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:02/05/2025

  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 cancelled my Wave account in May 2024, but they charged my credit card for another year in April 2025 without my permission. There is no way to reach customer service without an account. Submitting a support request just gets an automated response that there is no customer service without an account.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/05/2025

  The issue was resolved with the customer directly.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:22/04/2025

  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.

  Between January and March 2025, I processed over $26,000 in legitimate payments through Wave Financial Inc. for completed pool service work across several client visits. After the client sold the home, they filed multiple chargebacks. Instead of fairly reviewing the case, Wave reached out to me for the first time on March 19, and within just 48 hours, they attempted to withdraw $26,609.68 from my account without due process.
  
  I was overseas visiting family and replied immediately, but Wave ignored me. No call, no real communication, and no chance to upload evidence — just a rush to drain my account. Then, they blocked my emails and forwarded the full balance to collections (*********), who’s now threatening credit damage over a dispute Wave never handled fairly.
  
  I’m a small business owner who put over half that money into labor and materials. I have full proof — receipts, job logs, and texts from the client confirming the work — none of which Wave ever reviewed. They didn’t provide a portal, didn't explain the card network involved, and completely shut me out.
  
  This violated the Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry in Canada:
  
  Section 1 (Fairness & Transparency) – No real dispute process
  
  Section 5 (Complaint Handling) – Ignored my responses
  
  Section 7 (Merchant Transparency) – No info or access to defend myself
  
  Wave’s actions caused me over $1,000 in NSF fees, put my credit and reputation at risk, and left me with no support. I’ve submitted formal complaints to ****, **********, and the FCAC, and I’m preparing a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
  
  This complaint is to warn others and hold Wave accountable before more business owners like me get crushed by a processor that protects chargebacks over merchants who actually do the work.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/05/2025

  Wave supports customers disputing chargebacks and made multiple attempts to contact this customer both via email and phone to help them navigate the dispute process. The customer was not responsive to these attempts and is liable to Wave for the funds due . Wave’s Terms of Service can be found here as reference. https://*******************************************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/05/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Dear BBB,
  
  Thank you for continuing to assist with this complaint.
  
  Wave claims they supported me through the chargeback process, but in reality, their actions caused serious damage — both financially and procedurally. The only email I ever received was sent on March 19, 2025, stating that the funds would be withdrawn from my account. In that same message, they told me I had until March 25 to submit documents to dispute the chargeback.
  
  I was preparing my dispute, following their timeline. But instead of honoring their own deadline, Wave pulled $26,609.68 out of my account six days early, triggering over $1,000 in NSF fees and putting massive financial stress on my business. There were no follow-up emails, no phone calls, no real support — nothing.
  
  Their current response is not only misleading, it’s dismissive. They’re trying to make it seem like I was unresponsive, but I followed what they gave me. They’re the ones who broke their own policy.
  
  Here’s how they violated their own guidelines and industry expectations:

  1.They failed to provide a fair dispute process — I wasn’t given a chance to respond before they took the funds.
  2.They didn’t follow their own deadlines — the early withdrawal proves that.
  3.They caused direct financial harm — including unexpected bank penalties due to their negligence.
  4.They’re violating standards from ****, **********, and **** — which require proper merchant protections, notice, and fair timelines.
  
  Wave keeps pointing to their “Terms of Service” as if that’s law — it’s not. Their guidelines are supposed to protect merchants, not be used against us, they don’t get to pick and choose when they follow them.
  
  Their actions were reckless, avoidable, and go directly against the Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Card Industry in Canada — a standard they’re expected to comply with.
  
  I urge the BBB to recognize that Wave failed to uphold basic responsibility, transparency, and fairness. Their process was broken, their communication was weak, and I was the one who paid the price for it.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******* *******

  Business Response

  Date: 16/05/2025

  All standard operating procedures and communication protocols were diligently followed by both the Disputes and Collections teams at Wave throughout the chargeback process. Multiple outreach attempts were made via phone and email, and the merchant was given ample opportunity to respond and provide documentation. Unfortunately, the lack of cooperation and failure to engage from the merchant’s side ultimately led to the closure of the chargeback cases in favor of the cardholder. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:22/04/2025

  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 account with Wave financial that I have not used for six or seven years.
  
  On February 13, my identity was stolen and my accounts were hacked. Wave financial was one of them.
  
  The hacker sent an invoice to someone and their charged their card $902.43. This amount was deposited into my bank account.
  
  Once I realized this was fraud, I reported it to my bank as such and I contacted with financial to let them know that my account had been hacked.
  
  I was finally able to close my account at Wave financial once the fraud reporting was done
  
  Due to the fact that my bank was unable to return the original deposit of $902.43 I was then billed by Wave financial to pay that back.
  
  Rightfully so I am in the process of paying that back. I made a $400 payment on April 16, 2025. I was told I could pay this back in a couple of payment and they sent me an invoice to do so
  
  The invoice amount they are requesting I pay back is $960. I’ve been speaking with ********, senior loss mitigation manager.
  I told ******** that although the invoice was for $960 I would only pay back the $902.43 that was fraudulently deposited into my account.
  
  She told me I owe the full amount and that she would not waive the fees associated with this chargeback fraud case. I have asked to speak to somebody else at her company to which she refuses. She says that is their policy and if I do not pay the full $960 she will send me to a collections agency.
  
  My account was hacked. My identity was stolen and I had nothing to do with any of these transactions. I am simply trying to pay back the amount that was put in my account via fraud. I shouldn’t have to pay fee fees associated with a fraudulent transaction
  
  I looked up their policy on chargebacks and it says if the bank favors with the consumer, they will waive the fee chargeback fees. I sent this info to her and she still stated the decision is final and if I do not pay the $960. She will turn me into a collections agency.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/05/2025

  The issue was resolved directly with the customer. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/05/2025

  
  
  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:16/04/2025

  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 had a customer who paid me for the remainder of his bill at $3,039.30 using ach bank transactions on 4/7/25, it showed in his bank account the funds were taken on 4/10/25. I was already trying to get ahold of someone from wave at this time. I have made 20 ticket numbers request which all have been closed even after I responded to the initial email with no response from anyone at wave. Then 4/15/25 at night comes around and I see there’s a $500 dollar instant payout amount. Out of curiosity I tried it and it said there was something wrong with the payout in the app, so I logged into the normal desktop web page and found that there was supposedly and issue with my card, so I uploaded my other card on file and that’s when my wave payout account became disabled the the $3,008 dollar was no longer available. I go onto the desktop version and it shows the payout from that account to my personal checking account is on hold, so I called my bank to see if they had anything inbound coming into my account and they don’t see anything on either of my accounts. At this point I have tried calling wave through the number listed on the bbb site, but without an extension I cannot get through, and I have left countless emails and opened so many tickets that have just gotten closed over the passed 4 days with not a single response to any of them. At this point I just want the money that I’m owed

  Business Response

  Date: 24/04/2025

  The issue was resolved with the customer directly.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/04/2025

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  My single member business signed up to use Wave in October 2024 once we became an s-corp so that our payroll would be simple. We signed up for the pro version and paid the annual fee as well as the monthly fees. Our problems started when we submitted the payroll on time for Q 4 2024, but Wave did not pay the taxes or file the report on time. I reached out to the chat, which booted me off the chat multiple times and/or would not allow me to connect with a person. I submitted tickets and found out that there was an error where Wave didn't pay the payroll taxes for many customers. During of this time, we were trying to update our bank account and specifically asked in email to wait until all taxes withdraws were complete. What we found out this week, when we received a delinquent filing notice with the state of NC was that Wave incorrectly entered that we should have started paying taxes in Q4 2023, so we called and got that corrected with the state after some back and forth. After we got that corrected, we also found out that Wave never filed the Q4 tax information with the state, so I had to work with my accountant to file and pay the fees and will have to negotiate with them on the penalty we will owe for not filing and not paying.
  
  Additionally, we requested a refund for the pro account (as I was told on a chat with one of their team members) because Wave made our situation so much more complicated and I couldn't get answers if I submitted a ticket. They emailed back that they refunded it to a closed bank account, so I responded to let them know and haven't heard anything back about how we can get those funds returned.
  
  I paid for Wave services during a time where I was using another payroll service because I was working through all of the issues above. All in all, Wave has been terrible to work with and I just want to close this chapter with them and get answers for how I can receive the refund they told me I would get and fees for my accountant and penalties.

  Business Response

  Date: 16/04/2025

  The issue was resolved with the customer directly. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 20/04/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: we are still working with *** at Wave to resolve several of the issues. The refund was completed with ***'s help, but the issues around failure to file and failure to pay are still outstanding and we are working with *** to see what was filed and/or paid, and what we still have outstanding as we have continued to find items that were filed and not paid, paid and not filed, or both. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ********* ********

  Business Response

  Date: 02/05/2025

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/05/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: we are still actively working on getting the issue resolved. We have been in communication, but they told us the next update won't be until 5/15/25. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ********* ********

  Business Response

  Date: 15/05/2025

  The issue has been resolved with the customer directly.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 15/05/2025

  
  
  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. Wave made the company whole for the interest and penalties assessed. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ********* ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:31/03/2025

  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.

  Wave has allowed two customers to make online payments and has not allowed me to remove the money from the app. Wave is withholding $6500 of my money. Wave is not a bank and has no right to have my money without allowing me to resolve this. I have been attempting to talk to someone for over a week with no resolution because it is only through email. This is absolutely ridiculous and I am now processing a refund for this client without knowing if that will even work so I may portentously lose my $6500. I am a small business and cannot survive without the profits I make.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/04/2025

  Like all financial companies, every business that signs up for our Payments service undergoes a thorough risk review, and in some cases a manual assessment is required after transactions have occurred. When this is required we hold the funds, contact the customer in an effort to gather more information, and try to resolve the issue as soon as possible. This process is for the protection of all parties involved and part of our obligation to maintaining a safe platform. Refunds were actioned by the customer and the processing times were determined by their customer's bank and out of Wave's control.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/04/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  That does not explain why you have no customer support for this. It should not take weeks to get this approved. I am a small business and need paid when I get paid. Getting one reply to my email per day is disrespectful. Having an hour wait time on live chat just to be told that I have to wait for the email and they can’t help is ridiculous. I understand low staffing and the company policies but they are not small business friendly policies and you should not advertise that if this is how you treat small businesses. 

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******* *************

  Business Response

  Date: 11/04/2025

  While we understand this experience of waiting longer than expected to receive a response may have been frustrating, we strive to complete such reviews as soon as possible, which is usually 1 business day excluding weekends and public holidays.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/03/2025

  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 have not been able to reach a rep for almost 2 weeks. I keep opening support tickets and when I follow up the tickets have been closed.
  It is tax season time and I can't proceed until they fix the problem. I have sent 6 emails and opened 8 tickets, primarily because they are marking them closed without providing service.
  They are charging me monthly for a service I can't use. There is no one to speak with. No one is returning emails and no one is responding to the request for support.
  I need resolution on my issue or a full refund on what I have invested in this app. If I can't properly file taxes this service has not done what it agreed to do.
  * **** ******** * ** *** ****** **** *** ******* ****** ** **** **** ****** ******* *** ****** ** **** ***** ***** ***

  Business Response

  Date: 17/03/2025

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/02/2025

  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.

  Wave issued a 1099-K to me incorrectly. Instead of issuing to the business that is registered and uses their software they issued to me personally at my home. I have no idea how they got my SSN or my home address. They refuse to respond to help desk requests. They have a chat bot that puts me into a cue that never ends. Stating for instance that I am #47 waiting then it jumps to 79 etc. they state to put in a ticket and they will respond. They state to respond to an email with additional questions and I won’t lose my place. I have requested an update every two days. I have been waiting for 10 days with no response to any of my communications. They have effectively stopped my ability to file my personal taxes or the business to file their year end reports as they have reported to the irs that I made the entire business income personally. This has falsely inflated my personal taxes liability with the federal government.

  Business Response

  Date: 21/02/2025

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 26/02/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the issue is not resolved. They forced me to open another account stating I was a multi person LLC instead of an LLC with S-corp filing status. This is false information. The “supervisor” that emailed me does not understand LLCs and filing statuses. She mistakenly believes that any LLC that is one person pass through files taxes through their personal Social Security number. So though my account was set up correctly from the beginning, their fix is to force me into setting up a new account, losing capabilities and having to pay for such an account, and still have not provided me the corrected 1099 – K for my business transactions in 2024.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ***** *********

  Business Response

  Date: 10/03/2025

  We provided an updated 1099-K and resolved the issue with the customer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:14/01/2025

  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 have been using Wave to process online payments for about a few weeks, and they successfully processed the first few payments with no issues. I recently received an email from "Suzi, Risk Team." They said, "As the result of a review of your account, Wave has temporarily disabled payment processing for your business." They gave no specific reason but asked for a ridiculous amount of documentation to prove I was a legitimate business, including TEXTS to and from my clients. No other financial institution has ever asked for this absolutely atrocious violation of privacy. They know they likely can extract this without issue because they are holding people's money *******. This practice of not conducting a thorough review until AFTER several payments have been processed is deplorable and paralyzing to any small business that just set up their systems to rely on Wave. They gave me no number to contact them. Their online chatbot referred me to the email, and they have not responded to my email. I have over $1,800 frozen in their system with no remedy.

  Business Response

  Date: 15/01/2025

  We resolved the issue with the customer directly. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 15/01/2025

  
  
  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:01/01/2025

  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.

  I was autoenroll into a service and locked out of my account with mfa and have charges on my account that I didnt sign up for. I have tried reaching out to support through the chat bot and email since there is absolutely no other way to call or have someone call you. This happened before and the company has told me I was out of luck. There is nowhere to remove my payment information

  Business Response

  Date: 10/01/2025

  Wave has reached out to the customer to gather more information and are waiting on a response.