Small quantities of Cl(-) ions result in dramatic reductions in the performance of ionic transition metal complexes in light-emitting electrochemical cells. Strong ion-pairing between aromatic protons and chloride has been established in both the solid state and solution. X-ray structural determination of 2{[Ir(ppy)2(bpy)][Cl]}·2CH2Cl2·[H3O]·Cl reveals the unusual nature of an impurity encountered in the preparation of [Ir(ppy)2(bpy)][PF6].