Shift4 (NYSE: FOUR) powers the experience economy, enabling businesses to deliver the moments that matter. Transforming how people shop, dine, stay, and play, Shift4’s commerce technology allows for a seamless experience at any scale. From your neighborhood restaurant to the world’s largest event venues, Shift4 handles billions of transactions annually for hundreds of thousands of businesses around the world.
Written by the business, not verified by us.
Is Shift4 legit?
Shift4 (shift4.com) has a 2.7 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 104 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Money & Insurance and its reputation is poor. Opinions are polarized: 42% rate it 4 stars or higher while 56% give 1 star; The business has replied to 100% of negative reviews; Reviews mostly discuss Customer service, Price. Last updated 2026-08-12.
What reviewers say
AI generated
Reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently praise the helpful staff and representatives for guiding them through a smooth, hassle-free account setup. Consumers note that the card terminals connect quickly, work reliably in crowded places, and ensure funds are deposited the next morning.
Some reviewers were not happy with unexpected annual fees and sudden maintenance costs applied without clear notice. People also mentioned that reaching customer support during problems can be nearly impossible, leaving them frustrated with the service. Reviewers expressed concern about being locked into long term contracts they cannot easily afford or escape.
Auto-generated from all reviews of this business. For reference only.
They steal 1000s of dollars from your business completely randomly. You will wake up with a large arbitrary amount taken from you and when you call to complain they either negotiate with you "oh well we wont charge you for your devices for the next year, is that okay?" Or "we know we randomly charged you 2k but I will give you 2k back then charge you $500 over the next 4 months" DO. NOT. LET. THEM. GET. AWAY. WITH. THIS!! FTC is being called by 100s of their clients.
Reply from Shift42026-08-11
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how concerning significant unexpected charges can be for any business.
We’d appreciate the chance to look into what happened and help provide some clarity. Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can follow up with you directly.
I have been a Shift4 customer since 2021. I operate a very small takeout and delivery restaurant with relatively low monthly credit card sales.
On August 3, 2026, Shift4 debited $1,373.08 directly from my bank account. When I reviewed my July 2026 merchant statement, I discovered that $1,200 of that amount was listed as an “Annual Service & Maintenance” fee.
This is not a minor fee. For a small business processing only approximately $3,000–$4,000 per month in card sales, a $1,200 annual service and maintenance charge is extremely significant.
What makes this even more frustrating is that I am already paying other fees. My statement also shows processing and authorization fees, a $49.99 POS monthly fee, and a $34.99 Online Ordering Enablement fee, among other charges.
I contacted Shift4 and disputed the $1,200 charge. Instead of addressing my specific request for a refund, I received an explanation stating that Shift4 combined its previous Annual Program Fee and Regulatory Assurance Fee into an Annual Service and Maintenance billing.
That explanation does not resolve my concern.
I have specifically requested that Shift4 provide me with the agreement or documentation showing where I agreed to a $1,200 annual fee, and I have requested that the charge be reviewed for a refund.
After being a customer since 2021, I am extremely disappointed that a charge this large can represent such a significant portion of a small restaurant’s monthly card sales.
I am asking Shift4 to refund the $1,200 Annual Service & Maintenance fee and provide clear documentation showing when and how this fee was disclosed and agreed to.
Until this billing dispute is properly resolved, I cannot recommend Shift4 to other small restaurant owners.
Reply from Shift42026-08-11
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how concerning significant unexpected charges can be for any business.
The recent billing update consolidated two previously separate biannual fees into a single annual fee, which includes ongoing services such as 24/7 technical support, equipment swaps and repairs, and on-site service when needed. We’d appreciate the opportunity to review your account and the documentation concerns you’ve raised. Please contact us at [email protected] so our team can investigate and follow up with you directly.
A year ago, my card reading device went down. After 2 hours of waiting on hold, they informed me that they would ship me another. It would of course take 4-5 days, in the mean time, my servers could still manually type in the 16 digit code, zip, expiration, and 3 digit security code. It was insane. Then they have the audacity to be the HIGHEST percentage and fees in any major POS system. Then on top of that, they randomly charge you a 2k fee without any direct contact. "Sir, we posted on our website that this charge was going to happen. It's sort of an existing charge, but not really. We want to make sure that you never have any downtime with your POS (hold the laughter). But honestly sir, our stock desperatly needs this, we keep missing our goals, so the only way to make them is to squeeze customers of ours". Please, if you've ever taken advice from an online review, RUN FROM Shift4! There will be no good that comes from working with them, I promise you.
Reply from Shift42026-08-11
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how frustrating equipment downtime and long support waits can be when you’re trying to keep your business running smoothly.
Our updated annual billing consolidates previously separate fees into a single yearly charge and covers services such as 24/7 technical support, equipment replacements and repairs, and on-site assistance when required.
We’d like the opportunity to review your specific concerns and account history. Please contact us at [email protected] so our team can look into this and follow up with you directly.
This company will randomly debit "renewal" fees from your bank account. When you call, there is > 1 hour wait time. Who can hold for that long? Is that a reflection of how many dissatisfied customers there are? This $650 debit has now happened 2x this year -- even on accounts that were previously cancelled. This company is crooked, and should be avoided altogether. Find yourself an honest merchant.
Reply from Shift42026-08-11
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how frustrating it is to see unexpected charges, particularly on an account you believed had already been closed.
We’d like the chance to review the charges and status of your account to better understand what happened. Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can look into this and follow up with you directly.
Thieves. They will steal money straight from your bank account without authorization.
Reply from Shift42026-08-11
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how concerning an unexpected withdrawal from your account can be.
We’d appreciate the opportunity to look into the charge and provide some clarity around what happened. Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can review the matter and follow up with you directly.
Shift4 has to be the worst company I've ever dealt with. They constantly withdraw money from your bank account without any notice. Can't even reach customer service by phone anymore. They just stole $1200 out of my account, no explanation besides it's some made up regulatory fees. $1200 for one point of sale system. What a joke, then they text me in Spanish all the time insinuating all food truck owners are mexican. I know they are really taking advantage of their mexican customers. This company is bad, really bad. I'm a realtor, inspector, website designer and owner besides a food truck owner. Truthfully don't use Shift4. I'm switching as soon as I can. Horrible service and misleading.
Reply from Shift42026-08-10
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand your frustration with the billing and difficulty reaching support.
We’re also concerned to hear about the language preference issue you described. Communications should reflect the appropriate language settings for each customer, and we’d like to look into why that wasn’t the case here. Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can review all of the concerns you’ve raised and follow up directly.
They will randomly pull money from your account without explanation or validity. They are by far the most corrupt company I’ve ever dealt with!
Reply from Shift42026-08-10
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how concerning unexpected account charges can be.
We’d like the opportunity to review the charges in question and provide clarity on your account. Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can follow up with you directly.
One of the best card machines by shift4, highly recommended. Zamir is always very helpful.
Reply from Shift42026-08-10
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear you’re happy with the card machine and that your experience has been such a positive one. We look forward to continuing to support your business.
At sweet centre we have had a wonderful service and support from set up of our card machine all the way to adding on our phone portal to view our transactions.Great fee rates and brother ZAMIR Afzal always helpful when we need him.Highly recommended!
Reply from Shift42026-08-07
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re happy to hear you’ve had such a positive experience from setup through to day-to-day use, and that the portal and competitive rates are working well for your business.
We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to continuing to support your business.
Amazing service, very friendly and efficient from Zamir Afzal, always on hand to help out with questions and queries.
Reply from Shift42026-08-10
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear you’ve had such a friendly and efficient experience and that help has always been available when needed. We look forward to continuing to support your business.
Satisfied with the support received from representative Zamir - has been swift and very responsive whenever needing any help
Reply from Shift42026-08-10
We’re pleased to hear you’ve received responsive, helpful service whenever you’ve needed assistance. We look forward to continuing to support your business.
*EDIT
Since posting my original review, A Shift4 representative contacted me, & offered a partial refund on the PCI Compliance fee that was taken from my bank account with no warning. I have asked for a payment plan next year on that “fee”, so it can be broken down either monthly or quarterly so us small, family owned businesses aren’t taking such a huge hit all at once. I was told they are working on that being a possibility in the future, but at this time unfortunately it hasn’t been implemented yet. Due to the response from Shift4, I’m changing my 1 star review to a 3 star. Hopefully they realize the impact this has had on me & thousands of others, & will do a better job in the future at notifying customers prior to signing up with them.
I recently switched over to Shift4 due to the promise of NO MERCHANT FEES, because we implemented the 3% credit card processing fees that would be passed on to my customers. I was told that based on my sales, the 3% service charge would more than cover my processing fees, therefore I wouldn’t be paying any monthly fees. I was just charged a $1,975.00 fee, that was deducted from my account, with NO notification, or explanation. I was not able to speak to a representative, as the only option on the phone was an automated voice. I emailed my original agent, who explained this is an “Annual PCI fee”. I have asked him to show me in writing where it states anything about this fee, & that no one disclosed this to me. I also told him how dishonest & unethical it is to take that kind of a fee from someone’s account without any type of notice. I haven’t heard anything back as of yet. I’m starting to realize this company is scamming its customers, & I definitely DON’T recommend doing business with them!!
Reply from Shift42026-08-06
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how concerning an unexpected withdrawal can be, especially when it differs from your expectations during the sales process.
We recently introduced a simplified annual billing model that includes ongoing services such as 24/7 technical support, free equipment swaps and repairs, and on-site service when needed. We’d also like the opportunity to review the information you were provided during the sales process and the billing concerns you’ve raised.
Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can follow up with you directly.
They are one of the most trickiest POS companies out there doing two separate annual fees a year, but in their Contractor verbiage, it doesn’t tell you that, but they are allowed to change pricing and add different things as upgrading their software that you have to pay for they consistently TicTac every single month with no explanation as far as if you want out your contract it’s $20,000. They are just unbelievable.
Reply from Shift42026-08-07
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and your concerns regarding billing, contract terms, and account charges. We understand how important transparency is, and we never want our customers to feel uncertain about how their accounts are managed.
We’d appreciate the opportunity to review your account and discuss the concerns you’ve raised. Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can follow up with you directly.
Hit accounts for over 1200 each at the beginning of August with no notice or explanation.
Unbelievable!!! They must want all of their merchants to cancel.
Reply from Shift42026-08-07
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how concerning an unexpected charge can be.
We know recent billing changes have raised questions for some customers, and we’d like the opportunity to review your account and provide clarity on your specific situation. Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can investigate and follow up with you directly.
Terrible experience with Skytab/Shift4 — save yourself the trouble and avoid this company
I want to share my experience so other business owners don't fall into the same trap I did.
The sales pitch didn't match reality
When the sales rep signed me up, he promised a $5,000 sign-up bonus that would be paid out after 3 months. That sounded great at the time, so I moved forward. After a full year, I still hadn't received a cent of that bonus. When I finally dug into it, I found out the real requirement — which was never explained to me upfront — is that you have to process $30,000 in sales every single month for 3 consecutive months just to qualify. That's a completely different deal than what was presented to me, and it should have been disclosed clearly from the start.
Here's an actual invoice, so you can see it for yourself
To show exactly how they nickel-and-dime you, here's one month's real invoice: $29.99 for a POS accessory, $59.98 for two POS monthly fees, $6.00 in sales tax, $34.99 for "Online Ordering Enablement" (a service I never asked for or approved), and another $9.99 POS accessory fee — bringing that single month's total to $140.95.
That "Online Ordering Enablement" charge is a service I never asked for or approved — it was just added to my account automatically. This is exactly the kind of itemized billing that adds up fast and is rarely explained clearly upfront.
On top of these monthly charges, they also hit you with an annual fee of $1,500 per year, just to keep the account active — another cost that wasn't made clear to me when I signed up.
Cancellation is a nightmare
When I tried to cancel, I was told I still had 17 months left on my contract — and that it would cost me $25,000 to buy my way out early. Nobody explains this kind of penalty clearly when you're signing up; it only comes out when you try to leave.
They'll add services without asking
On top of the online ordering charge above, I've noticed other services get added to accounts without notice or consent, then quietly show up on the monthly bill.
Bottom line
Between the misleading sign-up bonus, the hidden invoice charges, the $1,500 annual fee, the outrageous cancellation penalty, and services being added without consent, this company does not operate in good faith. If you're a business owner considering a POS system, I strongly recommend looking at Square or Clover instead — both are far more transparent and won't trap you in a contract like this.
Reply from Shift42026-08-05
We’re sorry to hear your experience didn’t match the expectations set during the sales process. We understand how frustrating it can be when there are concerns about promotional offers, billing, and contract terms.
We recently introduced a simplified annual billing model that includes ongoing services such as 24/7 technical support, free equipment swaps and repairs, and on-site service when needed. We’d also like the opportunity to review the promotional offer, the services on your account, and the billing concerns you’ve raised to better understand what happened.
Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can investigate and follow up with you directly.
Are you a merchant who has had issues with Shift4 regarding unexpected fees, annual fees, contract renewals, cancellation charges, or unclear contract terms?
I’m looking to connect with other merchants who have experienced similar issues. My own experience involved unexpected charges, an auto-renewal dispute, and a significant cancellation fee that I was not expecting.
If you have experienced similar concerns, please share your story. The goal is to understand how many merchants have been affected and explore what options may be available, including whether there is enough information to consult with an attorney about potential legal action.
Together we may be able to better understand our options.
Reply from Shift42026-08-06
We’re sorry to hear you’ve had concerns regarding billing, contract terms, and your overall experience with Shift4. We’d appreciate the opportunity to review your account and address the issues you've raised.
Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can follow up with you directly.
These people they don't standby their words. They initially say only charge $35 for equipment. But, they slowly charge regulatory fee and some other fees by $600.. Actually they are looting their merchants. what we should know is.....if the fees are lower somewhere they rip you off using the contract. They scare you with the contract. I am two year customer with them. simply they take money from your account without letting us know from our bank accounts.
Reply from Shift42026-08-06
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how frustrating concerns around billing and account charges can be.
We’d like the opportunity to review your account and better understand the charges you’ve referenced. Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can investigate and follow up with you directly.
No customer support. Takes hours to get through if even can. Their so-called AI is horrible. Useless. Don't believe anything they tell you when you sign up. Total lies especially about the $5000. bonus. On August 1st they took a full year of fees out of everyone's accounts with letting anyone know they were going ahead of time. Prior to then it was monthly
I have been with them over 10 years. Back when they were called Harbour touch. Back then they were a great company. Since changing to Shift4 has been all downhill.
DO NOT USE NO MATTER WHAT THEY TELL YOU!! ALL LIES.
Reply from Shift42026-08-06
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how frustrating concerns around support, billing, and promotional offers can be.
We recently introduced a simplified annual billing model that includes ongoing services such as 24/7 technical support, free equipment swaps and repairs, and on-site service when needed. We’d also like the opportunity to review the promotional offer and the concerns you’ve raised about your account.
Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can investigate and follow up with you directly.
I rarely leave negative reviews, but I think other business owners should know about my experience with Shift4.
One of the main reasons I decided to cancel my account was the instability of the system. Too often the POS would freeze, the PIN pad would stop working, or I simply couldn't process credit card payments. Many times I had to reboot the POS, and if that didn't fix the problem, the only option was to call Customer Support.
Unfortunately, calling support was another frustrating experience. In my case, I frequently waited 40 minutes or more before reaching someone who could help. When you're running a restaurant or food business, being unable to process customer payments while waiting on hold is simply unacceptable.
Every minute that a payment system is down means lost sales, frustrated customers, and damage to a small business's reputation. A payment processor should be one of the most reliable parts of a business—not one of its biggest sources of stress.
As a business owner, I chose Shift4 expecting a reliable payment system. Instead, I experienced repeated system instability that disrupted my day-to-day operations and affected my ability to serve customers.
I also followed the required cancellation process and provided my notice within the timeframe required by my agreement. Even though Shift4 knew my account would be closing within days, they still charged me the full Annual Service & Maintenance (AS&M) fee for an entire year—$1,225 in my case.
I requested a refund, or at least a prorated refund, because I would not receive a full year of service. My request was denied, and even after asking to speak with a supervisor, the decision remained the same.
What concerns me most is that, after reviewing the merchant agreement, I realized it gives Shift4 broad authority to change certain fees and charge them without obtaining additional approval from the merchant. Once you sign the agreement, you may have very little ability to object to new or increased fees.
I strongly encourage every business owner to carefully read the merchant agreement before signing—especially the sections covering fees, annual charges, billing changes, renewals, and cancellation. Don't assume the fees you start with will be the same fees you'll have later.
After this experience, I will definitely be taking my business elsewhere.
This review reflects my personal experience, and I hope Shift4 improves both the reliability of its system and the way it treats customers who follow the cancellation process correctly.
Reply from Shift42026-08-06
We’re sorry to hear about your experience and understand how disruptive system reliability issues and long support wait times can be, particularly in a busy restaurant environment where every transaction matters.
We also understand your concerns regarding the annual billing and account closure process. We recently introduced a simplified annual billing model that includes ongoing services such as 24/7 technical support, free equipment swaps and repairs, and on-site service when needed. That said, we’d like the opportunity to review both your support history and the billing concerns you’ve raised.
Please contact us at [email protected] with your account information so our team can follow up with you directly.
they know what they did. thieves. don't trust them with your money.
Reply from Shift42026-08-04
We’re sorry to hear you feel this way about your experience.
We’d like the opportunity to better understand your concerns and review what happened. Please contact us at [email protected] with your account details so our team can investigate and follow up with you directly.
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