Credit Card Merchant Services
Electronic Merchant SystemsHeadquarters
Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Electronic Merchant Systems's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 100 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 38 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
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Submit a ComplaintThe 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:09/03/2025
Type: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 regarding my experience with EMS.
About a week after receiving the equipment, I contacted ******, the sales representative who set up my account, to let him know that our business was moving to a cash-only model. This was a decision made collectively with other barbers. After informing him, he completely stopped responding to me. He also was not honest about the pay outs and them not being available same day. He was very dishonest from the beginning.
I then reached out to corporate, but instead of helping, they informed me of a cancellation fee, even though I was not using the equipment and explained my situation. Since then, I have had constant issues with PCI compliance, surprise fees, and confusing requirements just to avoid being charged more.
Despite only using the equipment for a short time , I have been paying monthly fees, which has been a financial burden on my small business. Today was my breaking point after another issue with compliance. I am also contacting my bank to see if they can block payments.
I believe I was misled about the true costs, fees, and obligations of this service. There were hidden charges that were not disclosed upfront, and every interaction I’ve had with EMS has been dismissive and unprofessional. As a small business owner, especially with rising costs, this feels like taking advantage of people who are simply trying to make a living.
Resolution Sought:
I would like this matter resolved by ending my contract without penalty and stopping all future fees. I am more than willing to return the equipment, which I have not used since receiving it.
Business Response
Date: 09/11/2025
****** *******
**** ***** ***** ***** ** *****
*** *** ********* ** ********Dear Ms. *******,
***** ***** from our Retention department attempted to reach you but was unsuccessful. This letter is to confirm that your Electronic Merchant Systems account was closed without penalty or an early termination fee. I would like to apologize for any inconvenience.
At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved.
Sincerely,*** ** ********
** ** **********
************ *****Initial Complaint
Date:07/30/2025
Type: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.
7-26-2025,
They held funds, while they tried to charge the $25.00 MONTHLY FEE. They sent it through 5 xs, which over drafted my account $34.00 EACH time. If they would of deposited they funds from my CC transactions it would of covered the $25,00 fee. They put my account on hold, then held my $1100.00. They did take the $25.00 fee on the 23rd, but still held my account till I had to call and complain. The one lady even hung up the phone on me. Said it would be reviewed tmrw which was July 29th. They never got around to it because they had so many other cases to review, so another day goes by, NO money, Finally gets to it today, the 30th after another phone call from me, Now they say I might not get the money till Fri. Its just a scam to hold money. Im out over $170.00 on overdraft notices, and now late payments on phone, electric, water etc. No emails, no letters, no phone calls ever telling me my account was on hold. Cruddy business practice.Business Response
Date: 08/08/2025
electronic merchant systems
August 8, 2025****** ******
*** ******* ********
***** ********** *** ***** ** *****
Re: BBB Complaint ID ********
Dear Ms. ******,
This letter is to confirm the removal of your $25.00 monthly program fee. We have also initiated a $200.00 refund for all fees incurred. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to your continued business.
At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved.
Sincerely,*** ** ********
VP of Operations
************ *****
Initial Complaint
Date:07/15/2025
Type: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 originally started with this terrible company as payment processor.
Closed account months and months ago.
They are holding funds in reserve and giving me the runaround about not releasing them.
We never had a single dispute or chargeback.
Everytime I call.. they tell me it's scheduled for management/bank review that day.. and to call back in 24-28 hours.
This again happened today. They said it's to be reviewed today on 7/15. Now when I call back on 7/18.. they will say the same exact thing. It's criminal what they do. I don't even care about the money they stole from me..
In addition to that.. they are still trying to ACH my account for fees... after I closed the account.Business Response
Date: 07/22/2025
electronic merchant systems
July 22, 2025
**** *********** ***** ***** ***
*** ** **** *** ****** ** *****
Re: BBB Complaint ID ********
Dear Mr. *****,
This letter is to confirm your Electronic Merchant Services processing account has been closed without penalty or an early termination fee. EMS has released all monies held in reserve.
At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved.
Sincerely,
*** ** ********VP of Operations
Initial Complaint
Date:06/25/2025
Type: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 a new merchant account, the first transaction got flagged for a review, We provided invoice and customer's info right away. I haven't heard from them for 3 days after, then they told me that they need to contact the customer, then they tried reaching out to customer for days.. / not to mention an absolute hostile demeanor and approach that they use to communicate with us. I have spoken to the supervisor of the risk department who said she will look into it... it's been almost 2 weeks now that I haven't heard from her and over 3 weeks since our account is under the review. I wish I read the reviews before we signed with them . Today I wrote them requesting to close the account and get our funds back, which will probably take months. Possibly need to look for a lawyer. I really hope someone takes legal action against them.Business Response
Date: 07/18/2025
July 18, 2025
******** ********
Authorized Service
**** ******* ****
******** ** *****
Re: BBB Complaint ID ********
Dear Ms. ********,
This letter is to confirm your Electronic Merchant Services processing account has been closed without penalty or an early termination fee. We have also released $1,144.50 that was previously held. However, EMS will continue to hold $7,014.34 in reserve until all chargeback rights have expired.
At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved.
Sincerely,
*** ** ********
VP of Operations
************ *****Initial Complaint
Date:06/04/2025
Type: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.
Company agreed to process credit card payments starting asap. After no contact for approximately three weeks I contacted them by phone and was told that someone would call me within one hour to initiate service. I informed them that if services did not begin within three days I would no longer seek their services.
I not only did not get the call in an hour, I never got any call or any service.
I did however get a threat letter and call after a week of two demanding $350 for canceling services.
Although that fee was listed in the initial agreement, they failed to provide ANY service within more than a month after promising timely initiation of service.Customer Answer
Date: 06/17/2025
Phone response taken by BBB staff AT; consumer stated that he does find the resolution satisfactory.
Initial Complaint
Date:05/28/2025
Type: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 opened a merchant processing account with Electronic Merchant Systems (EMS) under our company, ****** * ******* ********** *** (Merchant ID: ***************). As part of the onboarding process, we signed a Rolling Reserve Agreement stating that EMS would withhold 10% of credit card transaction volume, up to a maximum reserve of $500,000.
Despite fully complying with the agreement and staying under the monthly volume cap, EMS is now withholding 100% of our processed revenue, totaling $75,724.20, broken down as follows:
$64,553.20 in rolling reserve
$11,171.00 in on-hold balance (OH Bal)
EMS has not issued any formal notice, justification, or timeline for the release of these funds. We also processed no new revenue in April, yet EMS continued to charge our business bank account for fees.
We’ve reached out multiple times to request clarity or a release schedule, but have only been told that the issue is “under management review.” No meaningful response or resolution has been provided.
We believe this constitutes breach of contract, bad faith, and unfair commercial conduct. This fund withholding is affecting our business operations and financial obligations.Business Response
Date: 06/16/2025
Dear *** *****,
This letter is to confirm that $11,171.00 that was placed on hold was released on 5/29/25. The remaining $64,533.20 will be held in reserve per the rolling release agreement. Please let me know if you would like your account to be closed. I will coordinate that with you at the appropriate time.
At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved.
Initial Complaint
Date:05/28/2025
Type: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.
After numerous attempts to have a manger call me back this company has refused to take reasonability. In short after opening a credit card terminal with them, things went okay for about 2 months. Somehow after a few months, someone opened a second terminal on-line and started processing fraudulent chargers and changed the email that was on file, and the bank routing number. the only way to get that info was from the inside.
they claim I owe them 11k for the chargers and the 3900 that they owe me is not being returned. TO make matters worse. I am on a list that prevents me from getting another credit card process service for the next 4 years.
ONE call to me to verify that I order this new account would have prevented this fraud. One email to the email on file would have prevented this fraud.
The company refused to call me and discuss this with a manager.
No ownership of their error.
TIMBusiness Response
Date: 06/18/2025
Dear Mr. ****,
I attempted to reach you by phone, but I was unsuccessful. To summarize, your Electronic Merchant Systems account was closed due to your chargeback ratio. Because of the chargebacks resulting from fraud, our sponsor bank placed you on the MATCH report for excessive fraud. It appears you may have been a victim of identity theft resulting in some changes to your processing account. In the notes on the account, you indicated you had filed a police report. The next step would be to forward that police report along to our sponsor bank. Could you please provide me with a copy of that report?
Sincerely, *** ** ******** VP of Operations ************ *****Customer Answer
Date: 06/19/2025
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]This is the first attempt that the big wigs have tried to reach out to me... now that the BBB is involved. The Charge backs exist because someone in there organization changed my email and account number. Never once calling me or reaching out to me to see if I in fact change email or account numbers... One call to the store number or my cell number would have prevented all of this from happening. Never contacting me in almost a year now shows me there in the wrong, The lack of follow up is on them. Now that the BBB is involved. Now they scramble.
Have them call me direct.... ************ leave a message. it i don't pick up. Lets see if they will admit to the wrong they allow to happpen.
Regards,
******* ****
Initial Complaint
Date:05/20/2025
Type: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.
As other BBB reviews reports , I had just signed up with this Merchant Processing Service, and signing up was the only seamless thing about it.
Just like others, after my first transaction, I was reached out to via email to provide customer documentation to verify transaction. No issue. As I had read complaints here and reviews in general I provided customer’s CC statement and invoice. They asked for ID, was furnished.
Reply had taken a couple hours so I reached out via phone and somehow got ahold of someone in relevant department. Said they would need to call customer directly and verify transaction. . After hanging up (will be relevant) just then had gotten an email from agent I was emailing all day and she advised the same. She called me before end of business and we scheduled a call for customer the following Monday.
Customer never received a call, followed up via email, said that call was given (highly doubt) and no answer from customer. Scheduled it same day two hours later as she had a meeting. Didn’t receive a call again. Follow up, receive a prompt response saying she reached out to customer bank directly, via phone, to verify transaction but couldn’t as they didn’t offer third party verification to ultimately say she can’t verify transaction.
This is exactly why I believe customer was never given a call. Going forward, there was never any authorization given myself or by customer to contact their bank. Wouldn’t have been an issue but, after have spoken to 2 individual reps, neither advised of this, both explicitly stated to contact customer directly. This is neither stated anywhere in our contract! This isn’t my first business and never even heard of such a thing.
As of now, funds from transaction are on hold. The 24/7 support they go on about, left at mercy of email as phone calls to relevant department go to VM now. But, funnily enough, before verification was ever requested, they had deducted their fees immediately (which are significantly higher).Business Response
Date: 06/05/2025
6/5/2025
**** *** *********
Thank you for working with ******** in our Risk department. This letter confirms your EMS merchant processing account has been closed without penalty. All fees incurred will be refunded accordingly.
At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved.
Sincerely,
*** ** ********
** ** **********
************ *****Customer Answer
Date: 06/06/2025
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response provided by the business regarding complaint ** ********, and I find the resolution is satisfactory.
Regards,
****** ********Initial Complaint
Date:05/16/2025
Type: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.
Signed a contract for credit card processing in 01-2025. The fee disclosed was 2.9% +$0.20 per transaction. In reality every transaction had a different fee varying between 3% and 9.11%. The transfer of funds for each transaction was very slow and on top of the 10% reserve of funds held of each transaction they held over $1700 for months due to "possibility of a chargeback". When we tried to close the account on Monday 5-19-25 we were told that there is a cancellation fee of $595. Since then we have been trying to get in contact with someone to close the account. First were told that a form will be sent and it has not been received until today Friday 5-16-2025. Two times we left messages for someone to call us and close the account which were never returned.Business Response
Date: 05/29/2025
This letter is to confirm your Electronic Merchant Systems processing account has been closed without penalty or early termination fee per your desired settlement.
At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved.
Sincerely,
*** ** ********
** ** **********
Customer Answer
Date: 06/05/2025
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response provided by the business regarding complaint ID ********, and I find the resolution is satisfactory.
Regards,
******* **********Initial Complaint
Date:05/13/2025
Type: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 apply for ********************************************************* , and the electronic merchant system company took the money out off my bank account I only give the permission for the government to deposit in the rebate but they are total scams network they use the information to withdraw the money from the applicatorBusiness Response
Date: 08/20/2025
electronic merchant systems
May 22, 2025
Thien ****** ********* **** * *** *** *** ***** ***** *** ************* ** *****
Re: BBB Complaint ID ******** Dear Mr. ******, This letter is to confirm your Electronic Merchant Systems processing account has been closed without penalty or early termination fee. Currently, there are no monies due.
At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved.
Sincerely, J** ** ******** Director of Client Services ************ *****
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