Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Christine Aebischer is an assistant assigning editor on the small-business team who joined NerdWallet in 2020, originally as a copy editor. Previously, she held editing roles at Fundera, Northwestern Mutual and LearnVest, where she covered a variety of personal and business finance topics. Christine earned bachelor's degrees in English and journalism from The College of New Jersey. Email: <a href="mailto:caebischer@nerdwallet.com">caebischer@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Christine Aebischer is an assistant assigning editor on the small-business team who joined NerdWallet in 2020, originally as a copy editor. Previously, she held editing roles at Fundera, Northwestern Mutual and LearnVest, where she covered a variety of personal and business finance topics. Christine earned bachelor's degrees in English and journalism from The College of New Jersey. Email: <a href="mailto:caebischer@nerdwallet.com">caebischer@nerdwallet.com</a>.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
95+ years of combined
experience covering small-business and personal finance.
50+ categories of best
business loan selections.
Objective and comprehensive business loans ratings rubric
– learn more about our star ratings.
NerdWallet's small-business loans content, including ratings,
recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and
editors who specialize in business lending. Their work has appeared in
The Associated Press, The Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq,
Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets.
Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Christine Aebischer is an assistant assigning editor on the small-business team who joined NerdWallet in 2020, originally as a copy editor. Previously, she held editing roles at Fundera, Northwestern Mutual and LearnVest, where she covered a variety of personal and business finance topics. Christine earned bachelor's degrees in English and journalism from The College of New Jersey. Email: <a href="mailto:caebischer@nerdwallet.com">caebischer@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Christine Aebischer is an assistant assigning editor on the small-business team who joined NerdWallet in 2020, originally as a copy editor. Previously, she held editing roles at Fundera, Northwestern Mutual and LearnVest, where she covered a variety of personal and business finance topics. Christine earned bachelor's degrees in English and journalism from The College of New Jersey. Email: <a href="mailto:caebischer@nerdwallet.com">caebischer@nerdwallet.com</a>.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
95+ years of combined
experience covering small-business and personal finance.
50+ categories of best
business loan selections.
Objective and comprehensive business loans ratings rubric
– learn more about our star ratings.
NerdWallet's small-business loans content, including ratings,
recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and
editors who specialize in business lending. Their work has appeared in
The Associated Press, The Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq,
Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets.
Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
Business-to-business (B2B) payment processing companies handle transactions between businesses, and the best options help streamline the process with recurring invoicing, security tools and, in some cases, approval workflow automation. Since B2B payments can be larger than typical business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions, some B2B payment processing companies also extend lower processing rates.
Many credit card processing companies facilitate both B2B and B2C transactions, while others specialize in B2B payment processing. If your business sells goods or services to both consumers and other businesses, using the same processor for both types of transactions can help simplify the process.
Why you can trust NerdWallet
All of our picks for the best B2B payment processing companies are chosen by our editorial team, who follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage to help you choose the right solution for your B2B company. We independently evaluate and rate payment processing companies, scoring them on capabilities, cost, integrations and other features. View our full methodology.
Here are our picks for the best B2B payment processors.
Can process transactions in more than 135 currencies.
No PCI compliance fees.
Cons
Doesn’t sell full countertop POS setups; hardware is limited to handheld terminals and card readers.
Deposits can take up to two business days.
No phone or email support.
With Stripe Terminal, you can integrate in-person payments into your online payment setup. Transparent pricing and customizable features make it a good choice for online-first businesses looking to extend to in-person sales.
However, many features — including connecting hardware to software — require coding experience or “no-code” integrations.
Can process transactions in more than 135 currencies.
No PCI compliance fees.
Cons
Doesn’t sell full countertop POS setups; hardware is limited to handheld terminals and card readers.
Deposits can take up to two business days.
No phone or email support.
With Stripe Terminal, you can integrate in-person payments into your online payment setup. Transparent pricing and customizable features make it a good choice for online-first businesses looking to extend to in-person sales.
However, many features — including connecting hardware to software — require coding experience or “no-code” integrations.
Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
Offers free POS software.
Offers volume-based discounts automatically.
No termination fees, long-term contracts or PCI compliance fees.
Cons
Deposits are available within two business days; same-day deposit option is not available.
Interchange-plus costs can be difficult to predict.
Unlike flat-rate payment processors that charge the same transaction fee across different types of credit cards, Helcim uses an interchange-plus pricing model. This means your business saves when a customer uses a card with low interchange rates. Helcim also offers volume discounts if you process more than $50,000 monthly, which is a plus for high-volume businesses. And if you need hardware for taking payments in-person, the company sells its own smart terminal and mobile card reader, too.
Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
Offers free POS software.
Offers volume-based discounts automatically.
No termination fees, long-term contracts or PCI compliance fees.
Cons
Deposits are available within two business days; same-day deposit option is not available.
Interchange-plus costs can be difficult to predict.
Unlike flat-rate payment processors that charge the same transaction fee across different types of credit cards, Helcim uses an interchange-plus pricing model. This means your business saves when a customer uses a card with low interchange rates. Helcim also offers volume discounts if you process more than $50,000 monthly, which is a plus for high-volume businesses. And if you need hardware for taking payments in-person, the company sells its own smart terminal and mobile card reader, too.
Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
Unique add-on features, like custom branding.
No long-term contracts.
Compatible with POS system providers, such as Clover.
No PCI compliance fees.
Cons
Not ideal for businesses with low-volume sales.
Pricing isn't as transparent as competitors.
Interchange-plus costs can be difficult to predict.
Stax’s membership-based pricing model is meant for small businesses processing at least $5,000 in credit card transactions monthly. In addition to a monthly subscription cost, it charges a small margin on top of interchange rates. Optional add-ons include custom branding, next-day funding, shopping cart integrations and ACH processing.
Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
Unique add-on features, like custom branding.
No long-term contracts.
Compatible with POS system providers, such as Clover.
No PCI compliance fees.
Cons
Not ideal for businesses with low-volume sales.
Pricing isn't as transparent as competitors.
Interchange-plus costs can be difficult to predict.
Stax’s membership-based pricing model is meant for small businesses processing at least $5,000 in credit card transactions monthly. In addition to a monthly subscription cost, it charges a small margin on top of interchange rates. Optional add-ons include custom branding, next-day funding, shopping cart integrations and ACH processing.
Offers a free mobile card reader and free POS software plan.
Can subscribe to related services, such as payroll, that integrate with its POS system.
No termination fees or long-term contracts.
No chargeback or PCI compliance fees.
Cons
Complex businesses might prefer a processor that integrates with more specialized POS systems.
Square's product lineup is modular, but its POS system works well enough as a stand-alone product. Pricing is competitive, making it a solid option for many small businesses.
Offers a free mobile card reader and free POS software plan.
Can subscribe to related services, such as payroll, that integrate with its POS system.
No termination fees or long-term contracts.
No chargeback or PCI compliance fees.
Cons
Complex businesses might prefer a processor that integrates with more specialized POS systems.
Square's product lineup is modular, but its POS system works well enough as a stand-alone product. Pricing is competitive, making it a solid option for many small businesses.
No monthly subscription costs or PCI compliance fees.
Accepts PayPal and Venmo in addition to credit and debit cards.
Simple checkout page that looks good on web and mobile.
Cons
Requires web development.
Not suited for brick and mortar stores.
Braintree, which is owned by PayPal, provides payment processing solutions and merchant accounts for e-commerce businesses that sell products or services online and/or via mobile app. Though they can be time-consuming to apply for, individual merchant accounts can be beneficial for high-volume businesses or those that need specialized assistance. Payment service providers, like PayPal, group multiple businesses’ funds in the same merchant account as opposed to individual ones.
No monthly subscription costs or PCI compliance fees.
Accepts PayPal and Venmo in addition to credit and debit cards.
Simple checkout page that looks good on web and mobile.
Cons
Requires web development.
Not suited for brick and mortar stores.
Braintree, which is owned by PayPal, provides payment processing solutions and merchant accounts for e-commerce businesses that sell products or services online and/or via mobile app. Though they can be time-consuming to apply for, individual merchant accounts can be beneficial for high-volume businesses or those that need specialized assistance. Payment service providers, like PayPal, group multiple businesses’ funds in the same merchant account as opposed to individual ones.
If you move funds via Paystand’s bank network, there are no transaction fees.
Can create invoicing workflows.
Cons
Monthly subscription fees are quote-based.
Card transactions can take two to five days to process.
Paystand is a subscription-based B2B payments platform that lets businesses accept fee-free payments via its bank network. It also allows you to accept credit card payments and ACH transfers for a fee, and has a billing and receivables module for scheduling recurring payments.
Paystand
Best for B2B-specific payments solution
Payment processing fees
N/A
Quote-based.
Monthly fee
N/A
Quote-based.
Pros
Built specifically for B2B businesses.
If you move funds via Paystand’s bank network, there are no transaction fees.
Can create invoicing workflows.
Cons
Monthly subscription fees are quote-based.
Card transactions can take two to five days to process.
Paystand is a subscription-based B2B payments platform that lets businesses accept fee-free payments via its bank network. It also allows you to accept credit card payments and ACH transfers for a fee, and has a billing and receivables module for scheduling recurring payments.
What are B2B payments?
B2B payments refer to transactions between businesses. Since these transaction amounts can be large and the exchange may involve contracts, sales aren’t usually completed as instantaneously as they are for B2C (business-to-consumer) companies. In contrast to B2C payments, which are typically completed in-store at a point-of-sale (POS) register or online through an e-commerce site, B2B payments are often sent via invoice and may be recurring. In general, the business on the purchasing end can choose to pay invoices with a check, ACH transfer or card.
B2B payment processing costs include transaction fees and may also come with a subscription fee. The two main types of B2B payment processing models are flat-rate and interchange-plus.
Flat-rate payment processing companies charge the same flat rate per transaction, regardless of interchange rates, and companies that offer both B2C and B2B payment processing services may charge the same rates for each kind of transaction. For example, Stripe charges 2.9% plus 30 cents per online transaction, regardless of the card’s interchange rate and which type of business you run.
On the other hand, interchange-plus and subscription-based payment processors, which pass interchange savings to the merchant, can usually offer a bit more flexibility. Under these pricing models, B2B businesses may be able to access lower interchange fees if their transactions meet stricter level 2 or 3 credit card processing requirements — e.g., B2B transactions made using a commercial credit card that collect more customer information than level 1 processing.
To pick the best B2B payment processing company for your business, consider the following factors.
Payment processing cost
How much you pay to process B2B payments largely depends on your payment processing company’s pricing model. Flat-rate processing is easy to understand, but can be expensive if you process a high volume of transactions. Alternatively, interchange-plus pricing can be more cost-effective, but less predictable.
For example, online transactions processed through Helcim, an interchange-plus processor, cost 2.49% plus 25 cents on average, while online transactions processed through Square, a flat-rate processor, cost 2.9% plus 30 cents each. Subscription-based models are another option that charge lower markups in exchange for a monthly fee, making them a good solution for higher-volume businesses.
Additionally, consider which kinds of payments you accept most frequently. If you rarely accept credit card payments, maybe ACH processing rates are what really matters. And if you require subscription billing or recurring invoicing tools, check to see whether they’re built-in or cost extra.
Accepted payment types
Make sure your B2B payment processing company accepts all the payment types your clients typically use. Those could include credit cards, debit cards, ACH transfers, wire transfers, cash and check payments.
Industry specificity
If your business processes a high volume of transactions and mainly works with other businesses, instead of consumers, an industry-specific B2B product, like Paystand, can help you implement invoicing workflows and save on processing fees. If your clients include both businesses and consumers, though, a more generalized payment processor, like Square or Stripe, could be a better option.
Since B2B payments are often larger than typical B2C transactions, it’s common to send invoices and offer clients a payment plan. If this is the case for your business, your payment processor should double as an invoicing software provider. Recurring invoicing and subscription tools can help speed up the process and ensure you’re paid on time.
Integrations
At a minimum, your B2B payment solution should integrate with your accounting software so you don’t have to manually record every invoice or transaction. By syncing automatically, your accounting software can use payment data to generate reports and provide accurate, up-to-date business insights. If you use a POS system for in-person transactions or an e-commerce platform for online transactions, make sure your B2B payment processor also integrates with those. Subscribing to two separate payment processing solutions for online and in-person transactions can cause unnecessary complications.