Stax Payments Review 2025: Pricing, Features, Alternatives
Stax Payments offers low processing rates in exchange for a monthly subscription fee, which is ideal for high-volume businesses.
Overview
The bottom line:
Stax Payments (formerly called Fattmerchant) is a merchant services provider known for its subscription-based pricing and interchange-plus rates. It may be a good fit if your business processes a minimum of $5,000 in credit card transactions monthly and is looking for an alternative to flat-rate processing.
Software details
Payment processing fees
In-person: 0% + $0.08
Online: 0% + $0.15
Plus interchange
Monthly fee
$99
and up.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Subscription model can help high-volume businesses save money.
Add-on features, like brand customization tools.
No long-term contracts.
Cons
Accounting integrations may involve additional fees.
Charges PCI compliance fee.
Full review
For a monthly subscription fee with no long-term contract required, users can access Stax Payment’s payment platform and process both in-person and online payments. The company doesn’t add a percentage markup on interchange rates
Here's what's included, on top of payment processing services, in each of Stax Payment’s subscription plans:
- Analytics.
- Invoicing.
- Hosted payment pages.
- Payment links and QR codes.
- Scheduled and recurring payments.
- One-click online shopping cart.
The company sells handheld terminals, countertop registers and mobile card readers from providers like Clover, Dejavoo and Swipe Simple.
Stax Payments is best for businesses that:
- Process a high volume of transactions: Stax Payment’s subscription-based pricing model may result in lower processing costs for high-volume businesses processing at least $5,000 in credit card transactions monthly. The $99 monthly subscription fee seems expensive upfront, but the amount high-volume businesses could save in processing fees could make it worth it, especially in the long term.
- Want to avoid flat-rate pricing models: While flat-rate processing models are convenient and make it easy to estimate processing costs ahead of time, they often aren’t the most cost-effective option for higher-volume businesses. Stax Payments is a good alternative.
Deciding factors
| Payment processing model | Subscription based. |
| Payment processing fees |
|
| Monthly fee |
|
| Hardware cost |
|
| Contract length | No long-term contracts. |
| Customer support | Phone, chat and email support on weekdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. |
Where Stax Payments stands out
Subscription-based pricing model
Unlike flat-rate payment processors, Stax Payments passes interchange savings to the merchant and charges a monthly subscription fee. Since merchants need to pay a subscription fee, Stax Payments keeps processing fees low at 8-15 cents on top of interchange. In general, the company’s pricing becomes competitive with other pricing models when a business’s monthly savings from the lower processing fees offset the monthly subscription cost.
Add-on features
Stax Payments offers some features that can be used to further customize its plans. For example, you can add ACH processing capabilities, a POS terminal protection plan or brand customization tools for invoicing, receipts and online payments. Additionally, features such as credit card surcharging
No long-term contracts
Stax Payments doesn’t make businesses sign long-term contracts in exchange for low processing rates. Instead, it offers month-to-month subscriptions. Though switching payment processing companies
Where Stax Payments falls short
Extra costs
Unlike many of its competitors, Stax charges a $10 PCI compliance fee each month. Additionally, it may cost extra to integrate with popular accounting software apps, like Xero. That's because you need to do it through a third party. Other solutions, like Square, have accounting integrations built right into its product.
Alternatives to Stax Payments
Helcim
Why we like it: Helcim is an interchange-plus merchant account provider that offers in-person and online payment options for businesses. It has a variety of other features, too, such as unlimited invoicing, a self-service customer portal and the option to set up an online store. Read NerdWallet’s full Helcim review
$0.
- 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 (capped at $6).
- $99 for a mobile card reader (with stand).
- $329 for a stand-alone terminal with built-in thermal printer (or 12 monthly payments of $30).
Square
Why we like it: Square is a flat-rate payment processor that offers custom pricing to some businesses that process more than $250,000 annually. You don’t have to sign a contract with Square, and you can set up a free online store. There are also additional features, like dispute management, fraud prevention and an offline operating mode. Read NerdWallet’s full Square review
- $0 for Square Free plan.
- $49 for Square Plus plan.
- $149 for Square Premium plans.
- 2.6% plus 15 cents for in-person transactions with Free plan.
- 3.3% plus 30 cents for online transactions with Free plan.
- 2.5% plus 15 cents for in-person transactions with Plus plan.
- 2.4% plus 15 cents for in-person transaction with Premium plan.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions with Plus and Premium plans.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- $0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional reader) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).
- $59 for Square Reader contactless and chip card reader.
- $149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included; monthly financing available).
- $149 for Square Kiosk for self-serve ordering.
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer (monthly financing available).
- $399 for Square Handheld portable POS system with built-in barcode scanner (monthly financing available).
- $799 for Square Register two-screen system (monthly financing available).