The ranking
Helcim
By Helcim
Helcim's interchange-plus pricing with automatic volume discounts: in person, interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ up to $50k a month, down to interchange + 0.15% + 6¢ at the highest volume. No monthly, PCI, statement or batch fee, month-to-month with no cancellation fee, and an optional credit card surcharge (Fee Saver) at no extra fee.
RTC SCORE
8.0
#1 overall
Pros
- Published interchange-plus markup with automatic volume discounts: 0.40% + 8¢ in person up to $50k a month, lower above that.
- No monthly, PCI, statement, annual or batch fee, and no cancellation fee: month-to-month.
- Fee Saver credit card surcharge with no program fee: your customers pay 3% on credit cards and you keep paying the normal rate on debit. In person it currently works only on the Helcim Smart Terminal.
Cons
- No integration with restaurant POS systems such as Toast, Square, Clover or Lightspeed is documented; in-person payments run on Helcim's own app and devices (or its terminal API).
- Online and keyed-in payments carry a higher markup: 0.50% + 25¢ up to $50k a month.
- Support isn't 24/7: phone Monday to Friday 7 AM to 5 PM and Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM, Mountain Time.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant, what leaving in month 12 costs, and standard deposit speed. Weakest on 24/7 support.
Dharma Merchant Services
By Dharma Merchant Services
Dharma's interchange-plus pricing for restaurants: interchange + 0.15% + 8¢ in person and + 0.20% + 11¢ online, with a $20 monthly fee; 0.10% and $15 above $100,000 a month or with an average ticket of $25 or less. No PCI, batch or annual fee, no early termination fee and $49 to close the account, plus an optional credit card surcharge for $25 a month.
RTC SCORE
7.8
#2 overall
Pros
- Published markup for restaurants: interchange + 0.15% + 8¢ in person, and 0.10% for high volume or tickets of $25 or less.
- A public table of every fee, with no PCI, batch, annual, AVS or monthly minimum fees.
- No early termination fee; leaving costs $49.
Cons
- A $20 monthly fee, and Dharma says it doesn't make sense below a few thousand dollars a month.
- The credit card surcharge costs $25 a month extra (or 0.12% on Clover), and debit stays at the normal rate.
- Both bank program guides it publishes state a 3-year initial term and let the bank set a reserve at its discretion and adjust your rates without notice if your volume or ticket change.
- Initial term
- 36 months
Strongest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant, what leaving in month 12 costs, and standard deposit speed. Weakest on 24/7 support.
Adyen
By Adyen
Adyen's interchange++ pricing: a $0.13 processing fee per transaction plus interchange, network fees and 0.60% on Visa and Mastercard; American Express at 3.3% + $0.10 and Discover at 3.95%. No monthly, setup or closure fee, but a minimum invoice by industry that isn't published, two months' notice to leave and payouts two business days after the sale.
RTC SCORE
7.4
#3 overall
Pros
- Published interchange++ pricing: 0.60% + $0.13 over interchange and network fees on Visa and Mastercard, with no monthly or setup fee.
- No closure fee and no fixed term.
- Least-cost routing for US debit cards and 24-hour emergency support.
Cons
- A minimum invoice by industry whose amount isn't published, which weighs most on smaller restaurants.
- American Express (3.3% + $0.10) and Discover (3.95%) carry all-in rates higher than interchange plus a markup.
- Payouts arrive two business days after the sale, and leaving takes two months' notice.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant, what leaving in month 12 costs, and 24/7 support.
Square
By Square
Square's card processing, built into Square for Restaurants: flat rates from 2.6% + 15¢ in person on Square Free (2.5% on Plus and 2.4% on Premium), with no PCI, statement or chargeback fees, month to month and with no early termination fee. Its surcharge only covers in-person credit card sales.
RTC SCORE
7.3
#4 overall
Pros
- Its rates and main fees are published: 2.6% + 15¢ in person on Square Free, with no monthly, PCI, statement, chargeback or inactivity fee.
- Month to month, with no early termination fee: you end it by deactivating your account.
- Deposits the next business day at no extra cost for payments taken before 8 p.m. ET, and instant transfers for 1.95%.
Cons
- The surcharge only covers in-person credit card sales: debit and online sales keep Square's rate, and it isn't available in Connecticut, Maine or Massachusetts.
- Online payments cost 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free and keyed-in cards 3.5% + 15¢; the lower in-person rates require Square Plus ($49) or Premium ($149) per location.
- 24/7 phone support only with Square Premium; on Square Free, phone support is weekdays 6 am to 6 pm PT and only for the first 90 days.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant, what leaving in month 12 costs, and standard deposit speed.
U.S. Bank Payment Solutions (Elavon)
By U.S. Bank
U.S. Bank's merchant services, processed by its subsidiary Elavon: 2.60% + 12¢ in person, 3.30% + 30¢ online and 3.50% + 15¢ keyed in for accounts opened online, POS plans from $0 a month and deposits within hours into a U.S. Bank checking account. Restaurant POS plans are set up with a specialist, and for those accounts U.S. Bank says rates may vary and other fees may apply. Elavon publishes $0 early termination fees, though its terms set a 3-year term.
RTC SCORE
7.1
#5 overall
Pros
- Deposits within hours, seven days a week, at no extra cost with a U.S. Bank business checking account.
- Elavon publishes $0 annual, batch, additional authorization and early termination fees.
- 24/7 phone support.
Cons
- Its Terms of Service set a 3-year term that renews for 2 years unless you give notice 30 days before it ends, even though U.S. Bank's POS page says its plans carry no long-term commitment.
- The published rates and fees are for accounts opened online; the POS plans for restaurants are set up with a specialist, and U.S. Bank says their rates may vary and other fees may apply.
- Fee changes take effect upon notice, and card network increases can be passed on.
- Initial term
- 36 months
Strongest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant, standard deposit speed, and what leaving in month 12 costs.
Finix
By Finix
Finix's subscription pricing for businesses that process their own sales: interchange with no percentage markup plus 15¢ per transaction (American Express + 0.30%), for $250 a month. Month-to-month with a $0 termination fee, next-business-day payouts at no cost and an optional credit card surcharge. Built for businesses from about $5,000 a month.
RTC SCORE
7.0
#6 overall
Pros
- No percentage markup on Visa, Mastercard and Discover: interchange plus 15¢ in every channel.
- Its fees are in a public table, with a $0 termination fee and month-to-month service.
- Next-business-day payouts at no cost; instant payouts for 1.5%.
Cons
- $250 a month makes it expensive at low volume; Finix says it works best from $5,000 a month.
- No integration with a named restaurant POS: its terminals work standalone or through its POS API.
- Regular support is by email only, with no phone line.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant, what leaving in month 12 costs, and standard deposit speed.
North (Payanywhere)
By North
North's flat-rate processing through Payanywhere: 2.69% in person and 3.49% + 19¢ keyed in or online through its invoices and links, with plans from $0 a month, next-day deposits (same day at no cost for early batches) and a dual pricing program. Once you pass $100,000 in 12 months on any one card network you move automatically to a 3-year agreement, at fees set at that time, whose early termination fee is the fees left in the term, at least $295.
RTC SCORE
6.8
#7 overall
Pros
- Next-day deposits by default and same-day at no cost for batches closed by 10:30 a.m. ET, and technical support around the clock.
- A published in-person rate of 2.69% with no per-transaction fee, and no PCI fees under PCI Plus.
- Works with other POS systems, and offers a dual pricing program.
Cons
- Above $100,000 in 12 months on any one card network you move automatically to a 3-year agreement, at fees set at that time, whose early termination fee is the fees left in the term (at least $295), which North can estimate from your volume.
- A payment page on your own website is priced by quote, and the dual pricing program's fees aren't published.
- Its devices only process through North, and smart terminals add a monthly software fee per device.
- Initial term
- 36 months
Strongest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant, standard deposit speed, and published pricing. Weakest on what leaving in month 12 costs.
Stax
By Stax
Stax's subscription pricing: interchange with no percentage markup plus 8¢ per in-person payment and 15¢ online or keyed, for a monthly plan set by your yearly volume (a starting price, by quote, above $250,000 a year). Month-to-month with 30 days' notice and no cancellation penalty, and the CardX credit card surcharge. Its PCI, annual and surcharge platform fees have no published amount.
RTC SCORE
6.1
#8 overall
Pros
- No percentage markup on interchange: 8¢ per in-person payment and 15¢ online, plus the monthly plan.
- No penalty for canceling (30 days' notice) and no batch fee.
- CardX credit card surcharge: your customers pay 3% on credit cards and Stax checks card type and state rules automatically.
Cons
- The monthly plan makes it expensive at low volume: $99 a month even under $150,000 a year in card sales.
- Stax doesn't publish the amounts of its PCI platform, annual, dispute and surcharge platform fees, so we can't compute its full cost.
- With the CardX surcharge, consumer debit cards cost you 1.25% + 25¢, more than interchange plus 8¢ on most debit cards, and CardX says debit pricing varies by processor platform (on some, commercial debit costs 2.91%, and keyed-in debit on the CardX terminal doesn't get the 1.25% rate); CardX doesn't serve Connecticut or Massachusetts.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on what leaving in month 12 costs, standard deposit speed, and published pricing. Weakest on 24/7 support.
Stripe
By Stripe
Stripe's flat-rate processing: 2.7% + 5¢ in person with Stripe Terminal, 2.9% + 30¢ online and 3.4% + 30¢ keyed in, with no monthly, PCI or closure fees, month to month. Deposits take two business days (instant payouts 1.5%). It has no restaurant POS of its own: restaurants use it through POS systems built on Stripe.
RTC SCORE
5.4
#9 overall
Pros
- Every standard fee is published, and there are no monthly, PCI, statement or closure fees.
- Month to month with no closure fee, and fee increases come with at least 30 days' notice.
- Phone, chat and email support around the clock.
Cons
- Standard deposits take two business days; getting money in minutes costs 1.5%.
- No dual pricing or surcharge program, and its readers only work with Stripe.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on what leaving in month 12 costs, published pricing, and 24/7 support. Weakest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant.
Heartland
By Heartland (Global Payments)
Heartland's card processing (Global Payments), sold with or without its Genius and Heartland Restaurant POS: an advertised starting rate for in-person sales (your rate is quoted), a 36-month agreement with a $295 early termination fee per location in its posted terms, next-day deposits, and surcharge and cash discount programs. Its monthly, PCI, statement and batch fees aren't published.
RTC SCORE
5.1
#10 overall
Pros
- Publishes a fixed early termination fee in its posted terms ($295 per location).
- Next-day deposits, with same-day and instant options.
- 24/7 support by phone, chat and email.
Cons
- The monthly Service and Regulatory Mandate fee and the PCI, statement, batch, annual and chargeback fees aren't published, so the full cost can't be calculated before you get a quote.
- 36-month term that renews for 12 months unless you give 60 days' written notice.
- Fees can rise with 15 days' notice, and the posted terms offer no way out without the early termination fee when they do.
- Initial term
- 36 months
Strongest on what leaving in month 12 costs, standard deposit speed, and 24/7 support. Weakest on published pricing.
Chase Payment Solutions
By JPMorgan Chase
Chase's merchant services. QuickAccept, which comes with Chase Business Complete Checking, charges 2.6% + 10¢ in person, 3.5% + 10¢ keyed in and 2.9% + 25¢ online, with no monthly fee and same-day deposits; standalone terminal accounts start at $9.95 a month and their contract terms aren't published.
RTC SCORE
5.0
#11 overall
Pros
- Publishes its rates and QuickAccept's full fee schedule: no monthly, PCI, statement or batch fees.
- Same-day deposits into your Chase business checking account at no extra cost.
- QuickAccept's terms have no minimum term or early termination fee, and fee changes come with 30 days' notice.
Cons
- QuickAccept only works with a Chase Business Complete Checking account ($15 a month unless waived, for example with $2,000 a month in QuickAccept deposits).
- The QuickAccept phone line is open weekdays only, not 24/7.
- The terms and other fees of standalone terminal accounts set up with an advisor aren't published.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on standard deposit speed, what leaving in month 12 costs, and published pricing. Weakest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant.
Wells Fargo Merchant Services
By Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo's merchant services on Clover devices: 2.60% + 15¢ in person and 3.50% + 15¢ online or keyed in under $40,000 a month, lower from $40,000 and $80,000, plus $9.95 a month per location and a $10 monthly PCI fee. It publishes no early termination fee and deposits the next business day into a Wells Fargo account.
RTC SCORE
4.9
#12 overall
Pros
- Rates drop automatically as your monthly volume grows, in three published tiers.
- Publishes every fixed fee: $9.95 a month per location plus $10 for PCI, with no fees for chargebacks, downgrades or voice authorizations.
- No early termination fee or monthly minimum, per Wells Fargo.
Cons
- With equipment or a gateway not from Wells Fargo, in-person payments may be charged the online or keyed-in rate.
- Deposits arrive the next business day at the earliest, into a Wells Fargo business account.
- The terms behind the offer aren't linked from its pages, so the length of the term, renewal, holds and price-change rules aren't public.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on what leaving in month 12 costs, standard deposit speed, and published pricing. Weakest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant.
PayPal POS
By PayPal
PayPal's point of sale (formerly Zettle): 2.29% + 9¢ in person, 3.49% + 9¢ keyed in and 2.99% + 49¢ for payment links, with no monthly fee, month to month. Sales land in your PayPal balance in minutes; moving them to your bank takes 1 to 3 business days. It only works with the PayPal POS app.
RTC SCORE
4.8
#13 overall
Pros
- A published in-person flat rate of 2.29% + 9¢, with no monthly fee.
- Month to month: the user agreement lets you close the account without cost.
- Hardware bought once: $79 for the card reader (less for your first one) and $199 for the all-in-one Terminal.
Cons
- Card payments in person only work with the PayPal POS app, which isn't built for restaurants.
- Getting money to your bank takes 1 to 3 business days, unless you pay 1.5% for an instant transfer.
- PayPal can place reserves and holds, and raise rates up to 5% with 30 days' notice on accounts it sees as risky.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on what leaving in month 12 costs, 12-month cost of the reference restaurant, and published pricing.
Shopify Payments
By Shopify
Shopify's built-in processing for Shopify POS and its online store: from 2.6% + 10¢ in person and 2.9% + 30¢ online on the Basic plan ($39 a month), with lower rates on pricier plans, month to month. Deposits take 3 to 5 business days. Shopify POS is built for retail, not restaurants.
RTC SCORE
4.5
#14 overall
Pros
- Month to month, with 30 days' notice before fee changes.
- One system for in-person and online sales, with no PCI, statement or setup fees.
Cons
- You pay a Shopify plan on top of the card rates ($39 a month on Basic).
- Shopify POS is built for retail: the industries Shopify lists for it don't include restaurants.
- Its card readers only work with Shopify Payments, and POS Pro is billed yearly for 12 months.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on what leaving in month 12 costs, published pricing, and 24/7 support. Weakest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant.
Shift4
By Shift4
Shift4's card processing, required with Shift4 POS: 2.75% + 15¢ in person on Standard Pricing, or its Advantage Program (dual pricing) so your customers pay the card cost. The processing agreement runs 36 months, with annual fees per device, $0.40 per batch and liquidated damages per device for each month left.
RTC SCORE
4.3
#15 overall
Pros
- The Advantage Program (dual pricing, a supplemental fee or a cash discount) covers every card, so your customers pay the card cost.
- Deposits the next business day by default, and same-day funding is available.
- 24/7 in-house phone support.
Cons
- 36-month term with automatic one-year renewals; leaving early costs a monthly amount per device, from $100 to $750 by volume, for each month left.
- Annual fees per device: $250 program fee and $189.99 regulatory (PCI) fee.
- The monthly administration and premium support fees vary by merchant, and online and keyed-in rates aren't published, so we can't calculate its full cost.
- Initial term
- 36 months
Strongest on standard deposit speed, 24/7 support, and published pricing. Weakest on what leaving in month 12 costs.
SumUp
By SumUp
SumUp's flat-rate card readers: 2.6% + 10¢ in person and 3.5% + 15¢ online or keyed in, with a $0 monthly plan, no chargeback fee and no monthly minimums. Deposits take 1 to 2 business days (next day to a SumUp Business Account). Its optional paid POS plans require 12-month contracts.
RTC SCORE
3.9
#16 overall
Pros
- No monthly fee with card readers or POS Lite, no chargeback fee and no monthly minimums.
- Hardware bought once: the Plus card reader is $54.
- Next-day payouts to the SumUp Business Account, which has no monthly fee.
Cons
- 3.5% + 15¢ online and keyed in.
- Card payments only work through SumUp's own app or POS, which isn't built for full-service restaurants.
- Paid POS plans lock you into 12-month contracts that renew automatically.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on what leaving in month 12 costs, published pricing, and standard deposit speed. Weakest on 12-month cost of the reference restaurant.
Not enough verified data to rank
We only rank a processor once we've verified enough of its key facts. These are listed so you know we looked at them.
- Bank of America Merchant Services · Not enough data to score
- CardConnect · Not enough data to score
- Clover · Not enough data to score
- Merchant One · Not enough data to score
- Payment Depot · Not enough data to score
- Payroc · Not enough data to score
- Paysafe · Not enough data to score
- pmtbox · Not enough data to score
- Priority Commerce · Not enough data to score
- SpotOn Payments · Not enough data to score
- Toast Payments · Not enough data to score
- Worldpay · Not enough data to score
- Xplor Pay (formerly Clearent) · Not enough data to score
This is general information about published contracts, not legal advice: read your own contract and check with a lawyer before you sign.