Overview
The bottom line:
The Clover point-of-sale system is a good option for business owners of many types — restaurants, retail outlets or professional services — that do most of their payment processing in person. Its hardware is on the pricey side, but the reasonable monthly cost and low in-person payment processing fees help offset that upfront investment over time.
Software details
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.3% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.10
Pros & Cons
Pros
Free plan available if you’re only using a mobile card reader.
24/7 phone support.
All restaurant plans include no-fee online ordering, and retail plans let you integrate with existing online stores.
Offers a variety of plans tailored to six specific types of businesses.
Can pair POS systems with third-party payment processors.
Cons
Promotions require a three-year contract.
May be subject to early termination fees if you use Clover as your payment processor.
Online payment processing rates are more expensive than competitors.
Clover is owned by Fiserv, a payments and financial technology provider. Fiserv processes payments on the backend, though you can choose your own merchant services provider. Clover pricing depends on payment processing fees, which are a function of sales and payment type, the monthly plan you choose and the POS hardware you need based on your type of business. With most plans, you can pay in full or monthly. If you choose to pay in full, you will encounter an upfront lump sum to own your hardware, plus a monthly software fee. For the monthly pay option, the hardware and software price are rolled into one monthly payment; though you don’t own the hardware upfront, you have the option to upgrade devices or even buy the hardware later. Clover structures its plans and pricing based on industry:
Full-service and quick-service dining. Features on Clover POS systems for restaurants are generally standard across tiers, unlike other POS systems that limit features on lower-priced options. The primary difference is the number and types of hardware.
Retail. As you go up the three pricing tiers in Clover’s Retail plans, you get more hardware, but there are other differences to consider. The Standard and Advanced plans have a lower payment processing rate: 2.3% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction compared with 2.6% plus 10 cents in the Starter plan. Additional software features in the two higher plans include the ability to itemize returns and exchanges and integrate a scale to weigh items.
Professional services. Unlike restaurants or retailers, professional service providers like an architect or a designer might regularly accept payments in a variety of ways — invoices, over the phone or in person, for example. If you don’t expect to accept in-person payments, the Starter plan will save you money because it doesn’t require hardware.
Personal services. You can use Clover if you provide personal services, like at a hair salon or fitness studio. Like the Retail plan, the Personal Services Standard and Advanced offerings have a lower payment processing rate and can handle a few more complex tasks, like weighing items and itemizing returns.
Home and field services. If you’re an electrician, landscaper or other type of professional who travels to job sites, Clover allows you to take payments in the field. If you prefer to send electronic invoices, the Starter plan is the best pick. The other two plans include a mobile solution so you can get paid anywhere.
Clover is best for businesses that:
Want competitive, flat-rate in-person processing fees. Clover has one of the lowest in-person transaction rates among providers that use a flat-rate payment processing model.
Don’t mind filling gaps in features with integrated apps. Clover’s system comes with standard POS capabilities, but some businesses may find they need to turn to third-party apps that integrate with Clover to fill all their business needs.
Value 24/7 customer support. Clover offers 24/7 customer support by phone, as well as email support.
Payment processing model | Flat rate. |
Payment processing fees | 2.3% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Full-Service and Quick-Service Restaurant plans. 2.5% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Retail Standard and Advanced plans, Professional and Personal Services Standard and Advanced plans, and the Home and Field Services Advanced plan. 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on the Retail and Personal Services Starter plans and the Home and Field Services Standard plan. 3.5% plus 10 cents for online or keyed-in transactions.
Note: Prices are based on using Clover’s parent company, Fiserv, as your merchant service provider. If you use a different provider, your costs may differ. |
Monthly fee | $0 for Clover Go Payments, Retail Starter and Personal Services Starter plans. $14.95 for Clover Go Essentials, Professional Services Starter, and Standard and Home & Field Services Starter and Standard plans. $84.95 for Retail Standard and Professional, Personal Services Standard and Advanced, and Home & Field Services Advanced plans. $89.95 for Full-Service Dining Starter and Quick-Service Dining Starter and Standard plans. $104.90 for Retail Advanced plan. $109.90 for Full-Service Dining Standard and Quick-Service Dining Advanced plans. $129.85 for Full-Service Dining Advanced plan.
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Hardware cost | $199 for chip, swipe and contactless Clover Go card reader. $349 for countertop card reader. $749 for Clover Flex mobile POS with receipt printer. $699 for slimmer Flex Pocket with no printer. $849 for Clover Mini POS. $799-$899 + $25 per month for kitchen display system. $1,799 for Clover Station Solo. $1,899 for Clover Station Duo. $3,499 + $34.95 per month for self-ordering kiosk.
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Contract length | POS software plans are month-to-month, but payment processing may require a long-term contract. |
Customer support | Chat support, plus 24/7 phone support. |
Low flat rates for in-person payment processing
Clover’s payment processing rates for in-person transactions are generally lower than those of industry heavyweights such as Stripe and Square. The higher your average sales volume, the more beneficial this is.
Decent monthly rates and features
Monthly software fees can really add up; Clover’s generally are below $100. Clover’s POS systems have many popular features, including table mapping and remote order ticket routing for restaurants and low-stock alerts and itemized returns for retail.
Clover's distinctive white-and-silver hardware looks sharp and is built for point of sale — it isn't just an app you run on your own phone or tablet. Its handheld device in particular stands out for a few reasons: It can be used in retail settings, unlike Toast’s restaurant-only device; it has a built-in printer; and it accepts cards that swipe, which not all card readers do. Online payment processing is expensive
At 3.5% plus 10 cents per transaction, Clover's online payment processing rate is higher than some of its competitors that tend to charge around 2.9% plus 30 cents per online transaction. This makes it a better option for businesses that do most of their sales in person.
Payment processing may require long-term contracts
Clover POS software subscriptions are billed on a monthly basis, but if you choose to also process payments through Clover, you may need to sign a long-term contract. To avoid this, you might use a third-party payment processor outside of Clover instead. Just know that you'll need to purchase your Clover hardware through that processor, so that it's guaranteed to be compatible.
Why we like it: Square provides a robust set of POS features, plus additional services such as payroll and customer loyalty programs with comparable fees, and they are simpler to understand — no third parties to navigate. Square also doesn't require long-term contracts, which means you can switch if a better fit comes along. Read our full Square POS review. $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
$29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
$69 for Square Appointments Premium and Square Restaurants Plus plans.
$89 for Square Retail Plus plan.
$165 for Square Restaurant Premium plan.
Custom pricing for Square Retail plan.
2.6% plus 15 cents for in-person transactions with all free plans.
2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions with paid restaurant plans.
2.5% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions with paid retail and appointments plans.
2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
3.3% plus 30 cents for invoices.
$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).
Why we like it: For potentially cheaper payment processing rates, consider Payment Depot — a merchant services provider that offers membership pricing and wholesale interchange rates. Payment Depot resells several of Clover’s POS systems. Other tools include a payment gateway and virtual terminal. Read our full Payment Depot review. 0.2%-1.95% plus interchange.
To compare POS options, check out NerdWallet’s list of point-of-sale systems that are best for small-business owners. Our recommendations are based on the provider’s pricing and transparency, software and hardware options, system functionality, customer support, software integrations and contract requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions