Merchant Service Group Reviews

* This is a real company with real people and support. However, be aware that sometimes the person helping you might appear to have different roles in different contexts with the same name but different titles in their email signature.

* Many other hidden fees not disclosed up front. The sales team may deny their existence until you find out later they are there. Always get everything in writing.

* Even after sending MSC Merchant a copy of this review hoping for a resolution, they refused to honor the provision of their contract in section 29 saying that I can cancel early if they increase my rates. You become their customer for life...

My Personal Story. Hopefully, you find the issues I uncovered useful to ensure you know what you are getting into when selecting a payment processor. Whether it is MSC Merchant or another processor like Dharma Merchant Services, which seems more transparent and lower cost. Rates / Contract. I signed up with MSC Merchant Services for a very low credit card passthrough rate plus a small spread. I was skeptical and asked many questions. The salesman assured me over the phone that there were no monthly or early termination fees and the contract was month to month. However, the contract included an additional "Other volume fee" which I was assured applied only to unusual credit card types. In reality EVERY card was subject to this additional fee.

Enrollment Process. The sign-up process was smooth and professional with a team helping me move to the new merchant and update my systems. First Statement. I noticed the other volume fee applied to all transactions, not just unusual card types. My salesperson redirected my question about this fee to another dept, which never acknowledged it.

Second Statement. My second statement mentioned a $145 annual fee to be added to my account on the fourth statement. My Salesperson assured me it would be removed, but the other volume fee question remained unanswered. Fourth Statement. The $145 annual fee was posted, but my salesperson removed it upon request.

Sixth Statement. My rates were increased by over 50% with additional fees including an increase in the other volume fee, per transaction fees, and a new monthly "regulatory fee" they eventually offered to waive. Hidden Cancellation Fee. After I was charged these higher rates I attempted to cancel my contract, but was informed there was a $790 cancellation fee and I had signed a 3-year contract, even though I had been assured it was month to month. Although the contract I signed did not reference a termination fee, it did reference a typed out URL in the middle of section 11 that linked to an additional 7 page document I had not previously seen with a clause stating a 3 year term that renews automatically.

Refusal to Cancel. MSC did state in the contract that if I was able to provide a lower rate offer, I could cancel the contract. Despite providing a lower rate contract from a competitor (Dharma Merchant Services), MSC refused to waive the extra volume fee. After much back and forth over several weeks with me constantly insisting I wanted to cancel and MSC refusing, even threatening to take me to collections if I didn't pay MSCs, new higher rates, MSC finally offered to match the competitors rate, but I wanted out due to the overall negative experience.

Refusing to Honor the Contract. Section 29 of the contract states I can terminate the agreement if my rates are raised, but MSC ignored this provision. I hoped to resolve the issue without going public, but MSC did not comply. Warning to Others. If you made it this far, please know that this review and others highlight what you can expect if you try to cancel your contract with MSC Merchant Services. Be aware that fees will increase if you don’t monitor your monthly statements. As a busy business owner, reviewing your merchant processor statement may not be feasible. MSC Merchant takes advantage of this, passing through rate increases unnoticed. If this is the relationship you want, MSC Merchant will process your cards….forever.

I contacted him about 6 weeks ago about this and heard nothing. Then my daughter was diagnosed with cancer and spent nearly 2 weeks in the hospital with brain surgery so it's taken me over a month to see what's going on. Turns out he has never refunded the charges which have continued. I called him on Tuesday and left a message and he has not returned my call or reimbursed me for the $29.95. I will be filing a complaint with Visa and Mastercard and any regulatory body I can find. I will also be taking all my paperwork to the bank to show them so that I can protest this charge. Finally, I will be changing to a different merchant service company.