Key takeaways
- Top pick: Square, best for: Brick-and-mortar retail and hospitality.
- Also near the top: Stripe and Helcim.
- How it was ranked: 10 SaaS products compared. Each verdict is below.
Square is the best merchant services provider for most small businesses because its free plan has no monthly fee, flat published rates and an all-in-one point of sale.
Stripe is best for online and app-based businesses,
Helcim keeps costs low for growing card volume with interchange-plus pricing and no monthly fee, and
Stax suits higher-volume merchants that prefer a flat monthly subscription.
Top 10 Merchant Services Providers, compared| RANK | ENTRY | BEST FOR | SCORE | FROM |
|---|
| 1 |  SquareSquare, part of Block, Inc., charges 2.6% + 15¢ in person, 3.3% + 30¢ online and 3.5% + 15¢ for keyed-in payments on its free plan. | Brick-and-mortar retail and hospitality | 96.6 | 2.6% + 10c per transaction |
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| 2 |  StripeStripe says more than 100 businesses each process over $1 billion a year on its platform. | Online businesses and developers | 95.3 | 2.9% + 30c per transaction |
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| 3 |  HelcimHelcim publishes its margins by volume tier, from interchange plus 0.40% + 8¢ in person under $50,000 a month down to 0.15% + 6¢ above $1 million. | Growing businesses seeking lower fees | 94.0 | Interchange plus pricing |
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| 4 |  CloverClover's retail pricing page lists in-person card rates from 2.3% + 10¢ to 2.6% + 10¢ depending on plan, and 3.5% + 10¢ for typed-in cards. | Growing businesses seeking flexible, hardware-agnostic solutions | 92.7 | £0 (hardware required; payment-based pricing) |
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| 5 |  Chase Payment SolutionsChase lists rates of 2.6% + 10¢ for tap, dip or swipe, 3.5% + 15¢ for keyed-in payments and 2.9% + 25¢ for online orders. | Businesses already banking with Chase | 91.4 | 2.6% + 10c per transaction |
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| 6 |  StaxStax lists subscriptions of $99 a month for up to $150,000 a year in processing, $139 for $150,000 to $250,000, and $199 or more above that. | Businesses with steady, higher card volume | 90.1 | From $99/month plus 8¢ per in-person transaction |
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| 7 |  ToastToast's Starter Kit offers a hardware kit with no upfront cost for single-location restaurants running one or two terminals. | Restaurants that want POS, payments and operations from one vendor | 88.7 | Starter Kit from $0/month; POS from $69/month |
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| 8 |  PayPalPayPal lists 2.99% plus a fixed fee for standard card payments and 3.49% plus a fixed fee for PayPal Checkout and Venmo. | Small businesses and freelancers | 87.4 | 2.9% + fixed fee |
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| 9 |  Authorize.NetAuthorize.net charges a $25 monthly gateway fee on all plans, with 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction on its all-in-one plan and no setup fee. | Small to medium e-commerce businesses, resellers, and merchants seeking straightforward gateway solutions | 86.0 | $25 monthly gateway fee + 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction |
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| 10 |  AdyenAdyen charges a fixed $0.13 processing fee on each transaction plus a fee set by the payment method, with no setup or monthly fees. | Large enterprises with international reach | 84.8 | Custom |
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How to choose
Start from what you need it for. Where each entry fits best:
- Square (#1): Brick-and-mortar retail and hospitality
- Stripe (#2): Online businesses and developers
- Helcim (#3): Growing businesses seeking lower fees
- Clover (#4): Growing businesses seeking flexible, hardware-agnostic solutions
- Chase Payment Solutions (#5): Businesses already banking with Chase
- Stax (#6): Businesses with steady, higher card volume
- Toast (#7): Restaurants that want POS, payments and operations from one vendor
- PayPal (#8): Small businesses and freelancers
- Authorize.Net (#9): Small to medium e-commerce businesses, resellers, and merchants seeking straightforward gateway solutions
- Adyen (#10): Large enterprises with international reach
Each entry's full verdict is below.
The ranking, in detail
01
Make every sale count
Square provides card readers, point-of-sale software, online checkout and invoicing under one account, with flat processing rates and no long-term contract. Paid plans lower in-person rates and add features for restaurants, retail and appointment businesses.
From 2.6% + 10c per transaction
PROS- Great free POS software
- Transparent pricing
CONS- Customer support can be difficult to reach
- Best for
- Brick-and-mortar retail and hospitality
- Where it falls short
- Instant fund transfers incur a 1.5% fee rather than being free.
- Pick something else if
- you want completely free instant payouts.
96.6
02
Financial infrastructure for the internet
Stripe handles online card payments, subscriptions, invoicing, in-person payments through Stripe Terminal and payouts for marketplaces through Connect. Its APIs and documentation make it a common choice for software companies and online stores.
From 2.9% + 30c per transaction
PROS- Highly customisable API
- Supports global payment methods
CONS- Can be complex for beginners
- Best for
- Online businesses and developers
- Where it falls short
- The platform can be complex for beginners to navigate.
- Pick something else if
- you are a beginner seeking simplicity.
95.3
03
Payments that are better for your business
Helcim charges interchange plus a published margin, with automatic volume discounts, and includes card readers, a virtual terminal, invoicing and online checkout. There are no monthly fees, minimums or long-term contracts.
From Interchange plus pricing
PROS- Transparent interchange-plus pricing
- No monthly subscription fees
CONS- Hardware can be costly upfront
- Best for
- Growing businesses seeking lower fees
- Where it falls short
- Hardware can be costly upfront.
94.0
04
Flexible POS platform with integrated payments
Clover, owned by Fiserv, sells point-of-sale hardware and software plans for restaurants, retail and service businesses, with card processing included. Systems can be bought outright or paid for monthly, and Clover's app market adds extra tools.
From £0 (hardware required; payment-based pricing)
PROS- Highly customisable hardware and software modules
- Large app ecosystem for extended functionality
CONS- Can feel overwhelming for very small businesses
- Customer support quality varies by region
- Best for
- Growing businesses seeking flexible, hardware-agnostic solutions
- Where it falls short
- Subscriptions are non-cancelable and ineligible for refunds.
- Pick something else if
- you need flexible cancellation terms.
92.7
05
Accept payments with confidence
Chase Payment Solutions offers card readers, a POS app, online checkout and payment links with flat published rates, and works alongside Chase business banking. It suits businesses that want payments and banking with one provider.
From 2.6% + 10c per transaction
PROS- Same-day funding available
- Backed by a major bank
CONS- Strict underwriting criteria
- Best for
- Businesses already banking with Chase
- Where it falls short
- Strict underwriting criteria.
91.4
06
Subscription pricing with interchange at cost
Stax charges a monthly subscription based on annual processing volume and passes interchange through with no percentage markup, plus a small per-transaction fee. It includes invoicing, recurring billing, payment links and surcharging tools.
From From $99/month plus 8¢ per in-person transaction
PROS- No percentage markup on interchange
- Invoicing, recurring billing and surcharging included
CONS- Monthly fee makes it poor value at low volume
- Card readers are priced separately
- Best for
- Businesses with steady, higher card volume
- Where it falls short
- Monthly fee makes it poor value at low volume.
90.1
07
Restaurant POS with payments built in
Toast combines restaurant point-of-sale hardware and software with payment processing, online ordering, kitchen display, payroll and inventory tools. It is built for restaurants, from single-location cafes to multi-site groups, and also offers a retail product.
From Starter Kit from $0/month; POS from $69/month
PROS- Built for restaurant workflows and kitchens
- Offline mode keeps taking orders and card payments during outages
CONS- Processing rates are not listed on the pricing page
- Best suited to restaurants, with fewer options for other sectors
- Best for
- Restaurants that want POS, payments and operations from one vendor
- Where it falls short
- Processing rates are not listed on the pricing page.
88.7
08
The safer, easier way to pay online
PayPal lets businesses accept PayPal, Venmo, Pay Later and card payments online, through invoices and in person. Its familiar checkout buttons can help conversion for online stores.
From 2.9% + fixed fee
PROS- Widely trusted by consumers
- Easy setup process
CONS- Account freezes can happen unexpectedly
- Best for
- Small businesses and freelancers
- Where it falls short
- Account freezes can happen unexpectedly.
- Pick something else if
- you need guaranteed account access.
87.4
09
Reliable payment gateway and merchant services for any business
Authorize.net is a payment gateway that connects websites, shopping carts and virtual terminals to a merchant account, with fraud tools and recurring billing. Businesses can use their own merchant account or the all-in-one plan that includes one.
From $25 monthly gateway fee + 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
PROS- Simple gateway setup and long-established reliability
- Comprehensive reporting and transaction management tools
CONS- Requires separate merchant account through acquiring bank
- Limited built-in advanced features compared to newer platforms
- Best for
- Small to medium e-commerce businesses, resellers, and merchants seeking straightforward gateway solutions
- Where it falls short
- Requires separate merchant account through acquiring bank.
86.0
10
Engineered for ambition
Adyen processes online, in-app and in-person payments on one platform across many countries and payment methods, with interchange++ card pricing and unified reporting. It suits mid-sized businesses selling across channels and borders.
From Custom
PROS- Direct connection to card schemes
- Advanced fraud protection
CONS- Not suitable for very small businesses
- Best for
- Large enterprises with international reach
- Where it falls short
- It is not suitable for very small businesses.
- Pick something else if
- you run a very small business.
84.8
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Frequently asked questions
How much do merchant services cost?
Published in-person rates on this list run from about 2.3% to 2.6% plus a few cents per transaction. Square charges 2.6% + 15¢ on its free plan, Chase 2.6% + 10¢ and Clover from 2.3% + 10¢, while Helcim and Stax pass through interchange and add a margin or a monthly subscription.
What is the difference between flat-rate and interchange-plus pricing?
Flat-rate providers such as Square, Stripe and Chase charge the same percentage and fixed fee on most cards, which is easy to predict. Interchange-plus providers such as Helcim pass through the card network's cost and add a fixed margin, which usually costs less as volume grows.
Which merchant services provider is best for a small business?
Square is the best starting point for most small businesses because it has no monthly fee and includes a free point of sale. Restaurants often choose Toast or Clover, and businesses with rising card volume should compare Helcim and Stax.
Do I need a merchant account to accept credit cards?
Not always. Square, Stripe and PayPal let you start taking cards without opening a dedicated merchant account. Chase, Stax and Authorize.net's all-in-one plan set up an individual merchant account, which can suit higher-volume businesses.
Which merchant services provider is best for online payments?
Stripe is the strongest choice for online businesses and software platforms because of its APIs, subscriptions and marketplace tools. PayPal adds recognizable checkout buttons, and Authorize.net works with a wide range of shopping carts.
Sources
Where we checked each company's facts, and when.
Some links on Lister are affiliate links. Rankings are not affected.