Best Merchant Account Providers For Small Business

Total Rating	4.2
Fees & Rates4.1
Products & Services5.0
Contract4.6
Sales & Advertising Transparency3.5
Customer Service4.0
User Reviews3.8

Exclusive Promo: Get your first month free with Stax. Learn More

Pros

Affordable for high-volume businesses
Numerous features, particularly for eCommerce businesses
Flat monthly pricing simplifies merchant account fees

Cons

Not affordable for low-volume businesses
Doesn’t accept high-risk businesses
Monthly fee can be higher than $199 for very high-volume businesses (processing over $500K/month)

Why We Chose Stax for eCommerce

Stax is one of the best credit card processing companies for high-volume businesses and is especially geared toward eCommerce. Stax integrates with most gateways and shopping carts, and also includes its own eCommerce website builder. In addition to eCommerce retail, Stax also has features for software-as-a-service (Saas) businesses and businesses that sell subscriptions or memberships online.

If you also sell in person, Stax still has you covered, with multichannel POS functionality that syncs with all your online sales.

Stax Pricing

Stax has a membership pricing model, whereby merchants pay one flat monthly fee rather than a laundry list of myriad merchant fees.

Otherwise, Stax just charges a few cents markup over interchange, so in total you’ll be charged $99-$199/month (monthly fee depends on your sales volume), with a per-transaction fee of $0.08-$0.15 + interchange (in-person sales are charged $0.08 and online or keyed-in sales are $0.15).

Stax Features

Some of Stax’s many features include:

Integrated payment processing platform
Built-in shopping cart
Developer/API tools
Virtual terminal
Recurring invoices
QR code and text payments
Mobile processing capabilities
Variety of POS hardware options
ACH processing
Quickbooks integration

Ideal For ...

High-volume online sales (>$15K/month)

Get Started With Stax

Chase Payment Solutions℠ : Best For Chase Business Banking Customers

Chase Payment Solutions℠

Get Started With Chase Payment Solutions℠

Total Rating	4.4
Fees & Rates5.0
Products & Services4.0
Contract4.5
Sales & Advertising Transparency3.7
Customer Service3.9
User Reviews3.7

Pros

Large direct processor
No monthly fee with a standard account
Month-to-month contracts available
Interchange-plus pricing available upon request

Cons

eCommerce plan charges a monthly fee
“Free” credit card terminal requires a long-term contract

Why We Chose Chase For Chase Business Bank Account Holders

We like that Chase Payment Solutions is both a free merchant account provider and a direct payment processor, so you don't have to work with any third-party payment processor and wait several days for your funds to get processed and paid out. Chase business bank account holders can even receive funding within the same day for no fees. For an additional monthly fee, you can also get fast ACH payments and lowered B2B transaction payment processing fees.

Chase Payment Solutions Pricing

Chase Payments Solutions payment processing rates are:

2.6% + $0.10 per transaction for card-present transactions
2.9% + $0.25 for eCommerce and over-the-phone transactions (through Authorize.Net partnership)
3.5% + $0.10 per transaction for keyed-in-card and virtual terminal transactions
$9.95+/month fee top add eCommerce

Note: Interchange-plus pricing is available, but you have to pay at least $10/month.

The company also offers card readers ranging from $49.95-$399.

Chase Payment Solutions Features

Chase’s best features include:

Single company for merchant bank account and payment processing
Same-day funding for Chase business bank account customers
Free POS hardware available (with a long-term contract)
Chase mobile POS app with payment requests and mobile-powered payment acceptance
eCommerce website integration
Virtual terminal

Ideal For ...

Small businesses that are also Chase bank account holders

Helcim: Best All-In-One Merchant Account Provider

Helcim

Total Rating	4.9
Fees & Rates5.0
Products & Services4.4
Contract5.0
Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0
Customer Service4.8
User Reviews4.5

Pros

Interchange-plus pricing with automated discounts
Automated lower payment processing fees for B2B/B2G transactions
Free POS software and invoicing software
Excellent customer support

Cons

Does not accept high-risk businesses
Per-transaction rates may be high for low-volume businesses
Only available in US and Canada

Why We Chose Helcim For All-In-One Merchant Accounts

We like that Helcim offers full-service merchant accounts with no monthly software fees and interchange-plus payment processing for all businesses, regardless of business size or history. Helcim automatically lowers payment processing rates as you process more payments, which is very cost-effective for growing businesses.

We also appreciate Helcim's AI-powered tool that helps identify qualifying Level 2/3 business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) transactions. These transactions are more secure and result in lower payment processing fees, making Helcim an attractive option for B2B/B2G businesses.

Related: Read our guide to B2B payment processing.

Helcim Pricing

Helcim charges $0/month for Helcim accounts and software. The company offers card readers for $99 and all-in-one handheld POS systems for $329.

Payment processing fees start at:

Card-Present Payments: Interchange + 0.4% + $0.08
Keyed-In & Online Payments: Interchange + 0.5% + $0.25
ACH Payments: 0.25% + $0.25 (fee capped at $6/transaction)

You can also activate a cash discount program to pass all payment processing fees to customers, making Helcim a completely free merchant account.

Related: Read our Helcim Smart Terminal review for more on the company’s well-developed handheld POS system.

Helcim Features

Some of our favorite Helcim features include:

In-person payments with card reader or Helcim Smart Terminal
POS app works on all device types
Also accept in-person payments with Tap to Pay on iPhone (with no card reader)
Online store builder
Virtual terminal for mail order and over-the-phone payments
Custom invoice builder
Secure card vault for card-on-file payments
Automated lower B2B/B2G payment processing fees with Helcim Fee Saver Tool
B2B customer account portals for purchasing and returns
Strong customer support

Ideal For ...

Any high-volume, low-risk business that wants core processing services and minimal fees

Get Started With Helcim

Square: Best For Low-Volume Businesses

Square

Total Rating	4.7
Fees & Rates5.0
Products & Services4.2
Contract5.0
Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0
Customer Service4.1
User Reviews3.9

Get a free card swiper from Square at no cost when you create a free account. Claim your card reader.

Pros

Free POS plan and online store builder
Predictable flat-rate pricing
Niche features for retail, restaurant, and service businesses
Easy for staff and customers to use

Cons

Account stability issues
Does not accept most high-risk businesses
Payment processing structure not ideal for high-volume businesses

Why We Chose Square For Low-Volume Businesses

With an easy signup process, free and low-cost monthly plans, industry-specific POS software plans, free online store builder, and affordable POS hardware, Square is a great package for low-volume businesses with smaller budgets. Also, Square's transparent flat-rate payment processing structure is a good option for businesses processing less than $10K per month.

Related: Read our Square POS review to learn more about the POS software that comes with every Square account.

Square Pricing

Square offers POS software plans ranging from $0-$89/location/month and POS hardware ranging from $40-$799. Payment processing fees decrease on paid POS plans.

Square’s per-transaction payment processing fees include:

Card-Present Payments: 2.5%-2.6% + $0.10
Online Payments: 2.6%-2.9% + $0.30
Keyed-In Card Payments: 3.5% + $0.15
Invoice Payments: 3.3% +$0.30
ACH Payments: 1% (minimum fee of $1/transaction)

Related: Read our guide to Square POS hardware for more on what types of card readers and cash registers Square offers.

Square Features

Top Square features include:

Free card reader
Software plans for retail, restaurant, and service-based businesses
Mobile and tablet POS apps
Free online store builder
Invoice and virtual terminal payments
ACH payment processing
Range of Square POS hardware options to choose from
Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android

Ideal For ...

Newer, lower-volume retail or restaurant businesses

Get Started With Square

National Processing: Best For Free POS Terminal

National Processing

Get Started With National Processing

Total Rating	4.6
Fees & Rates4.8
Products & Services5.0
Contract4.6
Sales & Advertising Transparency4.4
Customer Service4.1
User Reviews4.4

Pricing

Starts at $9.95/month

Pricing Model

Flat-rate pricing

Contract

No long term contract

Get a free Clover Go card reader from National Processing when you sign up. Claim your card reader.

Pros

Clover POS system comes with plans
Lower in-person payment processing than Square
Lots of software integrations
Excellent online reputation

Cons

“Free” equipment may require a long-term contract with an early termination fee
Monthly fees charged

Why We Chose National Processing For A Free POS Terminal

We like that National Processing offers simple payment processing and a free Clover POS terminal with every plan. National Processing works with a variety of business types and integrates with several popular third-party software such as eCommerce store builders.

National Processing Pricing

National Processing pricing is as follows:

Basic In-Person Plan: $9.95/month and 2.5% + $0.10 per card-present transaction
Basic eCommerce Plan: $9.95/month and 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction
Advanced Plan: $19+/month and 2.41% + $0.10 per transaction
Premium Plan: $9.95+/month and custom payment processing fees (plans for businesses processing $30K+/month)

All plans have a 3.5% + $0.10 payment processing fee on manually entered payments.

National Processing Features

Some of National Processing’s best features include:

ACH and eCheck processing
Mobile payment processing with a free SwipeSimple card reader
Free Clover Flex or Clover Mini POS system (if you sign a three-year contract)
Free reprogramming of your existing POS equipment (if possible)
Integrations with several eCommerce, POS, accounting, and customer relationship management software

Related: Read our Clover Flex review and our Clover Mini review to compare the two options.

Ideal For ...

In-person or multichannel sales with Clover

Payment Nerds: Best For No Monthly Fee

Payment Nerds

Get Started With Payment Nerds

Total Rating	4.5
Fees & Rates4.6
Products & Services4.5
Contract5.0
Sales & Advertising Transparency4.2
Customer Service3.3
User Reviews4.4

Pros

Transparent, flat-rate pricing
No monthly fee
Accepts high-risk businesses
No-fee processing options (cash discount & credit card surcharge programs)

Cons

Terminal leases may require long term contract.

Why We Chose Payment Nerds For Best Free Processor

Payment Nerds has a lot going for them. Not only do they offer plans with no monthly fee to businesses of all risk levels, but they also have transparent, flat-rate pricing with very competitive rates. While most high-risk processors are expensive for low- and medium-risk businesses, Payment Nerds offers affordable pricing to all.

Payment Nerds also has no-fee processing (cash discount and credit card surcharge programs) for businesses that want to pass their processing fees to customers so they can get completely free credit card processing.

As for Payment Nerds' feature set, it is quite expansive, with support for most business types, ranging from fledgling retail startups, to high-volume multichannel enterprises with global sales. Truly, this processor has something for everyone.

Payment Nerds Features

Some of Payment Nerds’ numerous features include the following:

Payment Nerds Features	Availability
Dedicated Merchant Account
PCI Compliance
High-Risk Accounts
International Accounts	Can accommodate Canadian businesses
Contactless Payments
ACH Processing
Digital Wallet Acceptance
EBT Acceptance
Virtual Terminal
Mobile POS Reader & App	No proprietary app, but integrates with popular mobile systems
Hosted Online Store	Hosted checkouts
Payment Links
Payment Gateway Integrations
Shopping Cart Integrations
POS Integrations
BNPL Integrations
API Documentation
Currency Conversion
Recurring Billing
Invoicing
Cash Discount Program
Cryptocurrency Processing

Payment Nerds Pricing

Payment Nerds’ pricing information is as follows:

Item	Value
Pricing Starts At	$0/month
Contract Length	Month-to-month
Processing Model	Flat-rate
Card-present Transaction Fee	1.59-2.59% + $0.03
eCommerce Transaction Fee	1.59-2.59% + $0.03
Keyed-in Transaction Fee	2.09-3.09% + $0.03
Equipment Cost	$0+

Note that, in general, acceptance of free processing equipment may ensnare you in a long-term service contract, so we recommend purchasing your equipment outright (from any provider, not just Payment Nerds).

Payment Nerds’ transaction fees vary depending on your company’s risk level, but none of the plans carry a monthly fee:

Payment Nerds Plans	Price	When To Use
Low-Risk	$0/month (1.59% + $0.03 transaction fee)	For low-risk businesses. This category includes businesses with stable revenue and lower chargeback rates — e.g., retail, professional services, manufacturing.
Medium-Risk	$0/month (2.49% + $0.03 transaction fee)	For medium-risk businesses. This category includes businesses moderate chargeback rates or operate in sectors with some regulatory complexities — e.g., auto parts, beauty products, subscription services.
High-Risk	$0/month (2.99% + $0.03 transaction fee)	For high-risk businesses. This includes businesses with elevated chargeback risks and regulatory hurdles — e.g., crypto traders, debt collectors, adult entertainers.
Startups	$0/month (2.7% + $0.03 transaction fee)	For startup businesses. This includes newer businesses that don’t have a lengthy track record to show revenue history, and businesses applying for first-time merchant accounts.

Transaction fees are higher if the card number is manually keyed in or if the sale is from a foreign card:

Payment Nerds Extra Costs	Price
Manually Entered Cards	+0.5% per transaction
International Cards	+1% per transaction
Currency Conversion	+1.5% per transaction

Ideal For ...

Startups & high-risk businesses

U.S. Bank Merchant Services: Best Bank Merchant Services Provider

U.S. Bank Merchant Services

Get Started With U.S. Bank Merchant Services

Total Rating	4.4
Fees & Rates4.5
Products & Services4.1
Contract4.6
Sales & Advertising Transparency4.6
Customer Service4.4
User Reviews3.7

Promo: Earn up to $1,000 in statement credits over 3 months when you open a new U.S. Bank Payment Solutions account and complete qualifying activities. Member FDIC. Offer: - Open, and be approved for, a new U.S. Bank Payment Solutions Merchant Account (MID) by June 30, 2025. - Keep the approved account in an open status and be actively accepting and settling card payments at the time the statement credit is issued. - Get merchant fees refunded up to $1,000 over three months Claim this offer

Pros

Large, direct processor with numerous branches you can visit in-person
Dedicated account manager
Flat-rate pricing with month-to-month contract
Free plan available

Cons

Not suitable for high-risk businesses

Why We Chose U.S. Bank Merchant Services For Best Bank Merchant Account

U.S. Bank Merchant Services is a rarity in merchant services---a large, direct processor that offers personalized service to small businesses, without exorbitant fees or a long-term contract. All accounts come with a dedicated account manager as well as a full-service merchant account, which offers more stability compared to the aggregated accounts offered by payment service providers/third-party processors such as Square.

Throw in a free credit card reader and same-day funding for U.S. Business Bank Account holders, and U.S. Bank might just be the perfect bank merchant account for small businesses, especially if you also need a business bank account (or you already bank with U.S. Bank).

U.S. Bank Merchant Services Pricing

All U.S. Bank Merchant Services pricing packages are month-to-month, with no long-term contract:

In-person transactions (swipe, tap, insert): 2.6% + $0.10
Manually keyed-in transactions: 3.5% + $0.15
Online payments: 2.9% + $0.30
Invoiced payments: 2.9% + $0.30
Mobile processing with free card reader: $0/month
talech smart terminal: $15/month (including software and hardware)
talech POS plans: Up to $99/month (or more, with add-ons and additional registers)

U.S. Bank Merchant Services Features

Notable features include:

Dedicated account manager
Free mobile credit card reader
talech POS hardware and software
Online ordering website
Virtual terminal
Shopping cart integrations for eCommerce
Tap to Pay on iPhone & Android
Same-day funding for U.S. Bank business account holders
Credit card surcharging program available
Ability to send invoices via email or payment link
Integrations with Authorize.Net, QuickBooks, Xero, and other business software
Accept payments using Zelle

Ideal For ...

Small local businesses (restaurants, service-based businesses, retailers, etc.)
Businesses that already bank with U.S. Bank or would like to

Host Merchant Services: Best For Small Ticket & EBT Sales

Host Merchant Services

Get Started With Host Merchant Services

Total Rating	4.9
Fees & Rates5.0
Products & Services5.0
Contract5.0
Sales & Advertising Transparency4.7
Customer Service4.6
User Reviews4.8

Pros

Transparent interchange-plus pricing
EBT program available
More affordable payment processing for small ticket sales
Good customer support

Cons

Can be expensive for some low-volume merchants
$14.99 monthly fee

Why We Chose Host Merchant Services For Small Ticket & EBT Sales

We like that Host Merchant Services offers a unique small ticket program so that businesses with small average ticket sizes (laundromats, car washes, small theatres, etc.) can get a better deal on payment processing. We also like that small convenience and grocery stores can sign up for EBT payment acceptance onboarding and all businesses can sign up for a cash discount program and have customers cover the payment processing fees.

Host Merchant Services Pricing

HMS payment processing rates (varies by industry):

Retail: Interchange + 0.25% + $0.10
Restaurant: Interchange + 0.20% + $0.09
eCommerce: Interchange + 0.35% + $0.10
Small Ticket Program: 1.6% + $0.05 (Visa payments); 1.55% + $0.04 (MasterCard payments)
EBT Payments: $0.10

Note: As with most merchant account providers, high-risk businesses will pay higher payment processing rates due to the risk involved.

Other fees include:

$14.99/month account fee
$24/year 1099 reporting fee
$5/month payment gateway fee (optional)
$0.20/batch processing fee
$20/month cash discount program fee (optional)

Host Merchant Services Features

Features include:

Low-risk and high-risk merchant accounts
Full line of countertop and mobile credit card terminals
Small ticket program ($15 or less per transaction)
EBT payment acceptance
Mobile payment processing solutions
Proprietary Bonsai POS system available
Clover and Vital POS systems available
Authorize.Net and HMSExpress payment gateway to take online payments
Virtual terminal
Free web hosting
Cash discounting program

Related: Read our Clover POS review to decide whether a Clover device is right for your business.

Ideal For ...

Small grocery markets & businesses with small average ticket size

PaymentCloud: Best For High-Risk Businesses

PaymentCloud

Get Started With PaymentCloud

Total Rating	4.1
Fees & Rates4.3
Products & Services4.6
Contract2.8
Sales & Advertising Transparency4.0
Customer Service4.6
User Reviews4.7

Exclusive Promo: PaymentCloud will give you $200 if they can't beat your current rate. Get Your Quote

Pros

High-risk specialists
Great public reputation
No account setup fee
No monthly minimums

Cons

No publicly disclosed pricing for high-risk merchants
Low-risk merchants may find a better deal elsewhere

Why We Chose PaymentCloud For High-Risk Businesses

PaymentCloud is one of our best high-risk merchant account providers because the company assists high-risk business owners with their merchant account applications and partners with several acquiring banks and back-end processors to maximize the odds that one of them will accept your business. As a high-risk merchant, you'll have a better chance of getting accepted by PaymentCloud than you will with other merchant service providers, even those that nominally accept high-risk businesses.

The company also strives to give you a fair deal on your high-risk merchant account.

PaymentCloud Pricing

Like most high-risk processors, PaymentCloud does not disclose its pricing on its website.

Read our guide to rolling reserves to learn how rolling reserves work and if you’ll need a rolling reserve fund.

Note: PaymentCloud may waive an early termination fee if you negotiate with them about your merchant agreement.

PaymentCloud Features

Features include:

Account application assistance
High-risk industry expertise
Excellent customer service
Mobile payment processing
Chargeback and fraud prevention tools
Virtual terminal included
Authorize.Net, NMI, or USAePay payment gateways are available
ACH and eCheck processing
Cryptocurrency acceptance
QR-code payments

Ideal For ...

High-risk businesses (online or brick-and-mortar)

Dharma Merchant Services: Best For Large Businesses & Nonprofits

Dharma Merchant Services

Get Started With Dharma Merchant Services

Total Rating	5.0
Fees & Rates5.0
Products & Services5.0
Contract5.0
Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0
Customer Service4.8
User Reviews4.7

Pros

Low payment processing rates
Niche features for several business types
Discount pricing for nonprofits and high-volume businesses
Month-to-month contracts with no early termination fee

Cons

Not available to high-risk businesses
$49 account closure fee
Not for businesses charging less than $10K/month

Why We Chose Dharma Merchant Services For Large Businesses & Nonprofits

We appreciate that Dharma Merchant Services offers some of the lowest and most transparent payment processing rates available, especially for nonprofits and high-volume businesses (processing $100K/month at least). Dharma works with almost all business types, with special solutions for nonprofits, healthcare and veterinarian offices, B2B businesses, and lodging/hospitality businesses.

Note: The company's payment processing rates and tools are not suited for businesses processing less than $10K/month in sales.

Dharma Merchant Services Pricing

Dharma pricing payment processing fees include:

Card-Present Payments: Interchange + 0.15% + $0.08
Online & Virtual Terminal Payments: Interchange + 0.20% + $0.11
Nonprofit Rates: Interchange + 0.10% + $0.08-$0.11
High-Volume Rates: Interchange + 0.10% + $0.08 (in-person payments); interchange + 0.20% + $0.11 (online payments)

Flat fees include:

Account Fee: $20/month ($15/month for nonprofits and high-volume businesses)
Recurring Billing & Invoicing: $10/month (optional)
B2B Payment Processing: $20/month for automated lower payment processing on B2B transactions (optional)
Online Ordering: $49/month (optional)
Account Closure Fee: $49

Dharma Merchant Services Features

Dharma’s best features include:

Full-service merchant accounts
Line of Clover, First Data, and Verifone credit card terminals
Online payment platform and payment links
Virtual terminal payments
Invoicing
Lower B2B payment processing rates
HIPAA-compliant billing system
HSA card acceptance
Lodging application to manage guest check-in/check-out
B2B customer database management
Donation buttons for nonprofits
Cash discount program

Related: Check out our full list of HIPAA-compliant credit card processors if you run a healthcare business.

Ideal For ...

High-volume businesses or nonprofits in any sector

Payment Processing Rating Methodology

Merchant Maverick has been researching the payment processing industry since 2009. Our writers have reviewed hundreds of credit card processors, merchant account services, and mobile payment apps, evaluating each provider carefully on several different metrics.

Weighted Rating Breakdown

Fees & Rates 35%

Contract 20%

Products & Services 15%

Sales & Advertising Transparency 15%

Customer Service 10%

User Reviews 5%

When comparing different payment processing companies and applications to one another, we consider numerous data points. Our experts start by comparing credit card processing rates, the presence of additional fees, contract length, sales practices, and the presence or absence of additional features and services, like point of sale software. Each provider is judged on its own merits and how well it stacks up to industry standards; then it is weighed against the other providers on the list.

We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure every company or application included meets our internal standards for quality and reputation. Any list of recommended payment processors on our site might contain a mix of standard merchant accounts, third-party payment processors, mobile payment devices, and high-risk payment processors, depending on what our expert feels is the best fit for certain scenarios or business types.

For additional details about Merchant Maverick’s review and rating processes, please refer to any or all of the following methodology pages:

Years reviewing payment processors

100+

Providers evaluated

Attributes and features assessed per vendor

40+

Years combined experience

What Is A Merchant Account?

A merchant account is a special bank account that temporarily holds money from credit and debit card transactions. Once transaction payment processing is complete and your merchant services provider has taken out its fees, the remaining funds are transferred to your business bank account.

Merchant services providers manage merchant accounts and sometimes provide other goods or services such as credit card terminals and virtual terminals for online payments.

Types Of Merchant Accounts

There are two main types of merchant accounts.

Traditional Merchant Accounts

A traditional, full-service merchant account is a dedicated bank account that is all yours. It’s an ideal fit for:

High-risk businesses that need a stable account and can’t get approved for payment services from providers like Square
Large businesses that won’t benefit from the standard flat-rate payment processing that many payment providers offer
Negotiating a custom payment processing rate and contract terms

Traditional merchant account providers require you to provide business and personal information, go through a rigorous signup process, and may include more small monthly fees.

Payment Services Provider

A payment services provider like Square, Stripe, or PayPal, is an account that does not come with a unique merchant ID and the perks of a stable dedicated merchant account, but these accounts are easy to sign up for and start taking payments. Essentially, a traditional merchant account is more like your regular bank account, while payment services providers are like payment apps (PayPal, Venmo, etc.)

Payment services providers are ideal for:

Smaller businesses processing less than $5K/month in sales
New businesses looking for a fast and easy signup process

Which Merchant Account Provider Is Right For Your Business?

The best merchant account provider for your business offers the right pricing structure for your business size, built-in features or feature integrations you need to operate in your industry, and good contract terms.

If you want straightforward payment processing for a low-volume business and low monthly account fees, U.S. Bank, Chase, Square, or National Processing is right for you.

If you’re looking for the best interchange-plus pricing structure for your low-risk business, compare your rates and available features from Helcim, Host Merchant Services, and Dharma.

If you have a high-risk business, PaymentCloud is most likely the way to go, although National Processing and Host also work with some high-risk businesses.

Whichever merchant account you choose, make sure it integrates with one of the best POS systems if you’re going to take payments in person.

FAQs: Best Merchant Account Providers For Small Business

Do I need a merchant service provider?

You will need a merchant services provider to accept electronic payments of any kind, i.e., any non-cash payments.

Do you need good credit for a merchant account?

If your personal credit is fair, you may have to agree to stipulations like a rolling reserve to be approved. If your credit is very poor, you may be rejected for a merchant account or have to find a co-signer.

Bio
Twitter
LinkedIn
Latest Posts

Shannon Vissers

Expert Contributor at Merchant Maverick

Shannon has been writing for Merchant Maverick about small business software and financing since 2015. She started writing professionally about business topics in 2005. Shannon has been featured in the Washington Post, Reader's Digest, US News, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and other publications. She has a bachelor's degree in English from San Diego State University and currently resides in San Diego, California.

@ShannonVissers

View Shannon Vissers's professional experience on LinkedIn.

Latest posts by Shannon Vissers (see all)

Helcim vs Stripe: Comparison - January 23, 2025
Payment Nerds Review - December 11, 2024
Wave Payments Review - October 31, 2024
U.S. Bank Merchant Services Review - October 1, 2024
Tap To Pay: A Guide For Merchants - August 29, 2024

Show less

1. Stax

❮ ❯

Best for eCommerce businesses
$99-$199+/month
Interchange + $0.08-$0.15 per transaction

2. Chase Payment Solutions℠

❮ ❯

Best for Chase business banking customers
$0-$9.95+/month
Starts at 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction

3. Helcim

❮ ❯

Best all-in-one merchant account provider
$0/month
Starts at interchange + 0.40% + $0.08 per transaction

4. Square

❮ ❯

Best for low-volume businesses
$0-$89/month/location
Starts at 2.5% + $0.10 per transaction

5. National Processing

❮ ❯

Best for free POS terminal
$9.95+/month
Starts at 2.41% + $0.10 per transaction

6. Payment Nerds

❮ ❯

Best for no monthly fee
$0/month
Starts at 1.59% + $0.03

7. U.S. Bank Merchant Services

❮ ❯

Best bank MSP
$0+/month
Starts at 2.6% + $0.10

8. Host Merchant Services

❮ ❯

Best for small ticket and EBT sales
$14.99/month
Starts at interchange + 0.20% + $0.09 per transaction

9. PaymentCloud

❮ ❯

Best for high-risk businesses
Monthly fee not disclosed
Processing fees not disclosed

10. Dharma Merchant Services

❮ ❯

Best for large businesses and nonprofits
$15-$20/month
Starts at interchange + 0.1% + $0.08 per transaction