PaymentCloud Review 2024: Features, Pricing, Top Alternatives

PaymentCloud is a good option for high-risk small businesses, but the company doesn’t disclose its pricing.
Whitney Vandiver
By Whitney Vandiver 
Updated
Edited by Sally Lauckner

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3.5

NerdWallet rating 

What is PaymentCloud?

PaymentCloud is a payment service provider for low-, medium- and high-risk businesses. It also offers point-of-sale solutions, payment gateway services and payment processing for alternative payment methods such as crypto.

Deciding factors

Payment processing fees

Quote-based. You’ll have to call to get specific pricing information for your business, but average ranges are:

  • 2.4% plus 10 cents for low-risk retail merchants.

  • 2.8% plus 25 cents for medium-risk businesses, like e-commerce shops.

  • 3.5% plus 25 cents for high-risk merchants.

Monthly fee

$0 to $50.

Hardware cost

Undisclosed/quote only. You have to call to get pricing information.

Contract length

Varies between months and years, according to a company spokesperson.

Customer service

7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time, Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT Saturdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT on Sundays.

PaymentCloud pricing

PaymentCloud doesn’t publicly disclose prices for hardware, software or payment processing, so you’ll have to call and talk to a salesperson to get a quote.

PaymentCloud also works with independent sales organizations, or ISOs, which act as third-party sales teams. Those organizations tend to work on commission, so be cautious of price quotes and shop around. If possible, sign up with PaymentCloud directly rather than through an ISO to try to avoid potential additional fees.

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NerdWallet rating 

5.0

/5
NerdWallet rating 

5.0

/5
NerdWallet rating 

5.0

/5

Payment processing fees 

0.40% + 8¢

plus interchange, in-person; 0.50% + 25¢ plus interchange, online.

Payment processing fees 

2.6% + 10¢

in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.

Payment processing fees 

2.7% + 5¢

in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.

Monthly fee 

$0

Monthly fee 

$0

Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.

Monthly fee 

$0

Capabilities

Point of sale

PaymentCloud offers multiple POS options for businesses, including in-person, online and mobile payments.

In-person transactions are doable with PaymentCloud to swipe, insert and tap credit cards, as well as accept QR codes. The company sells third-party countertop terminals from Clover and credit card readers from Verifone, Ingenico, Poynt, Clover and others. PaymentCloud can reprogram existing credit card readers to work with its system. It also offers Paysley, which allows merchants to use QR codes for payment.

Virtual terminals, which allow merchants process over-the-phone orders, are also available. For recurring charges, businesses can set up automatic payments with recurring billing and send invoices to customers.

Online transactions work with PaymentCloud, and there are integrations with e-commerce platforms including WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, WordPress, Shift4Shop and more.

Payment gateway

PaymentCloud offers PCI-compliant payment gateways from Authorize.Net.

Alternative payment methods

PaymentCloud allows businesses to accept payments by ACH, e-check and cryptocurrencies.

Pros

Hardware variety

PaymentCloud will sell you a variety of third-party hardware, so there’s no doubt that most businesses will be able to find what they need. It’s also a bonus that PaymentCloud can reprogram existing card readers.

Shopping cart integrations

PaymentCloud says it can integrate with tons of shopping carts for online stores, making it a nice solution for those who are already plugged into a preferred provider.

Options for high-risk businesses

PaymentCloud can be a good option for high-risk businesses that might have difficulty finding a merchant services provider.

Cons

Lack of transparency

PaymentCloud discloses very little pricing or spec information to the public. Although it isn’t the only quote-based company, this lack of transparency can be a red flag for some.

Long approval times

PaymentCloud requires customers to be approved for an account, which can take a while for some businesses.

PaymentCloud alternatives

Payline Data

Pricing:

  • Interchange plus 0.4% and 10 cents for in-person transactions.

  • Interchange plus 0.75% and 20 cents for online transactions.

Why we like it: Another high-risk merchant services provider, Payline Data offers in-person and online transaction solutions, shopping cart integrations and custom reporting. You won’t need to sign a contract for this service, so you can use it month to month without worrying about a termination fee.

National Processing

Pricing:

  • 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.

Why we like it: National Processing prices its plans based on your type of business and also has plans that let merchants offer cash discounts and ACH transfers. With cash discounts, you can pass processing fees along to your customers on card payments and charge less for cash transactions.

National Processing

National Processing
NerdWallet rating 
Shop Now

on National Processing's website

A version of this article was first published on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet

Best Payment Processing Companies
ProductPayment processing feesMonthly feeLearn more
Helcim

Helcim

NerdWallet Rating 
5.0
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on Helcim's website

0.40% + 8¢ 

plus interchange, in-person; 0.50% + 25¢ plus interchange, online.

$0 
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on Helcim's website

Square

Square

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5.0
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on Square's website

2.6% + 10¢ 

in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.

$0 

Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.

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on Square's website

Stripe

Stripe Payments

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5.0
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on Stripe's website

2.7% + 5¢ 

in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.

$0 
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on Stripe's website

Stax by Fattmerchant

Stax by Fattmerchant

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4.0
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on Stax by Fattmerchant's website

0% + $0.08 

Plus interchange

$99 

and up.

Learn more

on Stax by Fattmerchant's website