word spread that I could not take credit cards. This caused an undetermined amount of damage and loss to my business as this is a very small city and the word spread. I closed my business on five separate days (loss of income) and sat at the bank with the branch manager to try to resolve the problems I was having with FirstData. (The five days does not include total loss of time, this is documented time loss with the bank on record). Anyway, the bank branch manager and I finally got it thru to FirstData that the device was broken. They sent a new one and charged me $140.00 for everything to open a new account all over again in early July. While sitting with the banks branch manager, he realized how non-helpful the tech support at FirstData is. I had tech’s that were eating crunchy things and telling me not to worry their system would be up and running again in a couple of weeks, tech’s yelling at me for asking training questions, tech’s hanging up on me, and on and on. Very unprofessional, unwilling to help, and an exceptionally horrible experience with this service. Note, you will be on the phone for hours trying to get your machine to work and/ or at least one hour to get a question answered. I’ve lost more than a weeks of time on the phone trying to get help from their service.
    Anyway, I received the new card reader and my identity gets stolen. So I had to close the account fearing for my customers identities.
    When I had called about some charges that had occurred, I asked the tech for an itemized listing of explanations concerning these charges. The tech replied that I should be able to see the charges on the information they had sent to my email. The problem is, FirstData had been sending this BANK information tot he wrong email! Yes, my identity stolen and my bank info sent tot he wrong email!!! The tech also had said, that I had closed out my account because ‘”the card reader was stolen.”‘ I can produce all FOUR FirstDatacard readers I’ve had since opening my business in April of 2013.
    So I get the closed account statements now but they are all $0.00. yes, this is because I’d closed the account and it is inactive. I do not get the new account statements tough, they must be still going to another email? I have called at least five or six times to correct this but still have yet to see a new account statement.
    Back to my identity being stolen and the account closing…the bank finally finds a FirstData rep for me and tells me to deal with him because they are not trained for this. So July 1st, I meet a rep. I explain all that I have gone thru and this rep tells me, “You have to pay 500.00 or resign with us.” I still can’t believe that corrosion is allowed as practice in a bank? However, as dumb and stupid as I am, I resigned. I now have a rep that falls under every single complaint filed against FirstData for deceptive practices by their reps. I m in a 5 year contract, never given any otped amount of time. The signature on the contract is not mine. My business will be filing bankruptcy because of all the charges FirsData is charging me, all the time I have to close my business due to problems of signal loss, card readers not working(then I end up giving the meal away-so loss on products), loss after loss. Charge after charge…FirstData does not hold up their end of the contract. I am paying for a service that does not even work, does not help you, and now my customers do not want to use their credit cards because of knowing how bad the service is. What do I need to do? I have vocal records, papers records, and dates, times, bank records, etc. to show how terrible my experience has been…anyone where do I go to dissolve this contract and be done with FirsData? Please help. I filed with BBB, but they closed my case because I would not put my identifiable information online. This identifiable information is my new bank and merchant account information. The BBB even say not to put this info online? PLEASE HELP. Thank you, The Ratical Frye (Kathy)

  • Mary Turner

    I have never gotten anything but bad service from this company. They do not explain terms clearly and I question some of their practices. Their rates are not as good as many companies and they lock you into long term contracts by telling you that you must switch terminals when you do not want to–thus creating a brand new lease ( a fact that they fail to explain). A FOUR YEAR LEASE!!! I am so unhappy that I am thinking about switching my bank accounts from Suntrust because they are the one who recommended and deal with this company.

  • Jeremy

    I have never been treated this bad by one company. Our rep only stops bye every great once in awhile. when thing have gone wrong with our machine my wife had to call our rep was never available. when she was on the phone with them it would take 3 to 4 hours and then the same problems would happen later on that week again. Finally between my wife and customer service they had come to the conclusion the machine was bad. We received a new machine with a call tag so we sent it back. Several months later we get a letter stating we have not returned the old broken machine and we were going to be charged for it . I then called and told customer service about this letter and i was told it would be taken care of it was probably a mix up. All was said and done until this week when $895 dollars was taken out of my account without notice. As a small business that amount puts a big strain on business. When i called customer service they told me it was never picked up from my store and that i refused the call tag. When i tried to explain that we were issued two call tags one in the box and one with the driver that i told we no longer had the machine it was already sent back. UPS picked it up the day before. After several hours on the phone with both UPS and NAB i was told there would investigate the issue But in the meantime i’m out the money.

  • Jeff Wright

    My bank wells fargo set me up with new account promising to save me money from my current processor elevon. They promised me doing business with local bank would be good and that they will save me money if I have any problem I can talk to them locally. I was scammed again. What a pain in the you know what. I now hate wells fargo because of this and will never run a business account with them again. They were not saving me money processing with them as my processing rates went from 2% to about 6% with first data. Then after 4 months they increased my processing rate even more(adding salt to the wound). Wells fargo now says there is nothing they can do for me now. I signed the contract. The wanted to find out my old rates so they could make up some bogus statement that said they could have saved me $7 on my first processing when I signed up with them. Well this is great way to lose customers for ever!!!! Now I have to pay 500 to wells fargo to cancel my contract(great local bank). Then about $2000 to cancel lease with first data. Avoid these characters forever. Lying to get customers signed on is no way to business.

  • May

    Company is a scam so are the banks that recommend first data to the small businesses What’s even funnier the rep that signed us up fell off the face of the earth along with his branch manager

  • Kelly W.

    The fact that First Data locks one into a multi-year lease for a hand held terminal (FD400), without the slightest hint of flexibility, is bad business. Technology changes and the FD400 that I received over three years ago no longer is a cost effective way to handle credit card purchases. I pay a monthly fee for a terminal that I do not use. When I have contacted First Data to try to negotiate out of this lease of absurd length (5 years), they refuse to change or adjust to help the customer.

    How do we small business owners get the attention of First Data to make positive change?

  • rolland

    Just to add to the many complaints here. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH FIRST DATA THEY WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU ANY WAY THEY CAN. THEIR LATEST SCAM IS TO ADD $14.95 PLATINUM SERVICE PACAKGE TO YOUR MONTHLY BILL WITHOUT ANY NOTIFICATION.
    Also my rate increased from 1.6% to over 2.6% without any notification.
    contact the BBB and the Federal trade communications and have your attourney write them a letter , the threat of legal action is the only thing that makes them rethink their scams.

  • Sergio Moreno

    This company is garbage! I had a fraud transaction about 1 month ago. I got a letter in the mail asking me to send a copy of the customer receipt with the merchant reciepts as well or else it would result into a debit so now ii did what they ask and what do they do they put my account on hold because of that!!! Idiots never even notified me they were going to do it either way!!! Im having such a rough time with the and it gets me so frustrated talking to Liam Callahan what an a hole he didn’t say anything about it and now I’m stuck with money into that dumb account!!! Will never ever do business with first data again!! Beware new customers!! Sad part is I got to now fighr for the return of the damm machine such careless idiots

  • Dennis Young

    Please do not do business with this company or Wells Fargo their front people. The fees are too high and they are very vague about all of your obligations until you do not need them anymore and wish to return the machine. Cornerstone is a much better company and probably most any other company is better. RUN AWAY FROM FIRST DATA!!!!!

  • terri maksou

    This company is a joke! I HATE this company! First off you are stuck with a noncancelable agreement it does not state in the contract the cancellation fee of $500. When the rep tells you that you can cancel the contract you believe him. Stupid! Before signing anything you need to hire a lawyer otherwise they will screw the small business owner! Thanks! Their customer service is a joke! They put you on hold forever and hope that you will hang up as a small business owner I don’t have all day to be put on hold or disconnected or transferred over and over. I HATE HATE HATE HATE this company!!! They need to go out of business!!!!! Also when you talk to customer service they will tell you one thing and the next time something else they don’t have a clue! WORSE company biggest liars to deal with. STAY AWAY!!!! BEWARE!!!!!

    • quade

      I too was misled by first data and it seems to me that on their Facebook page they make everything look like they are a very good company so why can all of us consumers go to their Facebook page and tell the truth I think if everyone would get together on this we could get something done I actually had one of theirs service reps to tell me that she thought my rep had changed my contract after we signed. And then proceeded to tell me to take it to my attorney she was not worried that first data had lots of attorneys.

      • The Ratical Frye, LLC

        I thought this happened to me too! The signature on the current contract is not my signature. Also, I had to beg to get a copy of this contract from the rep. Unreal!!! The contract the rep finally sent to me, is not at all what I had signed up for…have you sought legal help for this?

  • P.

    We used them for a while, but their fees are really high. We called them to cancel their services over a year ago. 13 months later they are still withdrawing fees from our business account. We called to complain and they said that they will not refund our money since they did not consider the phonecall we made 13 months ago and formal cancelation call.

    Be aware of this company. I have tried to get them to refund us the fees but they refuse. Be careful!

  • Carolyn

    DON’T LET THIS COMPANY IN THE DOOR! HANG UP ON THEM IF THEY CALL! It cost us $850 to get out of our contract (which they renewed even after I had sent in a letter two months before the contract was up). Then they dinged my husband’s credit report. This is the WORSE credit card processing company out there. Nothing but slime.

  • Scott R.

    I opened up an account with them for processing credit cards for a new business venture, 12 months ago. I have also had a terrible experience with this company. From the time I met with the sales representative, and she wasn’t truthful, to cancelling my account. Unfortunately, I didn’t find out about the false info from my sales person, until I need to cancel, because they just kept taking funds out of my account and came up with reason after reason why. I only had to pay $500 to escape my contract, the contract that I was never told of that supposedly was for 3 years! I will never do business with them again. They should be investigated for fraudulent sales and operational practices!

  • sally

    I am not going to go into a great deal of detail here, but I just want to say I HATE THIS COMPANY AND WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND IT TO ANYBODY. I had a very small business, and through a “friend” who works for First Data (whom I had dealt with before), signed up to use this company to process my credit cards. I only had the business about 2 years; when I tried to cancel my service, I was told I signed a contract for FOUR YEARS and had to continue paying the monthly charge for that entire time, or pay a HUGE penalty (more than the amount of the total monthly fees). So I had to pay for four years of monthly fees.
    THEN I wanted to return my “terminal” and was told I signed a FOUR YEAR LEASE on that, which was NON_CANCELLABLE, but was told when the lease period was up, I could purchase the equipment for a “nominal fee” – which turned out to be, if I remember right, about $900 !! (this is after paying $75/month for FOUR YEARS. I feel like a fool for ever getting involved in this, but damn….. if all that crap was in their “contract” I sure didn’t see it! But who can afford to fight them at this point?
    About like the IRS, huh.
    AGAIN – SMALL BUSINESS PERSON – DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!

  • Wen

    I have the same horrible experience with this damn company . They are the worst worst company I ever seen. The representatives were super rude.they said I signed a 5 year contract that I would never do. I had never been noticed of any termination terms. I need to pay more than 2000 even I don’t use their service. So F**** crazy! Charged me 7 dollars to send me the copy of contract but never send out! So pissed I want to sue them! How can this kind of robbery company even exists!!

  • Rick

    First Data has withdrawn funds from my checking account which they cannot explain why and will not refund those funds. They total about $330.00. 2 months ago they took $500.00 and again cannot explain why nor will they return those dollars to my account. In May I called First Data customer service and told them I want to cancel service with them. The person said he would take care of it and gave me a cancellation confirmation number. Now on July9th I receive a statement in the mail indicating my account has again been charged $30.95, because of no transactions being processed. When I spoke to customer service again they wanted to know who I spoke with and that the cancellation confirmation number meant nothing to them. Please!!!! Do not allow this low life of a credit card processing company any where near your business! They are complete crooks and their customer service center is filled with ‘The Stupids’!! I just returned from my bank, who refered me to First Data in the first place, and informed them if they don’t help me I’ll move all my accounts (5 of them) to a different bank. We’ll see how successful they are . . . .

  • Jeff Scott

    I have been misled and feel that I had being taken advantage of. My name is Jeff Scott. I own a small business. I have been in business for over 26 years. I have contacted Merchant Services (First Data) many times and been told many different stories. Below is a short summary why I am being cheated by this company.
    I opened a new account at a different financial institution. I was going to use their credit card company services. A Sales person from Merchant Services call me on the telephone. The person asked me if I already have a credit card machine my reply was yes. We then proceeded to download the information to my credit card machine so it would work with their system. Several months ago I called merchant services and asked if there was any way possible to get my money into my account any sooner? Their reply was absolutely no. There was nothing they could do. A few months later another company approach me and I was informed if I switched to their company my money would be in my account the next day. Once I was signed up with this new company I then proceeded to cancel my services with Merchant Services (First Data). The merchant service Representative asked me why I was canceling their services. I told her that it takes too many days for my money to enter my bank account. The representative then told me she could move my batch time up one hour. I told her it was too late, I already switch to another company. I said why didn’t you do this for me months ago when I asked? The Merchant Service Representative then told me if I cancel there is a $500 cancellation fee. I said what?
    No one ever told me about a cancellation fee. I told her that I cannot even use your services now because I canceled my phone line. I was told that I signed a contract to this effect. I said no, I did not. I did not see a person from your company at all. All we did was download the information into my credit card machine so I could use your services over the telephone. I never received any paperwork either. I asked them to send over the contract that I signed. After receiving the contract I called them back and stated to their representative that I did not sign a contract which you previously stated. Now the person tells me from merchant services since I gave them my banking information that automatically gave my approval to their contract terms. I said you have to be kidding me. That could mean anything. So you’re telling me if I cancel you are going to charge me by $500 dollars and if I refuse to use your services you are going to still charge me Every Month for a Service Fee of approximately $25 per month? I stated to this representative of Merchant Services you are robbing me every month for doing nothing? I was told she was sorry and there was nothing they could do. I said yes you can, you just don’t want to.
    My question is how can this be legal? They told me I did sign a contract and there was nothing they could do. When I asked them to prove that I did sign a contract then they changed their story to a lame one. Now they say because I gave my banking information I was agreeing to their terms. What they are doing is stealing from me now.

  • Penny

    When I signed up with First Data I was told by Justin (sales) that we would be getting a tablet…….BS. Then I was told it would be cheaper to take cards through a Virtual Terminal then a machine….made sense since by business is a service business and we don’t need a machine. Again BS, having a virtual terminal is expensive and it takes days to get my money. i was told it would be overnight. Now I have to open another account for Virtual Terminal and Justin (sales guy) told me he would cancel the other account out…….no he did not and I was charged fees and when I tried to not only get my money back for their error they were rude, it took months I finally had to get an attorney. Then I was randomly charged an annual fee when I had only been with them 4 months not statement no warning totally pissed off…..such bad business practices, as of today the owe me a tablet……by the way I am not getting because Justin the sales guy lied……they owe me money $200 which is like pulling teeth to get, who helps the small business owner against these people. I was not surprised at all of the compliants. Help!

  • Jean Pierre Pujol

    I wished I had read this forum way before getting affiliated with FD
    I manage a manufacturing company, just in time manufacturing.
    95% of our sales are made through credit card processing.
    I rely on all my deposits to function and produce the merchandise my company sells.
    The scary question today is processing credit card 100% secured for us Merchants?
    Can we rely just on a processed APPROVAL? What does the word “approval” means to a Merchant? Approbation, assent, endorsement, consent! How safe is it? What does a processor approval means???

    My questions to you, merchants and processors are:

     Is the definition for the word “approval” up for distortion?
     Can an approval be issued by any other than a CC processor? Are we merchants being forced to accept credit cards while a formal permission is reversible??
     Once our transactions are approved, could you ever think that they could be recalled, go back into your bank account and reverse the transaction?
     If no trust exists in an approval from a processor why are we even using this system???

    Here is my story:
    Simply put, I am the victim of a client who used stolen credit cards.
    After the transaction approvals, money was deposited onto my banking account.
    When the processing card company realized about the fraud they withdrawal the full amount of the sale 23 days later including their initial fees!
    No phone calls, no emails, no notices of any kind, I received some notices from other banks 30 to 35 days later!!!
    Do any merchants realize the fraud on top of all our % frustration- leasing terminals?
    Before this happened to me, I did not fear the APPROVAL system. Now I refuse CC and I am even thinking about accepting Bitcoin. All banks sucks, they are the main reason our Country is in trouble!

  • Richard

    The most complacent, lackadaisical, inept, incompetent staff of dolts I have ever encountered, from line employees to account specialists. I absolutely refuse to renew my contract under any circumstances and if it did not cost me to get out of the one I am currently in, I would sever my ties with these jokers immediately and permanently. I consider First Data to have breached their end of the contract with me so I will attempt to say farewell without incurring any financial penalties. If they are serious about retaining their clients they can start by cleaning house and replacing these useless wastes of space with a staff that will actually work for their customers; not against them. Stay as far away from these unscrupulous hucksters as possible.

  • H. Khan

    After retiring from police department, I used my savings to start my business. After one year of unsuccessful attempt, I sold my business to save myself from further drowning. Notified First Data and all vendors about discontinuation of services. First Data was the only one I had serious problem with. Finally they sent me two boxes to returned equipment. I packed both set of equipment in both boxes and dropped off at their suggested Kinkos location 60 miles away. After 3 years of closing my business, I learned that First Data has made a negative entry on my credit report. Further investigation revealed that they claim they received only one box and not the second one. I have been trying to contact them to clear this issue with them and leaving phone messages with collections but they have not been returning my calls. I have been trying to buy a home for my family after 5 years again but their reporting has caused me denial from every lender. I am so fed up that if I do not get a response from them to resolve this issue, I will file a complaint in local court.

    • Kathy

      So how is it going for you? I am caught up in what seems to be every single complaint filed against FirsData. I have started recording every phone call and will only do email with the rep. Actually, I stopped dealing with the rep, because he has misled, lied, made promises and did another, and on and on, I can not trust him. I will be writing letters to all the credit card companies about them, also the banks FirsData is partnered with. I am at wits end with how people are treated by this merchant service. My customers do not even want to use their credit cards at my business…not sure how much business they have drove away because the card reader failed to work, have lost continuously by using this service…I am sure you know the story.
      I hope everything works out for you. If you find a way to win against this giant, let me know. Thank you, Kathy

  • Amanda

    I was with First Data for many years. The fees got to be ridiculous! 8-12% I canceled my account on 2-17-13. And now I am receiving a collections notice for 280.00. At NO POINT was I told that I owed any money to them and I was not notified,… until I received a collections notice. I tried to resolve issue and they were no help. It did not matter that I had been a good customer for many year!!!!!.
    They basically said screw you!
    No way in hell should you sign up with these folks.
    Their customer service stinks and they are only in it for the money! They lie to you
    to get you to sign up, telling you can save you money. I was NEVER contacted again
    after I signed up. NO CUSTOMER SERVICE REP!!!

    I tired to pay the fees today and they wanted a 100.00 collections fee! I had NEVER BEEN NOTIFIED I OWED ANY MONEY!!
    STAY AWAY!!!!!

    I own a well known wedding facility.

    • Mr. H

      First of all reading the complaints from all the people really hurts me. It’s like getting two black eyes to small business owners from a bully and we can’t do anything about it. This scam is no different than a thug walking into your small business pulling a gun and saying “give me all your money from the register.”

      Second I am so mad with Sam’s for letting them do this to business owners who shop at their store. I guess they get a cut from FD once business owner signs up with them. Every day I shop at Sam’s since I have a deli and every day the FD salesman pushes how much money they will save once we switch to FD. Also Sam’s advertise with low CC rates, so of course people with business will be sucker in to save money. I work hard for my money and here they are stealing from me right under my nose once I sign up with FD.

      Jan 2013, signed up with FD through Sam’s. FD salesman guaranteed me I would save money once I gave FD a try. If I weren’t satisfied in 90 days they would cancel all deals with no questions.

      First Data through Sam’s
      · 90 days try period
      · $19.95 CC terminal rental fee per month
      · Free CC roll papers
      · Low processing fee guarantee

      This was the salesman’s pitch to me before I signed up. With all the guarantees I’ve been told how bad can it get, I’ll give them a try. Well things were bad after the first bill they debited from my business account…and guess what hell isn’t over yet even after I closed my account before my 90 days try period. Salesman took off and is longer with FD…took the commission and ran, so he is no longer any help to me.

      Jan 2013, CC sales $8000, fees took out from bank account in Feb 2013 $520 plus $39.95 for lease by another company. That’s 6.99% CC processing fee. That’s over 2.74% more than my previous CC processing company.

      Feb 2013, CC sales $10,000, fees took out from bank account in March 2013 $650 plus $39.95 for lease by another company. That’s 6.89% CC processing fee. That’s over 2.64% more than my previous CC processing company.

      March 2013, CC sales $12,000, fees took out from bank account in April 2013 $780 plus $39.95 for lease by another company. That’s 6.83% CC processing fee. That’s over 2.58% more than my previous CC processing company.

      April 2013, CC sales zero. Pulled the plug and went back to my old CC processing company. Called FD to op out because of the high fees, they said ok, but the credit card machine was with someone else so needed to call them to arrange buyback. Called leasing company and they said I had a contract for 4 years and could not get out unless I pay $150 early out fee. I told them about the 90-try period the salesman promised, but they said no such thing exists. Still working on returning the CC machine.

      May 2013 fees took out from bank account $245 plus $39.95 for lease by another company. I called FD and told them sales for April was zero and they said the charges were from credit card company called interchange fees. They also told me account has been closed but there will be another interchange fee in June and perhaps in July. Well guess what people I got screwed big time. They didn’t save me a penny, mater of fact they robbed me blind. They didn’t guarantee me nothing…let’s do the math.

      Jan $8000 CC sales Fees for Jan $520 Lease $39.95
      Feb $10000 CC sales Fees for Feb $650 Lease $39.95
      Mar $12000 CC sales Fees for Mar $780 Lease $39.95
      Interchange Fees for April $245 Lease $39.95
      Total $30000 CC sales Total $2195 Fees Total $159.80
      Percentage = 7.84%

      I’m still in process of returning the CC machine so they won’t charge me every month. I’m still in process of figuring this interchange fee FD will take out in June and July. I’m still in process of figuring out a collection notice I received today (May 15, 2013) of $140 from Sam’s Credit Card Processing Dept. My other credit processing company stopped debiting my account as soon as I stopped using them after 30 days and the only thing they debited was for keeping the account open for $19.95. I kept the old CC processing company open just in case I wasn’t happy with FD/Sam’s. I went back to my old CC company in April 1st and they debit the account for 4.25% in May for my total monthly CC sales…this includes machine all fees combined.

      I must say, “Do not use First Data through Sam’s, they will not save you money. They will take your hard earned money and give you a lot of headaches.”

      Mr. H
      Houston, Texas

      ps There should be a class action lawsuit for this kind of stuff.
      Like I said this is no different than a thug coming in to your business and robbing you with a gun. Except in this case it all legal.

  • Isabella Wierzchos

    I have never been so ripped off by any credit card companies like by the First Data. They had promised me a low rate in exchange for signing a lease on their credit card terminal. The salesman took my terminal (which I owned totally free and clear). He basically stole it from me. I asked him why he was taking it and he said you would not need it any more. I later found out that the lease was signed (in a small print) for 3 years with no termination clause. I had been promised by the sales rep that I could terminate the lease at any point. He told me that I would not want to do that since I will be saving so much on a lower rate. The rate was not lower and I ended up paying $ 1,540.44 in lease fees. I have just returned the terminal and got a bill for $ 500.88 (another year left on the lease). I wish there was a way to sue them for misrepresentation and ripping small businesses off. If there was ever a class action suit, please keep us in mind. I am very upset over this business practice and the fact that they can get away with lies and thef.

  • Nancy

    We signed up with a very pleasant rep from “Payment Systems.” First Data sent us the machine. The money that went into our account immediately started falling short of what it should have been, according to the settlement reports. My boss spent hours on the phone trying to get it all straightened out. When it became clear that we could not trust this company, we returned the machine to the people who sent it, in the original packaging, and said we were canceling the contract — because they certainly weren’t living up to their part of the bargain. (Of course, when you try to do this, you are bounced from person to person — if indeed you can ever get a person to talk to you or return your call at all. And they never got your fax. The classic runaround.)

    All was quiet for a month or two, and then they started debiting us for ~$200 “inactivity fees.” We had to change our debit card number to put a stop to that. Now we are getting calls from “Lease Finance Group,” the alleged “leasing agent” we supposedly signed a contract with when we signed up with Payment Systems. We have paid over $1000 for a couple of weeks of processing, but they want the entire amount of the contract. Next up is probably “Pushpin Corp”: their collection agency.

    This has been a horrible experience. Please read what the New York Attorney General has to say about Lease Finance Group/ Global Leasing/ Northern Leasing and their multi-million $$$ scheme to keep debiting former customers — even after the “lease” had expired and the contract was void! (The Attorney General won a large settlement.)

    It’s very confusing to try to pinpoint the real bad actors here. (Omar from Lease Finance Group claimed not to know ANYTHING about Payment Systems.) My favorite review of Payment Systems on RipOff Report, or some such site, began with, “You know how you’re not supposed to invite a vampire into your house?”

    Do not let them in!

  • William Porter

    I opened an account with First Data 3 years ago, with a 3-year contract. Soon afterward my business model shifted and I was no longer going to need a merchant account.

    First Data would not let me out of the contract. My options were to pay the agreed upon monthly fees or pay the balance of the contract at one time. I spent the next 3 years paying First Data the $60 monthly fees and never using the account.

    30 days before the contract expired, I called First Data to close the account and make sure I didn’t get billed for any time that went beyond my 3-year obligation. Today, I learned I was charged a $30 fee to close the account and another $100 fee for closing the account early!

    AVOID First Data at all cost! Do NOT open an account at First Data!

  • WayneK

    I just had to send $400 to end my contract with FD today as well. I got rid of FD about a year ago and have been paying lease fees since. I went with Crescent Processing and that was a mistake as well. Now I am with Trans Tech and couldn’t be happier. I made sure that the contract said no termination fee and the equipment was a flat 200 dollars up front. Anyway, FDGL is the biggest crock next to Crescent Processing. Beware!

  • Jim Bryan

    Lots of fees, I only did about $6000 in CC volume last year and paid about 8% in fees. This doesn’t include my PCI compliance fee! I initiated the service through Sams Club, I expected lower fees. The basic rate is fine, but the interchange fees are very high.

    I cancelled last month and went to square up. I have never had a charge back and don’t need a lot of customer service. My fees under Square will be 2.75% for any card with no minimums or interchange frees.

  • Troy Mann-Linenkugel

    I was involved with bait and switch along with breech of contract from a company named Prestige Payment Systems. They convinced me that they would save me $200-$250 a month on my processing charges. I said, if you can save me that much then I will change process company. During this time I was told that the $200-250 savings would have to include a credit card machine. I told them I didn’t need it and would not use it, they replied you will still save money with the equipment and in order to receive the savings I was forced to receive the equipment. I guess I should have not proceeded, but I figure they stated I would still have a huge savings even with the machine. A couple months later I began using the new processing company and I received my first bill after processing $2700 worth of business and I noticed I was charge over $400. Now normally I pay $600 for processing over $15,000 a month. So I was shocked when I received a bill for over $400. I called and asked why I was charged so much and they replied, “that’s what you signed up for.” I stated, “no you told me I would save money and so for you are wrong and it is pretty clear I will be spending more money.” I then asked them where the $250 credit I was to receive for canceling my other processing company. They stated, “we usually wait until the customer requested it.” So I requested it; 120 days past I never received my credit and my prices were crazy. I called and cancel the contract due to breech of contract along with bait and switch. They canceled it and I never heard anything from them. Now I have a bill from First Data for over $6,500. I explained that I was involved in a bait and switch along with a breech of contract and they stated we are sorry but you leased equipment from us. I then replied that I sent the equipment back to their company and no longer have it. They are now telling me they will settle for payments up to $3,300 or a lump sum of $2500. I don’t understand why they can’t see that I was brought into the entire agreement under false information that was provided to me via another company. Since the contract was illegally represented by Prestige I am getting punished from this company and they will not settle or cancel my contract due to the bait and switch tactic that influenced my actions.

  • jeanne

    I am a small business owner. I asked our bank WELLS FARGO for credit card/check process system. They recommended First Data and rep from wells fargo contacted me. Equipment Never worked from Day 1! Called and emailed, No reply. Never used the system and sent equipment back Cancelled our wells fargo account because they said it has nothing to do with them, even though their representative set it up??? Finally, First Data contacted me saying their contract is non-cancellable for any reason and a threat to pay 5K for termination fee. Do Not Use First Data! .
    What a horrible company who must make

  • Manfred

    I have filed a complaint against FDGL with the BBB. Leased a pos system through PNC Bank, was told it was a two year lease with option to buy after one year. Cancelled lease last week after over 3 years of service and received a bill for $1500 stating I had 9 months remaining. Given the fact both PNC and FDGL do not talk to each other, nor does it seem that FDGL communicates within its own walls I will likely have to close my bank account to protect myself. Not sure what will happen but in the meantime maybe BBB can do something? I would be happy to settle but will still close my bank account given FDGL’s underhanded practises..

  • Natalie

    I am an ISO of First Data and I’m very disappointed to read these posts. First Data is indeed a huge company for a merchant to have to work through alone. If you read Phillip’s overview of First Data you will see that your experience really depends upon the entity (ISO, agent, etc.) who partners with First Data to provide the service and support of your merchant account. Although I utilize First Data as my back end processor, I really insist that my clients call our offices directly. We know our clients and we should be the first call for any customer service (terminal support, questions about statements, et al.) issue. My clients even have my cell phone number. I also almost NEVER lease equipment. Although I could make a lot of money, I just don’t think it’s fair. My clients have to sign a contract–all business is necessarily conducted via a contract. The difference with my company is that there are no Early Termination Fees. I list that specifically on the Schedule A–which is the agreed upon schedule of fees.

    Merchant processing is confusing and there are certainly people in this industry who take advantage of others. There also are professionals in this industry who are committed to fair play and solid customer service. Good luck to all and please ask questions until you get real answers that you understand.

  • Donna Mulholland

    At the time I disolved my OnlineBusinessSystems account I also closed my First Data Account, or so I thought!! FD continued to debit my account – I had to pay $27 to my bank to return the transaction then FD put me in “collections” and tried AGAIN to pull from my account. These people will NOT make good on their wrong doing!!! They arw a BAD COMPANY to do business with!!!

  • Kirk Vinchattle

    Shortly after opening my new business in 2010 a First Data rep, Ray, came in, advising that he was with Sam’s Club and that if we went with first Data for our credit card processor we would receive a free Sam’s Club membership. He did not advise anything of the terms or such, and I guess it was my fault for not asking, but I did not think there was anyway that it would cost me thousands to try to get out of the lease three years later! When I sold my business in Oct of 2012 I contacted Ray at first data who told me that I was locked into a four year lease with them and that I was responsible for paying $1200 to close out the actual first data account plus $27 a month for the remainder of the equipment lease (two years). On top of returning the equipment. They are totally unwilling to work with you nor do they care if your business closes or is a corporation. It even shows on my credit report that as “Unpaid Loan” from First Data?? They need to be stopped for predatory practices and I feel a class action lawsuit is in order. The SCAM is in the machine lease……do not fall for it!!!!!

    • mariela vitello

      Mr.kirk my name is mariela Vitello, I can’t believe how stressful this company cause for to many people, we have the same issue we open the account from Sam’s , the vendor Michael he never told to us the lease gonna be for 4 years they said we own 1636 , we open for small businesses in 2010 but we have to close cause the mall we was, is in remodelation, I wanna ask somebody can help us? Why they like to make miserable the life to another people? Is a company for credit card service is not food, cell phones, cars company cause this items is necessary to life, by the way. Please somebody can help to us give a call 504 312 1919 . my husband and I we appreciate. Now i have to said the best company for small businesses in credit cards is merchant anywhere, is a excellent service and try to buy the machine is only 200 , I cant believe it only for the ridiculous 200 I have so many problems now. Obviously in the time u open a business even is small, you have to spend in rent, deposit is the same value of the rent, plus the product. I hope a lot a people read this email and think in twice in work with first data. Do not trust in this people they don’t have any paper said the lease is for four years. We have to ask to ours friends who they are a lawyers and try to fix this problem.

    • jorge hartmann

      I am only replying to Kirk,because he has the latest posting.But,we definitely need to stop the madness about their predatory practices.

      Own 2 businesses in Canada and about 70% of my sales goes through FirstData and all the complaints that are posted are a carbon copy of my situation.

      Wrote to their CEO in Canada,ask them for a resolution and they have totally ignored me.They will not even tell me where to ship their equipment because I kept my older supplier’s equipment and disconnected them about 3 months ago.

      They were and still are,collecting quadruple charges, because they set up” location” and “corporate” accounts which allows them, to screw you and me with impunity.

      Salesman disappeared as soon as he installed equipment and will not answer e mails,nor phone calls.

      They want to collect a total of 5K between leasing charges and those phantom files that were not explained by anybody in their system

      It seems they feel nobody can touch them,but I would be willing to invest some time and money to get rid of them and making sure the retail sector knows about their obscure practices.

      Cordially,
      J

  • Robert

    Do not use First Data unless you are totally desperate and read the contract thoroughly. Always ask questions and don’t assume anything. My office was referred to the to buy computer software. They came back saying we had been approved for $125,000 dollar loan for 9,000 dollars worth of software.. Thank goodness I took my time and was consulting for 5 months in another state. After a couple conversations I had decided on 60,000 dollars to use as cash flow also. I couldn’t get an interest rate until the high pressure phone salesman finally got impatient and verbally gave me 10% rate. I asked him to try to lower it to 8% and he said he would try. He continued to harass my office this whole time trying to have them convince me to sign and have the money deposited.. I remember thinking, as I’ve been lectured many times, “if it seems to good to be true it usually is.

    Finally, he pusses my office again and sent a repayment schedule never receiving an interest rate proposal. The repayment for a 60,000 dollar loan over 9 months was 82,000 dollars.. I had my office put him on a three way conversation with me to clarify the repayment. First he said they would take a daily ach out of my company account over 400 dollars a day. After looking at the repayment amount I did some quick math and told him the interest was closer to 40%. He had the gall to try to defend the fact that he had misrepresented the product. 10 years ago I would have gone ballistic on such a perverse man and what he represented. I cant afford the energy.

    Don’t use First Data unless you really are desperate and totally understand the terms. I got lucky

  • Elizabeth Rinaldi

    I had reason to call first data today about my account and found it totally frustrating. The lady I spoke to was like a robot. She was off hand and wasn’t the least bit interested in what I was speaking about . I wanted to know why my transactions for Monday had not hit my account today Friday. For the last 18 months every transaction for Monday reaches the bank on Friday. All the lady would say was it takes between 3 and 5 days.it dosent reach us till Tuesday .So why has the transactions reached my bank on Friday for the last 18 months(. reply ) it takes 3 to 5 days and dosent reac us till Tuesday . It was like she had the same answer to every thing I asked her. We will wait till Monday now and see if it has reached our bank. As a small business we rely on credit card payments to be paid in on the correct days. I have to also said our credit card transactions were processed and paid into our bank on Thursday

  • Mark

    Avoid First Data at any cost. They suck. You end up paying over $2,000.00 for a machine that retails around $300.00. Try to buy your own credit card machine. DO NOT use First Data. My business closed and they have not sympathy. I have another 2 years on my lease and they will not let me out of it. I returned the machine that I had been paying on for 2 years. My monthly fees for that length of time far exceeded the cost….they are out nothing.

  • syed

    I bought my first business in 2011. I didn’t know anything about owning a business at that point. I went to my bank at 5/3rd to open a merchant account -My first mistake. I though my Bank will protect me since I had both my personal banking and mortgage with them. The merchant sale woman was a slimebag. She took advantage of my inexperience. She opened two merchant account even thought I needed one. Made me sign a two year merchant account contract with 5/3rd which i later learned woudl cost me $200 to close early. Then she had me sign up a 4 year contract with First Data for a terminal – $33/month. At that point I’d no idea how much a terminal costs. Credit card processing was done thru 5/3rd which was way expensive – approximately 3.5% or more on credit card sales. When I sold my business in about 1 and half year later and closed my merchant account and called First Data to cancel the contract, they told me that they can not do the early termination. I’d to pay them the remaining money of the contract to cancel or continue to pay them $33/month till the end of the contract. So a terminal that costs $169 on a open market end up costing me $1584 and the rip off doesn’t end there. After paying them the entire $1584, I learned that I don’t even own the terminal. I had to ship it to them at my own cost. What a financial RAPE!! DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH FIRST DATA!!! How the CEO of this company Sleep at night. I do blame myself for not knowing better but there has to be limit to the predatory practices of these Big Companies.
    As a result, I closed all my accounts with 5/3rd and Woudl NEVER do business with either 5/3rd or First Data ever again in my life. I recently bought another business and this time I bought a terminal myself for $169 which by the way I own. SHAME ON YOU FIRST DATA AND SHAME ON YOU 5/3RD FOR PREDATORY PRACTICES!!!

  • Dan Klein

    I have the same story as all the ones above. I was sold by one of there scam artist Payment Solutions in Loveland, CO. I signed a contract December 13th 2012. Their processing portal through Quick Services was cumbersome and required down loading transactions into Xcel spreadsheet and so forth it double our accounting work. . I cancelled my contract with Payment Solutions around February 12th 2013. and that is when I learned about the non-cancellable lease situation. At the time I signed with the sales Representative, Anthony who is a senior account rep for Payment Solutions, I ask him directly “what is the worse case scenario if I had to do an early termination”, he said I would only have to pay the early termination fee of $495.00. As you all know the contract with Payment Solution is deceivingly unclear on purpose with the relationship with First Data and that’s when you begin to not be able to sleep at night.

    I never swiped a single card!. All our business is with one primary major commercial customer who we have to key in their card number for payment. The only reason I considered the wireless card reader was in case our business grew to a point were we might have customers with cards. I never used their machine, I sent it back certified. I closed my bank account. I called First Data and they told me I had to work out the lease issue with Payment Solutions. Then we had a turn of events. Our one major customer that we do 99% of our business with switch to direct deposit on the 20th of February. WE NO LONGER NEED A MERCHANT ACCOUNT! I explained this to First Data and Payment Solutions and all I get is a run around no return calls, mail to pay or else they don’t care. How do these people sleep at night. I have documented every conversation with these guys and I am going to do what I can to give them some more publicity. Not sure our consumer protection agency’s work very well? But. I am also going to contact the credit bureaus in advance and explain the deal, not sure what good it will do but I got to try. First Data and Payment Solutions attitude is “Were SO! BIG and really don’t give a rip!” “We will destroy you! in other words the little guy doesn’t matter. I going to try to remain positive and work as hard as I can to get someone to listen. Payment Solutions! First Data! here I come!……….I not going to pay you $60.00 a month for 4 years for something I don’t have or will never every need or use! Well Fargo an Citibank are just a culpable also!

  • Doug

    Call center service could not be worse. I have used three card processors in twenty years of business. First Data ranks lowest with me overall. My independent service rep that signed me up is great. The service stops there. Call center operators are terse and have bad attitudes. Shame on them! I work so hard at customer service in my business. They don’t even try.

  • Tanya

    Sharon I own a liquor store and the same thing is happening to me some sales rep came in here and scammed me..I never even opened or used there equipment and they are trying to charge my $1500.00 I dont know what to do. Has anyone had anyone been able to sue them or get there money back?

  • Tina

    I am writing this because I am a first time business owner. On the front end, First Data was friendly and co operative. I do a lot of business overseas, which can vary from $100.00 to $25,000.00! First Data head of Risk Management Phillip Brokenbaugh was very rude, short and crude when I had a sale via phone charge from Sweden. Not only did he stop the transaction, he terminated my service! This was even after I tried to explain to him that both myself and client had prior approval to this transaction. This is not how to conduct business!! First Data should have explained and guided me thru the process. Would not recommend them to my worst enemy!!!

  • Nathan

    I would not recommend using First Data. The customer service reps do not inform you of anything until you have already been charged, billed and screwed. Then you start asking questions of why. Then they explain. It took 5 months to close the account. They collected an additional $130 since they would not confirm the proper procedure to close the account. DO NOT USE FIRST DATA just because they may have cheaper fees or no contracts. In the end, you will pay much more using this unreliable company.

  • Laurie Savran

    I have been a customer since 1998. They charged big bucks every month in addition to high percentage fees they started charging a compliance fee. I am a one woman business and there were some months when I paid them more than I took in from them. They never offered to cut back my charges until I called to cancel. I started using the Square and immediately it became so much easier and less expensive to charge.

  • Trish Power

    I started a business a couple years back so I needed a merchant account. I tried to use this one but kept having problems with them. So basically didn’t use it but they didn’t tell me I had to pay $250 for visa and $250 for mastercard if I cancelled. So now they charge me $20 a month for nothing for 4 years. Make sure you read the fine print.

    • Rachel

      I spoke with someone from this company today (although it could have been a reseller like the article says) He said it would be an upfront 100 dollar charge, 12 bucks monthly. That’s less than Paypal Pro, and I am having my issues with Paypal sometimes, but I don’t know.

      He wanted some stuff faxed, and was so aggressive in his sales approach I felt kind of like I was being railroaded into signing over my first born or something.

      Now, I have not used them for my website sales, so I can’t comment on that, only that I did decide to read some reviews, and am now glad that I did!

      Paypal isn’t perfect, and takes forever to transfer money, but..definitely less startup hassle and overall ease of cancellation, I think!

  • Robert Monroe

    I couldn’t agree with Patricia Fero more. I was told to send my machine into first data and they would replace at no cost this did not happen, this was a machine i had purchased.Several months later i noticed $300 pulled from my account for charges related to this machine.The calls were made, the runaround started several Cust service Reps, 2 Supervisors, 3 account specialist who informed me they had not recieved my machine 4 months after the fact,. had they informed me of this problem at this time i may have been able to follow the tracking#. .Fees raise, rates increase without notification.Buyer beware! As Patricia Fero stated it would seem that this organization is clearly designed to decieve and steal .Good luck on getting the same person twice.

  • Jane

    Was forced to cancel my account due to Walmart buying the land from the shopping center owner. Then I get charged 2 early termination fees, one was buried in my monthly statement which I could no longer access. Got one credited back but they refused to refund the other one even though they caused the early termination! This on top of losing our famliy business. I also noted that I didn’t save near as much when I switched as I was told I would. Overall, a very bad choice for credit card processing.AVOID SAMS MERCHANT SERVICES!

  • kurt tulsa ok

    Unbelievable…these people are still getting away with this. Cancelled my contract after the year was up and they still stole the $90.00 cancellation fee out of my account not once but TWICE. Sams Club should hear about this more often…can’t believe they are still doing business with these theives

  • Dana Gruen

    I came here to read the comments just to verify
    thoughts that First Data is a scam! It’s true that there is lying, in fact
    just today when I cancelled with them, they lied when telling me the phone
    number of the leasing company and i would have to
    call back Monday because they were closed.
    I didn’t believe her and called anyway, sure enough they answered.
    It’s small deceptive things like this that go on with
    every call I have made to FD.
    I stopped using their services and use Square even
    though my contract is not finished with FD. I love it and wish I had went
    with Square in the first place.After notifying FD that I was using
    Square, they lied and tried to tell me Square was deceptive
    and that that they will raise the rates on me and if I don’t comply
    With them then they would not process anymore
    Cards with me and it was a LIE!!! I emailed Square and
    they informed of their policies That I totally read and understood in the first place and that there would be no raise of percentages no matter what.
    I can see now by the comments here, that I am not alone and that there are many people who have suffered the same thing I have. I got into this by the recommendation of Sam’s Club. I always thought that Sam’s was a good company I can’t believe that they would be okay with this sort of thing going on.
    Now that I have been using Square, I realize how badly this company has been ripping me off.
    An investigation is in order here for sure!!!

  • sheera macfarlane

    I have read all the comments and can;t believe this company, made all kinds of promises, never delivered, cant get anyone to help me , am going to go to the rcmp here in canada, very sketchy company, horrible customer service, they need to be shut down, write letters to your state or provincial representative, write letters to the editor of your local paper, boycott this company, they are crooks, they will mislead you and lie to you, put a stop on your bank accounts

  • Justin

    Just an FYI. I have been trying to cancel my service for the past 5 months. They keep taking out their fees and require me to fax in my cancellation which I have now done for the past 5 months over 10 times per month. Then I follow up with a call and they say they have received it but another department is responsible for cancelling the contract. Long story short I am still trying to have them cancel my service and they are still taking out their monthly fee even though my business shut down 6 months ago and their has been no activity. I am so feed up with them and their lack of service I will never do business with them (if I can help it) the rest of my life.

    Justin

    PS. [Redacted – Non-review commentary]

    • Jessica

      I just opened an account with First Data in November 2012 and have had nothing but trouble with them. They have erroneously taken out $270 from my account and say it will take three weeks to reinburse this back to me but in the meantime they continue to take more fees from my account causing my bank to charge me for insufficient funds. I want to discontinue their services but they are telling me it will cost me over $240 to break with them. I am now getting in touch with the BBB to see if they can help me.

      • Niki

        Hey Jessica I too opened my account with in Nov 2012 & I have had nothing but a headache ever since…I had the same exact issue you experienced but they told me that my termination fee would be $500….they are absolutly horrible…the customer services agents are inconsistent and rude….i am going to find another company to do my merchant services with…this is just ridiculous!

  • Chad

    After almost 3 years with FirstData they want to charge me $500 to cancel my contract. Having a 3 year contract is BS, I was told it was only 1 year when I signed up. This company is a con out to rip people off. I switched to square with no monthly fee’s, no contract, and a fixed %.

  • S Mattfeldt

    ABSOLUTELY the worst processing company that we’ve ever worked with! Their equipment is shoddy and when you need to upgrade or even replace a unit that is not working you AUTOMATICALLY AGREE TO AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS! These People are nothing but a bunch of crooks! Don’t use! Stay away!

  • Frank

    A clear thumbs down. As far as this person is concerned First data is one of the biggest rip-offs in the country. Companies like First data position themselves in an industry that you absolutely need, then proceed to rip you off with overly aggressive prices that easily reach 4 plus percent. That is equivalent to 48% a year.

  • Mel

    This company is the worst company ever existed. I wish that I would have known about this website before I signed a contract with them. They have closed our account after 5 days & ruined our business> We have lost thousands of dollars. And they cancelled our Amex account.

    • sanjeev sharma

      Hello same with me just worked for 1 days and they hold my money saying is over limit and is high risky I said if you think is high risky then tell me how much money you want to hold or I can buy BONDS of said amount and hold that one but they hold my 40K without trying to find solution I don’t know what gona happen now as suddenly my business is stuck because of them im very much worried can anyone help me in this thanks

  • VRuss

    This is a bad company, opened a ecommerce account when we opened our website, all was good until two weeks later, they just shut it down, could not get a explaination on why. My husband spoke with the security area they coiuld not tell him why. He just sat on the phone and my husband had to ask several times are you still there. The only thing he could tell us is that we had to wait until we recieve the letter they wrote us. My husband asked him again you work in the area that sent the letter and you can not tell me why it is shut down the guy said once again we had to wait until they sent us a letter, the letter did not explain why. The person who opened the account for us could tell us why. He tried to reopen the account and they shut it down the second time. He told my husband that we would not be able to get an account anywhere since we had this bad mark on our record. Still don’t know why but they are the really making people look bad. Not professional at all. I guess they really don’t know what they are doing but from what I have read, I feel lucky.

    I will look elsewhere for a ecommerce account and avoid them and other companies like them. Do your research.

  • LAH

    We too our OWNED NURIT 2085 to our bank to get credit card processing. They called their credit card processor Rep which was First Data reseller. He flat out lied and told us our machine we paid $800 for would not work and got us to sign a lease on a new $1700 machine telling us that if our business did not work out he would lease it to someone else.Well we closed down our store and I called the rep sent him the info he asked for and never heard from him again. He never answered the phone or called us back.

    I researched and Staples (under $300) and First Data still offer the NURIT 2085. Our bank is supposed to be handling the situation with them so we will see. I asked for all payments for the lease of the machine be returned as the salesman lied in their bank while representing them.

    Then when I went to close the bank account there were 4 NSF charges for First Data. $500.00, 104.00, 50.00 and the 104.00 a second time. All lease payments are up to date so we have no idea why they would be trying to charge our business account when we have not used the machine for months.

    Total Crooks! We should have remembered them from a previous time when they would not stop charging us when we lost our store to a fire we also owned the machine but they kept billing us for their monthly fees after we told them our store burned down.

  • Charlie Riegle

    Has anyone had any experience with McCarthy, Burgess and Wolfe? (collection company, affiliated with First Data)
    They are threatening to get a judgement against me for owing them $$$ for canceling my contract.

  • Shane Wood

    As far as I am concerned, this company is the Spawn of the Devil. I used their stupid little machine 6 times in 18 months. I have tried vigorously to have the contract dropped. I even agreed to pay the $500 breach of contract fee but I was told that I still had to pay the $53 monthly fee even though I have sent the machine back. The contract was signed by my wife, not me, so I am going to sue the hell out of them if they try to destroy my credit. This planet would be a much better place if First Data wasn’t an inhabitant of it.

  • tim flynn

    has anyone managed to get out the contract without paying the 200 fee.
    im not talking about the 190 fee of getting and reconditioning the terminal im talking baout an extra 200 which they did not mention till i wanted to cancel

  • wyatt thomas

    This is the worst company I have ever dealt with. Got a question? Call their service line and hear how all the assisstants mailbox’s are full. When you finally get to leave a message, hold your breath waiting on someone to call you back. You will long since be dead. The only thing this awful company wants is your money. Please, I am begging you, please, do not fool with these people. Take it from someone who has learned the hard way.

  • Sue Ellen Mowcomber

    What a horrible company!!!!
    First, my small town local bank introduced us. I was presented a “Program guide” (45 pages long) and signed the last 2 pages presented as the contract. Unbeknownst to me, the whole 45 pages were a contract!
    Talk about deceptive practice.
    Things went downhill from day one and I experienced many of the problems others have reported on this site. Dipping into my other accounts to take out unexplained fees was one of the most shocking.

    I really think we need to do more than complain on a website. I have reported my complaint to the Federal Trade Commission. They don’t intervene for individuals, but they do track complaints and have a legal department to follow up on trends. Their contact information is : FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
    (FTC.GOV) 877-382-4357. If all of us would register our complaints with them, maybe we would start getting questions asked by people who have the ability to change things.
    I have found the BBB to be worthless, and the Consumer Protection Services only deals with complaints by individuals, not businesses. I live in MA, so it may be different in different states.
    My next plan is to write to Elizabeth Warren who just won the Senate seat in MA. She has worked for years to expose and control bad banking practices. (No I didn’t work on her campaign). Unfortunately, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau she set up doesn’t deal with this particular problem. I have not been able to find her new contact information yet. May need to wait until she is sworn in to the Senate.
    Finally, can we bring a class action suit? I have no training in the law, but would be interested in input from anyone who does.
    I am not an activist, just a veterinarian with a small business who, like the rest of you, recognizes when something is wrong and needs to be changed!
    Sue Ellen Mowcomber, DVM

  • anne other victim

    i also fell prey to FIRST DATA, contacted by FUNDS TRANSFER ALLIANCE with graphs and charts of how to save us money on credit card service. FTA signed us up with FIRST DATA as our lease provider,after that our savings turned into double the expense.we then contacted our sales rep with FTA and asked why ? christina jaranowski replied YOU SIGNED THE CONTRACT and still didn,t explain why she did it this way. stuck us with 4 year lease and non-cancellable.we stopped service with FTA and was contacted by BLUEPAY for a 90.00 cancellation fee,never heard of them before. now the threats from FIRST DATA start to come in about our credit history being attacked if we don’t continue to pay. we paid for 27 months to the tune of $3429.00 for a machine the honest providers charge $250-350 for. now we need to pay another $2794 to end our lease. THIS IS A SCAM-NEVER EVER LEASE A CREDIT CARD MACHINE FROM ONE OF THESE ABOVE MENTIONED CROOKS.

  • Chris P

    Wow, I am shocked by the number of bad reviews on this company. Wish I would have read before I signed up. I found First Data through FeeFighters.com, which had nothing but glowing reviews about First Data. I was sold by Karen Gallo, who did a side-by-side comparison of what our company would pay with them versus our existing provider.

    When the First Data bills started coming in, they did not even resemble the rates quoted by Karen – they were significantly higher than what we had been paying previously. I was very disappointed especially since we had changed our internal procedures in order to move the processing over to First Data.

    I have had no luck with either Karen or First Data to set things right. To me, this is an obvious case of deceptive selling.

    Don’t do business with them.

  • Kathy Williams

    Called First Data off of what seemed like a legit email from Sam’s Club with a monthly flat rate to process credit cards. Was told that it would be a flat rate of $112.00 a month…paying almost $200.00 a month now seemed like a good deal. Started giving the info. address, email etc. he asked if I use a social or a federal ID number told him federal ID. He stated just his name Prince, I asked for his last name which Khaalik googled it and the guy has been arrested for rape and battery in two separate matters, the battery just this year in Georgia! He wanted my social that’s when I went click!! He sent me an email “stating we are the top credit card processor and didn’t get there by scamming” ya right, turning them in to the State Attorney General in Texas and raising a fuss with Sam’s club over this shizzzz!!

  • Gabe

    I have to add to the list of people who will try to warn you never to get involved with this company or their affiliates. Unfortunately, Sam’s Club is selling it, and it makes them look like criminals too. maybe they are. all I know is that they will definitely rip you off. And you won’t even see it coming. Months after I cancelled the service I start noticing fingers still in my bank account taking $150 at a time for what they call a “re-stocking fee” which was never mentioned before the service is cancelled. I’ve also confirmed from FD that it is not mentioned anywhere in the contract. If you give Sam’s club and FD access to your bank account, you will be amazed at how many different entities are withdrawing money for things that were never mentioned by anyone. You will spend hours on the phone trying to keep your own money. and just when you think you are done with them, they’ll just take some more. very devious and sneaky. There is no way they should be rated anywhere near where they are!

  • Roma

    Just one more horrible review on this awful company! Everything written is absolutely TRUE!! Run like hell if approached by these people. They lie and say whatever it takes to sign you up and then you are screwed. Our little con man is named Gianni Macias with Payment Systems. Do not do business with this person. Or First Data.

  • Bretta Blanton

    This is a horrible company to work with. They are unethical and unprofessional. Their rating on BBB should be much lower than a C-. I purchased insurance for my unit (credit card machine), and they would not honor it. My unit was stolen in the mail. And, I submitted a police report and other paperwork. The agent told me that they would mail out a new credit card machine, but they did not. Every time I would check they would say that it is on its way. Then, after waiting a while and calling them back, they say they have no record of that conversation. They said they were still waiting on the police report. And, since so much time had passed, there was nothing I could do. So, I am paying on a piece of equipment that I have not had in over 1 year. And, at the end of the lease, they will charge me for the equipment- even though it was stolen!

  • Todd

    DON’T DO BUSINESS WITH FIRST DATA! You will regret it. They were recommended to me by my bank, when I opened my new business account in March of 2011. My bank is a trusted local bank in the St. Augustine, FL area. I trusted them, therefore I trusted that First Data would be a good merchant services company to work with. WRONG. They have ALL KINDS OF HIDDEN FEES, large yearly fees, and will make you jump through hoops to get improper charges/ fees removed (if at all). They will change your “contract” midstream and there is nothing you can do about it. My monthly customer service fee has gone up by 150% since I started and they say I can’t do anything about it. A “contract” means nothing if it can be changed at will. FIRST DATA is no better than any of the large credit card companies…they lie, cheat and steal. There are so many other options out there (ie. SQUARE) now with no monthly fees that I don’t know why any small business owner would choose a standard credit card processing company. It’s just not worth the extra fees.

  • Seble W

    The worst company I have ever DEALT with. I originally signed up with the sales department, KEWANNA EDMONSON, who initially told me that there was a $200 credit that would be credited once my account was set up and approved and I would receive a sams membership. Instead, this credit was only towards the transactions and the membership did not exist until 60 days later. I have emails proving that she stated otherwise, but the manager SAM CLEARE ignored these facts and ignored the situation. Customer service was very nonchalant and insisted I deal with the sales department and more fees (PCI Compliance, etc) were deducted out of my checking account with my knowledge within 1 month. This was a 90 day trial period but they gave me a hard time canceling without any fees. I followed with BBB, but there was no resolution yet “it is what it is” behavior from First Data.

    1)use of deceptive sales practices among its agents

    2)customer service is very RUDE and long hold times

    3)many billing issues, problems with products & services, and advertising & sales issues

    BEWARE OF THIS COMPANY AND SHAME ON SAM’S FOR SOLICITING THEM!!!

  • Anon

    I have worked for First Data for nearly four years. I don’t work on the merchant side, but the banking side. I wouldn’t know about merchant issues at all. It is a very large company with over 25,000 employees. A lot of large stores and banks use them as a card processor and terminal processor.

    Anyway, First Data was bought out by a private equity firm 5 years ago called KKR. They took First Data off the stock market and made it a private company. They bought us as an investment. KKR usually buys a company then sells it, gutting it first. They laid off many employees, hired idiots to take their place, many deparments are really short staffed, but they let in some hiring again. We were not so lousy before this. We have and are losing a lot of banks. I don’t blame them, I wouldn’t do business with us. I could say a lot, but it would take too much time, KKR must be evil, or someone lower in the ranks.

    With such short staffs, ludicrous management that make up crazy rules ( we are owned by people who know nothing about the business, and some upper managers are about money and not quality). The culture is awful. I like a lot of the people in my own department, but some of the other departments have some really lazy, bad attitude, weaseling to get out of work. It’s like being a dentist pulling teeth to get them to do their job. They are always saying it’s someone else’s job, or the other departments job, then you call that “other” department and they say it was the other department’s job. It’s so hard to get any help there. I’m trying to find work elsewhere. Maybe KKR will finally sell First Data to someone who is not so retarded.

  • n. l.(Red) davis

    I can completely agree this company is totally unethical i do not understand why bbb dosent give them a lower rating or why the federal trade commission doesnt fine them heavily for their untruth in the fact they do not tell you that you are entering a noncancellable contract not knowing whether your small business will make it past 3 or possibly 6 months and they want tell you until you have already entered the contract with them . to me this is a breach of contract and they should make them cancel and refund all monies paid to them on all contracts of this nature. Yes I am having the same problems as everyone else as i also returned their card reader and had it signed for to prove the got it back yet they still pull money from my account
    Red

    • Sharon

      I am sending back the terminal back also. I filed a complaint with the BBB. When I speak to them, they claim they are impartial. Impartial? I got the approval from someone in the Presidential Unit who confirmed that I will not be charged if I return it within 90days. However, it isn’t enough for her to tell me. She tells me that I have to both call the Leasing Division and Customer Service. I don’t have time for this bs. I don’t trust her. I read here that they could still ruin my credit, which I am trying to rebuild as I write this. I don’t need any problems with my credit.

      I don’t want to keep the contract because they are despicable and scam artists. They still never gave me the $100 credit they promised, and, after I cancelled the contract in my BBB complaint, the leasing company proceeds to take this month’s fee out of my account.

      I am going to close my bank account. Can they try any of my other bank accounts? Does anyone know?

      • Jamie

        I closed my account because they kept debiting my account after returning the terminal. They can’t go after your other accounts, but they will ruin your credit in a heartbeat! They need to be held accountable for their deceptive and down right criminal actions!!

  • Mary Hill

    For anyone that is using an FD100 terminal, have you ever gotten the error message Host Response? We’ve been having problems with this for a year and First Data says it is our fault. They tried to blame the phone equipment, they sent out a new machine and we have done three software downloads and we are still having the problem. The phone line was replaced and it is a dedicated line that doesn’t go through our business phone system…just comes in from the pole so to speak and is connected to the FD100 terminal. This is the same line and machine we’ve had for over two years before this problem started then they sent us the new machine but that didn’t fix it. I had searched for this error message for hours at a time on the Internet and can’t find it. Thing is, First Data is clueless as to what it is and can’t tell us why we are getting the message. After we clear it out and run the card again, it charges the customer twice which has had me apologizing way too much to a lot of customers plus the endless hours we seem to be spending on the phone with First Data getting the customer’s accounts fixed. It is a nightmare for sure. They just sent us another machine this morning and another software download. So we’ll see how long before we get another Host Response error message. I would appreciate hearing from anyone that may have had this problem or is having it right now.

  • Michelee

    This has been nothing but a nightmare…the person that signed me up and had me sign papers electronicly and said “oh I am a CHRISTIAN” in Sparta Michigan..then receiving every thing I signed was not anything he stated. FIRST DATA …do not ever go with them…what a ripoff and very missleading..very unhappy in Sparta…and NO days to read over and change my mind…what a scam!!

  • Marie

    after reading the BAD reviews about first data- it only sets in stone the same problems I have experienced with this “company”!!
    the first terminal they sent was defective- the unit was supposed to have been tested prior to sending it out- that was BS!! it did NOT work- after several calls and more more lies than I can count I received another terminal and it doesnt work either!!!
    but the kicker of it is- I was told No contract- low fees- no hidden fees- all lies- my contract was sent to me in an email but they wouldnt give me a password to get in and read the contract until after I spoke with a “rep” named KATIE- she said sign here- sign here- and only AFTER the contract was run thru would she allow me to see the darn thing- and there it was “a 3 year contract” and alot of hidden fees _ REALLY!!??
    and the company rep is about as much help as teets on a boar hog when it comes to being able to get anything resolved- they are taking money out of my bank acct every month- even though I cant use the terminal and have not processed any sales thru this company-
    How can a “company” like this be able to stay in business? Free enterprise??!!?? but at whose expense??
    I am a new start up business and I cant afford rip offs like this-
    I am totally disgusted with the total experience with First Data

  • L. Nichols

    We signed up with First Data through Quick Books as we decided to change accounting programs from BusinessVisions. There are no cancellation fees, equipment, batch processing etc. It’s all done through Quick Books program. Then comes the problems. If you are over the estimated sale, the sale is held for 20+ days. You keep sending them information and it gets bounced from department to department. This happened several times. We had both Mastercard and Visa and I cancelled in writing the MC account because it wasn’t used. No problem in receiving cancellation forms and this was faxed to them with confirming email. Easy? No way. They cancelled the Visa account and someone hand wrote on the top of my form that it was Visa and not MC. Fortunately, had copies of emails, faxes etc. Took 2 weeks and many threats.

    At one point I told the fraud department that if the sale money was not in my account on Monday (after almost a month) that I would call the police department and report this as fraud. This happened several times. They said they didn’t want to release the money until a credit check was done on the company just in case there was a chargeback so that they would get their money from my bank. We started in business in 1929. I’m going back to Moneris.

    We are almost finished for the season and I will cancel through Quick Books and NEVER use them again.

  • Arthur

    I have been taken by this company. My bank who has a relationship with this processor recommended that I go with them. A bad mistake my fees were never so high. This is a unbelieveable business and you have to watch every charge that is coming your way. I am going back to my old company appstar. They have never really done me wrong. I now have better rates and a direct line to customer service.

    • Scammed by

      So i was referred to First Data from the google wallet program. The sent their rep to us and signed us up. I asked the guy if there was a contract or termination fee and he said no and its waived because of the google wallet program we were signed up under. I find out couple of months later that we were in fact locked into a 3 year contract with a $500 termination charge. Now I call back the same rep that set us up and he said we were putting words in his mouth.

  • n l red davis

    I also got took in by these people noe i get invoice telling me my charges for the month some around 45.00 and others aroud 65.00 with no transactions as i cancelled my ecommerce site . i was lso told y contract was for 2 years and non cancellable after i found out that it was also was told how much a payout would be to cancel totlly agree they are one big scam and should be put out of business and forced to rfund all monies to anyone whom they didnttell upfront they were getting into a long term contract. as i stated in my letter i sent them i ould have never ageed to anything had i known the truth at the beginning. because i had similar problems with sprint when i could no get them to correct service problems yet had to continue service with them for remainder of 2 year contract which is totaly unfair my thinking here is our government regulations is guaranteeing them a two year or more years income whether earned or not

  • Seema

    I should have looked at this before signing up for this horrible service 2years and11 months ago. We were paying extremely high rates and processing fees for all credit card transactions. We found a more reasonable company. When we went to cancel (20days shy of our 3 year contract.) no one told us that we would have to pay a hefty termination fee, tried to find out why we were switching, etc. Their customer service was very unhelpful, unwilling to work with us as small business. Furthermore their PCI compliance was a very difficulty challenge for small businesses. Within one hour we would get conflicting emails that we were certified not certified. Our IT side could not keep up with their constant barrage of questionnaires and it was getting expensive for us to keep having to pay IT to to this. Overall think about the hidden cost of business such as rates, processing fees, termination fees, PCI compliance and IT cost when signing up for them. Do not recommend them

  • Sandra

    WE had worked with THIS company for year.. ONE charge back of $7000 from a client where we had to go into arbitration .. and where we WON the case.. AND they have not given us the month which is rightly ours.. THE phone calls since July 09, 2012.. till now is like a circus. No ONE knows what the other is doing.. BUT they see that we won that arbitration. and they can not give us any proof that we one because “mastercard” won’t allow it but they see the money was released.. WHERE they don’t know where..

    Such chaos.. but someone has our money.. I don’t trust them.. USING Square is a far better way to process cards.. MERCHANT companies charge for everything.. and when there is a chargeback.. watch out.. you have not rights.. even if you win..!!!

    There is no 2 same person to handle the case.. always have to call back.. its a scandal!!

  • Gail malinowski

    After dozens of phone messages, dissolving my company last year and returning the equipment I have yet to talk to anyone. THIS IS THE WORST COMPANY I’VE EVER DEALT WITH!!!!!!! OR FOR THAT CANNOT GET A HOLD OF ANYONE TO ACTUALLY SPEAK WITH. Month after Month I keep getting billing statements. I keep getting looped back the the same extension that is just a recording. This company deserves a Class action Law suit. We should all ban together to put this terrible company out of business!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Mac

      Why are you trying to contact them? That is what they want. Don’t waste your time. Don’t answer letters don’t phone they, if they can’t get any money they will quite sending you bills. There is a place in New York that you send the equipment. This is where I sent equipment:

      FDGL Terminal Returns, 1307 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY, 11747

      We sent them a cancellation notice then sent the equipment both by registered express with tracking number so we knew they had received them.

      • Virginia

        Hello,

        Thank you for sharing your information. My husband is unfortunately having problems with this company, luckily for him after many many phonecalls he got his money back on his account, but now he is stuck with the visa machine, we will send it to NY to the address you shared before but my question to you is if you were still getting billed, we got a letter saying that his account is NONCANCELLABLE how did you fix that? did you just ignore it ? do they still send you bills? how long you´ve dealed with this?
        Any extra info would be much appreciated.

        Regards

        Virginia

        • chris

          You can send the equipment back, but they are still going to dink your credit rating for failing to honor your contract.. I now have to wait until 2015 before it’s taken off my TRW.

          First Data has 35 different companies umbrella-ed under them. I thought I was leaving only to be caught-up in their non-sense again.

          Here is what I’ve learned:

          DO NOT give them any back payment statements. A legit processing company will be able to stand on it’s own without looking at other companies.

          If the company can not or will give you 24/48 hours to look at their contract, via fax or e-mail, before signing…..walk away, it’s a scam.

          Spend the money and have a lawyer or your accountant look at the contract. It’s a contract and it’s your business. If they want YOUR business…..they can wait.

          I hope this helps…..

  • Sharon

    I got my situation with First Data cleared up through the BBB, believe it or not. First Data told me that I can get out the contract within the first 90 days with no penalty so I am considering it after reading the nightmarish stories above. I am concerned that if I stay with them, there might be bigger problems down the road. My advice to anyone–do not get involved with First Data. They are scam artists.

  • Craig

    Their customer service is the worst I’ve ever experienced. I can’t believe that the Better Business Bureau gives them a high rating because it isn’t deserved. My ecommerce company got shut down for a week without any notice. We had tons of money in our bank account and owed $97, but it still took a full week before they let us process payments. Despite sending an official letter from our bank and offering to pay the fee in any possible method (wire, ACH, written check, cash), it still took a week of bureaucracy and dozens of phone calls. I just found out that part of account is still frozen because they didn’t have the letter from my bank on file. Just had to resend it to them (two weeks later) and make several more calls, but still don’t know when this will be cleared up.

  • RLD

    stay away from this place. they give you little to no information and they keep charging and charging and charging you . My lease was up and they sent me no information stating it was up with my options or anything. I guess they would have just kept charging me forever. When I called about 7 months ago, they told me I could buy the machine at the end of the lease for $96. When I called today, they said it would be $145. I told them I was just going to send the unit back and he was very short with me and said he would email me the info which I haven’t gotten yet. I was hooked up with them through Sam’s Club with my thinking being that Sam’s was legit and they would use legit people…evidently not true. beware!

    • Bet

      Did you ever get an address to return the terminal to? I am going through the same thing right now. Said they would email me the address to return it to and nothing came from them!

  • Tony

    Well this thing with First data just keeps getting better, after being told to only speak to there legal department because I was CC’ing copies of my emails to them to my Attorney , He wrote to them on the August 2nd 2012, he then received a letter back from one of there Senior Legal Councils on August 8th saying that they would respond within 2 weeks and to refer all correspondence to him.

    Well it’s now been how many weeks and my Attorney has not heard a word, so it’s doesn’t matter whether it’s there customer service or there legal department they act the same way.

    There is something going on that is very fishy within First Data and as my father always said “If it quacks like a Duck, If it Walks like a Duck then IT”S A DUCK…!!!”.

    They really need to be investigated by both Sates and Federal Attorney Generals, they are playing trick with other peoples moneys and destroying businesses.

  • Don Wrenn

    I am with you. I have the same issues, they are charging me fees that are not in my contract with them through sams club. I too am filing a compaint with sams club, BBB and anyone else. Keep me informed .

  • William Neville

    I delt (PAST TENSE) with First data about 2 years ago. One name pops to mind M A R P H I E (Marphie)
    She was the “security checker person thingy” that checks validity of you charging the customers.
    We were referred by Suntrust Bank and approved no problems asked, stated, implied or anything of the sort. I am not even referring to their rates, fees, or anything like that.

    Like normal, we run daily batches got our money (didn’t have any problem there). In my business (Wholesale) I do a few trade shows a year and have a few larger than normal transactions (number of transactions). The minute we had over 5-10 grand for deposit….we get a letter (a week after a deposit should have been made) that all the funds are being held due to a chargeback (only one I have ever had i might add) on my credit report. Marphie (I hate the name now, not that I have ever herd it before) for us to confirm a few of our transactions, we gave all the proper signed documents within minutes….but that wasn’t enough. She (the only one in the entire security dept) deemed that we were a risk and all funds must be held for 6 month before being released, yet I was able to provide everything requested. She went as far as calling a few of the card holders ( HOW EMBARRASSING @!!!!!!! for a luxury company image to get a call to confirm charges, not from their bank, FROM MINE!. That makes anyone ask themselves “these people must be crooks if their bank is worried about them and obviously doesn’t trust them)
    I was roped in the contract, thinking nothing was wrong, but actually they should informed me that I could possibly be reconsidered pending whatever crap excuse they want to make up.
    We were also forced into continuing to use them so we could secure funds for the orders that needed to ship. All the while First data is making interest off of the funds that my company works Very Hard for.
    It took threats and a favor from my friend (a lawyer – hes not my best friend) to have them release a PORTION of the funds. I took what I could get, and eventually got (6 months) the 10 grand held ransom (or in off shore interest bearing account – 300-500$ I assume they made….or should have)
    DO NOT use them, there is really nothing special between them and other companies out there…really look…there is no difference to the average merchant.

  • stephanie

    This company is fraudulant. Opened my business 06/16/2012 around July 10th 2012 Veronica with First Data contacted me asking if i would like their offer. She provided info, no contract, no monthly fees etc. She then had Katie which is responsible for setting up acct call me. I informed her that i must set up a banking account to have the money depoited from them into my account. She ask if i had a relative or friend that i could trust with my money and i said i can trust my mom. My mom gave permission for them to DEPOSIT into her account, NEVER was anything supposed to come out of her account. She emailed me the application and walked me through it having me initial MY INITIALS (not my mom) on the bottom we agreed for the money to be deposited into my moms account. The very day that the machine arrived i noticed it was labeled in my moms name. I called them and they told m it was a mistake and that the account is in my name. I asked if the machine was ready to be used and was told yes. But then Katie called back nd said not to use it yet because she didnt want them to put a hold on my funds and since funds would be going into my moms checking account they needed me to fax them a copy of MY MOMS ID and social along with a letter agreeing for funds to go into her account. THAT THROUGH RED FLAGS UP! No way did they need her information. I called again and spoke to “who claimed was a supervisor” i asked why the machine came in my moms name and not mine and he said it was a mistake and Katie would call me to correct it and to allow he 24 hours or so. I waited for a call and she never called. In June they took 10.00 from my moms account. They werent supposed to take money out. I called bck again and again.. In September they took 19.96 out if my moms account. I then called upset with them because money is only supposed to go into the account not be taken out of the account. I spoke with any different people some VERY RUDE. hey then told me the account is in my moms name and legally couldnt talk to me. BUT STILL DID!! I eventually had my mom speak to a rep and she said the call was being recorded then security purposes and asked for her social. My mom began speaking her social when his rep said “let me stop you right there” That is not the ss number. My mom told them to try my social since it was supposed to be in my name. They did and it matched. She put me on hold to cancel out the account, appologized and then the phone went dead. I began looking at my email and found a number for Gloria Johnson so i called her. She was VERY VERY RUDE! She claimed that theycould press charges on me for fraud but wasnt going to do that BUT I HAVE to pay them 250.00 right then or by morning they were going to be taking 1,474.00 out of my moms account, filin charges on me for fraud. I began crying because this account belongs to my mom and i only agreed to have money deposited. I began crying and explained i did nothing wrong GLORIA JOHNSON -First Data Rep/ Global Core Solutions agreed that it looked like i was only trying to set up an account for MY BUSINESS but their rep mislead me or didnt do something right on her end BUT VISA & MASTERCARD WOULDNT SEE IT THAT WAY.. I have never used this equipment for this purpose. I wanted to protect myself from anything bad happening when i am just now trying to tart a VERY SMALL BUSINESS.. Ok so te rep tells me she can see it is clearly their fault but im still responsible? How in the world does that work. They say Global Core Solutions is First Data And there is no contract but now Gloria Johnson says there is no contract with Global Core Solutions but their is a contract with the processing company huh??? I dont understand. When asking if i should contact an attorney she GLORIA JOHNSON told me “dont thraten to contact an attorney ecause we are the LARGEST CC PROCESSING COMPANY IN THE US AND WE WILL TURN AROUND AND SUE YOU AND YOUR MOM” I cant believe how this company works.. They made a mistake and they want to put it off o someone else. I did call after speaking to Gloria Johnson on 9/7/12 which told me that Gloria cant do that but cotacted my moms bank and closed account out to make sure because OUR experience with this company has been poor and we dont want their services. I have a witness that also spoke to Katie which informed him that if we were to recieve a laptop or ipad that would lock us into a 36 month contract and my husband explaned we didnt want that becase we didnt know f this business would make it considering we had just opened and she said we could return the machine anytime.. The account should have been in my name and not my moms and it is not ok to make others pay for your employees mistakes and scandalus ways of setting up accounts.

  • Sharon

    Does anyone have a good contact at First Data? I never get the same person and they NEVER return my phone calls or email. I

    just filed a complaint with BBB and am about to write the CEO of First Data a letter. I am also complaining to Sam’s Club and every consumer agency I know of. Any other suggestions would be helpful. I want to cancel my contract with them but I know they will start taking money out of my account.

  • Barry Stevens

    This is a bad unprofessional company! Wrongly charged my account for services never rendered! I am having tremendous difficulty getting the charges removed even though I talked with a superevisor on 2 occasions. Supervisor said the charges would be returned….but I am still having to keep calling back!

  • Sharon

    I recently opened an account with First Data. They scammed me into opening an account with them, promising all kinds of things and then coincidentally the sales rep is no longer with the company the next day. Each time I try to talk to someone they tell me that they are taking care of it, and will call me back with an update. I was promised a $100 credit on future transactions if I opened an account that day, which unfortunately I did. First Data proceeded to withdraw my first monthly fee from my account, and in addition, withdrew another $89 for transactions, never honoring my credit. I have emailed them and they don’t respond. I have tried to call them back to find out what is going on and they won’t give me the person who I initially spoke with who was supposed to take care of everything.

    I am reporting them to every known consumer agency I know of. I wish that an attorney would file a Class Action suit against them. This company is despicable! Thieves! Do not ever do business with them.

  • Patricia Fero

    Never in my life have I had such a horrible experience with any organization. The run around and outright lies I experienced in my efforts to cancel were beyond description. After countless phonecalls and assurances that I was sucessful in cancelling all my involvement I found $375 taken out of my account 6 months later. This organization is so clearly designed to deceive and steal money from people is like nothing I have ever seen in my life.

  • Melissa

    I wish I had read the reviews before working with First Data. HOLY MOLY is all I can seem to think to sum up my experience with them. I don’t understand how they are still in business. The customer service here is non existent. STAY AWAY!!!

  • neubrondavis

    just want to warn everyone FIRST DATA is a completely fradulent company what ever you do dont sign up with them or you will regret it as they wil not tell you you are entering a contract for a specified 3 of years nor will they tell you its non cancellable

    • Frank Reynolds

      This is a rip off! As careful as I thought I could be, we signed up for Bank of America Merchant services via their online chat. I was shocked to see a contract come in the mail from First Data requiring us to pay $27+ per month for 4 years! A contract! We had no idea that there would be a 3rd party involved. Bank of America never told us, yet they also wanted their monthly fees. This is very deceptive. I wonder if there is a class action suit filed yet??? If there is, I would like to be involved. I am very disappointed in the whole mess and trying to figure out a way to end this contract. I have all my backup emails from Bank of America and none of them mention First Data, a contract, or additional fees.

  • neubrondavis

    I joined up with first data in may and did not find out until july that it was a 2 year contract as their rep did not mention this at all I feel this should be reason for termination without any recourse and said contract should be null and void from onset they are surely company orientated and care less whether you are a customer or not the should be stopped from doing business completely and have to refund any and all customers in full whatever you do not sign up whth this company or you will regret it they are very crooked in their dealings

  • Jennifer Burke

    I originally signed up for First Data Credit Processing through Sam’s Club at the end of 2006. We were supposed to get our Sam’s Club Plus Membership for free. Unfortunately, every time our membership would be up for renewal…for some reason First Data was not paying it and I would just pay the fee, instead of jumping through the hoops to get First Data to pay for it. Well this has continued for over 5 years now and after several visits from “other” service providers this last year…I decided to attempt to have some of this money re-imbursed, especially since they make a lot of money (fees) off of my hard work. I would call and talk with someone who would tell me to wait for a month and then go to the Sam’s Club Member Service’s Desk to receive compensation. After attempting this, I was told sam’s club is not responsible for this that I need to contact First Data. So I talked AGAIN with someone from First Data who said that they would need to see copies of payment records for re-imbursement and fax them in. So, I called Sam’s Club to have these documents sent to me since I don’t drive but was told I would have to come back to the Member Services in person to get these documents. Back at the counter in Sam’s, I am told that I could only receive the last 2 years of receipts for my membership renewal fees. I took these home and began trying to fax them to the fax number I was given, which for 2 whole days would not answer. I called First Data AGAIN, and after being on hold for quite a while, I was told that they could not locate the employee I spoke with…but they gave me ANOTHER fax number to try…and AGAIN NO ANSWER! When the woman did not receive my fax…she did call and leave ANOTHER fax number on my answering machine, which finally went through. After a couple of weeks and no contact from First Data, I called AGAIN. I gave them the name of the first person I had spoke with about the re-imbusement and asked if I could speak with him. This time I was told that he does not have a direct telephone line, but that they would e-mail him for me asking him to contact me. AGAIN I heard nothing! So, another couple of weeks go by and I call AGAIN, this time I am told that this person does not exist…but they will transfer me to the Presidential Department since I have had so many problems-but I would have to leave a message and they will return my call. I was so thankful that this woman actually returned the call. She told me that it was obvious that we had been paying for our membership all of these years, since they were not and that she would get back to me. I was so hopeful! Then to my disappointment, she called me this morning and said that their promotion for this FREE Sam’s club Membership was not offered until 2011 and that that is why I didn’t receive this offer. I told her I knew for a fact that that was wrong, because it is one of the main reason’s we signed up. Her reply to me was “Well then, why didn’t you try to take care of this before now?!”! I am shocked! I have a small business and I am my only employee and I put MY customers first! After buying the business, growing the business, and last year buying a building for the business and moving the business…I FINALLY HAD TIME TO TAKE ALL THESE STEPS JUST TO BE TOLD A LIE! I NEED PROOF THAT THIS HAS BEEN THEIR AGREEMENT FOR ALL OF THESE YEARS IF ANYONE HAS THIS PROOF…PLEASE CONTACT ME! It says right on First Data’s website that they “PARTNERED WITH SAM’S CLUB OVER A DECADE AGO”, AND NOW THEY ARE CLAIMING I MADE THIS UP! These people work for a HUGE company with so many people that they can’t even locate the ones they have! I have only ME! Me to do the ordering, cleaning, inventory, paying the bills, helping customers, facilitating groups, doing advertising, updating our on-line presence, dealing with the city requirements for the business, dealing with accountants and sales tax…etc.! And they wonder WHY I hadn’t taken care of this until now…just read the above description of what this alone required! Not to mention handling, any so-called “NORMAL” life with family, friends, pets, groceries, etc. I consider this FALSE ADVERTISING AND/OR FRAUD! If I made a promise to a customer and did NOT keep it…I would be out of business. The ONLY WAY MY BUSINESS HAS SURVIVED UNTIL THIS POINT IS OUR INTEGRITY AND OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE! I would appreciate any documents that PROVE THIS AGREEMENT! Thanks for any and ALL assistance. The last 2 years of receipts for my membership add up to $225.00 x 3 (for the last 6 years total) adds up to $675.00, which is a LOT of money to me! With Gratitude~

    • Tony

      Hi Jennifer,

      All I can say to your post is “WOW” that was one hell of a post and that really says it all, First Data won’t pay it’s obligations but has no compulsion about withdrawing monies from others accounts to meet there’s.

      I guess there is a new word now to add to the First Data Vocabulary, that is Hypocrites to put it mildly and I am trying to be a Gentleman here.

      I wonder how many others have the same issue and like yourself have just paid the Sam’s Club Fee’s, I would suspect that you are not alone on this one.

      If you still have the original documents may I suggest that you contact your States Attorney Generals Consumer Affairs Department and put in a complaint on both First Data and Sam’s Club…???

    • neubrondavis

      yes Jennifer they will not ever tell you the truth and definately do not tell you you are entering a contract for a specified # of years then when you find out they wll not cancel contract instead will offer you a buy out amount instead in my case they told me it was $46.00 per month for 2 years however they would let me buy out (payoff and end contract for $1553.99 when you take $46.50 x 24 mos this comes up to
      $1116.00 not &1553.99 so you can see they are totally unreliable ann untrustworthy

    • Kathy Channing

      File your complaint with the Department of Trade under unfair business practices in your State, and then ask them who you can file with at the Federal Level. File complaints online, make calls at State and Federal levels and complain everywhere you can about this First Data company and how they are operating and practicing illegally. they took money from my bank account before my business even started. If you or I did that, we’d be in court and sent to jail. Why can they get away with this and all of what they are doing? Just keep screaming and someone will finally listen. Contacting the State Offices really helped me and I hope it helps you. If you have the 300.00 bucks per hour to pay for a lawyer, you could probably sue them under RICO law. Good luck to you.

  • Diane

    Wow… surprised to see I am not alone in this case. I signed up with first data merchant services via Sovereign Bank. Definitely was mis-informed from the start. My merchant account was for 3-years and was told that I may cancel it if not totally happy with it. At the time, I didn’t know the equipment leasing was for four-years. I cancelled the merchant services as the fees kept on going up after 3-years, and later found out there is early termination for the leased equipment so I paid for the 4th year and blamed myself for being too trusting and not reading the lease contract carefully. Anyway, the lease finally ended in June, returned the equipment, and was shoked to see the monthly charges still coming through the bank account. I called the leasing company, and was told that they didn’t receive the key pad (the fact that I returned everything). I was told to call back in 2 days by one rep and a week by another rep or I can settle the case by pay another $75 on top of the $125 they took from my account. I refused to pay the $75 for something that I am not using or have and demanding the refund of $125. I filed a compliant through BBB, and very frustrated!!!!

    • Tony

      Hi Diane,

      Well as you can see you are not alone when it comes to First Date, I just made a suggestion to Jennifer in the post above, try contacting your States Attorney Generals Consumer Division and fill a report. They are usually very nice people and they do follow up what on reports to them.

      You might be surprised how quickly First Data react when they are up against the resources and powers of a Government Department , I believe that now have a central data base now that they cross reference with and if they smell a rat they can always call in the FBI (the BBB really is a toothless tiger),

  • Colleen

    It is amazing that a company like First Data does not have fax machines that work – when you want to cancel your account. Twice they have told me that they DID NOT receive my faxes. Which by the way put my account into another month – fully charged. I would NEVER recommend this company.

    • Mac

      The only way to deal with “this company” is to send everything by registered mail. Everything we sent to them went registered because from what we have read they will say they didn’t receive the notice.

  • Tony

    Well as I read these posts I lean something every day, I never realized that First Date was involved with Pivotal Payments. We actually changed over for a period to Pivotal Payments and had similar problems as we we have had with First Data not realizing that they where in fact the same company and an Attorneys letter sorted them out very quickly.

    I suspect it was sorted out so quickly because of stronger regulations within the Canadian Financial System, but there modus operandi (method of operation) is exactly the same as First Data. As the penny has now dropped, it will be very valuable information for my Attorney and how he proceeds, he felt that there could be a class action against First Data in his GUT and I suspect that this information will assist him in both his negotiations with First Data and how he proceeds further.

    The one thing that online merchants should also be aware of is what damage First Data could be doing to there online reputations by the completely unregulated and unchecked websites like Scambook,,

    I would strongly suggest that you watch a Video that every one should see regarding Scambook and here is a link to it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfjJEw-UME and make up your own minds (personally I was shocked to say the very least).

    I verily feel that we all should be very careful with the card merchant services we choose and this site https://www.cardpaymentoptions.com really is doing an fantastic and invaluable service to both online merchants and small business in general.

    Information is power and Card Payment Options are empowering us all to share our experiences and make informed dissensions on who we do business with, personally I can’t thank the owners of this website enough for the genuine service that they are providing…:)

  • Chris

    Dealing with their pitiful customer service now. They are holding over ten grand in closed out batches of mine. No one can tell me why? It being investigated..ha…ten days and nothing…I call two – three times a day….waste a couple hours a day talking with these incompetent people. Shopping for new processor.
    I get to do it all over again tomorrow. I have become an angry customer. Will scream don’t do business with first data as long as I live!

    • Tony

      Well Chris,

      As you read these pages (and others around as you do searches) you can probably see that you are NOT alone, as I always say get an Attorney and let them lose of them, However the more that I read about there business practices I am thinking of a “Class Action Law Suit” might be the order of the day, there are just too many people that seem to be effected in the very same way for my liking.

      But I am not an Attorney, but if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck then it’s a DUCK>>>!!!

    • Hans Schweitzer

      You are NOT alone. They are holding close to $18000 for products we shipped already. Not to be enough, two days ago they EMPTIED our bank account for other $20000 on five consequent charges in less than a minute. Getting an attorney and ready for a lawsuit. We gave them tracking numbers for all the products and contracts from our wholesellers. Stay away. They are a scam.

    • IB

      Words could not explain my frustration with First data. I have received nothing but horrible service and i have lost a lot of money thus far for a service i never received. It has been a huge struggle and i am looking for a new option. Everyone has there pros and cons, but i seem to not be getting any assistance for quite some time now. Very hard to deal with.

      • Mac

        As other people have said, “close your bank account and get another company.” If they can’t get any money, what can they do to you. They are good at threats. This company with it’s track record doesn’t have much credibility. If you keep paying them they will take more.

  • joe pitz

    So I’ve ignored first data/pivotal/axxess attempts for contacting me by blocking their phone numbers and now first data has sent me a letter through the mail saying that they can’t withdraw money out because my account is closed.(i changed my accounts) It also states that their lease is non-cancelable and my credit could be ruined. I’ve put a link to my letter here. [IMG]https://i47.tinypic.com/eufuw4.jpg[/IMG]

    I was thinking of just ignoring this letter as well. They sent this letter to my business location and home address ( dont know how they got my home address). So do you think I should just ignore this or take some kind of action?

    • Tony

      Joe I honestly don’t think that ignoring First Data is the right move, they seem to be afraid of Attorneys and I am sure that they have a very good reason for that. I would recommend that you contact an Attorney. I have a funny feeling that they may have been doing somthing very wrong that may get them in some deep trouble possably even a “Class Action” Law Suit….!!!

      First Data started to run when I was just doing C.C copies of my emails to First Date also to my Attorney and that tells me that there is something deeper that First Data is trying to cover up….!!!

      They seem to have hurt a lot of small business people from what I am reading and if they are eventually it’s going to catch up with them in a BIG WAY..!!!

    • Mac

      We also have been duped by Axxess Payments, Pivotal Payments and First Data. What we did was get a lawyer involved. We then sent the whole mess to the government which over-sees that they play by the rules. This agency can’t get you a refund but they will get them off your back or out of your life whichever suits.

      Financial Consumer Agency of Canada | Agence de la consommation en matière financière du Canada
      [email protected]
      Telephone 1-866-461-3222 (toll free) | Téléphone 1-866-461-2232 (sans frais)
      Facsimile | Télécopieur 1-866-814-2224
      Teletypewriter | Téléscripteur 1-866-914-6097
      Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada

      They will tell you what you need to do.

      They also threatened to ruin our credit rating.

      We sent them 2 cancellation notices to First Data. The first one they ignored and kept sending collection notices. Then they sent a notice that we owed then $4,000 plus. So then we sent a second cancellation notice. They have an office in Canada we sent nothing to US and everything was through registered mail or Purolator. If they have an office in Canada then they should play by Canadian rules. If you can’t come to an agreement then the above agency looks into the problem. The lawyer said not to sign anything without getting legal advise.

      How they stay in business is screw the little guy and leave the big boys alone because they have good lawyers.

      Don’t pay and take them to the wall that’s what we are doing.

  • Tiffany Odums

    Hi I now see that First Data has a D rating and now we all need to sue them for wrong doing . I am going to a lawyer and this is because Ms Peggy whoever that is decided not to give me my money but on a fraudulant case. I had some to hack my account within the 60 days of the dispute and they didnt give me back my money but just said I should have reported it earlier. I dont know how this is going to help but I dont like to be a victim yet I thought my bank would have my back but its all good … I got their rules to my benefit but i dont like this. I am going to the top of the division of the disputes. So if you are that person please email me as soon as possible

  • Soldier

    My experince with First Data was HORRIBLE. I am an active duty Army Soldier and I also own my own business. There are rules governed by Congress that state that leases can always be suspended based on receiving deployment orders to go into combat. First Data said they would not suspend my contract and that it had to be fulfilled as scheduled even though i would be overseas. They dont care about anything but bullying citizens and clearly Soldiers either. I spoke to JAG and I can’t wait until my case goes before the Supreme Court with the US Government VS First Data. I hope they all burn

    • Tony

      I do know that those on active service have some other legal options, it’s disgusting that they would do what they did to me to an active service person.

      May God Bless you and your Family and THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE” we all appreciate your service even though First Data obviously doesn’t….

  • Jason Davies

    Well thanks for all the help FIRST DATA after losing my building to a big fire I rang and asked if there was any way they can give me a new card machine unit to continue trading . Only for the sum of 3 to 4 hundred they said after losing everything I own with not even a spanner left to our workshop they won’t help even tho they would benefit from it. So once again for all your help I can’t wait till the contract is up so i can try and find another company as I wouldn’t wish to make these another penny.

    • tim flynn

      i have some bad news.
      here in the UK even if ur contract is up you have to pay 200gbp cancellation fee. no one seems to have been told about it. even my sales person who quit the company due to the unethical behaviour

  • Tony

    I couldn’t agree with you more, we had been dealing with First Data for nearly 10 years and then every thing went wrong with them after my wife’s website was hacked.

    I just gave up when they refused to answer emails or return phone calls because I was adding my Attorneys to the emails, I just gave up and have left it in my Attorneys hands.

    Funny they record every conversation but they don’t want to be monitored themselves, I wonder what they have to hide and I guess my Attorney will find out…..

    We just changed my wife’s website business over to PayPal ONLY for now at least., it really is a much better system for payments and you have seller protection.

    It’s not until you have an issue like First Data that you really appreciate PayPal.

    • Joe Stewart

      Tony,

      I had a similar experience with their customer service reps. No one was willing to give me anything in writing that would admit a mistake. I could feel genuine compassion from the lower tier customer service representatives that I spoke with, but as soon as I got a supervisor on the phone it was a totally different story. These individuals have obviously been instructed to direct complaints to one specific email address, [email protected] and nothing else. I was told that there was no time limit on their response, only that I would receive notice by mail when they “deemed the investigation to be finished”.

      Also, I wouldn’t feel safe with Paypal long term either. First of all, I used my Paypal debit card to make the $200.00 payment (which wasn’t actually required) and they refused to do a chargeback, even though I sent them overwhelming evidence. The evidence I sent them was enough to get FirstData themselves to let me out of my contract without any exit fees, but Paypal didn’t think that it was sufficient to warrant a chargeback.

      Also, I’m not 100% positive, but from what I understand Paypal ALSO processes through FirstData and they WILL hold a Reserve on your company if they deem it necessary. I just spoke with them recently because I was considering them as an alternative and they told me this over the phone. Just to be safe, I’d call them and find out exactly where you stand and what to expect so you don’t receive any unpleasant surprises.

      Good luck!

      • Tony

        G’Day Stewart,

        Well thank you for your advice and it is very sound council my friend, in case you can’t guess I am originally from Australia and have lived here in the USA for more than 10 years…:)

        I remember back in 2008 when First Date and CitiGroup was being chased by the NRA (National Rifle Association for holding a Firearms Dealers money because of the nature of his business, The NRA-ILA legal team gave them hell over that and if I remember correctly that involved 100’s of thousands of dollars.

        From what I see that when an Attorney gets involved there tone changes dramatically and this seems to be the way it works with large companies over all here in the USA..

        I am sure that my Attorney that also is one of my only true best friends here in the USA will sort them out, he loves a good fight just like I us to back in my days in Australia, First Data should read the “Art of War” if they plan on a fight and this is how those horrible Class Actions start . It’s less expensive working with your customers than too have the FAT CATS take huge salaries and bonuses, with the poor little guy that works for them taking all the heat (so to speak).

        I am just the kind of guy that would rather find a decision maker and do a deal to work things out, but I guess that is not the case with First Data and that is the real tragedy here.

  • DR BARBARA EATON

    FRAUD!!!! I used this company from 2003-2012. I followed all of their rules for closing my account and did so on April 7th, 2012. They are STILL taking money out of my bank account for fees despite the fact that I do not use their services AND CLOSED MY ACCOUNT!!!

    Their customer service will tell you that they’ll put in a request for reimbursement which will then be denied.

    Use this company if you want to be the victim of fraudulent behavior and be robbed of your hard-earned money!!!

    I spoke with these two employees:
    Robin-employee number 3246441
    Katie-employee number 3246749

    and both said that the money SHOULDN’T have been drafted out of my account and that it needed to be refunded and yet…July 6th, 2012 and they still have MY money!!!!

  • Joe Stewart

    I too am having an awful experience with First Data. When I first contacted someone about processing I “thought” that I was dealing with First Data customer service and had no idea that they worked primarily with resellers.

    You see, I had done business with Cardservice International from 2001-2009 and had a perfect history with them – zero chargebacks and 100% fees paid on time! I got out of the business for three years because things were slow and I was burned out, but recently I decided to start-up again and I called who I thought was the same company.

    Boy was I wrong!

    First of all, they told me that my credit was “very poor” (This was a lie too. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough to buy a house!) and they were going to have to place a 15% Reserve on my gross sales for six months! This was AFTER I’d already signed the contract! I told the guy that there’s no way I could do business like that long term because they’d be taking more each month than I’d be getting.

    I asked what I needed to do to opt-out of the contract and he told me that they’d hit me with exit fees and if I closed my bank account they’d just send me to collection! He told me (in writing) that the Reserve would only be held until the amount reached $12,500.00 or the end of the six month contract, whichever came first. He then told me (in writing) that I’d start getting my money back in month seven as follows, month seven I’d get the Reserve money held for month one and so on until all six months were returned.

    Lies!

    Anyway, I crunched the numbers and decided that I had no choice but to bite the bullet for six months and then I’d start getting my money back.

    Wrong!

    My application hit their security department and I received a call stating that the Reserve was to be held for a minimum of 9-12 months. I later found out (by letter) that they’d actually intended to continue the Reserve hold until it reached the entire $12,500.00!!!

    Well, since I had the misrepresentation in writing in an email I forwarded it to their Security Dept. and they immediately released me from my contract and waived all fees.

    Unfortunately, I also paid the sales representative $200.00 to set-up the account, but found out from First Data customer service that there was NO set-up fee required at all and this representative refuses to refund my money!

    To add insult to injury, my credit card company refuses to do a chargeback on them because I agreed to pay them the $200.00 and never actually questioned what it was for. Yes, that was dumb, but I’d trusted the company at that time thinking that it was still Cardservice.

    Anyway, I was told to forward everything I had, all emails, the BBB “F” rating for this company in Spanish Fork, Utah, a screenshot of my $200.00 payment to them, etc to their Business Solutions Dept., but I was told today that “it will take as long as they deem necessary to resolve the issue” and then I’ll be notified of their decision by postal mail. No direct number, no direct elevated customer service to speak to, zilch.

    To make a long story short, First Data sucks with a capital SUCK!

    At least I only lost $200.00. I know that there are many others here that weren’t nearly as fortunate.

    Beware of this company!!!

  • Connie Crew

    These people are legalized thieves. They are impossible to get hold of, they charge you for everything and anything including closing your account. They’ve made more than 6 months of free and easy money since I never used them, took their time sending me the paperwork to close my account and now are charging me for yet another account because they were late sending me the paperwork.

    I will never use them again and I will discourage anyone I know from using them.

  • J Lawrence

    The experience with First Data was by far the worst in our company’s history! Do not deal with these people. Their contracts lock you in to a crazy lease deal that makes no financial sense whatsoever. They made lots of promises while they were trying to get us to sign up. Once we were on board, none of their promises ever came true, and in fact, we ended up paying more… much more with First Data than we did with our previous processor. Long story short, we had to pay them over $3,000 to get out of the screwed up lease deal or risk our credit reputation. They are not willing to negotiate. Once you sign, you are doomed! I would stay far away from these shysters!

    • Dustin

      J,

      Which company are you specifically using with First Data- I am told there are hundreds? I have had several companies stop by my store all claiming to be first data. How is that possible? I did finally take the time and listened to a rep who truly did work for the company (based on email address) but was also allied with a bank in the area. He was actually very knowledgeable and didn’t sugarcoat or make empty promises to me. He even mentioned the leases and being non-cancellable. He recommended I purchase from him ( he makes money) or buy online. I was lucky enough not to sign 4 year lease because my rep told me about it- best decision I made.

      • Amira

        Dustin,
        Thank you Dustin I have been in this industry long enough to know the agents out there will say anything to make a sale. Its up to you the owner to ask questions, the one thing I suggest is to go on visa website and read one how to shop for a rate as a business owner. And never lease a machine or buy one from the bank EBay would be your best place for that. Every machine is re useable don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

  • Cindy

    Egads! Wish I had checked this site before agreeing to my bank switching me to First Data – supposedly they had lower rates. Not True. My batches ahd been depoisted gross – with First Data, it was net and other small amounts debited from my business checking. There was not 2 day turnaround – sometimes it could be 5! When I tried to contact them, as my bank hadn’t responsed to my complaints, their vocie amil and customer service was diffcult – when i finally reached someone I was told to call sales the next day. Left a message for sales and it was days before they returned my call and then they left a message that my equipment was old and that’s why I was being charged more. I’ve switched back to my former processor and am considering changing banks.

  • gary

    They stink. I called to cancel and was told ok. A month later I got a $56 charge for nothing. I called to question it and they said they need notification in writing and there was a $75 charge to close the account. They are on the edge of criminal action.

  • Steve

    I signed up to First Data when I opened my business. Terrible phone support but the service worked OK. I sold the business two years later and notified them that I was doing so and I needed to close the account. I asked for a pay off and the quoted me LIST for every payment that was remaining. I asked them to prorate that since they would not be doing any servicing. I never heard another word from them. 3 months later I got a call from a collection agency demanding payment. I asked them for a payment and they gave me one I agreed to. I bought out the account and FD turned it into the credit reporting firms as 120 days overdue. I asked them to remove this negative report and they refused and 7 years later I still carry this on an otherwise perfect credit score.

    Bottom Line: Avoid First Data at all costs. They deserve the poor rating they get.

  • John

    This is one of the worst companies I have worked with in my life. I signed up with their services and had the program paused by them because my site did not go live after the first 30 days. I then asked if it could be reinstated so I could begin processing payments and they will not do it yet continue to charge my credit card. I would highly suggest avoiding this company at all costs – absolute scam artists.

  • karen

    Is there anyone that has take their FDIS salesman to small claims in Chicago, IL. The salesman
    was my bookeeper and did a switch and bait, He emailed the application to me with the service agreement.
    Then behind my back he signed my name on a two year contract. The i.p address on the bottom is from his
    place not mine and FDIS accused me of telling him to open the account just because I used the service.

    if anyone can help me figure out how to sue salesman and company in IL please contact me at [email protected]

    If you hate the service do what I did get a police report and then fax it to the FDIS business solutions Group to
    get out of your contract, they will cancel on spot. I was promised 3 months of fees reveresed but they did not do so. i requested a two month hold to stop the fees, but I had to call about 30 people to get some decent advice. I did get 400.oo back in excessive fees, and my banker said I was lucky. He has had many clients complain about excessive fees.

    My bookkeeper is a total scum bag he as embezzled a few thousand dollars from me by detroying my QB in areas that I wouldn’t see to gain billable hours. Worst company ever I can’t believe they have not had a class action yet. Horrible company.

  • The D Shoppe

    Watch out for first data. They are greedy and try to keep you confused. They have 3 year cotracts on processing and 4 year contracts on machine rental.The machine rental does not allow you to keep the machne even though you pay of your contract.They offer no help with PCI only refer you to Security metrics which gives you zero help. We had no local rep who would help. We rquested on line statements several times before they finally got it right and the monthly statements fee stopped. Over all it was a pretty bad experience for three years and was expensive to end but good riddence. No followup wanted just beware.

  • Mike Marsh

    After looking at the other reviews, I can see I’m not alone here in getting ripped off and stolen from by First Data. I mean, how is it legal for a company to access my personal checking account and withdraw money without my approval and without even telling me AFTER I closed my account with them? And so I end up over drafting because I had no idea they were doing this. If it was a person doing that it would be called identity theft, but since it’s a company it’s okay? I feel like I need to be calling the authorities or something, but who would you even contact about something like this?

    You try to talk to your sales rep, who says they don’t have the authority stop the charges, but they can send you to customer service, who does. Customer service sends you to someone else, who sends you to someone else and so on. After an hour of this, I end up being told that they can’t help me and I need to call a different number altogether. The number leads to a voice mailbox that isn’t set up. Nice.

    Challenged the charges with my bank, which promptly gave me my money back. Oh how I wish it ended there. Nope. First Data then tried to add more fees, specifically because I challenged the charge! Again, is that legal? They actually did call me to tell me that, but the person who calls of course has no authority, and directs me to a different customer service number. This directs me to someone else and after looking up my info, I’m told that I have to contact my sales rep, who told me he didn’t have authority to make the change to begin with. I think I’m going to have to close my bank account and start a new one just to stop them from going in there and stealing my money, but even fear that won’t be the end of this nightmare experience.

    • Traci

      We have also had unauthorized withdrawals from our bank account by first data…..not for fees but fraudulant “credit card refunds.” We did not issue any credit card refunds. We have found others who have had these same type issues with Firs Data Merchant Services lately. Please contact us (reply) if you are interested in pursuing this company with us.

  • Laura Taylor

    If you’re reading this you’ve more than likely been a victim of fraud by First Data through a sales person! Their sales persons illegaly changed my contract after signing, used misleading sales technics, unconscionably over priced products, and overbearing contracts. Make copies of any and all contractual agreements or data concerning your complaint. Start by writing a letter to the BBB, State Attorney Generals Office, Local Attorney General, etc. Make sure to follow up with these complaints. Stop all payments and return the equipment immediatly via fedex and keep a receipt. In a magazine or internet find a similar new processor for sale – from First Data my machine can be bought out-right for $749.00 -print it! In writing explain and underline what was promised then what you actually got. Total all the unauthorized changes and the costs you’ve incurred. (I got the following from another user thank you Dennis) Make three copies of everything (even bank statements) and put in three different folders. And take them to small claims court. When you go to trial because they lied to you and oh yes, bring articles and complaints from others posted on the internet, they will probably not be there and commit perjury. At court one copy goes to the judge, one to the defendent, if there, and you keep one. Even though the defendent is not there the judge will ask you to explain your case. Ask him/her to read the file. She will agree and then ask you a couple of questions and you will win! Because not only was fraud committed but the contract is oerbearing to a small business person. It is also unconscionable, where cast what they are charding is many times greater than the actual value, furthermore they made it impossible to work with so you will most likely win by default. I’d be willing to persue this further with a group of people in order to save their next victum. Please contact me!

    • karen

      Hi Laura,

      It sound like you were successful in small claims. I hope you could answer a few questions.
      My bookkeeper was the FDIS salesman that contracted me without my consent.

      I was upset at all the outrageous fees after a year of using service, and I’m told if I take him to small claims
      I have to sue FDIS too.

      He also embezzlled 4,000 from me, which is a different issue but I will take this claim to small claims as well.

      One, do I sue FDIS in addition to salesman.
      Do they normally just drop the case and not show up.
      Is it difficult to collect on the settlement? The bookkeeper has solvent assest.
      Are judges smpatheic in court, because FD has such a bad rep.

      Anything you could suggest would help. I did find a lawyer I liked but his fees will eat up my entire claim
      so I’m trying to do all the work without him.

      Thanks You, Karen

      [email protected]

  • Tyng

    I signed first data through Sam’s club. I been with Sam’s club for many years and trusted with Sam’s club, I filed a complaint with BBB and also with Sam’s club for the services and over charged fees from first data . I even changed my accout numbers so that first data can’t withdraw my money. Sam’s club complaint department Tanya has
    confirmed with first data that I didn’t owe any money because my account has been closed, but recently receive a letter from agent correctors said that I owed them for $39.99. Any good advise for how to avoiding this charges?

  • Pam

    I could not agree with these terrible reviews more! This company LIES, lies, lies! They hide their fees and then do this “bait and switch” where they tell you half way through your contract that your equipment is outdated and you have to buy THEIR equipment for like $600! Hmmm..that is interesting since my new processing company is using the same machine without any problems or complaints! Customer service is a nightmare and rude beyond belief. Made me pay the cancellation fee–so it was basically a choice of paying them $600 or a fee of $90 to get out of the contract. Please don’t use this company. There are much better corporations out there who are fair. I wish I had read more reviews. They really are that bad! I too am surprised they are still in business!

  • Shanu T.

    I signed up with first data for an internet store and unfortunately we are not launching this year so instead of paying the merchant fees I decided to cancel my merchant account and re-register when my site goes live. I called First Data days after days. I started talking to them April 4th and today is May 22nd. They have just cancelled my account, have not sent me a letter they have, and I was promised fees back for April and May because I cancelled in early April yet First Data keeps giving me the run around–every time I call corporate they tell me I have to talk to my rep–every time I talk to my rep Marvin Duke he tells me I have to talk to corporate. Not only that they people on the phone are so rude it is unbelievable and when I asked to speak to a Manager the gentleman said, “Well he’s just going to tell you the same thing and we can’t help you.” Yeah they are terrible and the fees are outrageous. I have a retail store and use Elavon with Wells Fargo–WAY BETTER CHOICE.

  • Ben Theis

    Do not use First Data. I was the unlucky one who was selected to be investigated by First Datas security and risk managment division. Unknown to me they had suspended my card services. I say unknown because they still let you process charges, but just suspend passing the funds to you. In my case they did call to tell me they were suspended my account, over a week after they actually suspended it. I asked how much of my money they were holding. He replied “Around $30,000.” I then asked, “Why didn’t you call me sooner?” His reply was,”I emailed you.” Emailed me? Where I’m from a $50 should get you a phone call. For 30k they could have someone come and talk to me. Sure enough between Office Max and Amazon deep in the junk there was an email from First Data. Going on a month now I’m still working with the worst rep in the world. I must catch him right after arrogance practice, cause his game is sharp. “How do you explain the increase in business?”, is what he asked. How do you answer that? He never returns my calls. When I have caught him on the phone, he pretends to not know anything about me. Then says oh yea i know who you are. Let me put you on hold while I pull all your information to gether. Like I’m more then acouple clicks away. After enough time has passed to have gone number 2, he comes back and says just one more document and then I can start reviewing your case. Then in a few days I’ll make a decision on what to do with the funds. What could you do with my money? Give it back? Think about what happens if you rely on credit card income and they just decide they are going to keep what you charge? Payroll? Suppliers? He also told me it was for my own protection and the protection of my customers. That’s great and all but who is going to protect me and my customers from First Data?

  • Kevin Thompson

    LIARS. LIARS. This is a very disingenuous company. I bank with bank of America and signed up taking credit cards through them and they sent me to First Data for my machine. I was told by Bank of America I could cancel any time. That was a LIE. B of A knew damn well Fisrt Data ropes you into an extensive contract, like 48 months. Are you kidding me? Of course they bury all that important information so deep inside all the paperwork you’ll NEVER see it. Do NOT sign up with these people. They will deceive you and trick you into an extensive contract. Don’t fall for it.

  • J Newton

    Customer Service failed to address our issues related to the new fee schedule we were issued. We are pleased to cancel this service. It is not suggested that others with our same use structure use this service.

  • Crystal

    This is the worst cc merchant I have ever seen. They can not tell me why funds aren’t being placed in my account but they sure can explain why they are taking money out of my account! I have had problems with this company thru Sam’s Club CC Services from the git go! I am so tired of trying to recieve funds but also having to ask where my funds are at/ They messed up the account from the begining, by not billing me monthly for my equiptment, then putting a hold on my funds that I won’t see for 7-10 days, they haven’y made a depoist on my account since March 31, but we are now in MAY! Why? They can’t explain, they just want to say it’s because your account informationn has changed, but, why can your rep. not type in the correct information! That is my question!! So my advice is DO NOT GET CC SERVICES THROUGH FIRST DATA! They are HORRIBLE!!!

  • Simone

    First Data has been such a nightmare! We had a leased machine and the lease ended. The lease dept. sent me a letter (actually two letters) that to keep the old machine would cost around $20. Mind you I had already agreed to buy a new machine for $500. So, for that amount it wouldn’t even be worth Fed-exing it back at my expense. But no, the lease dept. said that letter was an error. OK. The first FD-400Ti machine they sent had an error message on the screen & would not even turn off. So, I requested a new machine be sent. They sent me a call tag within a few days time. Then the second machine arrived & that machine failed to work, as well. The guy on the phone from First Data said the machine was programmed incorrectly. So, this time I asked that our contract be cancelled & the machine returned to them. So, now it’s been two weeks and no call tag to send it back. They finally let me request a new one today — two weeks later. It seems like such a stalling tactic. I assume at some point they will say I’ve had the machine too long to return it and/or cancel my contract. And guess what — they told me that the second machine that was sent was a re-conditioned machine, since it was a replacement. So, basically I paid $500 for a used, defective machine. What is with this company! Who is in charge! I also had a problem with the rates that were offered to me. The rep on the phone offered me unbelievably good rates. I had to ok everything with the owner of the business and the rep gave me her direct line to get back in touch with her. I left her a message, but she never returned my call (not even after a week and a half). I tried her several times with no luck. She also told me during our initial conversation that I could talk with anyone on her team, but no one ever had any of the info. she quoted me & wanted to start the process all over again. I had to get my bank & a First Data supervisor to intervene to get me the quoted rates, but they qualified that it would only be good for six month. Beware, beware!!!! Too many different departments to talk to & a lot of bait & switch going on! I am disgusted that a company would treat a small business in such a shabby manner. Shameful! I will be contacting the attorney general’s office in my state.

  • Henry

    I have been monitoring First Data comments and complaints for quite some time now. I have even posted my own terrible experiences with First Data. It amazes me to see that even after reading the plethora of negative comments regarding First Data, detailed by merchants, some choose to ignor what people are saying. To suggest that First Data has no part in contract management and that they are only “the processor” is laughable. In most if not all of the cases outlined, First Data is the one attempting to enforce the seemingly fraudulant contracts. I am still a strong believer of strength in numbers. I am all for investigating the merits of a class action law suit against First Data. At least then we can all have some comfort in knowing that their practices will be exposed for all to see and the banks who participate in these practices with First Data will be exposed as well. I am going to contact my state representatives and whomever else has the authority to pull the trigger on an investigation. Words without action are just that…words. If all interested parties chose to donate what is equal to one month of their First Data leasing fees to be put in an account set up by an agreed upon legal representative, we would certainly have enought to secure that legal representation. Just a thought.

  • G Louis

    About a year ago my husband and i decided to open a second store unfortunately it diid not work and we decided to pull the plug about 7 months later. We sign a lease agreement with Fist data to lease not only the credit card processing terminals but also at Citibank they offer me the POS system for my new and my old store. I sign the contract without knowing that there is no way out. I went out of business and I still have to pay for the rest of the lease contract ,another 2 years, on top of that now they said that i have to pay an insurance for the equipment that i don’t need and i don’t use. The salesman says that is trying to find somebody that can take over the contract. ( Of course i don’t buy he will).So I’m still waiting for them to give return address. There is no penalty fee r any sort of provision that let you out of the contract if you go out of business. This can not be legal!!!! After i read all your entries , i feel hopeless. How come when the big ones decide to go out of business they have everything on their side? After all, chapter 11 was created for the rich to cheat!!! I don’t have the means to pay for every contract I sign, but I think that A big one the salesman forgot to tell me…..I know he is working on commission … . The worst is that it was My bank the ones who introduce me to First Data leasing …. I only have 2 choices pay $4,600 or keep paying $158.76 every month even if my business is GONE!!! So this is it we complaint in this site and then what??

    • Fred

      If you close your account and don’t give them any more money, what is the worst they can do? Take you to court? Send collections after you? Try destroy your credit rating? BUT they can’t get any more money. Take your complaint to whoever you can make all kinds noise to who will listen. Here in Canada we have Consumer Agency of Canada. If they were a honest company they wouldn’t have 4 and 5 year contracts.

  • Jackie

    I would recommend that you do NOT select First Data and West Coast Merchant Services for your credit card processing. Service is not in their vocabulary. There was one representative who was helpful, the rest appeared to be paid to make me hate them…and they must be rich.

  • Raquel

    First Data make a hold on my deposit for the past 2 days, they said I was making a large amount of money and question my business. They even mention that I don’t know how credit cards worked and that when someone pays at my business its like the bank “lending” me money. And that since the amount is too high, they become liable. Whatever! Long story short I rather sue Bank of America as well as First Data for discrimination against Hispanics and telling me I cannot make money in a business. They already have a federal lawsuit with discrimination. Someone telling me I cannot have a big profit in my business and he hold my money without notification. As soon as I mention federal lawsuit they jump and a regional manager called me to apologize. I have heard 100 sorry’s for the past 48 hrs. But I still don’t have my money. ITS MY MONEY AND I WANTED NOW! I will be glad to pay the $500 fee before loosing more to this thieves.

  • C Davis

    My husband and I opened a merchant account with Wells Fargo around 5 years ago. When we moved out of our mall and started the business through our house we no longer needed the our Verifone 570. I looked it up on line and saw that it sold for around $250. Long story short we seem to be in a contract that still has over $1600 on it. When the last lease was done, the person from well fargo came to us saying we had to upgrade the machine…we didn’t want to do that, we wanted to use the old one, because we thought we might be changing how we take money, but she said we couldn’t use the old one. And not to worry we weren’t signing a new contract – it was the same one. Yeah, the same one for another 4 years – it turned out. It has taken numerous calls to Wells Fargo for them to explain that the contract is through First Data Global Leasing – called FDGL and they said that the contract was through Wells Fargo, but we now owed them the money. Talked to WF again and they told me the contract was through FDGL, but we should talk to the person in sales at WF who set up the lease. We have been trying to contact her for 6 months and she is never available, the fellow helping me today said she was unavailable to talk to me today also. You have to wonder about a contract no one seems to want to take credit for. But I bet there are some pretty big bonuses for the person who sets up the most.
    My complaint to Wells Fargo was – we went into them because they said they would help us figure out the best solution to our very small business needs. They sold themselves as advisors – when in fact they were not doing that, but just trying to sell a product and contract. What they are doing is probably not illegal, but I do think it is unethical. And I really want to add my story to this site, so that trusting people will think twice before signing anything with any bank. It is pathetic that they are so hungry for money they take advantage of a tiny business.
    And our contract agreement says nothing about FDGL or the amount to cancel the contract. I’m sure it was in some other paper work, but it was not on the one page initial contract we got. We have no problem paying for the machine to get out of the contract – that is only fair, but they are asking over 6x its value.

  • Tom

    Just started business in Feb and went to Bank of America for merchant account. Saleslady talked me into this credit card proccessing machine even though I was going to go with an I phone. I did not know that I was signing a 4 year lease. I was going to return the machine but even if i do they will continue tp charge me. First Data reps are very very rude! Bank of America should be ashamed for associating with First Data. Any suggestionss?

    • D. Watzman

      Why did you sign a lease in the First Place? Why are you upset with First Data? Bank of America sold you merchant processing and a lease, not First Data. First Data is only the processor. They sell wholesale rates to BOA, BOA marks it up, and markets both the lease and processing. Let me repeat, your beef is with BOA, not FD.

  • Cheree

    So glad I found this website. I’m starting a small business that will do primarily online sales so I’m researching merchant account providers. I talked to a First Data rep this morning. He wanted to sign me up immediately but being as this is my first foray into credit card processing, I want to comparison shop before I agree to anything. He said he would email me more information. The email looked like something a 10 year old would send-it was exceedingly short on specifics but had lots of highlighted words about free things. I sent a polite response saying that I wanted to see the fine print before I agree to anything. Based on all the other comments, I don’t expect a response as providing complete information upfront seems to violate their business practices.

    I understand that disgruntled customers are much louder than satisfied customers, in general. However, I already had doubts based on the conversation with the rep. He repeatedly demonstrated that he was following a script instead of actually listening to my responses. At the beginning of the conversation, I explained that I was starting a small business, etc. The business name (which he knew already) has the word ‘Jewelry’ in it but he asked me what type of business it was. Duh! Then when I got his email, that sealed the deal that this is a company I don’t want to do business with. It mentioned the transaction fee, the rates and the monthly maintenance fees. It gave no information about anything else, such as length of contract, termination fees, etc. And there was nothing professional about it whatsoever. Unless you do business with a lot of Nigerian royalty, then it might pass professional muster for you.

  • Amanda Moran

    After 12 years in business, I have just had the worst credit card experience with this processor. The agent told me that I was leasing on a month to month basis, with no long term contract. A year later when I decided to switch companies, they hit me with a $500 early termination fee. Should I have seen that in the fine print on page 46 of their program guide? Sure, but I still tend to believe a persons word. My small business has now taken a big hit. BEWARE and DON’T sign up with them. Their rates are high and the company is unethical.

    • sc

      After you cancelled and paid the $500 did they continue to charge you?? We were just hit with a $18,000 bill and lawsuit!!
      I’m confused since I paid the cancellation fee and they surely deposited that check!!

  • Stephen

    1st Data processing called me and lied to me three times when I queried them about if they were my processor. Said I had been overcharged and a representative would be by to correct this. I checked with my processor and assured my self they are not my processor. Lie- lies- lies. Why would you want to deal with a dishonest company, especially whit your money?

  • sheila

    I have had a lot of problems with first data. Make sure you read all the fine print. You may be quoted with low quotes but they don’t tell you about all the hidden fees , annual compliance fees that they charge every month and if the credit card is International or has promotions then you are charged more. If I could get out of the lease I would and I will not be recommending this company to any one!

  • Mac

    Mac
    March 31, 2012 at 1:05 pm (UTC -7)

    Reply correction. Pivotal Payments starts deducting “without notice.”

    First Data Leasing Canada is connected to Pivotal Payments Canada. You get signed up through fax machine by Axxess Payments and are not given the true cost of the contract. First Data Canada sends you a letter saying you will be paying $65 per month plus taxes no statements, no phone number to contact them also no address. Then Pivotal Payments Canada starts deduction without notice of what we are paying before the contract was signed.

    This is not about First Data Canada but they seem to be working together.

  • Mac

    First Data Leasing Canada is connected to Pivotal Payments Canada. You get signed up through fax machine by Axxess Payments and are not given the true cost of the contract. First Data Canada sends you a letter saying you will be paying $65 per month plus taxes no statements, no phone number to contact them also no address. Then Pivotal Payments Canada starts deduction with notice of what we are paying before the contract was signed.

    This is not about First Data Canada but they seem to be working together.

  • Wayne

    Its amazing how a company with that rating still manage to be in
    Business. 3 out of 4 processing that tells me merchant sevices are all crook except for 10%
    It also tells me this company have political backing just like the insurance and medical in this country
    There is always some super power backing these theive. No sense telling my experience it have been told so many times here.
    The good thing is that we still have the freedom of speech, for now.

  • MKM

    I just signed with Payment System, the sales Rep never mentioned or disclose anything regarding a 48 months lease with First Data Global Leasing (equipment that I don’t even use). He referred to the charges as “monthly equipment charges”.
    I even asked explicitly about the cancelation fees, he only mentioned a $299 fee, never, he mentioned anything about a Non-Concealable Lease termination fees, and he obviously made an effort to omit any disclosure of a Lease term with First Data Global Leasing.

    I now received a nice welcome package from First Data Global Leasing with a surprised 48 month Non-Concealable Lease at $599 a month, that’s $28,800 for leasing equipment, I don’t even need.

    This shady practice of First Data Global Leasing and their “service provider” (in my case Payment First) need to stop. If anything, we need to protect future small Business owner from this predatory scam.

  • Henry

    It appears that some of the First Data’s sales reps are either disgruntled or working on their behalf. I am not certain whether this is a true sales rep attempting to secure information or if it is truly a disgruntled sales rep who is aware of the questionable policies of First Data. This individual goes by the name Joey Blank which appears to be fictitious. I will refrain from posting his email address in the case he is a real rep for First Data. I am interested if any of you have also been contacted personally by this individual. I have pasted below the text from his email. I have taken the liberty to replace his profanity with symbols but you will get the point. Bottom line is that if we were dealing with truly profesional people at First Data, we would not even be having these conversations. Sad!

    Email form Joey Blank:

    Hello Henry,

    I am a First Data sales rep and i noticed your frustration with how you have been treated. I understand that there were a lot of financial stress that was encountered. In regards to your frustration here is what i have to offer. You are getting fu@#*d. I give it another month or so and YOU WILL encounter these issues again. First Data keeps all personal information and uses it to track and follow where your are banking. If they want your money they will get it and there is nothing you can really do. You’ve been fu@#*d buddy.

  • Coleen Johnston

    When I was first starting my business I knew very little and went with the recommendation of my bank about leasing my credit card terminal from First Data. Now 2 years into the 4 year lease I am a little wiser and have realized I am going to spend $2280 to lease a machine that I could purchase for $408. Because it is a lease I am stuck. Being a small business $50 a month for the lease is a large chunk. The people at First Data have been less than helpful and basically tell me I owe over a grand to get out of the lease for a machine that is worth less than half that. I strongly recommend anyone considering a lease with them closely analyze the figures and research themselves before getting screwed like I did.

  • Phil Bullard

    I tried in February 2012 to find out when my contract is up and the lady on the phone told me it would be March or April or May the 15th, i told her that my business is closing. The following week I get a letter saying “that canceling your processor does not relieve you from your contractual agreement with First Data Global leasing. This Lease is NON – CANCELABLE. Now what is up with that. I found out that Tele/Check is part of First Data and can’t find out a number for them to call and cancel since I didn’t use them. So if anyone can give me a number I would appricate it. No one signs there letters that they send it out.

  • Norma Eastes

    I just read the review from a First Data Agent. I can assure everryone that she does not know her company very well. First Data held over $300,000 of our money for no really good reason. I was dealing with their Risk Management Department. We have never had bad credit card returns or bad credit. The issue was they did not understand the Vacation Rental business. My Sales Representative, did every thing he could to try to get us our money. So it is not the Sales Representatives.

    First Data needs to look at their over all business and make improvements to customer service.

  • Calvin

    I’m an independent sales rep for First Data.

    First, I can tell there are other processing companies giving bad reviews here.

    Second, the reason I chose First Data is they are the largest, have the best rates and most programs available to there merchants, a lot of value added benefits and I can tell you from e
    Thirdly, any industry has unscrupulous sales agents, you learn how to shop with bad experiences.

    Lastly, everyone of my merchants get interchange plus pricing and they are on a month to month. Why? because if I treat them fairly, I not only keep their business but but earn their word of mouth referrals.

    I can tell you that all the “customer service issues” here are mostly not valid, I’ve known first data since 2005 and have never encountered the “bad reviews” as in this site. Are there issues, sure, but not all because of First Data, one man seems right until another man explains his case.

    My point is this, make sure you have a good sales agent that is willing to explain the business to you. If you run into problems get your sales agent involved, its what there there for! Realize that every company has bad reviews in this industry, ITS BECAUSE OF BAD SALES AGENTS!

    • Phillip CPO

      Hi Calvin,

      I agree that bad agents are a big part of the problem, but the bigger issue are the policies that some of these providers have that let agents be bad. This is why I review providers and not agents. It all starts at the company level and works it way out to the agents. Secondly, I’ve reviewed over 115 providers and can tell you that not all companies have complaints. There are a handful that stand out from the crowd and go out of there way to create favorable policies and keep their merchant customers happy.

    • Joanna

      Hello Calvin,

      Like several other replies that have just been posted, I take exception with several comments you made. Our problems originated from, and were always with, the risk management department. I can tell you the name of the agent. His name was Andrew. Strangely, as Norma mentioned, we are also in the business of vacation rentals. Hmmmm… what a coincidence.

      I will admit that our sales agent, while trying to be very helpful, did not even know of some of the “rules” that were suddenly thrust upon us, withholding $5,000 of our money for almost six months. Like Phillip, I blame First Data for her lack of knowledge. We were in real estate for over 30 years, and to do our job we were required to take training to get a license to sell real estate, and were also required to attend 24 hours of continuing education to maintain our licenses. In my opinion, if a company is going to put an agent out there to sell their product, they should have at least a modicum of training. She truly didn’t know that Vacation Rentals are (in my opinion, very unfairly) frowned upon with First Data.

      I can also tell you that not all providers have this many bad reviews, and handle their merchants the way we were treated. I posted a lengthy story of our experience over a year ago on this site, and I can assure you that I do not work for one of your competitors. We did, however, switch to one of your competitors that had a minimum of complaints against them, and we were informed immediately of their policies regarding how they wanted us to handle the charges we made for reservations. This was one point of contention I constantly had with Andrew… none of the policies or regulations by the CC Companies for phone orders that were suddenly thrust upon us were ever explained to us. I asked Andrew and also the Customer Service Department multiple times to provide us, as merchants, some kind of manual to use so that we might be informed of these rules that allowed them to withhold our $5,000, and both departments said that nothing like this existed. When I asked the same question to the company with whom we are now doing business, I was immediately directed to a website for VISA, and MasterCard that clearly spelled out their requirements and policies about chargebacks.

      Worst of all (although losing $5,000 to a chargeback by an unscrupulous customer… he literally lied on his complaint and we had documentation to prove it) was that First Data did not ONE thing to fight VISA to get our money back, and also that Andrew NEVER returned our multiple phone calls. To us, $5,000 is a LOT of money, and we were in no shape to lose that in the dispute, but Andrew could have, at least, been sympathetic, or civil, or courteous on the phone to us, or simply respectful. Any one of these things would have helped our opinion of First Data. One day, we called the risk management department for the umteenth time, trying to get to speak with Andrew, and low and behold he answered the phone that time! My wasn’t he in a spot then! He HAD to speak to me! This is how it went for the duration of our troubles with our chargeback and First Data. Even then, he was rude, dismissive, arrogant, uncaring… when we hung up the results of our conversation must have been evident to my husband because he said my mouth was literally hanging open. In Andrew’s world, First Data had no responsibility to inform the sales agent OR the merchant of any of their policies regarding chargebacks. In his world, it was up to us to find them out…. somewhere!

      From what we gleaned, First Data will give any warm body the tools (meaning the contracts and the information as to how to buy a machine) to sign up with them. Our agent was in a kiosk at Sam’s Club, and I felt as badly for her as for us, as she truly felt awful that we had such a terrible financial loss as a result of her lack of knowledge about the company. In the beginning, after she signed us up, she passed us on the the Customer Service department of First Data for any future needs. When we went back to her, she was shocked at some of the policies that First Data used to keep our money, and told us that no one from First Data had ever educated her about these policies. I believed her. I don’t think they even give their sales reps any idea of just how slippery a slope this business is when dealing with credit cards to collect money from sales… especially in our business. She made many calls herself on our behalf, but was never able to reach the risk management department either… and SHE was representing the company!

      As you can see Calvin, reading your post has dredged up some extremely a horrible time in our life, and I can assure you that I DO NOT work for another company. I doubt that another company could or would put this much passion and anger, not to mention time, to make this post.

      In the end, simple respect and a feeling that we were VALUED as a customer of First Data would have helped, but we never received either of these from First Data. The company with whom we are now doing business (and I don’t think it would be appropriate to mention their name, but anyone can do an internet search for processing companies and their level of customer satisfaction… ours is number one in that area) gives us that in droves, and has educated us as to how to handle our transactions to PREVENT chargebacks and to do our credit card business safer and more efficiently.

    • Sherry

      I have to say I am so frustrated with First Data that I can’t even think . I’m sorry but they have the WORST customer service I have ever had to deal with and SOMEONE, my rep, the company or whoever is totally ripping people off. We recently switched our processing to First Data with the promise that it would save us money, I was unable to produce a current statement from our other company since they had gone green and for whatever reason couldn’t seem to get one to my email – my first mistake to trust the sales rep; he quoted me a 1.69% rate for all Visa/MC/Discover with the exception of company cards, fleet, etc. The rate was better than what we had and we went ahead and switched. I wasn’t receiving itemized statements which I thought was odd, but the rates seemed to be doing fine. When our monthly fee came out after a couple of months, it was EXTREMELY HIGH! We had never paid this much before so I called in and explained with no itemized statement, I wanted to know why this was so high. I was set up for itemized statements (can’t believe you actually have to request them!) and received the first one the first part of February, I looked at it and wasn’t sure how their fees worked. I called in and spoke with someone who explained to me all those additional fees were BACK BILL FEES, they had to explain because I have never had anything like it in the 15 years we had been in business, she explained this was for Reward Cards, etc.and there was no way for them to know what the fees would be until after a period of time, that’s why the first ones only showed up 2 months after we started processing with them – WOW I explained that this was much much more than we had ever paid before and that I was promised that this would save us money, the rep I was speaking with did some checking and told me there was nothing they would do until I had been on the program for 6 months at which time they would do a rate review. I wasn’t getting return calls from my rep so I called the bank, they had better luck than I did but still no one seemed to be doing anything. Afterward I did get a call back from my rep (they called and told him to call me), and they were supposed to review my rates. I told him that I would be cancelling this if it was not taken care of – as of today I still had not received a call – (this has been going on for some time) I again called my rep today – no answer “imagine that”, so I called in myself – they lowered my rate as per our conversation on the phone – why they couldn’t do this to start with I do not know!!!!!! Over the last several months, in the time it has taken me to figure this out, we have been charged an additional, probably around $1500, so much for saving money. As with everyone times are tight and I thought I was doing something to help us out, instead I spent money that we didn’t have to spend. I just want to cry but instead I’m just so angry that this is how things work. They will not go back and give me credit for any of the charges, and only today while I was on the phone changed me to a tiered program – WHY WASN’T I ON THIS TO START WITH???? Everything you do is on a laptop that the rep brings in and you trust that they are honest, now I understand that I am in a 3 year contract and it will cost me $500 to get out early, understandable if I just wanted to cancel for no reason but I should have been told this was the case – the rep on the phone said it’s in the lease she’s going to send me – 50 pages of lease ! My terminal, I just found out, is a “non Cancellable” lease – WOW, again I am soooooooooo stupid, was NEVER told that one. I know we can go to a different company and still use the same machine but I don’t like the terminal we have, it eats paper like crazy compared to our old one we had with our other company, but to get out of the lease we will need to pay another 42 months on our lease, yeah I think that’s what I’ll do – pay $2000 + to cancel the use of a machine and give it back. It would be wonderful if the reps would tell you all of this! I’m always told I’m too trusting of people, too nice – I have to say I don’t feel nice right now, just stupid and pretty much sick over all the money we lost, that we really could have used right now. Sad to say I’m certainly not going to be as trusting, I just learned a very expensive lesson, I never in my wildest dreams would’ve thought there was such a thing as Back Billing. I hope what you say is true and you are an honest rep, because right now if I could sing it from the roof tops that First Data is just a bunch of cheats I would! I have been trying AGAIN to reach my rep but of course no answer and no return call – I don’t know why I’m surprised I was trying to get in touch with him for a month or more.

    • henry

      Calvin,

      It is apparent that you do not know the company for which you work. You provided a lot of jargen with little if any substance. First, Every time I had an issue with First Data and stated my case to my sales agent, they were suddenly, without notice, moved to another area. Can you explain that? Second, Customer service is not service at all when they have no idea, or at least they say, what is going on with the persons assigned to investigate my claim. Can you explain that? Thirdly, First Data has a policy that limits the time allowed for a customer to dispute a claim yet they still without notice remove thousands of dollars out of a merchants account well beyond the alotted time for dispute and offer no reasoning. Can you explain that? Just because a company is the largest certainly does not mean they are the best. If you are trying to say that all of these good merchants that have listed their complaints are lying and YOU can explain why with a completely absurd statement that its the sales reps, you yourself have failed to effectively tell the other side of the story. First Data and the banks are not providing a service to merchants, they are killing businesses. I would strongly recommend you do your homework first and then be honest. We all know nobody wants to hear that their baby is ugly but my goodness, First Data is the ugliest I know of to date. You may be a good sales agent but we all know, your power is limited and you really cannot change what in my opinion are very corrupt policies.

  • BILL

    The worst company you can deal with, they have access to your bank take any money they feel like.
    They play different games to cost you more money at your bank by blocking your batches at the end of the night. Siply small business can’t survive working with first data.

  • MARY

    Horrible company!! They love to take money out for random service fees that are not listed on your statement. Plus they took out $1500 in three months for terminal fees. I have to call everyday to get my money back, and they say they need to investigate before the can refund. SO EASY TO TAKE MONEY, BUT WONT GIVE IT BACK!

  • John Lerner

    FIRST DATA ARE 100% CROOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    THEY STOLE OVER $4,000.00 From me. Then Billed my Corporate Bank Account Another $2,300.00 Because that is all they could get…Billed Amex, Visa, even More..

    On top of that, they forced me to close my Original Account back in March 2011 because of a security hack
    which never happened. When they opened up the new account, everything worked fine.
    But little did I know, since day 1 of opening that Account, they kept 100% of the money!!!
    On top of that, they kept billing for the the old account, now I have been sent to collections ?

    I have no idea how much they stole or billed on the second account because they blocked my access!!!

    They gave me a trouble ticket finally, after me calling dozens dozens of times, and now they will not speak to me at all about fixing any of it…

    FIRST DATA ARE CROOKS, LIES, THIEF’S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I still 1 year later do not have any of the money the stole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Jack

      They just did something similar to me.

      There is no reason for them to hold my money.

      Their representative Britney wont return my phone calls.

      They have stolen over $30,000 from me as of 3/9/12.

      My account has no triggers which would even require a reserve account according to their written agreement.

      First Data is a fraudulent company that needs to be held liable for there actions.

      I was told by someone that there is a movement to Occupy First Data by calling Phone Banks and saturating them with calls.

      Here are the numbers that were given to me by the organizer:
      1-631- 683-6472
      1-631-683-6000
      1-800-259-8144
      1-877-274-7915
      1-800-228-1122

  • Laila

    I IMPLORE YOU – DO NOT GO WITH FIRST DATA

    Their customer service is atrocious and not one department speaks to another. It took them 7 months to record my change of business entity and new account number. During which time I have incurred charges on two seperate accounts, and they even held on to £12k of my money for 3 weeks; which is a lot for a small business. They lose paperwork, declare they have not received papers I sent by recorded delivery, and never call you back when they say they will. Currently they are holding more of my money because they paid it to a random account they set up for me, which I did not require, and which isn’t even linked to my bank details. After two phone calls, I can only ascertain that it is sat with a bank somewhere and have been told that the query has been passed to the investigation department. Is there even such thing, or is the ‘investigation’ department just overun with so many other screw ups that they don’t know where to start.

    I wish to god I had stayed with Barclays. Reductions on charges means cuts have to be made elsewhere and they are clearly being made in the First Data Customer Service Department.

  • Mike L

    Please do not do any business with this firm. They have the worst customer service and the total focus is to fee you to death. I had to change Banks just to get them from charging fees. After many calls they continued to rack up charges after I returned the machine as 1 part of the company did not know where the machine was and I had confirmation that it was received 8 days ago. Very poorly trained reps high hidden charges and fees. Stay away

  • Stunned

    SCAM, SCAM, SCAM – as if their customer service isn’t bad enough, they lock you into a very expensive lease agreement, with insurance, ontop of the equipment cost. THEY DON’T LET YOU OUT OF any contracts. I returned my unit, UNUSED, and they say they never received it, and have continued to charge me over the years for something I don’t have and don’t use. How can they have an A+ rating with BBB? – They paid for it, that’s how.

  • M Yoakum

    Very dishonest, absolutely stay away from these people. First data took advantage of our auto shop leaving us with no recourse due to a contract agreeement. Our first data representive has been conveniently transferred out to another department therefore we are not allowed to have further contact with him. I just wanted to ask our rep. face-to-face why did you deceive us? Did you really need the money that bad?

  • yee

    First Data Fraud, Beware!
    Fristly, they called you on phone telling you have suspicious transactions happening in your account. Then he will tell you they will rebill the credit cards, but you have to put more money in the account in order for them to hold and to investigate. When you suspicious the intention and didn’t put enough money. They just close your account and also take money from you checking and saving account in order to cover the balance for their investigation. Then That’s it! They made it and successfully steal money from your account.
    Will Frist Data give back your money? This is the question!
    How to avoid this? The is also the big question!

  • Becky

    This company has the worst customer service. We’ve built our own POS system with pcAmerica and was trying to activate an existing terminal merchant services on this platform. We were promised the information at least 3 times over the past 5 days and we are still waiting … Every time we’ve contacted their customer service, we’ve been bounced around to different departments (minimum of 4 transfers per call) just when we’re trying to get an update on the work they were supposed to be doing. Will probably switch to a different company as soon as possible.

    • Steve

      You need to call an authorized pcAmerica dealer. pcAmerica is a very easy POS to setup for credit card processing. With first data you need you need to first create a north(cadnet) front end platform. Once you have that setup, you can then provision pcAmerica to work through FD. Its not up to FD to support POS systems.

  • Hater

    I agree with the poor customer service at First Data.

    I am merchant that never get a good response from First Data.
    I don’t even get return phone calls or emails unless I email a manager.

    Poor management and lack of transparency of policies. When asked detailed information about fee structure and chargebacks, none was given.

  • k

    Don’t Trust them! They are awful. They have lousy follow up and customer service. The sales reps lie, and do not give you copies. They have you sign on a terminal and you don’t get full disclosure. If you change companies they hit you with a $500 early termination fee, that they didn’t tell you about.

  • Harvey Miller

    I hate this outfit.
    They overcharged me for years for online processing.

    When I indicated that I wanted to close the account, they kept charging me.
    I finally had to close my Citibank account to stop it.

    Now they have given me a bad rating with Experian, destroying my abillity
    to secure credit.

    I eagerly await the day when Paypal wipes them out.

  • Steve Mattfeldt

    we have used their service since 2008 with a lot of difficulty. they will not send us a replacement unit until we agree to a four year extension on our contract. i strongly urge anyone thinking about using their services or products to look very closely at your contract and agreements. once we closed our account the bank was willing to reopen our account and send us a new unit with free rental fees for one year. do your due diligence here, this company isn’t for everyone.

  • Tom Gauger

    First Data has misleading Terms of Service which seem to surface at their convenience. I run a small event planning business and came to realize that First Data is no longer competitive. Their fees are much higher than I can afford.
    Consequently, I cancelled the service… or tried to. Even though it was cancelled a month ago, they continue to bill my account.
    They also said there would be a $90 cancellation fee, something that was NOT mentioned when I signed up.
    There are much better credit card processors out there. First Data is among the worst.

  • Norma Eastes

    I work for a Small Business Owner that relies on credit card transactions to provide services to Her customers. We have been in business 18 years and have had no problems with charge backs or fraudulent transactions. However this fall our credit card processor First Data, decided that we were a risk. At that time they demanded that we get a Letter of Credit from our bank for $50,000 to protect them. Once we got the Letter of Credit they would not accept it because they required the bank to allow them to renew the Letter and to be able to transfer the Letter to someone else. Our bank would not do that. Our Bank was protecting us. Until we did they held $127,000 of our money.

    I am a Vacation Rental Agency. This money does not belong to us, it belongs to our owners that we manage properties for. We provided them with Escrow statements showing that we had more than enough in the account to back up these transactions. This escrow money is in this account until guests come for their visit. Legally we cannot use that money until the guest arrives. The money we get from the Credit Cards was the balance of the money guest owed and we needed it to pay the owner of the unit. First Data put us in a position that we would have to break the law. We sent them financial statements showing we were a reputable company. We sent them our balancing reports and procedures. None of this made any difference to them. By holding this money they could have put us out of business. Luckily we found a Credit Card Processor that understands Vacation Rentals and have changed companies, but this should not be allowed. Most Small Businesses would not have the luxury of having that kind of money to back this up.

  • jon smoyh

    First Data is a company I would advise business owners to avoid. There are better payment processors out there. Our company was charged an exhorbitant fee to use them and when we requested closure they still continued to charge us a monthly fee. And to top it all they finally charged a $75 fee to close the account. Stay away is my advice.

  • Nelson

    Signed up for First Data,Rep H.H. never said anything about 4 year lease and exorbitant fees what he talked about was the 2.??%,after 4Hours of listening him talk signed up under Sams Club returned under 3 month trial clause cause of all fees taxs and such April,29 2011 shipped date to mellvile NY was to arrive on May 3 2011 by end of day,just got this months statement and low and behold $328 +$ 21 fees charged by First Data for missing equipment!!

  • Joe Stockdale

    Beware of First Data! I have warned you. They don’t care. They tell me one thing but send a bill that is not the same. When I questioned them they say sorry I will fix it and then don’t fix it and will not refund the money. I have made over 100 calls to my sales rep and his boss and they promised they would get me a refund and then 6 months later say sorry but can’t. Then I talk with their supervisors to get a small portion of the amount refunded. They have just been leading me along hoping I would just leave them alone. Please beware when dealing with them.

  • Vivek

    I agree with what most of them are saying here. First Data is the worst company to work with if you are an online business. I was introduced to these guys through Citibank where I have my business checking. They charged me a huge set up fee, a min monthly fee, and a maintenance fee, all the day I opened my account with them. and guess what, they dont provide the payment gateway. I was asked to use Auth.net to set up my payment gateway. So I really did not understand why I was paying FirstData so much when they really don’t provide even a payment gateway. I was just looking for something like Paypal to take transactions on my website and put the money in my checking the next day. Apparently, FD has a whole separate price schedule for that, which is separate from what I already paid.

    I think FD’s business model is to partner with banks who dont have their own merchant services and get free clients from the banks, and then charge them with fees that no one has ever heard about.

  • Henry C.

    WOW!!!!! Something told me to do a little research on Firstdata and all I get is nightmare stories that match my own. I had a customer file a claim with Forstdata that was an absolute lie. Firstdata, without any notice, snatched $2500 from my business account at SunTrust Bank. Fortunately, we had all of the paperwork and documentation to prove we shipped the product on time to the customer (a dealer of ours) and their customer refused delivery. We even went so far as to pay for shipment back to our facility to avoid our dealer having to pay freight company storage fees. At any rate, we won and we were reimbursed but the NSF fees were not covered by Firstdata. We paid our dealer for the product less shipping and NSF fees and put the product back into inventory and fired the dealer. I thought it was all settled when last week, Firstdata for the second time, deducted the entire $2,500 from my account again and with no notice. They clearly had no idea that we had paid the dealer for the product and returned it to our inventory. Even more, it was far beyond the 60 days that the dealer had to dispute the Firstdata decision. Now my account is frozen and I am unable to conduct business. At this point, I am looking at taking legal action against Firsdata and Suntrust bank. If anyone is as pissed off as I am, I am all for a class action lawsuit against Firstdata. I can be contacted at [email protected] for anyone interested or any lawyer interested in our claim. FIRST DATA, IN MY OPINION, IS THE ABSOLUTE WORSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THESE CLOWNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • CliffordT

    We’ve used First Data to process credit card transactions since 2006. The account was setup for a prospective business that we created on the internet, but the business has not done $1 worth of income since its creation. However, every month since 2006 we have been paying First Data $62.95 per month for the opportunity to process a credit card. In October of this year 2011, I discovered First Data had charged us $12 for the monthly paper statement we get. So, I called around and discovered we could get the same credit card processing service for $30 per month from Authorize.net and they also charge a lower percentage % on credit card transactions, if we ever have one. So, I called First Data to inquire about a better rate, a reduction in the print fee for monthly paper statements. They had nothing to offer or the desire to negotiate. I was forced to leave them for a better deal, and First Data instructed me on how to send a letter for cancellation. They didn’t tell me the letter had to be post marked by the 15th of the month to not get charged again for monthly fee, and they did not tell me they would charge $75 for closing the account. First Data has not justified why they need to charge $75 to close the account. But sure enough, going back to our contract we found the paragraph that calls for closure fee. So, First Data has collected 60 months of regular fees at $62.95 per month, and addition annual fees for members and more fees for PCI compliance, and we have paid more than $3,777.00 for the opportunity to precess credit cards and we have done no business. Its not their fault our business failed, but charging another months fees because we were not told to submit a closure letter by the 15th and $75 to do the closure is real, low down, greed. People, this is a BIG bank and once you let them have access to your checking account, they can take out any amount of money without previous notice to you, and you will play hell to try and get it back. I still have not received call about my complaint and demand to return the $75 to my account.

    Our only recourse to spread the word about First Data to warn the prospective merchant to look elsewhere for a safer and better business deal in regards to opening a credit card processing merchant account.

    We’re going to the local banker on Monday to be sure the account will no longer give access to First Data because First Data is not to be trusted to stay out of the account.

    This is an excellent example of BIG bank GREED with their mantra: MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!
    Just like the radio ad. And it is our money they are taking away from us.

    WARNING!!!!

    DON’T DO BUSINESS WITH FIRST DATA!

    They cost TOO much and they will take your money without cause and warning.

    FIRST DATA is very GREEDY.

    Go to another merchant account system if you have to process credit / debit cards.

  • Brandon Raynor

    These guys absolutely suck and are thieves. Dont sign up with them. They kept charging me for months after i wrote them to disconnect and lied and claimed that the post office rejected letters to my house and all sorts of stuff thats absolute nonsense in an attempt to keep ripping me off
    They are the biggest rip offs and thieves.
    They are a total scam organization

  • jaimin patel

    make sure you read fine print before you sign any document because i have worst experience in my 15 year carrier as retailer i call one of rep in first data center for processing for credit card trans and i ask for term and condition for aggrement for service and rep says month to month and no early termination fee so i did it and after five month of service i seen my statement there charge is so much i can’t believe it so i call for cancelled my service and rep ask me why i said to them too much charge and rep says do you no there is early termination is $500.00 and i ware shocked i have an argguement and i was so angry i told rep just take and don’t ask me any question and i hung up my phone

  • Carol Jacobs

    First Data…small businesses stay away. Just got my bill they took 3.55% of my transactions. When I called to complain they said now they could talk about a lower charge. Customer Service said they are complaint based on lowering fees.
    Well I am complaining and I’m finding another service.
    DO NOT USE THEM OR THEIR OTHER COMPANIES.

  • Richard

    After 10 years with Elavon, I was approached by a First Data salesperson and after numerous conversations, decided to switch to reduce my fees. Elavon’s fees were very high. Everything was fine for three months. Then I got a call from risk management. They reviewed my account and told me I needed to open a collateral account and 20% of our deposits would be held back indefinitely to cover charge backs. We never had a single charge back in 10 years with Elavon.

    Meanwhile, they held all of our deposits and made us miss payroll. Now I am in the process of reopening my account with Elavon. I’d rather pay the high fees and have my deposits than be the victime of extortion.

  • Jennifer king

    First data is the worst credit card prossing company my company has ever used. They fail in customer service, and continued to take fees from my account 2 years after it wad closed. I had 3 accounts with first data. Be aware & do your research!

  • Lisa

    After an exhaustive attempt to get the monies for a large credit card purchase, there were numerous assurances that the money was on it’s way to the bank account. However, it was held over a weekend, transferred on First Data side although no confirmation was supplied when requested and generally not provided the option to speak to a manager.
    Once and if we receive the monies, First Data will be immediately cancelled. Paymantech will be the provider of choice. Do not use this company.

  • Stephanie Blaze

    What ever you choose don’t go with first data. I have used this company for 3 years and had so much trouble. It charged me for fee’s I had know way of knowing what they were for. Every time somthing was wrong it was because of there unorganized employees who would not get it right.When the machine I bought would be down it would take 3 hours for them to figure out what was wrong .This happened 6 times in three years.You will regret going with this companie.

  • sue

    My story is very similar to David’s comment on 11/23/11. I was contacted earlier this year & told I had to COMPLY< COMPLY< COMPLY. I told my sales person my biz was in trouble & he said the contract could be transfered to a new owner, no mention of the length of the commitment. When the equipment did arrive I had extra pieces, I called the company to get an address & the gal on the phone knew who my sales person was & said I would not be charged so what did it matter? Am I warehousing thier equipment ?? I'm still not sure if they were a legitiment contact through my bank (Chase, that's another story) or if they got me on a cold call. I'm returning the equipment this week, and probably lookng at filing bankruptcy, so much for the small business in this economy. Thank you for your time…

  • David Stuart

    In October of 2010 our business signed up with First Data in a Citibank office where we held our bank account. In 2011 First Data increased its compliance fee by 50% from $99 to $149. We began to explore alternatives and found a good one using Paypal. When we contacted First Data they informed us that we had signed a contract for three (3) years. When I inquired where that information was located in my contract they informed me that the information was included in a “Program Guide” 46 pages long and that we had signed a confirmation indicating that we had received the guide and read its contents.

    We did sign the confirmation page but we never received the “Program Guide” nor did the sales person inform us of the duration of the contract or of an early termination fee related to the contract.

    Foolish me, trusting the First Data salesman to be open and honest about the terms of the contract. It’s clear that the salesman failed to provide the Program Guide but asked for a signature on the confirmation page anyway.

    I feel deceived and duped. Treated like a mark rather than a client.

  • Mark Thompson

    If you are a low volume user, stay far away from First Data. The last three months, my fees almost equalled my collections. In August I charged a customer $50, my fees were $48.60. I paid First Data over $500, collected about $1400 gross, so fees were about 35%.

  • debbie ciolli

    I can VERIFY.. EVERYTHING these people are saying!! Every SINGLE statement is TRUE! They are CROOKS! They LIE and it IS SAMS fault, IT IS FIRST DATA “glObal?” Leasing…it IS MERCHANT CREDIT CARD PROCESSING….and MANY “other” names they will “call themselves”….it was ALL THROUGH SAMS….and FIRST DATA!! Yes they have SALES AGENTS…and YES they WILL LIE to You, YOU THINK YOU ARE DEALING WITH A REPUTABLE Company because it has “Sams” associated with it…BUT….I am Here to tell you….We have had the Horrible Misfortune of Ever Signing with these “liars”….and they have consistently CHANGED the.TERMS.. fees, taxes, THAT PCI Crap the one person talked about…..all Kinds of EXTRA “charges” even the One talking about “can we say….My name is Peggy?!” Hilarious and ALL TRUE! Except mine were from “India!”….and they also tried to tell me even IF I scratched out and initialed THE TERMS I AGREED TO….and they did too by ACCEPTING IT!” they now say after 3 years of non use, and I only signed for 2 but didn’t want to FIGHT them…since they have ALL of your Private, Personal, and BANKING Information!!!! so we continued to pay for another year….oh and I Nicely asked..several times for a buyout, and also for a cancellation MANY times, they always said NO, you WILL be charged this and that, you WILL have a Collection and a Bad Credit Mark against your C/R….and they know IF you have a GREAT REPORT” you DON’T want this!!!! so they continue….to THREATEN you and you do like a GOOD LITTLE AMERICAN and TRY TO MAKE YOUR “obligations!”….yet look Further and you will find, that even people who have MET ALL “THEIR” CONTRACT “OBLIGATIONS” THESE CROOKS CONTINUE TO TELL YOU….THROUGH….SOMEONE NAMED….NOT PEGGY….BUT “ACE” AND MARIA!! AND ONLY GOD KNOWS WHAT ELSE THEY MAKE UP, BUT I’LL TELL YOU THIS…THEY MAKE UP BRAND NEW TERMS AND LENGTHS OF CONTRACTS!! THEY ADMITTED TO ME….YES YOUR CONTRACT FOR “PROCESSING” FEES IS OVER, WHICH YOU BET IT IS, AND I STILL PAID ONE EXTRA YEAR ON THAT….BUT NOW THE “FIRST DATA” PEOPLE TOLD ME….”WELL YOUR “PROCESSING PART OF THE CONTRACT IS OVER BUT YOU STILL ARE HELD BY THE EQUIPMENT LEASE/RENTAL FOR 48 MONTHS! AGAIN LOOK FURTHER…YOU WILL ALSO FIND PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SCAMMED JUST LIKE US….WENT THE 48 MONTHS AND STILL THEY ARE REFUSING TO STOP DEBITING THEIR ACCOUNTS!! STAY AWAY FROM THESE CO’S ASSOCIATED WITH: SAMS….MERCHANT CREDIT CARD PROCESSING AKA SISTER OF “FIRST DATA….ALSO SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS..”FIRST DATA GLOBAL LEASING??””BUT DEFINITELY >>>>FIRST DATA ……STAY AWAY! THEY LIE, THEY STEAL AND THEY ARE CROOKED AS THE SUMMER DAYS ARE LONG!! i KNOW! PERSONALLY FOR THE PAST 3+ YEARS!!!!!

  • Joe Stockdale

    This company is TERRIBLE. They promised to match a competitors offer and when I discovered years later they were not matching the agreement I notified them to get my rep to apologize and tell me that he would get it refunded. 12 WEEKS LATER with me calling him 2 to 3 times a week they finally say they will not give me a refund because I have no proof he told me this. WHAT??? I guess he is telling them a different story then what he is telling me. I would NOT trust this company and would stay far away.

  • Andy Fabel

    First Data is SUPER EXPENSIVE. I started with linkpointcentral.com but they were bought by FirstData. Slowly but surely they raised rates until they were just way too much. I switched to FLAGSHIP. I am now paying $45-50 a month instead of $130-140 a month for same service and transaction amount !!

    • Tyng

      I’ve been having a miserable experience with First Data. I copy Mark Staples Jr. (Fist Data Sales Rep.) and First Data Customer Service because their stories have been inconsistent.

      Sorry for long email below.

      I’ve been trying to cancel my service with Fist Data since September 1st but found out that it is not possible. I was introduced to the sales person at First Data, Mark Staples Jr., through Sam’s Club #6657 in Novi, MI in July. I explained to Mark that I’m a start-up business owner who is interested to get a credit card machine to expand business. He explained the services to me, the service signed up (would have at that time) totaling service fee and credit card terminal lease is $17.95 plus each transaction fee (1.49% + $0.25 transaction). Also, being a Sam’s Club member, there is a 90 days free trial in case I change my mind. The terminal return shipment fee is $19.95 and there is no cancellation fee. It sounded like a great deal and I signed up with Mark after spoken to my husband. After into a month of using it, I found out from my bank account that fees are much higher that I would imagine, I contact First Data customer services and they told me many other hidden fees.

      Fees changed from my bank account from 9/6-9/7.
      FDGL LEASE PYMT 052-0749598-000 PPD ID: 1000010839

      38.04
      FDMS OKB INTERCHNG 367287660883

      0.19
      FDMS OKB DISCOUNT 267287660833 CCD ID: 459212693

      21.18
      FDMS OKB FEE 367287660883 CCD ID:4592126793

      48.41
      Total

      107.82

      These changes were enormously high considering the small margin of profit from my start up business. So, I decided to cancel my service with Fist Data and begin calling them. I’ve called the customer service numerous times and there was always there is someone that I need to speak to. After weeks of calling (more than 20 calls and spoke to 7 different people), I finally got into heated argument with Fist Data. They finally partially accept partial account cancellation. They said that my credit card service can be cancelled but the lease service account cannot be cancelled. I contacted Mark Staples numerous times in the following days, I got hold of him twice (once from my husband). Mark assured me that our account had been completely cancelled and I’m not responsible to continue leasing the equipment. However, I kept receiving reminder letters from Fist Data informing me that I’m responsible for leasing the terminal (credit card charge machine) for the full term of 4 years period, and threaten that I’m subject to personal credit degrade and collection activities if I didn’t pay. Thinking in my mind that without account service, what is the use of the credit card terminal? Attached letter is the 3rd reminding letters I receive on 10/1.
      I felt that I was being scammed into a deal that cannot be getting out of. The customer service had said one thing and the sales person said another. I signed up with Fist Data in good faith believing that it is a trusting the company because of their association with Sam’s Club. I’m a responsible person and do not want to be harassed by First Data. No one should be in this kind of situation. I think Sam’s Club should re-evaluate the legitimacy of First Data and their practice.

      Sincerely,
      Tyng Chan

      From: “[email protected]
      To: [email protected]
      Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 12:50 PM
      Subject: <>
      To help us provide the best service possible to you, please do not change the subject of, or any replies to, this email. Cheong: Thank you for contacting Sam’s Club. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused you. Unfortunately, your email was received incomplete. Please reply back with additional information for further assistance. If you need further assistance regarding other issues, please use our Answer Center located on the bottom right-hand side of the SamsClub.com webpage. Just click on Help Center. Regards, Carolina Sam’s Club Member Services

  • John C

    First Data is about the worst company I have ever dealt with. I purchased a very expensive POS system through my bank and the service went through First Data. A couple of years later I no longer had need to that system. I contacted First Data regarding selling it to another business. I was first told I had to sell my business and if the POS system with it, they would allow a new customer to sign up and continue to support the system. I argued that point and was then told that an ISO for First Data could re-assign the system and again set it up with First Data if I sold it. I did so. Now First Data says they are not taking any more new customers on that system and will not allow the customer to sign up and use the system. What a racket this company. Stay as far away from them as possible if you are a small business person. They will screw you.

  • Brian Garcia

    I have first Data and they started charging me a non PCI validation on my
    bill.They told me I have to pay a 40.00 annual pci compliance or they will change me 10.00 extra a monthThis is a big scam stay away.

  • S J

    Does anyone know of a way to get out of a 4 year lease with First Data? Our business is not up and running as we are working on capital projects for the business and they are really cutting into our “progress” with the monthly fees for something we are not using and will not be using for several more months! The system was leased thro a First Data representative, not by another company.

  • Jackie

    We are thinking of changing our merchant processing company, based on a rise in their fees. After reading reviews on differrent companies, I wonder, are there any reputable Credit Card processing companies out there? It seems the fact that they have access to your bank account, they can do anything they want with no one to police them.

    • Phillip CPO

      Hi Jackie,

      There are a few reputable companies in the credit card processing industry, and there are a lot of bad ones too. It is very important to research any company that you are considering doing business with. Keep in mind that nearly every merchant services company has at least a few complaints, so it is more important to pay attention to the content of the complaints. If you see lots of reports of undisclosed fees, contract terms and equipment leases combined with horrible customer service complaints, then it is probably a good idea to avoid that company. Even reputable providers will usually have a few complaints about fees or customer service, but often times those are due the merchant not understanding credit card processing costs from the beginning. First Data has a lot of complaints simply because most merchant account providers use First Data as the processor, including Bank of America and Wells Fargo Bank. It is said that 3 out 4 credit card sales in the US are processed by First Data. What is more important to look for is complaints against the company that is supplying the First Data processing service, as they are usually responsible for setting the contract terms, pricing and handling customer support. If you haven’t already, check out the Recommended Processors page for a list of reputable merchant account providers.

  • Richard Murch

    These people are a joke, I have never seen much incompetence in my life. We closed our account with a fax on 7/22/2011 but on 8/8 and 8/15 they still took money out of our checking account. When I call again to fix the problem another dept. says they did not see the fax but customer service did. There is a total lack of communication between depts. Now I need my wife to call because they will not talk to me all of a sudden.
    Be smart, don’t use this company. All they will do is keep stealing money from your account.

    • Donna Reiser

      STAY AWAY!!!Same thing is happening to me-my son quit the business, sent faxes, letters, etc. 1 and 1/2 years ago.I took over, opened a new account and everything seemed fine until I tried calling customer service a month ago.They’re denying that he ever closed his account, even though the $ has been going into my account.I spent 30+ hours on the phone with the most rude, incompetent people, who barely speak english and never give their real names(Bud,Buck,Dexter,etc)Then they just put you on hold and finally after being on hold for hours-just dis-connect you.They are denying everything although they have read directly from the documents they deny having.They are now taking out fees from my account$407 in one day on top of taking fees before the deposit to my account.I have had to just settle my account and lose many transactions(MONEY) because they refuse to fix the issue, and I just need some $ in my account.This company is about to put me out of business because they are stealing so much $ out of my account!They told me they are taking extra fees out of MY account because my son owed them-not true because they tell me all this time that the account was His all along!Ridiculous!If you go with this company-you will lose!I am going to the State of Tennesse Attorney’s General office this week.Maybe they can help-otherwise I just have to sit by-and watch them clean out my bank account everyday!I have an independent sales person-what a joke-she can’t get through to them either.They al;so said they would transfer me to different departmet, which don’t exist (Does the commercial My name is Peggy..sound familiar-it’s true with this company, except it’s not funny because theySTEAL EVERY PENNY FROM YOUR ACCOUNT AND DON”T GO TO JAIL FOR IT!)

  • Debbie

    Research, research, research! Do NOT sign a lease for equipment either. This was our error some 4 years ago. The lease at $35.38 per month, non-cancellation clause, false verbal promises (Free ink! Free paper!) make any merchant new to accepting credit cards bait for company’s like First Data. I’ve learned the hard way and am just making this suggestion to new-bies.
    P.S.
    Research!

  • Joanna McDermott

    Do not even consider using this company. ALL of the problems we are having with First Data are not even remotely related to Sam’s Club, the third party company who sold us the account. We had been using First Data for four months when we had the unfortunate experience of a chargeback from an unscrupulous cardholder. Basically, he bought something that had a very clear No-Refund policy, and he changed his mind for self-serving reasons (not product-related reasons) and filed a chargeback. We sent 30 pages to First Data supporting our side of the dispute, and we won the dispute. However, now his credit card company is coming back to appeal, and First Data is holding our money ($5,000.) Actually, I can understand them doing this, and this is not our complaint with First Data, but this is where it gets good. SINCE we won the case, we were sent a Letter of Termination by First Data telling us that because we had a chargeback in such a short period of time we are now considered to be too risky as merchants, according to Andrew Kane in their Risk Analysis Department. They will not refund the cost of the terminal that we bought, which is proprietary to First Data, and cannot be used with any other company. Consequently, we are not only out of a processing company and have a black mark against us with other companies to which we have applied due to NO FAULT OF OUR OWN, but we are stuck with an expensive terminal that is of no use to us. But the worst of it is that not only is First Data holding back the original $5,000, which was the amount of the chargeback, but they have continued to withold all of the new transactions that have come in since then, totaling thousands of dollars before a few days went by, and we realized that our sales were not being deposited to our bank account! When we try to talk to someone with First Data, Andrew Kane not only does not return phone calls, which we leave every day, sometimes two and three a day, but his supervisor does not return our calls either. The Chargeback Department tells us that they cannot make the decision to release our money. We have yet to be given a reason as to why the money above and beyond the amount of the chargeback is being held. The original issues with the chargeback were resolved (decided in our favor) over four weeks ago, and that is how long we have been trying to get someone in risk management to talk to us. Day-before-yesterday I happened to get lucky and Andrew Kane picked up the phone in his department not knowing who was calling. When I had him on the phone he would still not give me a reason (other than they are now considering our business to be high-risk – all because of a charge back that we are clearly in the right about, and even won the first round of the dispute.) He would not release our funds, and when I made the point that none of these actions are even allowed per their own contract, he would be silent, and then change the subject. I told him that I wanted a resolution to this right that minute, as he has had almost a month to rectify the situation without so much as an e-mail or returned call, and he refused and mumbled some garbage about having to “run some figures.” I said that I would wait while he did this, and he said that he could not do it with me on the phone and that he would get back to me by the end of the day or tomorrow. Needless to say, he did not get back to me by the end of that business day, and I do not anticipate hearing from him tomorrow. We are now afraid to run anymore charges through in the event that they continue to keep our money from being processed, and hold it back as well, so we are essentially unable to do any business. We have suffered greatly with this economy, as have so many other people, and if this continues we will be OUT of business. Again, none of this has anything to do with Sam’s Club, and all to do with First Data’s practices. We are wondering if this is even legal, and are considering getting an attorney so that we can, at least, get our recent transactions released and have some revenue. This has been a nightmare, and First Data has put us through hell. I agree with the person who suggested looking up all of their complaints, and many of them are identical situations as ours. It is beginning to look like a scam, and we wonder what the Attorney General would think of a company this large, that illegally withholds money. It really is tantamount to stealing. Again, DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY.

    • Reza Mobrem

      Hello Joanna;

      I was reading your story and decided to contact you because of the issue that you had with your card processing. I believe that I may be able to help you with processing going forward. Please feel free to contact me via email or at the office and we can discuss this matter. I look forward to speaking with you.

      Regards,

      Reza Mobrem
      Managing Partner

  • Jane

    I just talked with them about a new account through Sam’s Club. They said there is a 90 day no-questions-asked cancellation and after that it would be $90 flat to cancel for any reason. And if we purchase the terminal from an independent seller, we wouldn’t be locked into a lease agreement for the terminal. The rep said the cancellation language did not appear in the contract but on the “overview” page and is something offered by Sam’s Club, the ISO in this case. Is that something I can trust?

    • Phillip CPO

      Hi Jane,

      I do not recommend taking anyone’s word on something like this. All merchant account agreements have language regarding the length of the agreement and the cancellation penalty. Whatever the contract says is what they can enforce. If the overview page isn’t considered as part of the contract, I wouldn’t trust it.

  • Bryan

    Do not use this company. Search “First Data Complaints” and you will be overwhelmed by the amount of people that have been effected by this company. 6 months after canceling my account with them due to excessive BS fees, I have been charged ANOTHER fee from them. I canceled my business banking account to keep them from charging again in the future.

    • Phillip CPO

      Hi Bryan, thank you for sharing your experience. First Data’s credit card processing services are often sold by other companies who are really the ones to blame for the problems. Were you dealing with another company when you got your First Data merchant account?

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