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:09/06/2025

  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 had been using there credit card processing feature to accept payments from my clients. Without prior notice or explanation, my account was restricted from using this feature. However, despite this restriction being shown on my app interface, my clients were still able to make credit card payments through the platform.
  
  In one instance, a client made a payment using a credit card. They processed the transaction, deducted their processing fee, and then froze the funds—refusing to release them to me. I attempted multiple times to contact them for clarification and resolution, but they refused to discuss the matter with either me or my client. No reason was given, and no refund was issued to my client either.
  
  What is especially troubling is that they continued allowing payments to be made on my behalf while knowingly preventing me from accessing those funds while showing on my end that excepting payments online is off and I cannot except payments via there there software. This has caused financial harm to my business and damaged trust with my client.

  Business Response

  Date: 19/06/2025

  We have resolved the issue directly with the customer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/06/2025

  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'm the owner of a small company, ******* **********, and have been using Wave for both accounting and payroll services for over 2 years. In April 2025, I received IRS Notice CP 134B, indicating that my Q4 2024 Form 941 employment taxes were not fully paid. This was alarming, especially since Wave had correctly calculated and withheld the necessary tax amounts from my payroll.
  
  After investigating, I discovered that Wave failed to properly remit the withheld payroll tax payments to the IRS, despite having sufficient funds and accurate payroll information. As a result, I was assessed $1,865.32 in penalties and interest by the IRS.
  
  I first contacted Wave support about this issue on April 28, 2025. They acknowledged the problem and assured me that they would open a full investigation and reimburse me for any penalties and interest. Since then, I have only received one follow-up response from Wave on May 15, 2025—and nothing further, despite multiple follow-ups.
  
  This situation has caused me considerable stress and wasted time. I'm now worried that other payroll tax submissions may also be incorrect or unsubmitted, putting me at further risk with the IRS.
  
  I am requesting that:
  
  1. Wave immediately provide a detailed update on the investigation.
  
  2. Wave reimburse me in full for all penalties and fees resulting from their error.
  
  3. Wave provide a comprehensive audit of all past payroll tax submissions to confirm their accuracy and proper filing.
  
  Wave's lack of communication and accountability is unacceptable. As a small business owner, I rely on their platform to meet my federal tax obligations. Their failure to fulfill that responsibility is deeply concerning.

  Business Response

  Date: 19/06/2025

  We are directly in touch with the customer to resolve the issue.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 30/06/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  

  Wave has reached out and agreed to pay the interest and penalties and are working though the missing tax payments which is great progress but I have not yet received a reimbursement therefore would like to keep the case open until payment is complete. 

  Thank you,
  
  
  
  ****** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 21/07/2025

  We have reimbursed the business owner and are currently addressing their remaining concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/06/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 an ****** and used Wave for their payroll service and used them to file my federal tax deposits. In January, they failed to submit my federal tax deposit on time and it was 7 days late, resulting in a fee of nearly $650 from the IRS. It has been multiple months and they have still failed to address the issue. After waiting for 20 days for a response, they sent me the following:
  
  "Thank you for submitting a request to Wave's Payroll Support team. Due to the high volumes caused by year-end, our team has not been able to respond to your request. We apologize for this delay.
  
  If you still require a Payroll Support member to assist with your request, please respond to this email. It will keep the ticket open and allow our team to prioritize a response to you. Thank you for your patience during this busy time."
  
  After responding and multiple attempts to get a response, it has been over 30 days since that message and no response from them. This fee has been a significant loss for my small business as a freelancer. Their lack of accountability, support, is unacceptable.

  Business Response

  Date: 26/06/2025

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/07/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because they have reached out that they are aware of the issue, but have yet to resolve it. 
  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 21/07/2025

  The issue has been resolved directly with the customer.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 28/07/2025

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  *********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/06/2025

  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.

  I subscribed to Wave's payroll service, which takes care of payroll tax payments to the US Internal Revenue Service. One of these payments was made late, resulting in a penalty to me of US$301.75. I sent Wave a copy of the IRS notice via email to *******@********.com on April 4 asking them to investigate and, if they have any liability, to please pay the penalty. I have received no response to my ticket.

  Business Response

  Date: 13/06/2025

  We are in touch with the customer directly to resolve this issue.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:22/05/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 to run my business receivables for 5+ years. Until now, I had no problems.
  
  Instead of notifying me they couldn't operate where I changed my bank to, they paused all my payouts and spent weeks of irregular correspondence via email or I'd wait in a very long queue (1-4+ hours at a time) for chat support. Their chats often timeout after 1-2 hour waits, where you have to start again. If you do get someone, no department can do anything toward your case. It's always another department's issue. Additionally, Wave doesn't have anyone you can talk with for support.
  
  I changed my bank back to the original I've been operating from for 5+ years, hoping to speed up the process, and now it's been 2 more weeks with nothing, but "Your case is currently be worked on. You'll hear back from someone today." Everyday, it's the same thing. No response from Wave.
  
  Pausing a business' financial operations for a to be solely determined by Wave amount of time, without warning, keeping a HUGE amount of money in limbo without reason or warrant (only based on "sole discretion"), and not having support to resolve issues in any timely manner is a standard no company should have.

  Business Response

  Date: 27/05/2025

  Wave is in touch with the customer directly to resolve the issue.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 27/05/2025

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** *********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:20/05/2025

  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.

  Wave Financial Inc helped assisted one of the clients in *****. I engaged ***** ******* ****** for services and submitted payment through your Wave Financial's Payment Gateway. Unfortunately, the services were never rendered. When I filed a chargeback with my credit card provider, ******* ***, ***** ******* ****** responded with falsified documentation to dispute the claim. Wave Financial Inc assisted in denying my claim. As a result, ******* *** has since closed their investigation. Ultimately stating I am responsible for the charges.
  
  WAVE - *************** billed on 09/09/2024 for $5,846.37.
  WAVE - *************** billed on 09/09/2024 for $9,504.02.
  WAVE - *************** billed on 09/17/2024 for $10,055.03.
  WAVE - *************** billed on 09/23/2024 for $8,454.04.

  Business Response

  Date: 30/05/2025

  Customer complaint does not reflect the work done with Wave as they are upset that Wave's customer has won chargeback initiated against them. We are unable to refund any money lost due to the bank's decision on this process. We recommend that the complainant reach out to the Merchant to discuss a refund. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:14/05/2025

  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.

  My business is new I'm using wave financial as my payment processor for online payments we do selective demolition services on site for real estate investors and property management companies that are more than likely absentee or never on site so we have to use online payment processors to receive our payments. I signed up with this company so I can receive online payments initially I did everything that I was supposed to do it was approved to accept online payments as soon as I was paid I got an email this morning saying that they had to discontinue my payment processing until I answered a list of questions and submit documents which I feel like are frivolous questions that could have been asked before they approved the payment processing I feel like this was used to lock people in and to keep people from going elsewhere because they have a subpar product and it's not right this was my first payment with the newly incorporated business I don't have lines of credit or credit cards to float my business so I 100% depend on what I'm paid to keep going this would traumatically disrupt my cash flow process. I have submitted all forms and answered all questions the messed up part is it may take days or a week before my money is released when they could have asked the same simple questions before they approve online payments. If you think about it if they do 30 or 40 people a day like this in the amounts of money range anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 that's a lot of money that they're a tying up from people that's running businesses

  Business Response

  Date: 14/05/2025

  The issue was resolved with the customer directly.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:14/05/2025

  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.

  In April 2025, I used Wave Financial to invoice a client for cybersecurity services. The payment was $10,000 for 80 hours of documented work. I submitted all required documentation including a signed contract, ID, and client confirmation.
  
  Wave then froze the funds and initiated a “risk review.” Despite complying with all requests, they claimed they could not “verify” my business and refunded the client without citing fraud or a violation of their Terms of Service. I received no formal notice of wrongdoing, no opportunity to appeal, and no response to follow-up inquiries.
  
  This action disrupted my business, damaged my credibility, and undermined a legal, documented service agreement. I believe Wave acted arbitrarily, with no transparency or due process.

  Business Response

  Date: 23/05/2025

  Wave is in touch with the customer directly to resolve the issue

• Initial Complaint

  Date:14/05/2025

  Type:Product 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 am filing this complaint due to my experience with Wave Financial Inc. after purchasing a Wave Pro subscription on May 8, 2025. Upon payment, I received a confirmation email stating that I could "get started right away." Based on this, I proceeded to invoice a client, only to have my account immediately restricted pending further verification for the payment processing feature.
  
  Several days later, I was informed via email that Wave considers various general factors when determining eligibility to use their payment system, including business tenure, industry type, online presence, and financial history. However, no specific reason for the restriction was provided. I was simply told that I could not use the payments feature—the primary reason I signed up for the service.
  
  I contacted Wave to request a full refund of my Pro subscription since I could not use the key feature I had paid for. My request was refused, even though the service was effectively denied immediately after purchase. I believe this is a clear case of misleading advertising, poor customer service, and a failure to disclose eligibility requirements upfront.
  
  I am requesting:
  
  A full refund of my Wave Pro subscription;
  
  Transparency regarding account eligibility for payments, especially before customers are charged;
  
  Corrective action to ensure other consumers are not similarly misled.
  
  I hope the BBB will assist in facilitating a fair resolution to this matter.

  Business Response

  Date: 22/05/2025

  
  We reached out to the customer to resolve the issue directly.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/05/2025

  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.

  I am a small business owner who subscribed to Wave’s payroll service based on its marketing promise to provide “an easy, more accurate way to pay employees, contractors, and yourself.” Unfortunately, my experience with Wave has resulted in tax filing errors, missed deadlines, and unresponsive customer service—causing financial and administrative burden for my business.
  Incorrect Tax Settings & W-2 Issuance:
  My Wave payroll account was incorrectly set up as exempt from (FUTA) without my knowledge or expertise. This error led to Wave failing to generate Form 940. Additionally, Wave generated a W-2 for February 2024 indicating payroll payments that never occurred. No paycheck was processed that month—only an owner's distribution. This is false and ********** information being reported to the IRS.
  Missed Filing Deadlines & Financial Harm:
  Due to reliance on Wave’s services and inaccurate recordkeeping, I missed every federal and state tax deadline for 2024. I am now required to hire an outside tax professional to correct filings and amend returns, which is a financial burden caused solely by Wave’s errors.
  Customer Service Failure:
  I have been attempting to resolve these issues through Wave’s support team for over 4 weeks. Communication has been slow, and no actual resolution has been provided. I have been repeatedly told that these errors must be corrected “outside of Wave."
  Wave has now been made aware of these inaccuracies and is still refusing to correct the tax documentation. This means they are knowingly allowing the submission of incorrect information to the IRS.
  Immediate issuance of W-2C and W-3C
  A full refund of payroll service fees, as Wave failed to provide advertised service.
  A formal acknowledgment of the failure to deliver promised services and the resulting burden placed on my business.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2025

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 13/05/2025

   
  I am rejecting this response because:
  While it is true that I eventually received communication and a partial resolution, the response does not address the full extent of my concerns or the refund I requested. The only compensation I have received is a $120 refund, which does not cover the $535 I requested for the months I paid for payroll services that failed to meet the advertised standards of accuracy, support, and compliance.
  The significant delays in support, the inaccurate tax filings that I could not correct myself through the platform, and the added financial burden of hiring tax professionals to fix the issues caused by Wave’s system all remain unresolved. I spent months communicating with multiple agents and had to escalate the issue several times before any meaningful action was taken. The refund issued does not reflect the time lost, the stress caused, or the additional costs I’ve incurred as a direct result of Wave’s system limitations and lack of responsive support.
  I appreciate that a correction was eventually made, but this was only after months of inadequate support, and the outcome still falls short of a fair resolution.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  **** ******