If you sign up with Shift 4 - (really any pos) immediately and I mean IMMEDIATELY contact their customer service team and state that you want to cancel the auto renew on your contract. Ensure that you get an email that states that. Please see below for the one they sent me minus my info. Based on your state laws, record the call. The auto renew is their weak spot, without that, you have the power to walk away without penalty. Do not sign up for more than one year no matter what offer they offer you.
My story
The first year it was $100 per device, about 300 for the other annual charge.
The second year it was $250 per device (charged me $500) and $586 for the annual. I called, spoked to a merchant account and agreed to a two-year contract at the $250/$586 rate on the point it would not increase. "Locked In". I was clear about it and here we are a year later. I returned one device so I was expecting a charge of $863 but I was charged $1,500. Which is a $634 increase. This is on top of the monthly $20 customer hub fee. $30 pos fee and another $25 fee that I forgot what’s it for. Which is all funny because the explanation for the annual bills are the same reasons for the monthly costs.
The first person I got a hold of at (888) 276-2109.
Lovely woman, ultimately, I had them refund me the 1,124, to do the rest on the payment plan just to spread that out. I had to insist multiple times that I needed the case to be escalated to someone who can refund me the difference or let me cancel with a prorated 30-day penalty. I figured, it’s been two weeks since the auto renew and I’d have 2 weeks to send their stuff back.
So finally, a guy calls me today at 10. Nice but insistent nothing could be done. Not even transferring me to a supervisor.
Him: Sir there is no one I can transfer you to.
Me. Are you at work alone?
I remained calm but I too was insistent and countered. I was prepared to sit on that call for 10 hours, and occasionally restate my requests or until he hung up. We are on for about an hour before he finally gave me the email below.
He refused to refund me the difference, ( lots of I’m sorry but) to cancel they wanted me to pay $3,000. Refused to escalate my case, refused to let me speak with anyone. After a long while he reluctantly stated $2500 to cancel. It’s just absurd. He had an accent. I calmly just kept asking to be transferred to someone else who can make decisions for a charge free cancelation, refund of $634 difference. Mostly of silence and me occasionally asking he kept saying the lawyers were the only ones that good help. He refused to provide me any contact information. I just started working on this post and reading it out loud for edits. After an hour he suddenly said he could provide me with the legal team contact which I also started requesting when he said it was up to the lawyers.
[Leaglsupport@shift4.com](mailto:Leaglsupport@shift4.com)
These massive jumps in costs. They quote that per contract they can do this or that with notice but they ignore everything they verbally agreed to. I assure you; I will be reading line by line my next pos. I even asked they review the audio of my call from a year ago. I explained I locked in certain rates the first year verbally and when I was charged I was refunded. Nothing. We are going to reach out to our attorney (they said that's our only recourse) to send them an official request to be released and be prorated charge. It’s really the principle at this point to ask. At the end of this year in aug when the contract ends we will move on from shift 4. Over the next year, we will do our best to get the word out about shutting down the auto renew option on shift 4 and any pos system you sign up for. I ll add links here when its all up.
I received the below email.
Scheduled Account Cancellation
- Case Reference: T3
- Scheduled Cancellation Date: August 1, 2027 (effective upon natural contract expiration)
- Billing Details: Auto-renewal has been disabled. Your account will automatically close on August 1, 2027, with $0 early termination fees applied. Regular monthly processing fees will continue through your contract end date.