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Sam’s Club Merchant Services Review: Fees, Complaints & Lawsuits

  • January 30, 2022
  • By Payments Industry Analyst, Phillip Parker
  • 8 User Reviews
see which processors will offer you the lowest pricing and best service
see who will offer you the lowest pricing and best service

Rating

 3/5
Sam's Club Merchant Services logo
Website
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(833) 672-1254

Most Recent Comment

  • James Rundell: says:
    July 11, 2019
    "I used Sams Club Merchant Card Processing for a number of years. The charges were very high, but the services was good. Our bills were alwa..." Read More
See All User Comments

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Rating:
 3/5

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Sam's Club Merchant Services logo
View Pricing
(833) 672-1254

Most Recent Comment

  • James Rundell: says:
    July 11, 2019
    "I used Sams Club Merchant Card Processing for a number of years. The charges were very high, but the services was good. Our bills were alwa..." Read More
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A First Data Reseller

Sam’s Club Merchant Services is the merchant services division of Sam’s Club, a membership-only wholesale retailer owned by Walmart. As its website prominently advertises, Sam’s Club Merchant Services is actually a reseller of First Data (now Fiserv) contracts and Clover products. This means that merchants who sign up for a merchant account through Sam’s Club will receive the processing services of First Data (Fiserv).

Sam’s Club Merchant Services Point of Sale

Sam’s Club Merchant Services processes all major debit and credit cards through the Clover family of products. Clover is provided by Fiserv and is one of the world’s most common payment processing products. They primarily provide in-person sales machines including POS systems and mobile payment devices, but they also offer the Clover app for online sales.

Sam’s Club Merchant Services Location & Ownership

Founded in 1983, Sam’s Club’s headquarters are located at 2101 SE Simple Savings Drive, Bentonville, AR 72716-0745. Sam’s Club Merchant Services is a registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo Bank Concord, CA, and the company’s CEO is Kathryn McLay.

Sam’s Club Merchant Services Review Table of Contents

  • Costs & Contract: Sam’s Club Merchant Services offers two different pricing plans which are advertised as having no termination fees.
  • Complaints & Service: Sam’s Club Merchant Services has received more than 15 public complaints.
  • BBB Rating: Sam’s Club Merchant Services does not have a dedicated Better Business Bureau profile at this time.
  • Sales & Marketing: Sam’s Club Merchant Services does not appear to hire independent sales agents but has received some complaints about its sales practices.
Sam's Club Merchant Services payment processing
Sam’s Club Merchant Services offers the Clover family of payment processing services

Should You Trust Sam’s Club Merchant Services?

Lawsuits, Reviews & Complaints

Complaint Summary

Total Online Complaints 25+
Live Customer Support Yes
Most Common Complaint Hidden Fees

Low-to-Moderate Complaint Total

Because Sam’s Club Merchant Services is powered by First Data (Fiserv), it is very likely that complaints intended for Sam’s Club may be funneled to the First Data (Fiserv) customer service department and online profiles. Still, we were able to locate over 25 complaints on this and other consumer protection websites, several of which described Sam’s Club Merchant Services as a scam or a ripoff. Common themes among these complaints include nondisclosure of fees, misrepresentation of rates, unavailability of sales agents, difficulty reaching representatives, and unhelpful or rude customer service.

Sam’s Club Merchant Services Lawsuits and Fines

In 2020, Sam’s Club Merchant Services was one of a number of processors named in a lawsuit dealing with alleged telemarketing practices. It appears the suit turned into a class-action suit and was settled in late 2021. Dissatisfied merchants who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.

Sam’s Club Merchant Services Customer Service Options

Clover provides customer support for Sam’s Club Merchant Services. It offers a 24/7/365 phone line and limited chat support. These options are the bare minimum that we expect of top-rated payment processors for great customer service, but Sam’s Club’s performance among merchants suggests that it could stand to improve in this category.

We have located a single Sam’s Club Merchant Services customer service phone number:

(833) 672-1254 – Toll-Free Customer Service

Is the BBB Rating for Sam’s Club Merchant Services Accurate?

Better Business Bureau Profile

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No Profile Available

The Better Business Bureau does not provide a profile specifically devoted to Sam’s Club Merchant Services, and the complaints on the BBB page for the larger Sam’s Club entity are not limited to any one department. In addition, it is likely that many of Sam’s Club’s dissatisfied clients have filed their reports with the First Data (Fiserv) BBB profile rather than that of Sam’s Club. It would therefore be unhelpful to consult the BBB for information about Sam’s Club Merchant Services, and we will not factor the BBB’s rating into this review.

How Expensive is Sam’s Club Merchant Services?

Rates, Fees, and Contract Terms

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Cost Summary

Swiped Rate 2.29% + $0.19
Keyed-in Rate 3.29% + $0.19
Monthly Minimum Fee $5 (Value Rate Plan Only)
Early Termination Fee Up to $90
PCI Compliance Fee $49.95 Per Year
Equipment Lease Terms Up to 60 Months (locked)

Sam’s Club Merchant Services Rates

Sam’s Club has previously offered two standard pricing plans that feature tiered pricing. It currently advertises multiple Clover products available for purchase with rates starting at 1.29% plus $0.15 per transaction through its “Value Rate Pricing.” The company’s “Simplified Pricing Model” offers rates of 2.29% plus $0.19 and 3.29% plus $0.19 for swiped and keyed-in transactions, respectively.

Sam’s Club Merchant Services Fees

We found two reviews citing an early termination fee of $90, which is fairly low for the industry but contradicts the company’s claim that there are no cancellation fees. Another consistent fee seems to be a PCI compliance fee of $49.95 per year, which was not disclosed on the former Sam’s Club Merchant Services website. This is cheaper than the standard First Data PCI compliance fee of $19.95 per month. The company’s former “Value Rate” plan also included a $5 monthly minimum fee.

Industry-Average Terms

A few Sam’s Club merchants express disillusionment with their effective rate paid, which may be the result of incomplete rate-quoting by sales representatives. Some merchants also report long-term equipment leases that can cost thousands of dollars, likely through Clover or First Data Global Leasing. Sam’s Club provides a Sam’s Club membership for the duration of its merchant account contracts, although most complainants seem to think that this doesn’t do very much to offset costs. In general, Sam’s Club does not appear to offer pricing that can compete with the cheapest merchant accounts. We also encourage merchants to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant accounts.

Sam's Club Merchant Services point of sale
Sam’s Club Merchant Services offers a variety of POS systems from Clover

Does Sam’s Club Merchant Services Use Deceptive Marketing?

Advertising & Sales Strategy

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Key Points

Employs Independent Resellers No
Advertises Deceptive Rates Yes
Discloses All Important Terms No

Inside Sales Team

Sam’s Club appears to utilize its existing channels of promotion to market its merchant services, including mail, email, and in-store advertisement. As of this update, it is unclear whether merchants who sign up for a Sam’s Club merchant account will deal with a First Data (Fiserv) sales representative or a Sam’s Club Merchant Services representative, but most evidence suggests that First Data (Fiserv) services these accounts. Multiple Sam’s Club reviews complain of nondisclosure or misrepresentation of contract terms, and complainants also state that agents often become unreachable after signing. This does not compare favorably to our list of best credit card processors.

Previous Rate Quotes

At the time of a previous update, the “Pricing” page on the former Sam’s Club Merchant Services website promoted two pricing plans. For merchants on the “Value Rate” plan, the quoted rate for swiped transactions started at 1.29% plus $0.15. For merchants on the “Simplified” plan, the quoted rates started at 2.29% plus $0.19 for swiped cards and 3.29% plus $0.19 for keyed-in transactions. These rates are no longer visible, but they may still apply.

Current Rate Quotes

One page advertising Clover products mentions rates “starting at 2.3% + 10¢ per transaction.” As with the company’s previous rate quotes, this falls short of full disclosure. The most important thing to bear in mind with regard to these rate quotes is that they are just the “Qualified” rates that merchants will see for very few swiped transactions. The “Mid-Qualified” and “Non-Qualified” transaction rates (which comprise the majority of transactions) are not listed on this page. We have found more than one merchant complaint expressing confusion about the rates that were advertised versus the effective rate paid. If you have had the same experience, you can double-check your monthly bill against your contract with a third-party statement audit.

Does Sam’s Club Merchant Services Deserve Your Business?

Review Summary & Our Thoughts

An Average Option for Most Merchants

Sam’s Club Merchant Services rates as an average merchant account provider by our standards. Although the company’s partnership with First Data (Fiserv) allows it to offer a wide variety of pricing plans, it also seems to have resulted in poor customer support and misleading sales strategies. Sam’s Club offers special pricing to large retailers, but small businesses will likely be better served by a top-rated credit card processor.

5-Star Rated Sam’s Club Merchant Services Competitors

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About The Author

Phillip Parker is a Payments Industry Analyst and creator of this blog, CardPaymentOptions.com. Phillip is passionate about researching merchant service providers and payment industry trends. He is often quoted as an expert source in national publications such as INC Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Entrepreneur, and many others.

“I started this blog because I was disgusted by the business practices of the merchant services industry. I wanted to empower business owners by providing insight on how to avoid shady merchant account providers and costly credit card processing mistakes.” 

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What Others Are Saying About Sam’s Club Merchant Services

Customer & Employee Reviews

8 Responses

  1. James Rundell says:
    July 11, 2019 at 7:55 am

    I used Sams Club Merchant Card Processing for a number of years. The charges were very high, but the services was good. Our bills were always paid on time. This spring I sold our business and cancelled our contract. Because we also sold the name of our business we closed our bank account to avoid problems.
    That left a bill due to Sams club. Instead of billing us or calling us we were charged $150,00 for a collection fee. This is just wrong to treat a long term customer this way!!


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

    -Phillip

    Reply
  2. Shane harrison says:
    July 23, 2017 at 8:26 am

    Sam’s club merchant services where to start. Was misslead about fees, they record the conversation but do not go back to hear what sales had promised. will tackle your batch , with out in going in to your bank account, you will not know untill you see bank statement. Each months fees donot stand alone, there are fees not charge form past months . That’s crazy, unless you’re just trying to confoun your customers. They are worse than most , look elsewhere for a merchant service company. Very dissatisfied.

    Reply
  3. Sheryl says:
    April 25, 2017 at 8:34 am

    After paying 4 1/2 years on a lease agreement for two business’s to tune of almost $6000.00, they are charging me to end the lease. They are absolute rip off artists. Despite all the money that Sam’s Club has, they should rip off the small business as much as they possibly can. And, it only took me 2 1/2 weeks to end this agreement because they couldn’t find paperwork so I had to keep calling back. NEVER do business with this credit card company. You will be highly disappointed at their customer service.

    Reply
  4. David Crowe says:
    November 3, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    Avoid this merchant service. I was led to believe that my fees would be less than 2%. Over the last two months, before I dumped these guys and went with Square, my fees averaged nearly 6%.
    Run. Don’t walk away.

    Reply
  5. Paul says:
    June 19, 2014 at 8:05 pm

    I’m not sure where the above person gets his info but I was charged all of the fees he says are not charged and the effective rate is MUCH higher than almost everyone I have looked at
    I wish I would have seen some of the reviews before I tried it.
    SNEEKY pricing and billing and many hidden charges.
    DON’T USE SAM’S CLUB PROCESSING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  6. Cliff says:
    March 6, 2014 at 6:03 am

    Sam’s has a $0 cancelation fee and no PCI Yearly Compliance. Also Sam’s has a much lower effective rate than many processors. Couldn’t be more happy with them.

    Reply
    1. Phillip Parker says:
      March 7, 2014 at 9:48 am

      Hi Cliff,

      To authenticate your testimonial, please reply to this comment with your business name and location.

      Reply
    2. Shane harrison says:
      July 23, 2017 at 8:33 am

      Happy for you, your sales.person was not trying to cheat you. Wish my story was the same. 4 months in with them.

      Reply

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