Note: As expanded upon below, Retriever Merchant Solutions has essentially split into many different companies, some of which use the name “Retriever,” but these companies are not the same company any longer. In addition, the parent company is now Payroc. Because of this, we will no longer be updating this primary profile.
Retriever Merchant Solutions Overview
Retriever Merchant Solutions (rmsnpc.com) is a merchant account provider headquartered in Munster, Indiana. The company takes the “Retriever” portion of its name from a now-defunct ISO of National Processing Company (NPC) called Retriever Payment Systems. Founded in 1993, the original Retriever Payment Systems was purchased by Iron Triangle Payment Systems in 2006 and subsequently converted into a subsidiary of National Processing Company (NPC). Although the original Retriever Payment Systems is no longer active, there are multiple independent sales offices across the country that still use the Retriever name and logo. Retriever Merchant Solutions is one of these locations. A few of the other independent Retriever offices are listed below:
- Retriever Merchant Solutions of Waterville, Ohio, now known as National Payment Corporation
- Retriever Medical/Dental Payments, Inc. of Valhalla, New York
- Retriever of Orlando, Florida, and of Memphis, Tennessee (localccprocessing.com)
- Retriever Payment Chicago of Geneva, Illinois, now known as Payroc
- Retriever of Jackson, Mississippi (retrievernpc.com), now known as ConsumerPay
Retriever Merchant Solutions is not affiliated with any of the locations listed above, and it does not report to a larger corporate entity called Retriever Payment Systems, but rather is now a reseller of Worldpay (formerly Vantiv). This review will treat Retriever Merchant Solutions as independent of its former ownership.
In 2021, the original Retriever was purchased by Payroc and absorbed into their brand.
Retriever Merchant Solutions Point of Sale
Retriever Merchant Solutions offers point-of-sale solutions from Poynt and ShopKeep, which include tablet and mobile solutions. They also offer EMV readers, ApplePay, contactless pay, MOTO, virtual terminals, and countertop terminals to process PIN debit, signature debit, credit cards, gift cards, and EBTs.
Retriever Merchant Solutions Location & Ownership
Retriever Merchant Solutions is a registered ISO/MSP of Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Cincinnati, OH, and Woodforest National Bank, Houston, TX, and is headquartered at 9404 Margo Lane, Munster, Indiana, 46321. Brian Kamstra is listed as the president of Retriever Merchant Solutions.
Customer Reviews & Sentiment
Moderate Complaint Total
We are currently able to locate more than 50 negative Retriever Merchant Solutions reviews, and some of these accuse the company of being a scam or a ripoff. There are over 20 complaints posted beneath our overall review of Retriever Payment Systems, but not all of these complaints specifically mention the South Holland/Munster office. Common themes among complaints specifically directed at Retriever Merchant Solutions include higher-than-advertised fees, undisclosed contract terms, difficulty canceling service, and expensive equipment leases.
Retriever Merchant Solutions Customer Service Options
Complaints filed against the credit card processor have seen a notable increase since our last update of this review, and this trend inclines us to give the company a “C” in this category. Retriever Merchant Solutions provides live phone support to its merchants, but this support channel is not enough to qualify it as a top-rated merchant account provider for customer service.
We have located multiple Retriever Merchant Solutions customer service numbers:
(877) 599-3875 – Toll-Free General Customer Service
(800) 877-2265 – Tech Support
(866) 270-1962 – 24/7 Poynt Specialist
(877) 759-9919 – ShopKeep Text Support
Retriever Merchant Solutions offers live chat support through its website as well as a ShopKeep support email at support@shopkeep.com
Client Satisfaction Ratings
| Product & Service Complaints | 9 |
|---|---|
| Billing & Collection Complaints | 2 |
| Advertising & Sales Complaints | 2 |
| Guarantee & Warranty Complaints | 0 |
| Delivery Complaints | 0 |
Note: We have adjusted this company’s BBB rating according to our own standards. To better understand why we adjust BBB ratings, please see our Rating Criteria.
Profile Wiped
As of our most recent review, the BBB profile for Retriever Merchant Solutions has been inexplicably wiped. It is currently linking to another empty profile for something called SINGLEREPORTING and/or FIS. At the time of a previous review, the company was showing an “A+” rating. The company had received 13 complaints in the last 36 months, with 2 related to advertising or sales issues, 9 due to product or service problems, and 2 having to do with billing or collection disputes. Only 5 of these 13 complaints were resolved by the company to the satisfaction of the merchant. The remaining 8 were resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or received no final response.
What Merchants Say
In addition to those 13 complaints, Retriever Merchant Solutions had received 7 informal reviews to its profile with the BBB. 4 of those reviews were negative, and the most recent negative review describes being charged for service following the closure of their account:
Salesperson was very high pressure. Stated that there was NO contract on the processing, but that the machine lease would have a contract. Held papers on a clipboard with the relevant terms hidden under the clip and would take them back to flip through them when I asked a specific question or started to take them off of the clipboard to review them. We made it through the 5 year lease of $50 per month for the $150 machine they had supplied and thought we would be able to just switch processing (like we did when we moved TO Retriever) and stop receiving fees for processing. Nothing changed – we are still getting billed over $100 worth of “fees” for processing – when there is NO processing happening. The cancellation form that we are now required to sign for the processing shows a $375 early termination fee – from terms that were hidden on a clipboard at the time of signing. In addition, the contract that was emailed to me does NOT match the carbon copies of the contract that I have on file from when I signed it. Triplicate forms with different information on each one maybe??? They did not allow “debit card” transactions on our terminal – but would process them in house for the lower debit card fee and then pocket the difference as well.
Merchants stuck in similar situations could benefit from understanding how to cancel a merchant account without paying a fee.
A “B” Performance Overall
In light of the company’s complaint total and resolution ratio, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating to a “B.”
Card Processing Rates & Fees
Retriever Merchant Solutions Contract Terms
There is very little specific information available about the standard Retriever Merchant Solutions contract at this time. As a reseller of Worldpay, typical Worldpay merchant agreements include rates of 2.90% plus $0.30 for swiped transactions and 3.30% plus $0.30 for those that are keyed-in. Those agreements include an early termination fee of up to $295, a PCI compliance fee of $15 to $25 per month, monthly minimum fees, annual fees, and other associated fees. These fees can vary depending on the sales agent setting up the account and a merchant’s size, business type, and time in business, but we have seen multiple reports of a $375 early termination fee. Merchants are encouraged to negotiate contract terms to aim for rates that are competitive with cheap merchant account providers.
Non-Cancellable Equipment Leases
Nearly all of the merchant complaints about Retriever’s contract terms are related to the equipment leases sold by the company’s agents. Retriever itself does not lease the equipment in these cases but instead signs merchants up for non-cancellable four-year leases through Lease Finance Group. Complainants are reporting monthly lease fees of up to $49.99, which will far exceed the purchase price of the equipment over a full four-year term (note: most credit card terminals can be purchased outright for under $500). Merchants who wish to cancel these lease agreements will be forced to pay out the remaining months of the lease in one lump sum. For this reason, merchants are encouraged to purchase equipment whenever possible and to inquire about the company supplying any equipment leases through Retriever. We also encourage merchants to check out our list of the providers of thebest merchant accounts.
Bottom Line
An Average Performance
Retriever Merchant Solutions rates as an average merchant services provider according to all available information. The company is showing a moderate number of complaints, and it suffers from multiple complaints related to its equipment leases. Retriever can improve its overall rating in this review by minimizing future complaints and by severing ties with Lease Finance Group, which is one of the lowest-rated companies on CardPaymentOptions.com.
Retriever Merchant Solutions Rating
