Compare credit card processing and merchant services side by side. See in-person and online card rates, monthly fees, card reader and hardware costs, and contract terms across the top US payment processors, all in US dollars.
Stax | Helcim | PayPal | Chase Payment Solutions | Stripe | Square | Clover | Toast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Est. Cost /mo (USD) | $150/moCheapest | $152/mo | $605/mo | $611/mo | $615/mo | $618/mo | $674/mo | $703/mo |
| Ratings | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| User rating | 3.1Capterra (42) | 3.8Capterra (33) | 4.7Capterra (24,000) | 3.5Trustpilot (146) | 4.6Capterra (3,349) | 4.7Capterra (2,679) | 3.8Capterra (575) | 4.2Capterra (552) |
| Costs & Pricing | ||||||||
| In-person rate | 0% markup + 8c | IC + 0.40% + 8c | 2.29% + 9c | 2.6% + 10c | 2.7% + 5c | 2.6% + 10c | 2.6% + 10c | 2.49% + 15c |
| Online rate | 0% markup + 15c | IC + 0.50% + 25c | 2.99% + 49c | 2.9% + 25c | 2.9% + 30c | 2.9% + 30c | 3.5% + 10c | 3.5% + 15c |
| Monthly fee | $99/mo | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | From $0-135/mo | From $0-165/mo |
| Per-transaction fee | 8c (in-person) | 8c (in-person) | 9c (in-person) | 10c (in-person) | Best5c (in-person) | 10c (in-person) | 10c | 15c |
| Terminal cost | Quoted (resells Dejavoo/Verifone/Clover near cost) | Card Reader $199; Smart Terminal $349 (or $32/mo) | PayPal Zettle reader ~$29 (first reader); extras ~$79 | Card Reader + Base $129, Countertop $399, Wireless $499, Smart Terminal $499 | Reader M2 $59, WisePOS E $249, Reader S700 $349 | Free reader; Reader $59, Terminal $299, Register $799 | Go ~$49-199, Flex ~$599-749, Mini ~$799-849, Station ~$1,499+ | Starter $0 upfront; Go 2 handheld ~$609-650; stations $600-1,500+ |
| Setup fee | None disclosed | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Varies | ~$250 |
| Chargeback fee | ~$25 | $0 won / $15 lost | $20 | ~$25-100 | $15 | Free | ~$20-50 | ~$15-25 |
| Refund fee | Not published | Free | Free | Fee not returned | Free | Free | Varies | None published |
| PCI compliance fee | Included free | Included free | Included free | Included | Included free | Included free | ~$9.95/mo (reseller) | ~$9.95/mo |
| AI | ||||||||
| AI features | Limited (infrastructure-level agentic routing) | Limited (internal fraud ML only) | Native (fraud) | Native (fraud protection) | Native (Stripe Radar, Radar Assistant, Smart Disputes) | Native (Square AI, Square Assistant) | Limited (Fiserv AI insights, biometric fraud) | Native (ToastIQ, Sous Chef, AI Marketing Assistant) |
| MCP / AI agents | Via 3rd-party (Zapier) | Via 3rd-party (Zapier) | Preview | No | Native MCP (official) | Native MCP (official) | Via 3rd-party (Zapier) | Via 3rd-party (Zapier) |
| Features | ||||||||
| Contract length | Month-to-month | No contract | Month-to-month | Month-to-month | No contract | Month-to-month | Varies by reseller | 2-3 years |
| Early termination fee | None | None | None | None | None | None | ~$295-595 (reseller) | $150/mo remaining |
| Settlement time | 1-3 business days | Next business day | 1 business day | Same-day (Chase account) | Standard payouts | Next business day | Next business day | Next business day |
| Recurring billing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Independent, side by side breakdowns of the matchups merchants ask about most.
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