Looking For Clover Credit Card Processing? Here Are The 6 Best Clover Payments Providers

Our favorite Clover resellers offer fair rates, transparency, no long-term contracts, and the option to buy the hardware outright.

• Shannon Vissers The former editor-in-chief of SteelOrbis, Shannon has been researching and writing about small business software and financing since 2015. Her shopping and retail expertise has been cited in numerous publications, including Reader's Digest, MSN, Yahoo Finance, and GOBankingRates . She has also published articles for LIVESTRONG.COM, eHow, Life'd, and other websites. Shannon attended San Diego State University, graduating in 2005 with a BA in English.

  Expert Analyst & Reviewer

• 4 comments
• Updated on: Feb 22, 2022

Clover is everywhere these days. All the hip new stores seem to have this modular, Apple-esque point of sale system. So what makes Clover such a powerhouse that everyone wants, anyway?

Clover has many benefits from a business owner’s standpoint, whether you’re a retailer or a restauranteur. The all-in-one Clover payment system is super easy to use and set up, and it looks sleek and modern on your countertop to boot. You can accept virtually any payment type, send email receipts, tie in a loyalty program, and customize your system for just about any industry using apps from the Clover Market. Clover gives you several different hardware options, including the Clover Station, Clover Mini, or Clover Flex. You can even take on-the-go payments on your mobile device with Clover Go.

Where should you buy a Clover POS system? That’s where it gets a little tricky. There are so many Clover resellers to choose from, but it can be hard to know which ones are quality and which ones are stinkers. Where you purchase your Clover credit card machine from is super important and not just in terms of how much they charge for the Clover system itself; Clover sellers are also Clover merchant services providers that set their own monthly software fees as well as ongoing Clover merchant account fees.

Learn More About Our Top Picks

Company	Highlights	Next StepsHighlights
Read More	Month-to-month contracts Transparent rates and terms Interchange-plus pricing Plans start at $9.95/month (+ Clover fees)	Month-to-month contracts Transparent rates and terms Interchange-plus pricing Plans start at $9.95/month (+ Clover fees) Visit Site Read More
Read More	No long-term contract or ETF 0% interchange-plus pricing Next-day deposits $59+ monthly service fee	No long-term contract or ETF 0% interchange-plus pricing Next-day deposits $59+ monthly service fee Visit Site Read More
Read More	Interchange-plus pricing No long-term contract or ETF Next-day deposits Plans starting at $25/month (+ Clover fees)	Interchange-plus pricing No long-term contract or ETF Next-day deposits Plans starting at $25/month (+ Clover fees) Visit Site Read More
Read More	Free plan available Month-to-month billing Flat-rate credit card processing $39.95/month for standard Clover Station plan	Free plan available Month-to-month billing Flat-rate credit card processing $39.95/month for standard Clover Station plan Visit Site Read More
Read More	Cash discount, hybrid, & interchange-plus processing plans Month-to-month billing Options for low-volume businesses Plans start at $15/month (+ Clover software fees)	Cash discount, hybrid, & interchange-plus processing plans Month-to-month billing Options for low-volume businesses Plans start at $15/month (+ Clover software fees) Visit Site Read More

Other Featured Options:

• Host Merchant Services:
  • Interchange-plus and cash discount plans
  • No long-term contracts or ETF
  • Free cash discount plan if processing >$5K/month
  • Interchange plans start at $14.99/month

Read more below to learn why we chose these options.

How Does Clover Merchant Services Work?

Clover merchant services is a catch-all term for credit card processing with Clover POS. You can’t accept payments using the Clover POS system unless you also have a Clover merchant account. Clover POS systems are almost always sold with a merchant account, which means you are also entering a payment processing contract with this company.

Numerous vendors sell Clover point of sale systems, but you want to choose your Clover reseller very carefully. That’s because the entity you buy your Clover hardware from will also determine your Clover payment processing rates and monthly service fees and provide system support should anything go wrong.

Another essential thing to know is that Clover POS is locked into First Data (now Fiserv) for payment processing. So any merchant services company that offers Clover has to use Fiserv as its back-end processor. That leads to a lot of confusion and different experiences.

I’ll walk you through the best options for purchasing a Clover POS and the accompanying Clover merchant account — and also let you know which companies to avoid at all costs.

The 6 Best Clover Credit Card Processing Companies

Below are some of our favorite Clover merchant services providers. These Clover resellers offer fair and transparent Clover credit card processing rates, month-to-month contracts, quick deposits, and upfront hardware pricing.

• National Processing
• Payment Depot
• Dharma Merchant Services
• Clover
• VizyPay
• Host Merchant Services

1. National Processing

Best for any size business.

National Processing is a great service for businesses that want low rates from a reliable company. Interchange-plus pricing combined with low-cost monthly plans means you’ll save money using your Clover with National Processing. That’s true whether you have a low- or high-volume business and whether you primarily sell with a countertop POS, such as a Mini or Station, or prefer to use a mobile Flex or Go device. If a problem should arise, you can rely on National Processing’s 24/7 domestic support, regardless of your account level.

National Processing’s processing fees start at 0.14% + $0.07 over interchange for small to medium businesses and can be as low as 0% + $0.05 over interchange for larger plans. National Processing also offers a cash discount plan for $39.95/month. Even if you have a lower-volume business that only processes $10K/month, National Processing promises to beat the rates of any other Clover payment processor. If it can’t, you’ll get a $500 Visa gift card. We are usually a bit wary of those promises, but we’ve seen that National Processing is the real deal.

As for monthly pricing, National Processing plans start at $9.95/month, which is charged on top of Clover’s monthly software fees. A business on a Clover Register plan might expect to pay $49.90/month to use Clover with National Processing. You’ll get lower transaction fees with National Processing than you would if you bought a plan straight from Clover, though (more on Clover’s plans and fees in a bit).

Get Started with National Processing

Read our in-depth review

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2. Payment Depot

Best for mid-sized businesses.

Payment Depot is one of the few reputable Clover/First Data resellers, combining honest sales practices and low processing fees. Payment Depot offers a transparent membership pricing structure, whereby a flat monthly fee covers just about everything. Depending on your membership level, you pay only a small markup over interchange (0% interchange-plus pricing). There are no hidden fees, no ETF, and you can pay month-to-month or yearly. You also get next-day deposits, which is pretty much the only advantage Bank of America, another popular Clover reseller, has over some Clover vendors.

Payment Depot lets you buy Clover device(s) outright but does not list specific pricing. Payment Depot offers a few different monthly pricing plans. On the Starter level of membership, which has a $125K/year processing limit, you’ll pay $59/month and interchange + 0% + $0.15 per transaction. At the next level up (Starter Plus), which has a $250K/year processing limit, you’ll pay $79/month and just $0.10 over interchange. There is also an enterprise-level plan (Growth) for $99/month, which has a processing limit of $500K/year and a rate of $0.07 over interchange. Not too shabby!

Get Started with Payment Depot

Read our in-depth review

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3. Dharma Merchant Services

Best ethical Clover reseller.

Dharma Merchant Services is among the finest and most ethical Fiserv/Clover resellers we know of. Dharma is very upfront about all its fees. It exclusively uses the interchange-plus pricing model, charging excellent in-person processing rates of 0.15% + $0.08/transaction over interchange and even lower rates for higher-volume businesses processing upward of $100K/month. Dharma offers next-day deposits, month-to-month contracts, and no early termination fee. Dharma also has great customer service agents who do not work on commission. The company even donates a percentage of its profits to charity every year.

As for service fees, Dharma offers several monthly service plans directly from Clover, including a limited “Payments Plus” plan ($4.95/month) for basic Clover Mini and Flex users who don’t need to track inventory or use very many third-party apps. More advanced Mini or Flex users, as well as Clover Station users, will pay for the Register Lite ($9.95/month) or Register plan ($39.95/month) through Dharma. Additionally, Dharma charges a $25/month membership fee for its interchange-plus Clover payment processing.

Dharma charges $1,649 for the Clover Station hardware, $749 for Clover Mini, and $499 for Clover Flex. For an additional $15/month, you can also buy an LTE service plan for the Flex. Dharma provides a wealth of information about terms and fees for Clover POS systems on its website. Dharma does offer Clover leases, but it’s very clear about the terms, and you are under no obligation to lease your equipment if you don’t want to.

Get Started with Dharma Merchant Services

Read our in-depth review

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4. Clover

Best for very low-volume businesses.

Ironically, Clover has not always been a recommended place to buy Clover equipment and the accompanying merchant services contract. However, it has made some pretty impressive strides at improving its product: 0% interest financing on hardware that you can buy outright, clear pricing disclosures, and flat-rate processing, to name a few. In light of this, I feel like Clover merits a mention, particularly for lower-volume businesses that want a powerful POS for a lower price since the previously mentioned vendors are mostly better for higher-volume businesses.

Interchange-plus pricing is not offered for Clover payments, but it has a flat-rate pricing model that may appeal to lower-volume merchants looking for a payment processing system that compares to what Square offers. Clover’s plans and rates are below. Other merchant services providers commonly resell these Clover service plans, though pricing may differ:

• Clover Payments (For Go, Flex, Or Mini Only): $0/month and 2.6 + $0.10 processing — best for small businesses that only need processing with no POS features
• Clover Essentials (For Go, Flex, Or Mini Only): $9.95/month and 2.6% + $0.10 processing — best for very small businesses processing less than $50K/year
• Clover Register: $39.95/month and 2.3% + $0.10 — best for most businesses processing more than $50K/year
• Table Service Restaurant: $69.95/month and 2.3% + $0.10 — best for full-service restaurants
• Counter Service Restaurant: $39.95/month and 2.3% + $0.10 — best for QSR

Adding additional devices to a Clover software plan will cost $9.95/month/device, regardless of the plan. Clover.com is also a good option if you can’t afford to buy a Clover Mini, Flex, or Station outright, but you don’t want to get stuck in a years-long lease. With Clover’s interest-free equipment financing, you can pay off your POS in just a few monthly payments. For more information on Clover pricing, including what Clover charges for each of its POS devices, read: How Much Does Clover Cost? Your Ultimate Guide To Clover Fees.

Get Started with Clover POS

Read our in-depth review

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5. VizyPay

Best for low-volume businesses that want to use cash discounting.

Fiserv and Clover reseller VizyPay differentiates itself from the competition with its alternative Clover pricing model, which includes multiple cash discounting options, including a “hybrid” processing plan, as well as a traditional interchange-plus processing plan. VizyPay has good user reviews from those who like this processor due to its transparent month-to-month pricing and excellent customer service.

VizyPay is a good option for lower-volume businesses that want to use Clover and businesses that want cash discount processing — a processing model in which your credit card fees are passed along to the customer. VizyPay’s Cash Discount programs for Clover start at $25/month for the Mini plan for businesses processing less than $5K/month. There’s also a $50/month “Core” plan for merchants processing up to $10K/month and a $100/month Premium plan that lets you process more than $10K/month. Interestingly, VizyPay also offers a $25/month “Hybrid” plan that charges the customer for credit card processing (4%) unless they pay with debit, in which case the merchant pays a fee of 1% + $0.25. VizyPay additionally has a $15/month interchange-plus plan with fixed margins of 0.35% + $0.10 per transaction + interchange.

VizPay hardware and software pricing for Clover (charged in addition to the processing plan fee) is as follows: $975 and $24.90/month for Clover Mini; $650 and $24.90/month for Clover Flex; $1,675 and $59.90/month for Clover Station Solo; and $1,975 and $59.90 for Clover Station Duo. Clover Go is also available for $10/month. You can buy your Clover hardware from VizyPay outright, though it also offers leases (which we don’t recommend). Plans are month-to-month with no ETF unless specified otherwise (verify this before signing the dotted line!).

Read our in-depth review

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6. Host Merchant Services

Best for great customer service.

Host Merchant Services has a lot going for it. This MSP offers monthly Clover plans with transparent interchange-plus pricing and a cash discount processing model. Host plans are all month-to-month with no monthly minimum or ETF. Best of all, Host is renowned for its excellent customer service and merchant-focused attitude.

Unfortunately, Host does not list its hardware or monthly software pricing for Clover POS devices on its website. In terms of its monthly processing fees, Host Merchant Services charges a very reasonable $14.99/month for interchange-plus plans, with rates starting at interchange + 0.20% + $0.09 per transaction. Host’s cash discounting plan is free to businesses processing more than $5K/month and incurs a $20/month fee for all other businesses. Host notes that the cash discount plan is only available to businesses that don’t need to use the tip-adjust option when processing transactions.

Not sure if cash discounting such as what Host offers is right for your business? Read The Truth About No-Fee & Zero-Cost Credit Card Processing to learn more about this processing model.

Get Started with Host Merchant Services

Read our in-depth review

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Dishonorable Mentions: The Worst Companies To Buy Clover POS & Register Products From

What makes some credit card terminal companies bad to buy from? It’s generally not the POS equipment or even the payment processing itself, but the terms of service and fees that come with your merchant services contract. Here are some common problems we see in subpar POS resellers, including many Clover vendors:

• Terrible merchant agreements (for example, multi-year service plans with early termination fees or ETFs)
• Hardware leases
• Poor customer service — though Fiserv/Clover handles technical support for all Clover products 
• Excessively high fees 
• Lack of transparency about terms and prices

Historically, Clover terminals were leased on three to four-year non-cancelable agreements that ended up costing as much as three times the value of the hardware. In addition to being more expensive, leases also keep you locked into processing with that company, even if you are not happy with their services. While most Clover resellers have moved away from this leasing model, there are still a lot of terrible companies out there that will try to pressure you into a lease. If you’re considering a lease, make sure you read our post on why you should never lease your credit card machine.

In any case, the following are some Clover resellers that are best to avoid. Not all of them are completely terrible, but better options are available.

Leaders Merchant Services

Leaders Merchant Services is a classic Clover POS/First Data (Fiserv) reseller. Unfortunately, it’s known for deceptive advertising and sales tactics. You can expect a three-year contract with an ETF and lots of hidden fees with this company.

The only good thing about Leaders Merchant Services is that it caters to high-risk businesses, so it could be an option if you are in a high-risk industry and want to use Clover. Just make sure you have a crystal-clear understanding of your contract’s fees and terms before signing a merchant services agreement with this company.

Note that Leaders Merchant Services is owned by iPayment, which also owns another Clover reseller called Flagship Merchant Services. (Flagship is not great but not as bad as Leaders Merchant Services.)

First Data/Fiserv

You have the option to get your Clover with a traditional First Data/Fiserv merchant services account, but we wouldn’t recommend it. I know it’s a little confusing since all Clover resellers ultimately use a First Data/Fiserv merchant account for Clover payment processing. But again, it all comes down to the terms of your merchant services contract — and First Data does not have the best.

While First Data may be a decent choice for large businesses, small businesses probably won’t find the best rates here. Rates vary from business to business, but First Data could set you up with any number of billing options, including tiered, interchange-plus, flat rate, or enhanced billback (you really don’t want that last one). First Data does not disclose any rates or pricing for Clover on its website.

If you decide to get your Clover directly through First Data, make sure you don’t agree to a lease. First Data leases are handled through its subsidiary, First Data Global Leasing, one of the industry’s worst equipment leasing companies. You’d be better off going through Clover.com directly because you will get clearly disclosed rates — and again, the option for 0% financing instead of a lease.

Bank Of America Merchant Services

Bank of America Merchant Services is a popular Clover reseller that partners with First Data/Fiserv to provide merchant services. BofA has decent customer service and offers the considerable advantage of next-day deposits (though only if you have a BofA bank account). Its rates and terms are not the worst we’ve seen, but they are not particularly competitive, either; most businesses can find lower Clover processing fees elsewhere.

In recent years, BofA has at least moved to a flat-rate, month-to-month pricing model for Clover; it now discloses 2.7% flat-rate pricing for Clover card processing. While this is an okay rate for low-volume businesses, it’s not even as low as you could get from Clover directly on the Register plan. BofA offers the same monthly software service plans as Clover, and there doesn’t seem to be an additional markup. While BofA charges a little less than Clover does for the Register Lite plan, again, if you’re on the fully-featured Register plan, you’ll save money by going directly through Clover.

BofA does give you the option of purchasing Clover equipment outright (though its rates seem a little inflated). BofA also offers leases on Clover equipment through First Data’s aforementioned terrible leasing company.

BofA is a decent provider of merchant services for Clover and one of the largest Clover resellers. But unless the perk of next-day deposits outweighs the service costs and commitment, you may want to search elsewhere for your Clover POS system.

Sam’s Club Merchant Services

In addition to flat-screens and 24-packs of Pringles, Sam’s Club also sells Clover using First Data’s merchant services. Aside from its brand name, Sam’s Club doesn’t provide any additional value to First Data’s merchant services offering. Its products and fees are the same as First Data’s, and you can’t get next-day deposits the way you can with BofA. While it might be a great store at which to buy toilet paper, it’s probably not the best place to get a merchant services contract.

Wells Fargo Merchant Services

Wells Fargo Merchant Services is another major Clover POS system reseller/First Data merchant account reseller, but it’s no better than Sam’s Club or BofA. In fact, it’s probably worse than both of those companies. Some things you can expect with WFMS include hefty processing fees, an early termination fee (if you break your four-year merchant services contract), and costly terminal leases. Please never lease a POS system; it’s always better to scrounge up the thousand-some bucks to buy it outright, even if you need to borrow the money.

WFMS does not disclose its rates for Clover online or elsewhere.

Merchant One

Merchant One is yet another Clover reseller and a Registered ISO of Wells Fargo. There’s not a whole lot to say because it doesn’t disclose rates or fees on its website, but from what we can determine, it charges a lot of hidden fees and uses tiered pricing by default. Merchant One also pushes noncancelable Clover leases through First Data Global Leasing and requires a three-year contract with a monthly minimum. Merchant One has a friendly-seeming website, but when you get down to it, its terms for Clover are neither transparent nor fairly priced.

Choosing The Right POS Hardware For Your Clover Payments System

There are several different Clover credit card machines to choose from. Depending on space and your type of business, you might decide to purchase one or multiple Clover devices, as they are all compatible with each other and can be used on the same account. Choosing the right device or devices depends on your selling needs.

Which Clover Payments Processor Is Best For Me?

Hundreds of banks and Clover merchant services providers sell Clover credit card machines. But the institution you buy it from matters a lot; remember, you’re also buying an accompanying merchant services contract from that vendor. Be sure to read the fine print when purchasing Clover and the associated merchant account contract that comes with it.

Here are some final pieces of advice I have when it comes to buying Clover:

• Try to buy Clover from one of the Clover vendors we recommend above
• Very low-volume businesses processing less than $10K/month should consider buying from Clover directly 
• As a standalone mobile processor, consider using Square or SwipeSimple instead of Clover Go
• Don’t lease your terminal
• Don’t buy your Clover on eBay
• Some Clover providers offer “free processing” plans with a cash discount model, though this model doesn’t work for all businesses (or in all US states)
• Be advised that Clover hardware is always sold with a First Data/Fiserv merchant services contract (though your Fiserv merchant account can come from one of many resellers)

If you’re unsure about a Clover reseller, you can research Clover merchant account providers in our merchant account reviews section or contact us for some personalized help in choosing a provider and Clover reseller. And finally, if you’re open to using a POS system other than Clover, you might want to take a look at some Clover alternatives that could work better for you.

Clover Payments & Merchant Services FAQ: Common Questions For Businesses

In Summary: The 6 Best Clover Credit Card Processing Companies

1. National Processing:
   • Month-to-month contracts
   • Transparent rates and terms
   • Interchange-plus pricing
   • Plans start at $9.95/month (+ Clover fees)
2. Payment Depot:
   • No long-term contract or ETF
   • 0% interchange-plus pricing
   • Next-day deposits
   • $59+ monthly service fee
3. Dharma Merchant Services:
   • Interchange-plus pricing
   • No long-term contract or ETF
   • Next-day deposits
   • Plans starting at $25/month (+ Clover fees)
4. Clover POS:
   • Free plan available
   • Month-to-month billing
   • Flat-rate credit card processing
   • $39.95/month for standard Clover Station plan
5. VizyPay:
   • Cash discount, hybrid, & interchange-plus processing plans
   • Month-to-month billing
   • Options for low-volume businesses
   • Plans start at $15/month (+ Clover software fees)
6. Host Merchant Services:
   • Interchange-plus and cash discount plans
   • No long-term contracts or ETF
   • Free cash discount plan if processing >$5K/month
   • Interchange plans start at $14.99/month

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Shannon Vissers

Expert Analyst & Reviewer at Merchant Maverick

The former editor-in-chief of SteelOrbis, Shannon has been researching and writing about small business software and financing since 2015. Her shopping and retail expertise has been cited in numerous publications, including Reader's Digest, MSN, Yahoo Finance, and GOBankingRates . She has also published articles for LIVESTRONG.COM, eHow, Life'd, and other websites. Shannon attended San Diego State University, graduating in 2005 with a BA in English.

@ShannonVissers

View Shannon Vissers's professional experience on LinkedIn.

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4 Comments

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the vendor or bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the vendor or bank advertiser. It is not the vendor or bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Toby Wiik January 4, 2019 at 1:18 pm

Great article. Well written and informative. It was posted in April of 2017. We are looking at opening a store in the spring of 2019. Are you aware of anything in the landscape of these companies that has changed for better or worse?

This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.

Reply

Shannon Vissers January 10, 2019 at 2:56 pm

Thanks Toby! I don’t think anything much has changed. We still recommend buying Clover through Payment Depot, Dharma Merchant Services, or National Processing, as those First Data resellers have the best rates and terms. Definitely avoid leasing your Clover or buying from BofA, Sam’s Club, etc. I believe the chart at the end of the article with entry-level quotes for each vendor is updated automatically, so those rates should be current.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.

Reply
Jeanene C Valdes December 14, 2018 at 1:12 pm

Very Helpful and knowledgeable article , Thank you!
Recently reeling from researching/closing accounts with ipayments/Flagship
Merchant Services/Blackstone (did you hear about the complaints with fees for Public service RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS?! shady! ) I literally had to create a spreadsheet to keep up with who I was talking to and who they were representing, and who I needed to talk to about different fees. Seriously, there needs to be a class action suite on that company.
What a sham!
Anyway your article is helpful for me to know where to ask questions.
I’m currently looking at Stone Bridge processing Combined with Clover app to invoice and link through QuickBooks. I am being promised 1% + .10 per trx on credit cards. Clover is $30/month. If its all true would be waaaaay better than the mess above, and QuickBooks which is my current processor.

FYI-I DID comb through terms & conditions on information they resell, or “Share”. Stone Ridge and Clover both look pretty good on the “personally identifiable information” arena. Specifically they claimed (and I verified to the best of my ability in the terms) they will not share my, or my customers phone number, address, or e-mail address, which is a big deal for me.

I would appreciate any feedback on Stone Ridge Payments if available.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.

Reply

Jessica Dinsmore December 17, 2018 at 11:44 am

Hi Jeanene! So glad to hear you’re finding helpful info on our blog! We love hearing this kind of feedback from our readers! Unfortunately, we haven’t yet reviewed Stone Ridge Payments, so we can’t give an assessment one way or the other. If you have any other questions, please let us know and we will do our best to answer them. Good luck to you!

This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.

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