Jekyll & Hyde Customer Service

When Closing a Merchant Account Turns Into a Customer Service Nightmare

On a Tuesday afternoon I picked up the phone to a credit‑card service provider I’d used for years to process payments for my small business. I didn’t need their services anymore, so I just wanted a quick call to shut the account down. The experience I had turned out to be a classic case of customer support gone awry, and the story is worth sharing for anyone who’s ever tried to cancel a merchant account.

First, I was put on hold. The automated message that repeats every company’s “important” message about answering in order was a little irritating - “your call is important to us.” It felt a lot less important when the hold music seemed to run on a loop and no one ever answered. I hung up and called back, hoping the second call would be better. After a couple more minutes, the operator finally answered. I told them I wanted to close my account and that I didn’t use it anymore. The operator, polite but distant, asked for my merchant account number, business name, address, and a brief reason for closure.

After I supplied the information, the call transferred to a second line. I was now waiting again, a few minutes later, for a new operator. The second operator was equally polite but asked the same set of questions: account number, business name, address, position in the company, and why I was closing. I answered promptly, hoping this time it would be over quickly. The transfer took another minute, and I was on hold again before a third operator answered. I went through the same routine, and the third operator finally asked why I was closing the account. I replied that I simply no longer needed the service. She then inquired if I had been dissatisfied with any of the company’s offerings or if there were any changes I wanted. I answered no. I thought for a moment about mentioning the endless hold and the number of transfers, but decided to stay silent.

Despite my polite answers, the third operator had a different attitude. She seemed determined to keep me as a customer. That is the kind of behavior any company should strive for - showing empathy, listening, and offering a solution. But something shifted. The operator’s tone changed from courteous to almost defensive. She pushed the idea that I should stay and hinted that the account was part of a larger, long‑term arrangement. She mentioned that my “revolving” contract was for six months at a time, and the next expiration would be five months from the current date. I wanted to cancel now, but she told me I’d be charged a $300 early termination fee if I did so. Instead, I would have to continue paying the monthly fee - $150 a month - for the next five months, thereby avoiding the hefty fee. The conversation became increasingly tense, and the operator’s voice carried a faint edge of frustration, as if she was rehearsing a battle with a disgruntled customer.

When the operator finally ended the call, I felt a mix of disbelief and amusement. The experience felt like a Jekyll‑and‑Hyde scenario: first, the friendly side that tried to resolve my issue, and then a second side that seemed to enjoy imposing unnecessary fees. I wanted to highlight the two sides because that’s what most customers experience when they reach out for simple tasks. If you’re a current customer, the company often makes an effort to keep you happy - promising better service, offering lower rates, and trying to smooth over any small hiccups. But once you become a former customer, the relationship can shift. The company might feel that the contract is no longer in your best interest, and they might lean on clauses that protect their revenue streams. This is not a reflection on the customer’s experience but on the business side of things. However, it still leaves a negative impression, especially when you’ve had a smooth relationship up until that point.

In this particular case, the cost of sticking around for five more months would have been an additional $750, versus the one‑time $300 fee. My decision was simple: I preferred to close the account immediately and not be saddled with months of unnecessary charges. I wrote a letter to the company, as they had requested, to formally close the account. That process, while bureaucratic, was less burdensome than the call. I found that sometimes a written request can cut through the layers of customer support that get in the way of a straightforward closure.

What I remember most from these three years of service isn’t the smooth, error‑free transactions I had in the beginning; it’s the way the company tried to lock me in with a fee that felt more punitive than protective. When someone tries to cancel a merchant account, the goal should be a seamless exit. Instead, I was left with a choice between paying a significant fee or enduring months of service I didn’t need. It’s a lesson that many of us need to keep in mind - always review the contract terms before opening an account, and never assume that a simple cancellation will be as simple as you think.

About the Author

David Berky is the president of Simple Joe, Inc., a marketing company that sells simple software under the brand name of Simple Joe. One of Simple Joe's best selling products is Simple Joe's Money Tools, a collection of 14 personal finance and investment calculators. This article may be freely distributed so long as the copyright, author's information and an active link (where possible) are included.