Credit card processing, comparedCredit card processing for small businesses, with in-person and online rates, monthly fees, gateway and PCI fees and contract terms read from each provider's own pages and dated.
Independent research. Every number is checked against the provider's own page and dated. Some links may earn us a commission, which never changes a ranking. How we make money
9 credit card processors compared; 9 of 9 in the main list were re-read in the last 14 days (newest read Oct 14, 2026). Ranking rule: We weigh what a processor costs a small business to run, how clearly the price is published, how easy it is to leave, and how much trouble a hold on your money could cause. It is an editorial order, not a score, and the cost example shows where it differs from the cheapest. Every rate, plan price and contract term is read from the provider's own pages and carries the date we checked it. A commission never changes the order. How we rate
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Square is our starting point for most small businesses: one flat rate for every major card, no monthly fee and no contract. PayPal had the lowest flat in-person rate among those we could price, Stripe the lowest online, and Helcim is the one to look at once you take a lot of cards.
One flat rate for every major card, no monthly fee on the Free plan and no contract, whether you tap, type or invoice
Online: 3.3% + 30¢. Monthly fee: $0 plan. Contract: None.
3 others we list also qualify; this one ranks first in our order.
Pay the card networks' real cost plus a small published margin, with no monthly fee, no PCI fee and no contract
Online: Interchange + 0.5% + 25¢. Monthly fee: $0 plan. Contract: None.
1 other we list also qualify; this one ranks first in our order.
No monthly or setup fee, 2.9% + 30¢ online and 2.7% + 5¢ in person, with payment links and invoices that need no code
Online: 2.9% + 30¢. Monthly fee: $0 plan. Contract: None.
Tied on this number: Authorize.net.
A credit card processor is the company that moves a customer's card payment into your bank account and charges you a fee on each sale. For a small business it comes down to three questions: what does each sale cost, what do I pay every month, and can I leave if it does not suit me? We read each provider's own pricing pages on October 14, 2026 and put the numbers side by side. Most charge a percentage plus a few cents on every sale (2.6% + 15¢ in person at Square, 2.9% + 30¢ online at Stripe). Two charge the card networks' own cost plus a margin they state up front, which can cost much less but moves with the cards your customers use. The real differences sit in the fine print: monthly fees, contracts, and what a provider can hold back. Where a provider does not publish a price, we say so instead of guessing.
| Credit card processing | In-person rate | Online rate | Monthly fee | Contract | Suits | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.6% + 15¢ | 3.3% + 30¢ | $0 plan | None | Starting out, one flat rate | Oct 14, 2026 |
| Interchange + 0.4% + 8¢ | Interchange + 0.5% + 25¢ | $0 plan | None | Higher volume, no monthly fee | Oct 14, 2026 |
| 2.7% + 5¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | $0 plan | None | Online sellers | Oct 14, 2026 |
 | 2.29% + 9¢ | 2.99% + 49¢ | $0 plan | None | Sellers whose buyers use PayPal | Oct 14, 2026 |
 | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2.9% + 25¢ (e-commerce gateway, from $9.95 a month) | $0 plan, Chase business account needed | Month to month | Chase business banking customers | Oct 14, 2026 |
 | Interchange + 0% + 8¢ | Interchange + 0% + 15¢ | From $99 | No cancellation fee | Over $10K a month in cards | Oct 14, 2026 |
 | 2.6% + 10¢ | Not published | $0 plan | 36 months if financed | Buying Clover hardware | Oct 14, 2026 |
 | 3.09% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ (traditional plan, from $69 a month) | $0 plan | 2 year agreement | Restaurants on Toast | Oct 14, 2026 |
 | Not published | 2.9% + 30¢ | From $25 | None for the gateway | Online and phone orders | Oct 14, 2026 |
Each date is when we last checked the provider's own page. Rates and terms can change, so confirm with the provider before you apply.
What you pay depends on what you sell, how much you take by card and whether customers pay in person or online. Answer a few questions and providers will send prices for your own numbers. It takes about a minute and you are not obliged to pick any of them.
This form is run by Expert Market through our partner MVF. The details you enter go to them and to the providers they match you with, not to Financeradar (read their privacy notice in the form). We may earn a commission when you request quotes. It does not change how we rank or rate any credit card processor.
Take a business that gets paid by card: $10,000 in sales a month, in sales of $60 on average, which is about 167 sales. The table shows what each provider would charge in a month if all of those sales were taken in person, and again if all of them were taken online: card fees plus the monthly price of one plan. Each channel names the plan and its monthly price, and it is the plan that costs least at this volume among those whose rate card the provider fully publishes for that channel. Every rate comes from the provider's own pricing page, dated on its product page.
| Provider | In person: plan, monthly price and rate | In person, a month | Online: plan, monthly price and rate | Online, a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal Payments | Standard plan, $0 a month, 2.29% + 9¢ | $244 | Standard plan, $0 a month, 2.99% + 49¢ | $381 |
| Chase Payment Solutions | QuickAccept plan, $0 a month, 2.6% + 10¢ | $277 | Not priced | |
| Clover | Starter (Go reader) plan, $0 a month, 2.6% + 10¢ | $277 | Not priced | |
| Stripe Payments | Standard plan, $0 a month, 2.7% + 5¢ | $278 | Standard plan, $0 a month, 2.9% + 30¢ | $340 |
| Square Payments | Free plan, $0 a month, 2.6% + 15¢ | $285 | Free plan, $0 a month, 3.3% + 30¢ | $380 |
| Toast Payments | Pay-as-you-Go, Basic plan, $0 a month, 3.09% + 15¢ | $334 | Traditional, Basic plan, $69 a month, 3.5% + 15¢ | $444 |
| Authorize.net | Not priced | All-in-one plan, $25 a month, 2.9% + 30¢ | $365 | |
| Helcim Payments | $0 to $50K a month tier, $0 a month, 0.4% + 8¢, provider margin only | $53(margin only) | $0 to $50K a month tier, $0 a month, 0.5% + 25¢, provider margin only | $92(margin only) |
| Stax | Up to $150,000 a year tier, $99 a month, 0% + 8¢, provider margin only | $112(margin only) | Up to $150,000 a year tier, $99 a month, 0% + 15¢, provider margin only | $124(margin only) |
Each total is the monthly card sales times the percentage, plus the number of sales ($10,000 divided by $60, about 167) times the cents per sale, plus the monthly price of the plan in the row, plus a gateway fee where the provider charges one on top. Not counted: hardware, PCI fees, chargebacks, refunds, instant payouts and taxes.
“Margin only” means the figure is the provider's own margin: it buys the card networks' cost at wholesale and passes it on, so your real total is higher and depends on which cards your customers use.
In ranking order. Each one lists the numbers that decide the choice, its main strengths and its main catches.
One flat rate for every major card, no monthly fee on the Free plan and no contract, whether you tap, type or invoice
Square Payments is the card processing behind Square's tools for US businesses, from a market stall to a shop with several locations.
Watch out
Pay the card networks' real cost plus a small published margin, with no monthly fee, no PCI fee and no contract
Helcim is a card processor that charges interchange-plus pricing: on every sale you pay the card networks' wholesale cost at face value, plus a small margin of Helcim's own.
Watch out
No monthly or setup fee, 2.9% + 30¢ online and 2.7% + 5¢ in person, with payment links and invoices that need no code
Stripe Payments is Stripe's card processing for US businesses. It suits small businesses that sell on a website, send invoices or share payment links, and that may also want a card reader for sales in person.
Watch out
Take PayPal, Venmo and card payments with no monthly fee: 2.99% + 49¢ for a card online, 2.29% + 9¢ in person
PayPal Payments is PayPal's processing for US businesses. It suits small shops and service businesses whose customers already use PayPal or Venmo, and it also covers cards online, invoices, QR codes, a virtual terminal and Tap to Pay on a phone.
Watch out
Bank-built card processing: 2.6% + 10¢ in person, 3.5% + 10¢ typed in, no monthly fee on QuickAccept and same-day deposits to a Chase business account
Chase Payment Solutions is the card processing arm of JPMorgan Chase, and the simplest way in is QuickAccept, which is built into a Chase Business Complete Banking account.
Watch out
A flat monthly subscription instead of a percentage on every sale: 0% markup on card costs, plus 8¢ per in-person sale
Watch out
Card processing sold with Clover devices and software: 2.6% + 10¢ in person on a $0 plan, 2.3% + 10¢ on larger plans, and non-cancelable subscriptions
Clover is a payments and point-of-sale system owned by Fiserv, and its card processing is sold together with Clover's own devices and software.
Watch out
Card processing built into Toast's restaurant POS: 3.09% + 15¢ with no monthly fee, or 2.49% + 15¢ from $69 a month
Toast Payments is the card processing built into Toast's restaurant point of sale. You cannot sign up for it on its own: Toast says its processing is built for restaurants using the Toast POS, and you agree to use Toast as your only processor.
Watch out
A $25-a-month payment gateway for online and phone sales: the All-in-one plan is 2.9% + 30¢ with a merchant account included, and there is no contract
Authorize.net is a payment gateway, the software that carries a card payment from your website, phone order or invoice to the bank.
Watch out
Six questions, in the order they usually matter. None of them needs a salesperson.
Multiply your monthly card sales by the percentage, add the cents per sale times the number of sales, then add any monthly fee. On $10,000 a month in sales of $60, the flat-rate providers we could price land between $244 and $334 a month in person, and between $340 and $444 online, so the gap between the cheapest and the dearest is about $90 in person and about $100 online. That is real money over a year, but smaller than the headline rates make it look. If your average sale is smaller, the cents per sale weigh more: 30¢ is 0.5% of a $60 sale and 3% of a $10 sale.
A flat rate is a percentage plus a few cents, so you can work out the price in advance. Helcim and Stax work differently: you pay what the card networks charge for each payment, plus the provider's own margin. Helcim's margin is 0.40% + 8¢ in person under $50,000 a month, which comes to $53 on our example. Stax charges $99 a month and 8¢ a sale with no percentage on top, $112 on our example. Both figures leave out the card networks' own cost, so your real total is higher and moves with the cards your customers use. This model pays off when you take a lot of cards: Stax's own guide says its subscription only costs less than a percentage plan above roughly $5,000 to $10,000 a month.
A card typed in by hand costs more almost everywhere: 3.5% + 15¢ at Square, 3.4% + 30¢ at Stripe. A chargeback, when a customer disputes a payment with their bank, costs $15 at Stripe and Toast, $15 at Helcim if you lose, and $20 at PayPal for a card chargeback, while Square charges nothing. Square, Stripe, PayPal and Helcim do not give back the processing fee when you refund a sale (Helcim lets you avoid it by voiding a sale before the batch closes). Square, Helcim and Chase say they charge no PCI fee, a yearly security-compliance charge some providers add. Stax's help center and one of its blog posts disagree on whether it charges one, and no amount is published.
Square pays out the next business day at no charge, Helcim deposits the next business morning, Toast the next business day if you close out before 9:30 p.m. ET, and Chase can deposit the same day to a Chase business account. PayPal shows sales in your PayPal balance within minutes, and Stripe settles in two business days after a first payout that typically takes 7 to 14 days. Clover says 1 to 3 business days. A faster payout to a debit card costs 1.95% at Square, 1.5% at Stripe and PayPal, and 1.75% at Toast and Clover. Square, Stripe, PayPal, Helcim, Stax and Toast each say they can hold or reserve part of your money if they see risk, and PayPal says it can hold a new seller's first payments for up to 21 days. Whichever you pick, keep a cash buffer for your first weeks.
Square, Helcim, Stripe and PayPal list no contract and no fee for leaving. Chase says its standard agreement is month to month with no cancellation fee, Stax asks for 30 days' notice and charges no penalty, and Authorize.net says its gateway has no contract. Clover says its subscriptions are non-cancelable and not refundable (36 months when you finance a system), and Toast's software comes with a 2 year agreement that renews one year at a time, with $150 for every month left if you leave early on Pay-as-you-Go. Before you sign anything, ask for the term and the cost of leaving in writing.
In person, PayPal had the lowest flat rate we could price, and Chase, Clover, Stripe and Square sit within about $10 of each other on our example. Online, Stripe had the lowest flat rate we could price, Authorize.net has the same percentage and cents plus a $25 monthly fee, and Square and PayPal cost more. Restaurants can look at Toast, which works only with its own POS, and at Clover. If you bank with Chase, QuickAccept comes with a business account. If you already take well over $10,000 a month in cards, get a quote from Helcim or Stax and compare it with the flat rates.
Products that do one thing unusually well, with the catch we would want to know before applying.
QuickAccept is built into Chase Business Complete Banking, with no monthly fee of its own and deposits that can reach a Chase business account the same day. Its in-person rate, 2.6% + 10¢, sits in the middle of the flat rates we priced (about $277 on our example). The catch: the bank account costs $15 a month unless you meet a waiver rule, and Chase does not publish its chargeback fee.
Read the reviewStax charges a flat $99 a month up to $150,000 a year in processing, plus 8¢ a sale in person, with no percentage on top of the card networks' cost. Its own guide says that only costs less than a percentage plan above roughly $5,000 to $10,000 a month in card sales. The catch: it does not publish its chargeback fee or the amount of its monthly PCI fee.
Read the reviewClover's processing comes with Clover's own devices and software: 2.6% + 10¢ in person on the $0 Starter plan with a $199 reader, and 2.3% + 10¢ on Growth plans from $84.95 a month. The catch: its subscriptions are non-cancelable and run 36 months when you finance a system, and the terms depend on who sells it to you.
Read the reviewAuthorize.net is a $25-a-month payment gateway: 2.9% + 30¢ on the All-in-one plan, which includes a merchant account, or $25 plus 10¢ a transaction if you bring your own. The catch: the $25 applies in months with no sales, and there is no in-person rate.
Read the reviewWe weigh what a processor costs a small business to run, how clearly the price is published, how easy it is to leave, and how much trouble a hold on your money could cause. It is an editorial order, not a score, and the cost example shows where it differs from the cheapest. Every rate, plan price and contract term is read from the provider's own pages and carries the date we checked it. A commission never changes the order.
Providers cannot pay to change this order. If a paid placement ever appears in a list, it is labeled Sponsored and never carries a “best for” label.
The in-person and online rates, as a percentage plus cents per sale, read on the provider's pricing page.
The price of each plan, and the fees that are easy to miss: gateway, PCI compliance, chargebacks and minimums.
Whether there is a term, an early termination fee or an automatic renewal. Where a provider does not publish it, we say so.
How fast sales reach your bank account, and what the provider says about holding or reserving funds.
Date of the newest provider-page stamp
It depends on how you sell. Square is our starting point for most small businesses because its Free plan has no monthly fee, no contract and one flat rate for every major card. PayPal had the lowest flat in-person rate among those we could price, Stripe the lowest flat online rate, and Helcim suits a business that takes a lot of cards. Toast is built for restaurants and works only with its own POS.
Most providers charge a percentage plus a few cents on each sale, from 2.29% + 9¢ in person at PayPal to 3.09% + 15¢ at Toast's Pay-as-you-Go, and 2.9% + 30¢ online at Stripe. On $10,000 a month in sales of $60, the flat-rate providers we could price cost between $244 and $334 a month in person and between $340 and $444 online, hardware not included. Helcim and Stax add a margin to the card networks' own cost instead, which comes to $53 and $112 a month in person on the same sales, before the networks' share. Prices checked on October 14, 2026.
Among the providers we could price in full, on $10,000 a month in sales of $60, PayPal was the cheapest in person (about $244 a month, at 2.29% + 9¢), followed by Chase and Clover (about $277), Stripe (about $278) and Square (about $285). Online, Stripe was the cheapest (about $340), then Authorize.net ($365, including its $25 monthly fee), Square (about $380) and PayPal (about $381). Helcim's margin is $53 in person and $92 online, and Stax's $112 and $124, but the card networks' own cost comes on top, so we do not rank them on those figures. Chase's online rate (2.9% + 25¢) comes with a monthly fee shown only as "from $9.95", and Clover publishes no online rate, so we could not price either one online.
Square (Free plan), Stripe, PayPal and Helcim have no monthly fee. Toast's Pay-as-you-Go has none for the software, Clover's Starter plan is $0 with a $199 reader, and Chase's QuickAccept has none of its own but needs a Chase Business Complete Banking account, which costs $15 a month unless you meet a waiver rule. Stax charges $99 a month and Authorize.net $25.
Square, Helcim, Stripe and PayPal list no contract and no fee for leaving. Chase says its standard agreement is month to month with no cancellation fee, Stax asks for 30 days' notice, and Authorize.net says its gateway has no contract. Clover says its subscriptions are non-cancelable, and Toast's software comes with a 2 year agreement that renews yearly, so ask for the term and any early termination fee in writing.
Every card payment has a wholesale cost set by the card networks, called interchange. A flat-rate provider folds that cost and its own margin into one percentage, so you always know the rate. An interchange-plus provider such as Helcim passes the wholesale cost to you at face value and adds a small published margin, so the total changes with the card used, a premium rewards card costing more than a debit card. Stax does the same with a monthly subscription in place of a percentage margin.
A merchant account is the account that receives your card sales before they move to your bank. Some providers set one up for you behind the scenes, others open one in your business's name. Authorize.net's All-in-one plan includes one, while its Gateway only plan expects you to bring your own. Which kind a provider uses is in its terms, and it can change how holds and reserves work, so ask before you sign.
Square, Stripe, PayPal, Helcim, Stax and Toast each say they can hold or reserve part of your money if they see risk, for example when you take payment well before you deliver or when chargebacks rise. PayPal says it can hold a new seller's first payments for up to 21 days, and Stripe says a new account's first payout typically takes 7 to 14 days. Chase and Clover do not publish a reserve policy on the pages we read. Keep a cash buffer for your first weeks.
We only list providers whose US prices we could read on their own pages. Shopify's pages showed euro prices and rates for another region when we checked, and it only works for Shopify stores. Payment Depot's website blocked our connection, so we could not read its fee schedule. Fiserv publishes no small-business processing rates: its small-business page is Clover's, which we do list.
Best Credit Card Processing for Small Business was last updated in October 2026 and uses rates and fees we verified against each provider's own page. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
