This data comes from the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database and reflects consumer complaints, not proven violations.

CFPB complaint data Grade B 67 complaints

Merchants Acceptance Corp - Debt Collector Complaint Profile

CFPB complaint profile across 16 states, reputation grade B.

Complaints by issue type

What consumers report about Merchants Acceptance Corp

complaints
Source CFPB Consumer Complaint Database

Data updated July 2026

B

Grade B · 67.2/100 composite

This collector has a good complaint record with relatively few complaints and responsive customer service.

Based on consumer-filed CFPB complaints, not proven violations or a court finding of wrongdoing.

The verdict

A reputation grade of B: Merchants Acceptance Corp ranks ahead of 63% of the 5,283 collectors PlainCollector grades - 37% keep a cleaner CFPB record, on 67 all-time complaints and a 98% timely-response rate.

63rd pct
reputation rank of 5,283 graded collectors
67
CFPB complaints, all-time
98%
answered inside the CFPB window
22
in the last 12 months (rising)

Grades are relative: every collector is ranked against the others, so an A reflects a cleaner record than peers, not a clean bill of conduct. A complaint is a consumer filing, not a proven violation.

What do CFPB complaints reveal about Merchants Acceptance Corp?

Merchants Acceptance Corp has accumulated 67 total CFPB complaints across 16 states, with 22 filed in the most recent 12 months against 45 historical complaints before that window. The trailing-12-month volume represents 32.8% of the full complaint history, a rising pattern that suggests escalating consumer friction rather than a legacy book of disputes.

The dominant consumer grievance logged with the CFPB is "Attempts to collect debt not owed", narrowing to "Debt is not yours". The company posts a 98% timely-response rate against a 0% consumer-dispute-after-response rate.

Complaints have been recorded across 16 states, led by California with 18 and Washington with 11. Normalized against the full CFPB collector database, the reputation score of 67.2/100 places Merchants Acceptance Corp in grade band B.

How to read a complaint count →

Complaint Summary

Total CFPB complaints

67

low-volume (CCDB)

Last 12 months

22

32.8% of all-time complaints

Rising ↑

States active

16

regional footprint

Timely response rate

98%

excellent band

Consumer disputes

0%

low (vertical avg ~19%)

Reputation grade

B

67.2/100 composite

How does Merchants Acceptance Corp's reputation rank nationally?

Reputation score vs. every graded collector

PlainCollector composite reputation score (0–100, higher = cleaner CFPB record)

67 63rd percentile higher than 63% of 5,283 graded collectors

0–10: 0 graded collectors (0%). Below this entry. 10–20: 3 graded collectors (0%). Below this entry. 20–30: 29 graded collectors (1%). Below this entry. 30–40: 160 graded collectors (3%). Below this entry. 40–50: 583 graded collectors (11%). Below this entry. 50–60: 1,469 graded collectors (28%). Below this entry. 60–70: 1,364 graded collectors (26%). This entry sits in this band. 70–80: 871 graded collectors (16%). Above this entry. 80–90: 660 graded collectors (12%). Above this entry. 90–100: 144 graded collectors (3%). Above this entry. This collector 0 100 every graded collector, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more graded collectors. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainCollector composite of CFPB Consumer Complaint Database · 2013–2026

Response-quality profile

Merchants Acceptance Corp versus the debt-collection vertical average.

Timely response within SLA 98.4%
Vertical avg

CFPB requires companies to respond within 15 days for most complaints; 60 days for credit-reporting.

Consumer dispute rate (post-response) 0.0%
Vertical avg

Lower is better. The percentage of consumers who flagged the company's response as unsatisfactory.

State coverage breadth 28.6%

Share of US states + territories with at least one filed complaint against this collector.

How does Merchants Acceptance Corp compare to its peers?

How does Merchants Acceptance Corp compare? Versus a similar-volume peer and the national average, drawn from 10 collectors with a comparable complaint count
Merchants Acceptance C… National average
Complaints (last 12 mo)lower is better
22
0
268
Timely-response ratehigher is better
98%
31%
91%
Consumer-dispute ratelower is better
0%
27%
19%

Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database.

Complaint Trend (24 months)

2014-09 2022-04

Issue Detail Breakdown

Issue Sub-Issue Complaints
Attempts to collect debt not owed - 20
Took or threatened to take negative or legal action - 18
False statements or representation - 10
Communication tactics - 7
Written notification about debt - 6
Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed - 2
Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly - 2
Electronic communications - 1
Taking/threatening an illegal action - 1

Where do complaints against Merchants Acceptance Corp come from?

Merchants Acceptance Corp's own per-state count, not a national baseline.

Top states by complaints against Merchants Acceptance Corp

Across 16 states with at least one filing

complaints
Source CFPB Consumer Complaint Database

What to do if Merchants Acceptance Corp contacts you

A grade of B signals how Merchants Acceptance Corp's CFPB record compares to peers, here is how to act on it.

  • Demand written debt validation within 30 days of first contact, collectors must prove the debt is yours. Validation letter
  • Confirm the caller is really Merchants Acceptance Corp and not an impostor before paying anything. Verify a collector
  • Know your FDCPA rights, you can stop calls and report harassment. Your rights
  • See how Merchants Acceptance Corp ranks against every other collector by complaint record. Browse rankings

Complaint counts and grades reflect the public CFPB record, not a regulator's finding of wrongdoing or legal advice. For your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common complaint against Merchants Acceptance Corp? ▼

The most common issue consumers report about Merchants Acceptance Corp is "Attempts to collect debt not owed", specifically "Debt is not yours". This is based on 67 complaints filed with the CFPB.

Are complaints against Merchants Acceptance Corp increasing or decreasing? ▼

Complaints against Merchants Acceptance Corp are rising. The company received 22 complaints in the last 12 months, indicating an upward trend in consumer issues.

What is Merchants Acceptance Corp's reputation grade? ▼

Merchants Acceptance Corp has a reputation grade of B (score: 67.2/100), PlainCollector's composite letter grade blending complaint volume, response timeliness, dispute rate, and complaint trend.

Does Merchants Acceptance Corp respond to consumer complaints? ▼

Merchants Acceptance Corp has a 98% timely response rate to CFPB complaints. Consumers disputed the company's response in 0% of cases.

In how many states does Merchants Acceptance Corp operate? ▼

Merchants Acceptance Corp has received CFPB complaints from consumers in 16 states, with the most complaints from California (18 complaints).

Data sourced from the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCollector Editorial

Every figure on PlainCollector is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.