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Card processing review

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.

By Shift4Parent company: Shift4 Payments, Inc. (NYSE: FOUR)

RTC SCORE

4.3

#15 of 16 with enough data

Our verdict

Shift4's processing comes with Shift4 POS, and its Advantage Program lets your customers pay the card cost. Its processing also works with other POS systems, such as Oracle MICROS. Its processing agreement runs 36 months, with liquidated damages per device for each month left, annual fees per device and the right to raise fees at any time and every year. Its help center publishes a detailed fee glossary, but the monthly fees vary by merchant: get them in writing before you sign.

What we like

  • 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.
  • Its help center publishes a detailed fee glossary: $0.40 per batch and $35 per chargeback.

What to watch

  • 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.
  • Shift4 can raise fees at any time with notice and, from the first anniversary, each year by the greater of CPI-U + 1% or 7%; a personal guarantee is required.

How the score breaks down

RTC Score4.3out of 10

Methodology v0.1.0

Data completeness63%

We could verify 63% of the scoring data

Strongest points
Standard deposit speed, 24/7 support, Published pricing
Weakest point
What leaving in month 12 costs

Score by criterion

  • 12-month cost of the reference restaurantWeight 37%No data
  • Standard deposit speedWeight 11%Strongest8.0 out of 10
  • What leaving in month 12 costsWeight 9%Weakest0.0 out of 10

    $7,200 to leave in month 12

  • Price increases during the contractWeight 8%3.0 out of 10
  • Published pricingWeight 7%Strongest6.5 out of 10
  • 24/7 supportWeight 6%Strongest10.0 out of 10
  • Contract termWeight 4%2.5 out of 10
  • Support channelsWeight 4%5.0 out of 10
  • No equipment lease you can't cancelWeight 3%10.0 out of 10
  • Works with restaurant POS systemsWeight 3%3.3 out of 10
  • Automatic renewalWeight 2%5.0 out of 10
  • Equipment works with another processorWeight 2%0.0 out of 10
  • Offers dual pricing or a surcharge programWeight 2%10.0 out of 10
  • Works without the vendor's own POSWeight 1%10.0 out of 10

Before you pass the card fee to your customers

This vendor offers a program that passes the card cost to your customers. Card network rules cap credit card surcharges (Visa 3%, Mastercard 4%) and never allow them on debit, and some states ban or limit them.

This is general information, not legal advice. Card network rules and state laws change, and how they apply depends on your business: check with a lawyer and with your processor before adding a surcharge or a cash discount.

See the rules by state

All the data, with sources

Each value links to its source. "Not published" means the vendor doesn't disclose it; "Unconfirmed" means we looked and couldn't confirm it. Data points we have for fewer than four vendors are left out until we can compare them.

Type of processor and pricing
Data pointValue
Type of processorProcessor or its sales partners (acquirer, ISO)Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Shift4 Payments processes cards for its own POS (Shift4 POS) and for other systems.
Pricing modelFlat rateSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Shift4's online checkout offers three options: Standard Pricing (a flat rate), the Advantage Program (dual pricing) or a custom quote.
Published pricing (points out of 100)65Source: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)In-person rate 25 (Standard Pricing in its checkout), early termination table 20 and other fees 20 (annual, batch, chargeback, inactivity and debit fees in its agreement and help center). Online and keyed-in rates aren't published, and the monthly administration fee varies by merchant: 0.
Card rates
Data pointValue
In-person rate2.75%Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Standard Pricing in Shift4's online checkout, with the $29.99 table-service bundle. The pricing page and the contracts don't list card rates; a custom quote can set others.
In-person fee per transaction15¢Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
Online rateNot published()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Shift4's checkout prices Standard Pricing for its POS at 2.75% + 15¢ and says you pay that standard rate on all credit card transactions (as opposed to the Advantage Program, where your customers pay); it names no online or keyed-in rate, and its contracts list none. Same rule for every vendor: a flat in-person rate isn't extended to online or keyed-in sales unless the vendor names those channels (an interchange-plus markup is, because interchange is priced per channel).
Online fee per transactionNot published()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
Keyed-in rateNot published()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Shift4 doesn't publish it, and we found no review from 2025 or 2026 that reports it.
Keyed-in fee per transactionNot published()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
American Express pricingNot publishedSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Shift4 doesn't publish whether American Express has its own rate on Standard Pricing; its glossary lists an American Express volume fee for merchants in the Amex ESA program.
American Express rateNot publishedSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Not published.
Rates by monthly volumeNot publishedSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Shift4 publishes one standard rate and no tiers by volume; a custom quote can set other rates.
Monthly and other fees
Data pointValue
Monthly account or plan feeQuote onlySource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Shift4's billing glossary calls it the Monthly Administration Fee and sets it per account: $0 to $25 a month for new merchants. The same glossary lists a Monthly Premium Support & Service Fee of $50 to $150 per merchant, while the Shift4 POS pricing page says you never pay extra for support.
Annual fee per account$250/yr()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Per device: the Annual Program Fee (MPA §5.4.2). The regulatory (PCI) fee is apart.
Annual fees per device or location$439.99/yr per device()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)$250 Annual Program Fee per device (§5.4.2) plus the $189.99 Regulatory Assurance Fee per device each January (§5.4.1). Shift4 may charge an Annual Service and Maintenance fee instead of both, in a tiered amount close to their sum (§5.4.3); its help center says the regulatory fee is billed at $325 per device (up to 3) and that both fees are being merged into that annual fee.
PCI compliance fee (yearly)$189.99/yr()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Per device, each January: Shift4's Regulatory Assurance Fee, which its help center calls the PCI fee. The help center (May 2026) bills it at $325 per device, up to 3.
PCI non-compliance fee (monthly)UnconfirmedSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Shift4's billing glossary lists no PCI non-compliance fee, and Shift4 doesn't say it charges none.
Statement fee$0/moSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)No separate statement fee: Shift4's glossary says the Monthly Administration Fee covers your statements.
Monthly minimum$40/moSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Up to $40 a month, set in your agreement; you pay the difference when your monthly processing fees fall short.
Fee per batch$0.40Source: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)
Chargeback fee$35Source: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Since September 1, 2025 (it was $30).
Other feesBatch: $0.40 per batch. Chargeback: $35. Debit enablement: $20 per quarter (§5.4.8). Inactivity: $150 per device for each month without processing after 30 days (§5.4.4; the billing glossary says $75). Monthly Premium Support & Service Fee: $50 to $150 per merchant, per Shift4's billing glossary. Monthly billing instead of daily: an extra 0.2% of each transaction from November 1, 2026. Rejected debits: $25; bank account changes: $50 (§5.4.5). Unreturned equipment: typically $200 to $1,000 per device (§8.5.4). For terminals or equipment it provides at $0 (including through a swap), Shift4 reserves the right to charge $79 per MID a year (§8.5.4; a right, not an automatic fee). Shipping is charged to you (§5.4.11). The agreement says the bank or Shift4 can change the fees at any time.Source: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)
Equipment
Data pointValue
How you get the equipment$0 upfront with a contract term()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Shift4 loans the POS equipment at $0 upfront for the term of the agreement; it stays Shift4's and you return it when you leave.
Price of a countertop terminalNot published()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Shift4 loans the equipment and doesn't publish a purchase price; unreturned equipment typically costs $200 to $1,000 per device (MPA §8.5.4).
Equipment lease you can't cancelNo()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)No separate lease: the equipment is loaned and returned when the agreement ends; leaving early costs the liquidated damages of the processing agreement.
Equipment lease termN/A()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: no lease.
Equipment at $0 upfront: what it commits you to$0 upfront for the POS equipment, which stays Shift4's: it requires Shift4's processing at all times during the 36-month term, annual fees per device apply, leaving early costs liquidated damages per device, unreturned equipment is charged (typically $200 to $1,000 per device), and the processing agreement reserves Shift4 the right to charge $79 per MID a year for equipment it provides at $0 (MPA §8.5.4).()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
Equipment only works with this processorYesSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)The loaned equipment requires Shift4's processing at all times.
Getting your money
Data pointValue
Standard deposit speedNext business daySource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Shift4 says it puts most merchants on next-day funding: batches closed before 11 p.m. ET deposit the next business day, and same-day funding also exists. The processing agreement itself only promises that deposits typically start 3 business days after Shift4 receives the sale (§4.2).
Instant payout feeNot publishedSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Shift4 offers same-day funding but publishes no instant payout and no fee for same-day funding.
Holds and reservesShift4 can set up a reserve account funded from your deposits at any time, suspend deposits to investigate unusual activity, and keep a reserve after termination until cancellation fees and chargebacks are paid (MPA §7.4, §7.7 and §8.5.2).()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
Contract and exit
Data pointValue
Contract term36 monthsSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)MPA §1.2. 30 months for agreements signed before December 1, 2025. The Service Agreement for the POS runs for the same term as the processing agreement.
Automatic renewal12 monthsSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
Notice to avoid renewal90 daysSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
Notice to cancelUnconfirmed()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)The agreement only lets you terminate for Shift4's uncured default (30 days after written notice); leaving otherwise during the term triggers the liquidated damages. To stop the renewal you give 90 days' notice.
Early termination feeLiquidated damages: a base monthly amount per device, set by your estimated monthly card volume ($100 under $10k up to $750 over $250k), times the number of terminal IDs, times the months left in the term (MPA §8.5.5). Unreturned equipment is charged on top.Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)If your real volume differs materially from the estimate, Shift4 may use your average of the prior three months instead.
How the early termination fee is calculatedAmount per device × months leftSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
Liquidated damages clauseYesSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
Price increases during the contractWith notice()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Scored on card processing fees, the same for every vendor. The agreement lets the bank or Shift4 add or raise fees at any time (MPA §12.7); continuing to use the service 30 days after notice counts as accepting (§12.15), and there is no exit without the liquidated damages. From the first anniversary Shift4 also has the right to raise total fees each year by the greater of CPI-U + 1% or 7% (§12.15): a right, not an automatic increase.
Right to raise pricesFrom the first anniversary, Shift4 may raise total fees each year by the greater of CPI-U + 1% or 7% (MPA §12.15), and the agreement says the bank or Shift4 can change the fees at any time (§12.7); continuing to use the service 30 days after notice counts as accepting. The Service Agreement lets Shift4 change its rates and fees with 30 days' written notice (§3.e) and raise them each year by the greater of CPI-U + 1% or 4% (§3.g).Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
Personal guarantee by the signerYesSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
Dual pricing and surcharges
Data pointValue
Dual pricing or surcharge programYesSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)The Advantage Program offers dual pricing, a supplemental fee or a cash discount (Advantage Program Terms §3). With it, card processing costs your restaurant $0 in our estimate and your customers pay the difference: 4% by default, which you can set lower or up to 5% (Shift4 help center, Advantage Program FAQs). Fees on tips added after the sale are yours. Used as a surcharge, the fee can only go on credit cards and, under Visa's rules, up to 3% and never more than your cost; only dual pricing or a cash discount can cover debit cards. Card network rules and state laws apply, some states limit or ban surcharges, and you must post signs and show the fee on receipts.
Cards the program coversEvery card, debit and credit (dual pricing or cash discount)Source: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)The Advantage Program works as dual pricing (cash vs. non-cash price), a supplemental fee applied to every transaction, or a cash discount, so every card payment pays the card price. The same FAQ says PIN debit through the Debit Gateway can't be used with the program, and that if you set a customer rate below the default, you pay the difference.
Monthly fee for the programUnconfirmed()Source: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Shift4's Advantage Program FAQ says your statement stays the same and doesn't mention a fee for the program.
Your POS and your business
Data pointValue
Works with these restaurant POSShift4 POS, OthersSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Shift4 POS, and other POS systems: Shift4 documents its processing on Oracle MICROS RES 3700 (see "Requires the vendor's own POS"). Same rule for every vendor: "others" when the vendor documents its processing on another POS.
Requires the vendor's own POSNoSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Shift4 POS requires Shift4's processing, but Shift4's processing also works with other POS systems: its help center documents it, Advantage Program included, on Oracle MICROS RES 3700. Same rule for every vendor: "no" when the vendor documents a way to use its processing with another POS.
Monthly volume it's built forNot publishedSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Shift4 publishes no minimum volume; its liquidated damages and some fees depend on the monthly volume estimated in your application.
Accepts high-risk businessesUnconfirmed()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Shift4 doesn't publish which business types it accepts for Shift4 POS.
Routes debit to the lowest-cost networkNot publishedSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Shift4 doesn't publish how it routes debit cards.
Support
Data pointValue
24/7 support for merchantsYesSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)
Support channelsPhoneSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)24/7 phone support. Shift4's contact page (archived copy of June 2026) also has a form for non-urgent requests, answered in about 3 business days; Shift4 doesn't list chat for merchants.
Language
Data pointValue
Support in SpanishUnconfirmedSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)We found no published Spanish support line or chat for US merchants. Shift4's help center has a Spanish version for Spain, not for the US.
Merchant dashboard in SpanishUnconfirmedSource: Shift4 Help Center (opens in a new tab)Shift4's own help articles contradict each other: its release notes added Spanish (and German) to the Customer Hub on May 6, 2026, and its login guide (May 21) says only the Germany and Spain regions have full translation, chosen as a region that can also change date and currency formats; an article edited on October 1, 2026 still says the Customer Hub doesn't support translations. Same rule for every vendor: when a vendor's own sources disagree on a Spanish-language fact, it stays undetermined.
Contract or terms in SpanishNo()Source: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)shift4.com/legal lists its merchant agreements in English only, and shift4.com/es returns "page not found".
US website in SpanishNoSource: Shift4 (opens in a new tab)Shift4's own Spanish pages are for Spain, with prices in euros. Its Mexico pages are in English, and there is no Spanish version for the US (dine.shift4.com/es-US returns "page not found"). The US pricing page links only to English versions for the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland.

More about Shift4

How we score