Most Square alternatives charge a percentage of each payment plus a fixed amount, but the total depends on whether the card is present, the plan you choose, the payment method, and your sales volume. In current U.S. published examples, Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic online cards; Shopify Payments ranges from 2.9% + $0.30 online and 2.6% + $0.10 in person on Basic; PayPal’s card-present starting rate is 2.29% + $0.09; and Helcim uses interchange-plus pricing. Square lists 2.6% + $0.15 for swiped magstripe cards on its U.S. support page.
The lowest advertised percentage is not automatically the lowest cost. A fixed 30-cent fee weighs heavily on small tickets, while monthly subscriptions, hardware, chargebacks, gateways, currency conversion, and card mix can change the result. The comparisons below use published U.S. figures and should be rechecked for your country and transaction date before you switch.
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How payment-processing fees are built
Every provider’s effective cost comes from more than the headline percentage. Start with the transaction equation:
Transaction fee = (sale amount × percentage rate) + fixed fee.
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Then add costs that are not attached to every authorization, such as a monthly software subscription, terminal or reader purchases, payment-gateway charges, chargeback fees, and currency-conversion costs where applicable. A fair comparison uses your actual payment channels and average ticket rather than one rate copied from a pricing page.
Card-present versus card-not-present
Card-present means the customer taps, inserts, or swipes at a reader or terminal. Card-not-present generally means an online checkout, keyed transaction, invoice, or other remote payment. Providers price these channels differently because the fraud and network risks differ. Do not compare an online Stripe rate with an in-person PayPal rate and call one universally cheaper.
Percentage and fixed cents have different effects
On a $10 sale, a 2.9% + $0.30 rate costs $0.59, or 5.9% of revenue. On a $100 sale, it costs $3.20, or 3.2%. The percentage is unchanged, but the fixed fee becomes less important as the ticket grows. This is why a business selling inexpensive items can favor a lower fixed fee even when the advertised percentage is slightly higher.
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Published U.S. rates at a glance
The table shows the current examples documented by each provider. “Not stated” means the cited material does not publish one universal figure, not that the service is free.
| Provider | Online or card-not-present | In-person or card-present | Monthly or fixed costs | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square | Varies by payment type on Square’s fee page | 2.6% + $0.15 for swiped magstripe cards | Square Free has no monthly subscription; paid plans and custom rates may apply | Mostly flat rate, with custom pricing at higher volume |
| Stripe | 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic cards | Standard pricing page is online-focused; in-person products use separate rates | No setup or monthly fee on standard pricing | Flat rate; custom volume and interchange-plus options may be available |
| Shopify Payments | Basic: 2.9% + $0.30; Grow: 2.7% + $0.30; Advanced: 2.5% + $0.30 | Basic: 2.6% + $0.10; Grow: 2.5% + $0.10; Advanced: 2.4% + $0.10 | Basic $39/month, Grow $105/month, Advanced $399/month on the cited monthly-billing display | Plan-based flat rate |
| PayPal and Zettle | Expanded checkout: 2.89% + $0.29; PayPal Checkout cards: 2.99% + $0.49; PayPal or Venmo: 3.49% + $0.49 | Starting rate of 2.29% + $0.09 | First card reader $29; terminal $199 | Channel- and payment-method-specific |
| Helcim | Interchange plus a processor percentage and fixed markup; exact total varies by card and channel | Interchange plus a processor percentage and fixed markup | Helcim’s fee guide describes no monthly software fee; hardware costs extra | Interchange-plus |
| Clover | Not stated as one universal rate; reseller and plan dependent | Not stated as one universal rate; reseller and plan dependent | Processing is priced separately; software and device costs vary | Contract- and reseller-specific |
| Stax | Interchange-plus with a subscription | Interchange-plus with a subscription | Comparison data lists plans from about $99/month | Subscription plus interchange-plus |
These are U.S. examples, and several are starting or plan-specific figures. A quote, contract, card mix, or later pricing update can produce a different effective rate.
Stripe: a simple online benchmark
Stripe’s published standard example is 2.9% + $0.30 per successful domestic-card transaction. The standard model has no setup or monthly fee, so a small online business can estimate payment cost without adding a software subscription.
What the rate costs at different ticket sizes
| Sale | 2.9% component | Fixed component | Total fee | Effective percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $0.29 | $0.30 | $0.59 | 5.90% |
| $50 | $1.45 | $0.30 | $1.75 | 3.50% |
| $100 | $2.90 | $0.30 | $3.20 | 3.20% |
Stripe’s standard page is primarily an online reference. If you need in-person acceptance, evaluate the separate product and rate rather than assuming the online figure applies. Larger merchants may request custom volume pricing or interchange-plus pricing, but eligibility and savings are not guaranteed by the published standard rate.
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Shopify Payments: the plan changes the rate
Shopify Payments combines a monthly commerce plan with a plan-specific processing rate. On the cited U.S. monthly-billing display, Basic costs $39 per month, Grow $105, and Advanced $399. Higher plans reduce the published processing rate in both channels.
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Online rates
| Plan | Online rate | Monthly price shown |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 2.9% + $0.30 | $39/month |
| Grow | 2.7% + $0.30 | $105/month |
| Advanced | 2.5% + $0.30 | $399/month |
In-person rates
| Plan | In-person rate |
|---|---|
| Basic | 2.6% + $0.10 |
| Grow | 2.5% + $0.10 |
| Advanced | 2.4% + $0.10 |
The fixed 10-cent in-person fee is substantially lighter on small tickets than a 30-cent online fee, but the monthly subscription still belongs in your calculation. For online sales, Grow saves 0.2 percentage points versus Basic. Ignoring all other plan features, the $66 monthly difference is offset at approximately $33,000 in monthly online card volume ($66 ÷ 0.002). Advanced is another $294 per month above Grow and saves another 0.2 percentage points, implying roughly $147,000 in monthly volume before considering non-payment features. These are break-even illustrations, not promises of savings.
PayPal and Zettle: payment method matters
PayPal’s published U.S. figures vary more by checkout method than a single flat-rate label suggests. Expanded checkout is listed at 2.89% + $0.29. PayPal Checkout cards are listed at 2.99% + $0.49, while PayPal or Venmo transactions are 3.49% + $0.49. The cited card-present starting rate is 2.29% + $0.09.
Why the card-present rate can look cheaper
At $10, 2.29% + $0.09 is about $0.32, or 3.19%. At $100, it is about $2.38, or 2.38%. By contrast, a $10 PayPal or Venmo transaction at 3.49% + $0.49 costs about $0.84, or 8.39%. The comparison is meaningful only if your customers actually use the corresponding channel or wallet. A merchant with mostly in-person card payments should not use the online-wallet rate to estimate its register costs.
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The cited figures list a $29 price for the first card reader and $199 for a terminal. Treat those as hardware purchases in your first-year budget rather than transaction fees. No current pricing disclosure establishes recurring hardware, replacement, or optional-accessory charges, so obtain the current device terms before ordering.
Helcim and Stax: interchange-plus requires modeling
Interchange-plus separates the card-network interchange component from the processor’s percentage and fixed markup. Helcim’s U.S. disclosure describes interchange plus a processor percentage and fixed per-transaction markup, with the exact amount depending on card and channel. Its guide describes no monthly software fee, although hardware costs extra. Stax also uses interchange-plus, but comparison data lists subscription plans from about $99 per month.
When interchange-plus can help
Interchange-plus exposes the underlying card cost instead of folding every card type into one blended rate. That can be attractive for a merchant processing substantial volume, accepting many favorable debit or regulated card types, or needing statement-level transparency. It does not guarantee a lower bill: rewards, commercial, keyed, international, and other categories can carry different interchange costs, and the processor markup remains.
How to compare an interchange-plus quote
- Request the processor’s percentage markup and fixed per-transaction markup in writing.
- Ask which network assessments, dues, gateway charges, batch fees, or other recurring line items are separate.
- Export several months of transactions with channel, card type, average ticket, and volume.
- Apply the quoted markup to that real mix, then add the subscription or hardware cost.
- Compare the resulting monthly total with a flat-rate alternative at the same volume.
Without your card mix and volume, no responsible comparison can turn “interchange-plus” into one universal percentage.
Clover: why there is no single published rate
Clover’s pricing material states that payment-processing fees are not included and will be priced separately. Rates therefore depend on the reseller, contract, plan, device, and merchant profile. A Clover device price or software subscription cannot be treated as the complete processing quote.
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Questions to ask before signing
- Who is the actual processing provider and contracting party?
- What are the percentage and fixed fees for both card-present and online transactions?
- Is the quoted rate introductory, recurring, or subject to a volume threshold?
- Are software, device financing, gateway, PCI, statement, batch, or cancellation charges separate?
- How are refunds, chargebacks, keyed transactions, and card-not-present payments priced?
Because no universal rate is established, compare the written all-in schedule rather than a reseller’s headline advertisement.
Which alternative is cheapest for a small business?
There is no single winner without three inputs: channel mix, average ticket, and monthly volume. Use this decision framework instead.
Mostly online, low to moderate volume
Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30 domestic-card rate is an easy baseline because standard pricing has no monthly fee. Shopify Basic has the same published online rate but adds the $39 monthly plan; that subscription may be justified by the commerce platform’s other capabilities, not by payment savings alone.
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Compare fixed cents first, then percentages. PayPal’s cited card-present starting rate is 2.29% + $0.09, Shopify Basic is 2.6% + $0.10, and Square’s cited swiped-magstripe example is 2.6% + $0.15. The card type and acceptance method must match your real checkout; a tap or insert rate may differ from a swiped-magstripe rate.
High volume or varied card mix
Request interchange-plus proposals from providers such as Helcim or Stax and model them against your statements. Stax’s subscription begins at about $99 in comparison data, so the fee reduction must exceed that fixed amount. Helcim’s no-monthly-software-fee description may improve predictability for a smaller operation, but hardware and the actual interchange-plus markup still determine the total.
Merchants already using an online store platform
Shopify’s plan tiers can make sense when the store subscription is needed regardless of processor. Calculate the incremental payment savings separately from the software value. Moving to a higher plan solely for a 0.2-point rate reduction requires the volume described earlier to break even on processing alone.
A practical cost-comparison worksheet
Build one month of comparable data before changing providers. Include:
- Online card volume and number of transactions.
- In-person card volume and number of transactions.
- Average ticket for each channel.
- Debit, credit, rewards, commercial, international, and wallet mix when available.
- Monthly software or subscription fees.
- Reader, terminal, gateway, or other hardware costs amortized over the period you expect to use them.
- Chargeback, currency-conversion, refund, PCI, statement, and other line items shown in the quote or contract.
For each provider, calculate monthly total cost = variable transaction fees + recurring fees + allocated hardware and other fixed charges. Divide that result by monthly processed volume to obtain an effective percentage. Also calculate cost per transaction; two providers with the same effective percentage can feel very different when one has a high fixed fee and fewer, larger sales.
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Common comparison mistakes
Using one channel’s rate for every sale
Online, keyed, invoice, wallet, and card-present payments can sit on different schedules. Segment them before comparing.
Ignoring the fixed fee
Multiply the fixed cents by your transaction count. A provider with a lower percentage can still cost more when your average ticket is small.
Leaving out subscriptions
Shopify and Stax illustrate the issue: a lower rate can be paired with a monthly charge. Include the subscription even in a month with little or no sales.
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Treating “no monthly fee” as “no other fee”
Helcim’s cited guide describes no monthly software fee, while hardware costs extra. Stripe’s standard pricing has no setup or monthly fee, but that does not establish that every optional product or payment channel has identical terms.
Assuming a starting rate is guaranteed
PayPal’s 2.29% + $0.09 is identified as a starting card-present rate. A starting figure may not describe every payment method, card type, volume tier, or contract.
Comparing rates from different countries or dates
The figures here are U.S. examples assembled from current published material. Country, currency, tax treatment, and later provider changes can make a direct comparison invalid.
How to switch without a fee surprise
- Export at least three months of processor statements and classify every payment by channel and card type.
- Record average ticket, transaction count, refunds, chargebacks, and monthly volume.
- Request written schedules for online and in-person processing, including fixed cents.
- List every recurring fee, hardware charge, gateway cost, contract term, and cancellation provision.
- Model a low-volume month, a typical month, and a peak month so a subscription does not look attractive only at your best volume.
- Verify that your checkout, accounting system, invoicing workflow, and existing reader or terminal are compatible with the proposed provider.
- Run both systems briefly when practical, reconcile deposits and fees, and keep the old account available until refunds and outstanding disputes are resolved.
What to verify on a current quote
Before relying on any rate in a budget, confirm the country, currency, card-present definition, online definition, eligible card types, recurring status of the price, and whether the quote is promotional or custom. Ask for the effective date and a complete fee schedule. Providers can change rates, and the figures above are not a substitute for the agreement you would sign.
Frequently asked questions
Is a lower percentage always better?
No. The fixed per-transaction amount and any subscription can outweigh a small percentage advantage. Compare total monthly dollars using your own ticket size and transaction count.
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- Pay one transparent rate per swipe for Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.
- Works in conjunction with most downloadable Square point-of-sale apps on your device. Customers can pay, tip and sign directly on your device. Track payments in cash, gift cards and more. Also lets you send receipts via e-mail or text message, makes it easy to apply discounts, keeps a data and sales history log and more.
- Accepts magstripe credit card payments, including those from Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express (fees apply).
- App sends deposits to your bank account within 1 to 2 business days, or enjoy instant deposits (fees apply).
Can a merchant combine a flat-rate and interchange-plus provider?
It may be operationally possible, but no published compatibility or contract terms establish universal compatibility. Evaluate reconciliation, hardware, customer experience, and whether splitting volume changes either provider’s pricing.
What should a merchant with seasonal sales prioritize?
Model months with little revenue as well as peak months. A subscription can be economical at high volume and expensive during the off-season; a no-monthly-fee option may provide more predictable downside protection.
Why does the same provider show several online rates?
Payment method, checkout product, card type, plan, and channel can each change the schedule. PayPal’s separate expanded-checkout, card, and PayPal-or-Venmo examples demonstrate why the exact tender type belongs in the calculation.
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Is a lower percentage always better?
No. The fixed per-transaction amount and any subscription can outweigh a small percentage advantage. Compare total monthly dollars using your own ticket size and transaction count.
Can a merchant combine a flat-rate and interchange-plus provider?
It may be operationally possible, but compatibility and contract terms vary. Evaluate reconciliation, hardware, customer experience, and whether splitting volume changes either provider’s pricing.
What should a merchant with seasonal sales prioritize?
Model both low-revenue and peak months. A subscription may be economical at high volume but costly during the off-season.
Why does the same provider show several online rates?
Payment method, checkout product, card type, plan, and channel can each change the schedule. Use the rate for the exact tender type you accept.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
