Best Credit Card Processor | Side by Side Reviews

1OUR TOP PICK
  • Flat rate processing
  • Rates as low as 2.75%
  • Inventory Management
  • Fast. Next day processing

OUR SCORE

9.8

Square

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2
  • No monthly or setup fees
  • Rates as low as 2.4%
  • Next-Day Deposits
  • Easy setup

OUR SCORE

9.8

PayPal

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3
  • Online, phone, pay on the go.
  • No startup costs
  • Rates as low as 2.2%
  • Customers pay direct from invoices

OUR SCORE

9.6

Yamaha

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Best credit card Processors for small business

Merchant Services and credit card processing When it comes to finding a Top Rated Credit Card Processing Service comparing quotes is the key to getting the best product for the lowest price.

We've gathered information on the top-rated credit card processors, user reviews, and buying tips, and made it easy to get the best price.

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Best Credit Card Processing: A Review of Top Payment Processors For Business

  1. Paypal Works for Every Business

PayPal LogoPaypal is a trusted source for many merchants today, especially those in the online world. The only thing you need to use Paypal is to add a button to your site.

Online stores can be up and running within minutes, and online customers love Paypal. If you are using Paypal in the real world, your equipment will cost you $15 upfront.

Swipe rates for Paypal run at 2.7%. Paypal also offers constant support to business owners.

PayPal is a renowned, trusted company that has been operating for over 20 years. The system enables users to send and receive money from their PayPal accounts in more than 190 countries around the world – making it an ideal alternative when sending cash across borders or abroad as I don't have access myself without first obtaining local currency exchange rates by going through various banks which can take ages.

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5 Star Review

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  1. Square Up With Square

Square Up logoSquare is a popular processor to use as it has low fees without a monthly fee. It uses equipment attached to smartphones which just needs a swipe.

Fees for Square generally run at 2.75% per swipe or tap and often have no flat fee. It's ideal for small-ticket items such as a coffee or lunch, but not so much for big-ticket items like a new flat-screen TV.

A big plus to Square is it will help give you merchant status quickly, and keeps everything in one place. They also offer business software for payroll, inventory, accounting, emails, and a lot more.

Square or Dharma are considered top choices for restaurants, due to all of these factors. The best credit card processor for a restaurant is something you can bring to the table, and Square offers this, and then some.

Square was created to make it easier for small businesses owners everywhere. Their commitment has never been stronger and they continue on that mission today by offering access-to financing all across America, from side gigs at home or sports stadiums around town.

The Square team believes in empowering entrepreneurs through our tools so they can do what matters most–helping their ventures succeed on their own terms while achieving success the old fashioned way: doing great work you love alongside other passionate professionals who believe just as strongly about making this world better than anyone else does right now.

5 Star Review

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  1. Payment Depot Has it All

Payment Depot logoPayment Depot is another very popular system and is good for those big-ticket items or for a business using a large volume of sales. You'll find a membership0-based service here, which means you decide how much you pay, in addition to interchange fees.

There is not a percentage markup here, so no matter how much your customer is buying, you will pay what you pay based on your membership. The model here is simple.

The higher your monthly fee, the lower your credit card processing fees, which you will soon see can add up in high volume sales environments.

5 Star Review

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  1. Shopify

Shopify logoIn addition to Paypal, Shopify is a great credit card processing company for online businesses. Many businesses today use Shopify and Paypal concurrently.

This is a good system to use if you are just starting. Not only will you be able to accept credit cards, but you can also enjoy a full e-commerce solution through Shopify.

Plans for Shopify start low, as low as $30 and that can include everything from web hosting to credit card processing.

Rates run at approximately 2.9% per online transaction, and slightly lower for in-person transactions. Web hosting costs will be in addition to credit card membership prices, but Shopify also adds a website builder with its line of products.

If you only need a Shopify button on your site, you can get one as low as $9 monthly, but your customers may need a Shopify account to use it. Because so many already have a Paypal account, it's not a bad idea to use both services if the bulk of your sales are online.

5 Star Review

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  1. Helcim Credit Card Processing

Helcim Credit Card logoHelcim is a very popular credit card processing company for brick and mortar locations with monthly fees as low as $12.00. If your business brings in at least $2,000 monthly, Helcim is worth the fees.

All of their price plans are listed clearly on the website, which also has a database of how-to-guides for new business owners.

Merchant Services is the payments company that just keeps on giving. Helcim is relentless in its pursuit to raise the bar and provide a better service for merchants, by making it easier than ever before with an affordable solution. When small business owners are able to get paid more often then we all succeed together as one big happy family.

Helcim is a payment processing and software company that puts the customer first. They built their reputation on trust, transparency, excellent service for over 40 years in North America to help merchants grow their businesses through peace of mind while providing you with cutting-edge solutions tailored just for your needs.

5 Star Review

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  1. Dharma Offers Sales for Big Sales

Dharma logoDharma is another big name in the credit card processing business. You'll find upfront fees here, and upfront guidelines from Dharma.

One thing that Dharma is very upfront about is that if you are a small business, Dharma may not be for you. Sales less than $10,000 monthly would be considered a small bus9iness.

Their rates also aren't on the low end and can be as high as 0.35% per swipe on top of your interchange fees.

5 Star Review

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  1. Intuit QuickBooks Payments

Intuit QuickBooks logoIf you have a business, you have an accounting department, even if that department is your desk at home in the middle of the night. Intuit QuickBooks is a very big name in the accounting world, and thus a great credit card processing system for small business.

You can use Intuit for both mobile and desktop accounting, and this system will easily integrate with your sales and your accounts receivables.
Intuit also offers a device to plug in your smartphone for swipes, or a fully integrated system that can run in the thousands.

5 Star Review

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  1. Payline Pays You On Time

Payline logoPayline Data is another credit card processing company that is good for small business. It offers an interchange plus cost model which will help you to decide how much you pay for your credit card processors.

Payline also offers a monthly payment option, and round the clock support for all businesses.

5 Star Review

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  1. Credit Card Processing

CreditCardProcessing.com LogoAnother popular model today is CreditCardProcessing.com, which is becoming quite popular in the digital era. Here you will find the interchange plus cost model, and this company does not require a cancellation fee.

Check the fine print before you decide on a free equipment offer, as there may be a monthly sales minimum.

5 Star Review

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  1. Sam's Club – Clover / First Data

Sam's Club – Clover First Data logoSam's Club offers Clover, a First Data company which is another popular credit card processor, but it does have a few catches you want to be aware of. They are not as upfront about costs as other companies are, and you may find yourself in a multi-year contract.

Sam's Club is very upfront about its pricing on their website, but you do need their equipment and may not know if you will even need a multi-year contract with them. This is still a popular company, but you do need to do your research before settling with them.

5 Star Review

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13 More Top Credit Card Processing Companies to Consider

Flagship Merchant Services

First Data

E-Commerce Exchange

National Bankcard

Cayan

Fattmerchant

Leaders Merchant

Chase Paymentech

Merchant One

Total Merchant

Electronic Transfer Inc

iTransact

CreditCardProcessing.com

Buying Guide To Credit Processors

If your company is in need of a credit card processing system, this review is for you. Read on to learn about the top payment processing for business.

With an average of half a million credit card applications in the world every day and over 14 billion active credit cards in the world as of 2017, today's business owner would be remiss in not understanding how credit card processing works.

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In one simple credit card transaction in business, approximately 7 different credit card processing steps occur between the cardholder to the end of the purchase. Those 7 steps take a matter of seconds, and each of those seconds can be costly to business owners. Take control of those expenses by empowering yourself with this information on the best credit card processing reviews.

The seven steps start with the cardholder taking out their card in step one, at a business which is step two. This can be any kind of business.

The card then hits the Point of Sale, or POS at the merchant, who then uses their own merchant processor to contact their bank. Their bank then contacts the card holder's bank.

The network of the card, such as Visa, Mastercard, or American Express, will then use the merchant processor to contact the business owner and let them know if the transaction is approved or declined. It's an intense ecosystem with each step costing the business owner money, and the customer as well.

But you don't need to be a network geek to get it or to reduce your own costs.

Types of Credit Card Payments

There are a number of different ways any business can accept credit cards, or, process credit card transactions. It can happen in a brick and mortar store, online, or both.

Many big businesses today have both methods of credit card processing. There is a machine in the store, and a magic button online.

Types of Credit Cards Accepted

So when you are investigating credit card processing methods, it's important to know that you don't need just one. If you have both an in-person and online store, you will want different kinds of processing systems for credit cards.

Some will be less expensive, and others will be more secure. Some systems are all-in-one solutions so that you can have the same method online as you do in-store.

Paypal, for example, is offering an attachment for smartphones, so that business owners can get Paypal transactions in the real world, as often as they do online. The amount of business that you do with credit card sales is likely going to determine what kind of credit card processing needs you to have.

Most Important Credit Card Processing Features

Just like not all credit cards or businesses are created equally, so too is the case for credit card processing features. So while some features may be important to you, they may not be important to your next-door neighbor.

One of the most important features, however, is costs. Many experts will say today that credit card processing costs can easily be number two on the budget for business owners, after rent or mortgage payments.

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So you definitely want a system that is transparent in costs. Tiered and bucket pricing are the two most common cost models in credit card processing.

In tiered fees, each tier has its own set of fees, including interchange fees, assessment fees, and the markup of the company. You want to know every fee you will be charged when accepting credit card payments, as this will determine many of your business decisions.

Some tiered pricing models aren't 100% clear.

But you also want a company that will not only answer these questions but offers support during your hours of operation. There is no point in getting a credit card processing company that is not available when your business is running 24/7.

At the end of the day, transparency, cost, and support are the most important features for your credit card processing company. You will get the feel from them as soon as you start digging and comparing.

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What are the Current Fees for Credit Card Processors?

The actual dollar value of your fees will vary by the business, but the kinds of fees are standard across the industry. There are three kinds of fees. Tiered rates, flat rates, and interchange rates plus the cost of doing business.

Just like you pay a flat rate for being a bank customer with your personal account, accepting credit cards has the same types of flat rates. In the credit card business world this is called the interchange rate, and this rate is a universal cost that is the same for all card networks.

These rates are public and online. Every business pays for this. After this, you will see flat rates, tiered rates, and interchange plus costs rates.

best credit card processors

In a tiered rate, there are different tiers. Qualified cards will get a low rate, middle-range qualifiers will get middle rates, and businesses will pay higher for qualified cards.

Not every credit card processing company will give identical rates here. This is what makes flat rates so preferable to many business owners.

Companies like Paypal and Square have become widely popular due to their flat-rate models. If you don't have a high volume of sales, say over $10,000 a month, this is an ideal solution.

But it can get expensive if you have a high volume of sales.

Interchange pricing plus costs offers a little bit of both worlds. In this world, you agree to pay a certain percentage of every transaction or swipe to your credit card processing company.

How Much Does Equipment Cost?

Another important factor in deciding your credit card processing company is equipment. If you have a brick and mortar store or restaurant, this cost is unavoidable.

If your business is strictly online, however, you won't need to worry about this.

The card you swipe when you go to the store or restaurant is the credit card terminal, and credit processing terminal costs can vary from $20 to $400, or even more. Some companies will also offer the option of leasing equipment.

That decision is entirely yours to make but should be well investigated before you make the decision. Leasing options can sound attractive at first to save the cost of purchase.

Cost Calculator

But these costs should be researched thoroughly before you decide, as leasing equipment could wind up costing you more in the long run.

Remember that if you are a brick and mortar store or restaurant, you already need to compare prices on POS systems among other things for your business. If credit card processing is going to be one of your biggest expenses, investigating whether to lease or own is important.

At the same time, you may want to consider installing an ATM machine in your business to offset costs if you have a high traffic business. You could make money off of each transaction there while spending money on credit card processing at your POS terminal.

There are a number of ways to review and compare ATM machine companies if that kind of equipment would help your business.

Become a Merchant Today

If you are just starting to think about opening your own business, you are wise to consider credit card processing costs. Credit card processing fees could be your biggest business expense if you are not careful.

At the same time, don't let credit card processing fees dissuade you from doing business. It is just the cost of doing business.

With credit cards being a multi-billion dollar business annually, you don't want to miss out on a piece of that pie.

You want to compare top companies to learn a number of ways to save money and make money in a small business. Use our services to become a vendor today and attract leads to watch your business grow, as you watch those credit card sales rack up.

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Get your company added to our review. Click Here to be considered as one of our top-rated credit card processing companies.

  • Online Credit Card Processing Review
  • Compare Card Card Processing Fees
  • How Credit Care Processing Works
  • Flagship vs Helcim vs National Bankcard vs Cayan

Get the Best Credit Card Processing Service

Credit cards are becoming synonymous with cash – in fact, more and more Americans carry a credit card but NO cash in their wallets. How many customers carrying zero cash enter businesses every day hoping to make a purchase, only to find a “Cash Only” sign at the register? Although the business has saved a small fee in processing, it has lost the overall sale! And what are the chances of that customer ever coming back?

Credit Card Processing Services Explained

For a client or customer, unless a credit card is declined, paying for products and services with a credit card isn't that complex. But the merchant's end of things can get a little more tricky, often time wildly confusing, and definitely a task for small business owners. The credit card processing sector can be packed with unexpected fees, deceptive sales techniques, weighted contracts, and a lack of clarity. Small business owners who need to accept payment via credit cards may be convinced to agree to all kinds of unnecessary services and may not know what their bill will look like until they receive it.

Why do Customers Choose Credit Card Processing?

Credit cards offer cash-back incentives and an automatic purchase of records. Credit card companies also offer theft protection and allow customers to purchase beyond the confines of cash-in-wallet. For too many customers, purchasing using credit cards is a clear choice.

As the owner of a growing business, the best chance you have for getting the highest number of transactions is to provide your customers with a safe and easy credit card processing option for payment.

Credit Card Processing solutions

How Does Credit Card Processing Work?

A merchant account is a specific type of bank account that allows a business to process credit card payments. As a business owner, you begin with two options: 1) open a merchant account yourself, or 2) work with an independent sales organization (ISO), which already has authorization for merchant accounts. Although your own merchant account is more cost-effective at higher sales volumes, a third-party ISO works great for businesses who do not yet have a strong enough sales record to be authorized for a merchant account themselves or for those looking for minimal hassle and up-front expense.

A merchant account provider is a financial institution or bank working with you to set up the account. The provider handles the customer’s credit approval of the purchase, the transfer of money into your bank account, and sometimes even the in-store equipment necessary for processing credit cards.

Choosing a Merchant Account Provider for Credit Card Processing

For this valuable service, you can choose a provider whose fees are minimized by your particular sales so that you maximize the benefit of having credit card sales. The “discount rate” is the standard percentage a provider takes out of each transaction (beginning around 2-3%). However, there are many more variables that go into the total fee and this is where careful planning comes in.

In one example, a business with many small sales might opt for a fixed monthly fee instead of a per-transaction processing fee. Since online payments are processed under different rules than in-store payments, an online store will look for the best deal for those rates. Other things that may be factored into fees are your personal credit rating, how old your business is, and your daily/monthly sales totals. Examine your sales and do the math for a few different companies. Your typical sales record will help dictate the best merchant account provider to process your credit card transactions and keep the sales rolling in.

In today’s market, your best bet for maximizing the number of sales is offering the option for credit cards. Help your customers swipe, punch, or point-and-click their way into your most successful year!

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 Other Merchant Service Fees to Review:

Statement Fees: All credit card processing companies require some type of statement fee. The average is $8.00 -$10 per month.

Account Clearing: The processing time that it takes from when the customer approves a charge until the time the money actually clears the account. Typical is 1-2 days.

Fraud Protection Services: Specifically look at address verification, SSL (secure socket layer), and CVV2 verification.

Minimum Fees Per Month: The monthly minimum fee which you will be required to meet each and every month to keep the merchant account active. 

Which credit card processor do you think is BEST? WORST? Write your review here.

 

Credit Card Processing Reviews