How We Compare Providers

We rank providers by what they actually cost your business, not by who pays us. Here is exactly how the rankings are determined, where the data comes from, and how we stay independent.

Our ranking methodology

  • The default sort order is the calculated monthly cost based on your inputs (volume, average transaction size, and card mix).
  • The cheapest total cost ranks first.
  • No provider pays for ranking position.
  • You can re-sort by other criteria, including settlement speed, features, and provider name.
  • The calculator uses published rate data, not estimates.

Market coverage

  • In total we compare 149 providers across 16 business services in the US market.
  • We list providers regardless of whether they have a commercial relationship with us.

How we make money

  • SMB Compare may earn affiliate commissions when merchants click through to a provider and sign up.
  • Affiliate partnerships, where they exist, never influence ranking order or calculator results.
  • Some providers show a current offer beside their price. An offer never changes our estimated cost or the ranking. An offer marked Exclusive is available only through our link, and we may earn a commission if you sign up.
  • If a provider is not the best fit based on your inputs, the tool says so and ranks a better option higher.
  • We list providers regardless of whether they participate in any affiliate or referral program.

Data sources and accuracy

  • All pricing data is sourced from official provider websites, pricing pages, and published rate cards.
  • Data is reviewed and updated regularly.
  • Where a provider does not publish transparent pricing, they are listed in a separate "Enterprise and custom pricing" tab so merchants know to request a quote.
  • If you spot an error, contact us and we will fix it within 24 hours.

Prices in US dollars

  • Every price and estimate on the site is shown in US dollars.
  • The native billing currency is still shown on each provider, so you always know the source.

SMB Compare in AI assistants

  • SMB Compare is our connector for AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT. It prices the same comparison tables as this site, for the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
  • To add it, connect your assistant to https://smbcompare.com/api/mcp. No account or sign-in is needed.
  • It has two read-only tools: one lists the categories priced in a country and the figures each one uses, and the other ranks providers by estimated monthly cost at the figures you give it.
  • It uses the same cost engine, the same published prices and the same ranking as our comparison tables. Commission never affects the order.
  • Answers link only to our own comparison and provider pages, and say which figures were assumed, what a cost leaves out and when a plan does not cover your size.
  • It cannot submit a quote request or anything else for you. Quotes are requested on our website.

See it for yourself

Enter your numbers and watch the cheapest provider for your business rank first. No sign-up, no sales call.

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