The 10 Best Online Credit Card Payment Processors For Small Business

PaymentCloud Pricing

PaymentCloud offers both tiered and interchange-plus pricing models. Like many other high-risk specialists, the company has no pricing information on its website, but we’ve gathered some sample pricing ranges for low-risk eCommerce merchants (high-risk merchants will pay more):

• Interchange-Plus Rate: Interchange + 0.10%-0.50% + $0.15-$0.25 per transaction
• Monthly Fee: $15
• Gateway Fee: Variable, depends on the gateway
• Address Verification Service (AVS): $0.05 per online transaction

PaymentCloud Features

PaymentCloud is available to all manner of online merchants but specifically caters to businesses in high-risk industries (eCommerce merchants have a greater chance of being classified by banks as “high-risk” than other merchants). Here’s some of what PaymentCloud offers to online businesses:

• Payment gateway (Authorize.Net, which includes a developer toolbox with an open API for customizing your site’s integration, is one of the available choices; check out our list of the best payment gateway and API platforms to learn more)
• Virtual terminal
• Shopping cart integration (PaymentCloud integrates with a wide variety of popular online shopping carts)
• eCheck and ACH processing
• Contactless payment requests
• PCI compliance
• Data migration

Where PaymentCloud Really Shines

There are plenty of shady operators in the high-risk payment processing space. PaymentCloud stands out from the pack with its reasonable rates, stellar reputation among merchants, and the dedicated account manager it provides its users for guidance. Plus, the fact that PaymentCloud works with so many banks and back-end processors means you’ll have a higher chance of approval than with many competing processors.

Host Merchant Services Pricing

• Online Transactions: Interchange + 0.35% + $0.10 per transaction
• Monthly Fee: $14.99
• Annual 1099 Reporting Fee: $24

HMS Features

Host Merchant Services (HMS) is another full-service merchant account provider that offers transparent interchange-plus pricing with no yearly contract, great customer service, and a robust suite of eCommerce features.

• Virtual terminal and payment gateway (Transaction Express) offering tokenization and encryption of customer data
• ACH processing
• Recurring billing
• Check-imaging
• Wireless processing
• Shopping cart integrations
• Free basic website with hosting

Where HMS Really Shines

HMS’s processing services are competitively priced and are especially well-suited to those running a web hosting or cloud service provider business and other SaaS solutions. HMS has a lot to offer other online businesses as well, as the company will provide you with a basic website at no additional cost and will work with your business to match you to the shopping cart that best fits your needs.

Stripe Pricing

Being a third-party processor, Stripe offers simple, flat-rate eCommerce pricing.

• Online Transactions: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
• International Transactions: +1%/transaction
• ACH: 0.8% (capped at $5)
• Chargebacks: $15
• No Monthly Fees

Stripe Features

Stripe Payments has always been closely tied to eCommerce and is known for its international acceptance, the wide selection of integrations, and exceptional array of developer tools. Other PSPs (such as Square and PayPal) are easier to use when you’re just starting your eCommerce business. But if you’re planning to use a web developer to design a top-of-the-line, slick-looking web store (and/or adding in-app payment functions), Stripe gives you more tools to integrate into your platform.

• Payment gateway
• Cryptocurrency processing
• Dynamic currency conversion
• Recurring billing and subscriptions
• Invoicing
• Developer tools (some of the best in the industry)

Where Stripe Really Shines

If you only want a simple online store, there are better processing solutions than Stripe. However, if your online business has unique needs and you’re in a position to take advantage of Stripe’s extensive developer tools, integrations, and international eCommerce capabilities, give Stripe some consideration.

Square Pricing

Square’s pricing makes it a great all-in-one solution for businesses with a relatively low transaction volume.

• Online Transactions: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (2.6% + $0.30 with a Premium Square Online subscription)
• ACH Bank Transfers (Via Invoices): 1% with a minimum of $1 per transaction
• Online Rate For CBD Merchants: 3.8% + $0.30 per transaction
• Monthly Fee: $0-$79/month, depending on your subscription level

Square Features

Square may be best known for its convenient POS hardware and expansive support software for small businesses. That said, Square does offer respectable eCommerce support and infrastructure. This includes a free online store (paid subscriptions are available for those needing advanced features) and shopping cart support, which can be great for businesses that are primarily brick-and-mortar but also do a portion of their business online.

• Cryptocurrency processing
• Currency conversion
• Invoicing
• Premade online checkout form
• Native eCommerce integrations
• Sell on multiple channels
• Sell internationally
• Marketing features
• Inventory management

Where Square Really Shines

Square offers a remarkably broad range of features for a payment processor with no monthly fees. And with Square Online, you’ll get an easy-to-use online store builder that provides a lot of value at the free level, while offering more features and storage to paid subscribers.

Lower-volume merchants stand the most to gain from Square, but this processor offers something for everybody, including CBD businesses looking to sell online.

Shopify Pricing

If you have a Shopify online store, using Shopify Payments for website payment processing lets you avoid paying a Shopify per-transaction fee of .5%-2% (on top of the processing fee) with each sale. And if you’re building a non-Shopify online store, you can still subscribe to Shopify Lite ($9/month) to add buy buttons to your site.

• No 0.5%-2.0% Shopify Transaction Fee
• Online Transactions: 2.4% + $0.30 to 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, depending on your subscription level
• Monthly Fee: $9-$299

Shopify Payments Features

Using Shopify Lite with your existing online store can be beneficial, particularly for merchants selling items on Amazon, eBay, and/or other sales channels. You’ll be able to sync and manage your listings in a single location, and you can generate all your sales data and shipping through Shopify.

Of course, Shopify’s full online stores are feature-packed as well. And with the numerous integrations Shopify offers for dropshippers and suppliers, eCommerce merchants have many reasons to like Shopify.

• Omnichannel selling
• Shop Pay (Shopify’s accelerated checkout option)
• Developer tools
• Security features and PCI compliance
• Chargeback management
• Shopify shipping
• Local and curbside pickup
• Local delivery

Where Shopify Really Shines

Shopify is well-established as an eCommerce powerhouse, offering a complete online selling package for merchants large and small. And with Shopify Payments, you’ll pay less per transaction than if you use another processor with your Shopify shop.

Dharma Pricing

• Online Transactions: Interchange + 0.20% + $0.11 per transaction
• Online Transactions (Nonprofits Only): Interchange + 0.10% + $0.11 per transaction
• Monthly Fee: $25 ($20 for nonprofits)
• Chargeback Fee: $25
• Retrieval Fee: $5

Dharma Features

As a part of its eCommerce offerings, Dharma uses MX Merchant as its integrated payments platform. This all-in-one service combines the features of a payment gateway and a virtual terminal into a single product. You’ll have access to the following:

• Online reporting
• A customer information database
• A mobile processing app
• Recurring billing
• eCheck/ACH processing

Where Dharma Really Shines

Dharma Merchant Services — a long-time Merchant Maverick favorite — is a great merchant account provider for most businesses (particularly those processing over $10,000/month). Additionally, it may be the best processor around for nonprofits. Dharma offers discounted pricing for nonprofit organizations and partners with 4aGoodCause to provide nonprofits with donation pages and event registration services.

Helcim Pricing

Helcim uses interchange-plus pricing exclusively. Your rates will decrease as your monthly processing volume increases.

• Online Transactions: From interchange + 0.20% + $0.10 to interchange + 0.50% + $0.25 per transaction
• Chargeback Fee: $0-$15 (depends on the outcome)
• No Monthly Fees: Online credit card transactions
• eCheck/ACH processing: $25/month and $0.25 per transaction

Helcim Features

Helcim offers payment processing services to US and Canadian merchants. Helcim’s integrated payments platform (Helcim Commerce) combines the functions of a payment gateway with other ancillary services that you’ll need to run your online business.

• Interntional payments
• Hosted online store builder
• Hosted payment pages
• Online food ordering
• Helcim API
• Virtual terminal
• Recurring billing
• Tokenization
• Product and inventory management

Where Helcim Really Shines

Canada-based Helcim is one of the top merchant account providers for Canadian businesses and a top-tier provider for US businesses. With a full slate of online selling features, completely transparent pricing, and a stellar reputation, Helcim should definitely be considered by any online merchant needing a full merchant account.

CDGcommerce Pricing

• Online Transactions: 2.90% + $0.30 with the flat-rate plan, interchange + 0.30% + $0.15 with the interchange-plus plan, and interchange + $0.05 to interchange + $0.10 with the membership plans
• Monthly Fee: $0 with the flat-rate plan, $19-$49 with the interchange-plus plan, and $49-$199 with the membership plans

With CDGcommerce, your pricing plan will depend on your sales volume and whether or not your business is considered high-risk.

• Flat-rate pricing is for merchants processing $1,000-$10,000/month
• Interchange-plus pricing is for those processing $10,000 and $200,000/month
• Membership pricing for merchants processing over $200,000/month
• High-risk merchants may be accepted but will pay more than low-risk merchants (pricing for high-risk merchants is not specifically disclosed)

CDGcommerce Features

With CDGcommerce, you get your choice of free payment gateways, including Authorize.Net and the company’s proprietary Quantum Gateway. You’ll also get the following:

• Virtual terminal
• Detailed online reporting
• High-risk processing
• Recurring billing
• A security service (cdg360)
• A Fraud Loss Reimbursement Plan (FLRP) for users of the Quantum gateway

Where CDGcommerce Really Shines

Featuring services and pricing that evolve to match the needs of your business as it grows, plus transparent pricing and a reputation for ethical service, CDGcommerce is a very strong choice for online credit card processing. High-risk merchants may be accepted as well.

Durango Pricing

Durango Merchant Services specializes in servicing high-risk businesses. The company does not disclose any pricing information or contract terms online; Durango works with numerous back-end processors, so these factors will be highly variable and subject to negotiation. If yours is a high-risk business, expect to pay higher processing rates than a similar low-risk business. Although interchange-plus is sometimes available, you’ll likely be placed on a tiered pricing plan.

Durango Features

Durango is an excellent choice for high-risk businesses needing online credit card processing. Durango also offers offshore merchant accounts for international merchants. Let’s go through what else Durango offers:

• Proprietary cloud-hosted Durango Pay gateway
• A variety of shopping cart integrations
• eCheck processing
• Cryptocurrency support
• Fraud protection

Where Durango Really Shines

Durango is one of the few high-risk providers of website payment processing that enjoys a great reputation for fair prices and contract terms. With solid services, a high degree of fraud and chargeback protection, and excellent customer support, Durango is an outstanding choice of processor for the right kind of business.

Stax Pricing

Stax deals exclusively in subscription-based (a.k.a. wholesale) pricing in which you’re charged 0% markup on interchange rates and instead pay a monthly membership fee.

• Monthly Fee: $99/month, $159/month, or $199/month, depending on your subscription tier
• Card-Not-Present/eCommerce Rate: $0.15 + interchange fee per transaction

Stax Features

While Stax isn’t eCommerce-focused per se, it does offer a number of features for online businesses:

• Customizable shopping cart, plus integrations with many popular shopping carts and gateways
• Stax API for developers
• Centralized web portal
• Customer database
• Inventory management
• Invoicing and reporting
• Free Quickbooks Online integration

Where Stax Really Shines

eCommerce merchants processing over $10,000/month will find Stax’s pricing model very cost-effective. All things considered, Stax’s integrated payments platform, which offers centralized invoicing, data analytics, inventory management, and more, provides excellent value for online sellers.