Cheapest Credit Card Processing Companies for Small Businesses
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Input your business’s monthly transaction details and we’ll help you sort from the best valueProduct | Cost Estimate | Payment processing fees | Cost Estimate | Learn more | ||
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Helcim Learn more on Helcim's secure website | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | 5.0/5 Best for Volume discounts | In-person: 0.4% + $0.08 Online: 0.5% + $0.25 Plus interchange | $0.00 | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | Learn more on Helcim's secure website |
Stripe Learn more on Stripe Payments' secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Online credit card processing | In-person: 2.7% + $0.05 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.00 | Learn more on Stripe Payments' secure website | ||
Square Learn more on Square's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Mobile credit card processing | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.00 Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations. | Learn more on Square's secure website | ||
National Processing Learn more on National Processing's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Free terminal | 2.5% + $0.10 for Basic In-Person Package. | $9.95 for Basic In-Person Package. | Learn more on National Processing's secure website | ||
Stax by Fattmerchant Learn more on Stax by Fattmerchant's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Membership-style pricing | In-person: 0% + $0.08 Online: 0% + $0.15 Plus interchange | $99.00 and up. | Learn more on Stax by Fattmerchant's secure website | ||
Payment Depot Learn more on Payment Depot's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Risk-free trial | 0.2% + $0.00 to 1.95%, plus interchange. | $79.00 and up. | Learn more on Payment Depot's secure website | ||
U.S. Bank Merchant Services Learn more on U.S. Bank Merchant Services' secure website | 4.5/5 Best for Fast deposits | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.00 and up. | Learn more on U.S. Bank Merchant Services' secure website | ||
Payline | 4.5/5 Best for High-risk merchants | In-person: 0.4% + $0.10 Online: 0.75% + $0.20 Plus interchange | $10.00 in person; $20 online. | |||
Dharma Merchant Services | 4.5/5 Best for Nonprofits | In-person: 0.15% + $0.08 Online: 0.2% + $0.11 Plus interchange | $15.00 for most industries; $12 for nonprofits. |
Our pick for
Volume discounts
Helcim
on Helcim's secure website
Pros
- Interchange-plus pricing structure can help businesses save money.
- Quick setup; approvals usually take a day.
- In-house customer support is available seven days a week.
- Offers volume-based discounts automatically.
- Syncs directly with QuickBooks Online.
Cons
- Deposits are available within two business days; same-day deposit option is not available.
- Doesn’t offer services to businesses in certain high-risk industries.
Our pick for
Online credit card processing
Stripe
on Stripe Payments' secure website
Pros
- Highly customizable.
- Competitive pricing.
Cons
- Prioritizes online merchants.
- Requires developer experience.
Our pick for
Mobile credit card processing
Square
on Square's secure website
Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
Pros
- Diverse selection of hardware to flex to your business needs.
- No contract and no additional fees.
Cons
- Limited options for international payments.
- Doesn't run on Windows devices.
Our pick for
Free terminal
National Processing
on National Processing's secure website
for Basic In-Person Package.
for Basic In-Person Package.
Pros
- Low in-person processing fees for a flat-rate processor.
- No termination fees or long-term contracts.
- Works with high-risk merchants.
- Integrates with popular POS systems, e-commerce platforms and accounting products.
- 24/7 phone support.
Cons
- Fees may be higher if you process less than $10,000 per month.
- Basic plans for processing in-person and online transactions are separate.
- Mobile card reader is pricier than some competitors.
Our pick for
Membership-style pricing
Stax by Fattmerchant
on Stax by Fattmerchant's secure website
and up.
Pros
- Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
- Unique add-on features, like custom branding.
- No long-term contracts.
Cons
- Not a good option for businesses with low sales.
- Pricing isn't as transparent as competitors.
Our pick for
Risk-free trial
Payment Depot
on Payment Depot's secure website
to 1.95%, plus interchange.
and up.
Pros
- Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
- No cancellation fees.
- Compatible with several card readers.
- Free virtual terminal.
Cons
- Markups vary by business.
Our pick for
Fast deposits
U.S. Bank Merchant Services
on U.S. Bank Merchant Services' secure website
and up.
Pros
- Same-day funding seven days per week for U.S. bank checking account holders.
- No PCI compliance fees.
- No cancellation fees.
- Free POS software plan available.
Cons
- POS system onboarding assistance can be costly.
- Deposit times are not as quick for merchants using third-party bank accounts.
Our pick for
High-risk merchants
Payline
in person; $20 online.
Pros
- Pricing transparency.
- Competitive transaction rates.
- Customer support by phone and email.
- No long-term contracts or cancellation fees.
- No PCI compliance fees.
- Integrates with many POS systems, shopping carts and QuickBooks.
Cons
- Separate monthly fees for in-person and online processing; monthly fees can add up if you process transactions both in person and online.
Our pick for
Nonprofits
Dharma Merchant Services
for most industries; $12 for nonprofits.
Pros
- Competitive transaction pricing.
- Good flexibility.
Cons
- Monthly fees can be barrier to entry.
- Requires separate accounts for online and in-person payments.
Helcim: Best for volume discounts
- Interchange plus 0.4% and 8 cents per in-person transaction (if $50,000 or less in monthly card transactions).
- Interchange plus 0.5% and 25 cents per online or manually keyed transaction (if $50,000 or less in monthly card transactions).
- 0.5% plus 25 cents for ACH payments.
- No long-term contracts or cancellation fees.
- No monthly subscription fees.
- No setup fees.
- Processing rates go down after your business processes more than $50,000 in payments per month.
- Doesn't work with high-risk merchants, meaning businesses that are more susceptible to fraud and chargebacks.
- No 24/7 support.
Square: Best for mobile credit card processing
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
- $60 for Square Restaurant Plus plan.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium plan.
- $89 for Square Retail Plus plan.
- $192 and up for Square Restaurant Essentials Bundle.
- Custom pricing for Square Retail Premium plan.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- 3.3% plus 30 cents for invoices.
- No early termination, activation, refund or chargeback fees.
- No PCI compliance fees.
- No monthly subscription fee.
- Free point-of-sale software.
- Free mobile card reader (magstripe only).
- May be more expensive than an interchange-plus pricing model for some businesses.
- Doesn't work with high-risk merchants.
- Only paid POS plans include 24/7 live customer service.
Stripe: Best for online credit card processing
- $0 for standard Stripe Connect.
- $2 per account for Stripe Express (for marketplaces) or Stripe Custom (the white-label option that allows businesses to customize the checkout process).
- 2.7% plus 5 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 3.4% plus 30 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- 4.4% plus 30 cents for international card transactions.
- No setup fees.
- No monthly subscription fees.
- 24/7 phone, chat and email support.
- More than 450 platforms and extensions available.
- Accepts payments in more than 135 currencies.
- Doesn’t work with high-risk merchants.
Stax: Best for membership-style pricing
- $99 if you process up to $250,000 per year.
- $199 if you process between $250,000 and $500,000 per year.
- Custom quote if you process more than $500,000 per year.
- Interchange plus 8 cents for in-person transactions.
- Interchange plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- No contracts.
- 24/7 technical support.
- Offers add-ons like custom branding and next-day funding.
- Not ideal for low-volume small businesses.
Payline Data: Best for high-risk merchants
- $10 for in-person sales.
- $20 for online sales.
- Interchange plus 0.4% and 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- Interchange plus 0.75% and 20 cents for online transactions.
- No long-term contract or cancellation fees.
- No PCI compliance fees.
- Offers high-risk merchant accounts.
- First month is free for eligible merchants.
- 24/7 phone support.
- Negative user reviews.
Payment Depot: Best risk-free trial
- $79 if you process up to $250,000 per year.
- Custom quote if you process more than $250,000 per year.
- 0.2%-1.95% plus interchange.
- Transaction fees depend on processing volume and average transaction size.
- Includes a free virtual terminal for keying in credit card numbers.
- No contract.
- No cancellation fees.
- Option for next-day deposits.
- 24/7 support available (although it isn’t entirely in-house).
- No PCI compliance fees.
- All memberships come with a 90-day trial during which your annual membership fee will be refunded if you cancel.
- Doesn't work with high-risk merchants.
- Website is light on information; you’ll need to contact sales by phone for more in-depth pricing info and other details.
National Processing: Best for free terminal
- $9.95 for Basic In-Person Package, Basic E-Commerce Package.
- $9.95 and up for Premium Package (for businesses with monthly sales volumes exceeding $30,000).
- $19 and up for Advanced Package.
- Basic In-Person Package: 2.5% plus 10 cents per transaction.
- Basic E-Commerce Package: 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction.
- Advanced Package: 2.41% plus 10 cents.
- Premium Package: quote-based.
- Works with high-risk merchants.
- Offers several good integrations for accounting, online selling and shopping carts.
- Each plan includes free reprogramming of existing hardware plus a free mobile card reader.
- National Processing’s payment processing fees are only guaranteed for merchants that process at least $10,000 in sales a month.
- Monthly fees can add up.
- Requires a long-term contract, and there are early termination fees (with a few exceptions).
Dharma Merchant Services: Best for nonprofits
- $12 for nonprofits.
- $15 for business to business, e-commerce, hospitality, retail and restaurant.
- Interchange plus 0.15% + 8 cents for in-person transactions.
- Interchange plus 0.20% + 11 cents for online transactions.
- Interchange plus 0.25% + 8 cents for in-person AmEx transactions.
- Interchange plus 0.30% + 11 cents for online AmEx transactions.
- No long-term contracts.
- Includes access to a free virtual terminal and online reporting.
- No PCI compliance fees (although there is a $39.95 monthly fee for those that become noncompliant)
- 24/7 support.
- Monthly fee required.
- Doesn’t work with high-risk merchants.
U.S. Bank Merchant Services: Best for fast deposits
- $0 for Mobile plan.
- $15 for Terminal plan.
- $29 for Starter plan.
- $69 for Standard plan.
- $99 for Premium plan.
- $29 for each additional software license.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person payments.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online payments.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for keyed payments.
- Same-day funding seven days per week for U.S. bank checking account holders.
- No PCI compliance fees.
- No cancellation fees.
- Free POS software plan available.
- POS system onboarding assistance can be costly.
- Deposit times are not as quick for merchants using third-party bank accounts.