Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/08/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Opened up an account for payment processing.
  Provided all documentation for proof of business.
  Invoices were sent out to clients.
  Payments came in, account was restricted.
  Support has been nonexistent and money is stuck in limbo.

  Business Response

  Date: 21/08/2025

  The issue was resolved directly with the customer. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/08/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have used Wave since 2023 for accounting and payroll.
  In May/June they transitioned to a new third party payroll system without consent or proper notification. One day I logged in and the system started prompting me for new information that had been stored for some time. I thought maybe it was a glitch.
  Only later did I learn that there was some behind the scenes transition that was improperly handled and deployed, dealing with sensitive information (such as social security numbers) and federal tax payments.
  
  I am currently receiving letters from the IRS of forms that were not filed. I am working with an accountant and the Wave payroll numbers are not matching up. This is a complete compliance disaster for everyone. The communication has been poor, I asked for help and was told to expect 2-3 weeks for an email response which is not sufficient in a crisis involving mandated and penalty prone federal tax reporting.
  
  They have been actively marketing to me to use their accounting services so I talked to someone just for insights and they did confirm this is a real company with a real building with people inside of it.
  
  As I am self employed, I have received no paystubs since May and no communication from Wave.
  
  Contact with Help/Support is extremely limited, slow.
  
  I am just a small business owner. I chose wave because of its BBB rating and I have now wasted countless hours trying to clean up the mess they created without my consent and I probably need to hire additional legal help to get out of it. What a disaster, and the only email mentioning this said "bumps in the road" when families are not getting paychecks. I am incredulous. There should be a third party firm taking this over and cleaning it up ASAP.

  Business Response

  Date: 21/08/2025

  The issue has been resolved directly with the customer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:31/07/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Using wave as an invoicing platform. They have approved my ability to receive payments and have accepted customer payments but have put an indefinite hold on the funds. They’ve requested emails, text conversations with my clients, refund policy (we don’t issue refunds) Contracts with customers(we don’t have) and a bunch of other stuff that we don’t use. To have accepted payments for my business and then to hold the funds isn’t acceptable. I cannot reach anyone. Emails aren’t returned and the chat bot isn’t working. Just refund my clients money and we will go elsewhere for invoices.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2025

  Like all financial companies, every business that signs up for our Payments service undergoes a thorough risk review, and in some cases and for various reasons a manual assessment is required after transactions have occurred. When this is case, we hold the funds, contact the customer in an effort to gather more information, and try to resolve the issue. This process is for the protection of all parties involved and part of our financial obligation. After conducting this further investigation, our risk team has deemed your payments fully active and you are able to continue processing payments if you choose. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:31/07/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been with Wave for several years. I stopped using them when I had major issues getting access to my money because of "potential ******. I had to jump through hoop after hoop meanwhile bills are not getting paid.
  Recently, I decided to try them again for a client invoice. This was a big mistake. Not only am I having issues accessing my money but customer service is almost non-existent. Everything is through email and they take days to get back to me. Even then they are dragging their feet and have created so many steps and processes that are ridiculous, beyond just "keeping my money safe". This is not ok.
  For example, I went onto their site to go through the process, once again, of figuring out how to get my money and got to the end of this long form only to see at the bottom that it required being filled out on "a mobile device"! Why would they not say that in the email, or at the very least at the top of the form.
  I will never do business with them again. They have not been worth all of this headache, time, and stress. I have bills to pay and no access to my own money.
  They should not be in business. Their systems are flawed and anyone considering using them should run the other way.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/08/2025

  Like all financial companies, every business that signs up for our Payments service undergoes a thorough risk review, and in some cases and for various reasons a manual assessment is required after transactions have occurred. When this is case, we hold the funds, contact the customer in an effort to gather more information, and try to resolve the issue. This process is for the protection of all parties involved and part of our financial obligation. After conducting this further investigation, our risk team has deemed your payments fully active and you are able to continue processing payments if you choose. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:17/07/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On July 10 this company made an unauthorized ACH withdrawal labeled as payroll. Payroll typically goes out every 2 weeks and the previous payroll went out on July 1. I did not approve the payroll. I discovered the error on July 14 and I attempted to chat with customer service. After approximately an hour I was finally connected to an individual in customer service but I was disconnected before we could solve the problem. I attempted to reopen the chat but was told by the chatbot of that I couldn’t because I wouldn’t give a code that was sent to me in an email that I didn’t receive until several hours later. I sent an email to customer service describing the problem and I haven’t heard anything since then (July 16). Since it is a significant sum of money, and it was an unauthorized transaction I need this addressed urgently. I spoke with my bank on July 14 and they stated that they couldn’t reverse the charges because it had been longer than 24 hours.

  Business Response

  Date: 25/07/2025

  We have reached out to the customer to provide further context and clarification. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:14/07/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We have not had access to our payroll account since June 11 and have not even been contacted back by a real support person. We need access to this account so we know how much to pay our employees. This had been a nightmare problem and we wouldn't want anyone else to deal with these issues. They charged us for services they're not providing ie; this month and last month where we literally can't use it. We just want our account information so we can see the information on our employees.

  Business Response

  Date: 24/07/2025

  We have been in communication with the customer to help them access their account.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/07/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Nature of the complaint:
  Failure to provide access to payroll records, W-2 processing delays, and zero customer communication or support.
  
  Complaint details:
  I have been a Wave customer for over two years, using the platform for both accounting and payroll. Since late 2023, I have experienced escalating issues with payroll processing, including a still-unresolved update to my 2024 W-2 that has been “in process” since December.
  
  In June 2025, the platform became unusable for payroll—no warning, no status updates, and no communication from Wave. Even worse, I no longer have access to my payroll history or account records, which are critical for federal tax compliance and recordkeeping. The customer support chat has been nonfunctional, and there have been no proactive updates from Wave despite multiple support tickets.
  
  This lack of access and transparency has severely disrupted my ability to run my business and meet tax deadlines. I feel completely abandoned by a company I relied on to help manage legally required filings like Form 941 and W-2.
  
  Desired resolution:
  I am requesting:
  
  Immediate access to my full payroll history and W-2 records
  
  A definitive timeline for delivery of my corrected 2024 W-2
  
  A formal response acknowledging the service outage and what Wave is doing to resolve it
  
  Clear steps for exporting all of my data from the platform

  Business Response

  Date: 18/07/2025

  We are in touch with the customer directly and are actively working towards resolving the issue.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/07/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I used Wave Banking and paid fees for the invoicing/payments solution. Since Wave Banking closed I have been unable to receive payouts totalling, $11,005.20 that are being held by the company. I have sent in at least 10 support tickets but am continually told it is 'fixed' I am a software engineer so have done everything in my power to debug. I can't get through support chat and emails go unaswered. I tried to sign up for Receipts processing and I can't access it either after I paid.

  Business Response

  Date: 18/07/2025

  We have resolved the technical issue related to the customer's held funds. We are in touch with the customer directly to resolve the issue related to their Receipt subscription.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/07/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Payroll never setup. Opened two help tickets, neither of which were responded to in over 10 days. Unable to connect with a human, only AI chat bot.

  Business Response

  Date: 18/07/2025

  The issue has been resolved with the customer directly.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/07/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Complaint:
  Wave manages the finances for our small business, including payroll. I recently received a bonus, but Wave withheld significantly more in taxes than necessary. I have been trying to resolve this issue for two to three weeks, but have received no response.
  
  Their live chat is just an automated bot that does not address my specific situation. I have sent multiple emails and have tried to contact them through all their social media channels — still no reply.
  
  As a result, Wave is holding my money with no communication or support, which is unacceptable for a payroll and finance company. I need this corrected immediately and want direct, human assistance to ensure the withheld amount is adjusted and returned appropriately.
  
  Desired Resolution:
  
  Direct, human contact from Wave’s support team
  
  An explanation for the excessive withholding
  
  Prompt correction of the error and a refund of the excess amount withheld
  
  Clear communication about how this will be prevented in the future

  Business Response

  Date: 18/07/2025

  We are in touch with the customer directly and have provided a detailed breakdown of their payroll calculations and next steps.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 18/07/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: they are in touch, but it should still be flagged by BBB. 

  There are complaints about this company all over the internet.

  Also - they were not forthcoming about these taxes with me directly.  I've had to spend money on my accountant to work it out. Wave is supposed to help businesses and employees not make them pay more for added services when they do a poor job and don't communicate.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  *** ********

  Business Response

  Date: 07/08/2025

  This customer has been provided with all of the details on their account. If there's something additional we can support them on, we'd be happy to do so but that information has been shared.