Card reader / mobile POS · United States
Helcim card processing fees: what a shop actually pays
This provider publishes prices, but not ones a total can be built from. Either the rate is quoted as a starting figure, or it is interchange plus a markup, where the largest part of the cost is set by the card networks and is not published anywhere on the page.
Everything below is what the provider does state publicly, with the parts it does not state marked as such.
What does the provider publish?
Helcim publishes the plans below on its own pricing page; the last column quotes the conditions in the provider's words.
| Plan | Monthly fee | Hardware | In person | Online or keyed | Effective at 5,000 a month | As published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interchange plus, $0-50k a month | none | $199 once | interchange + 0.40% + $0.08 | 0.50% | — | Interchange is set by the card networks and is not published by the provider, so the total cannot be computed. Interchange + 0.40% + 8c card present, interchange + 0.50% + 25c card not present. Card Reader $199; Smart Terminal $349. Helcim publishes its markup against a monthly volume band. |
| Interchange plus, $50-100k a month | none | $199 once | interchange + 0.35% + $0.07 | 0.45% | — | Interchange is set by the card networks and is not published by the provider, so the total cannot be computed. We do not charge any of the typical hidden fees, like statement fees, monthly minimum fees, annual fees or PCI compliance fees. Helcim publishes its markup against a monthly volume band. |
Scroll sideways on a phone.
Chargeback fee: not stated in the provider's published pages (checked 2026-08-25).
Time to payout: not stated in the provider's published pages (checked 2026-08-25).
What is fixed and what moves with sales?
Helcim publishes both the percentage and the per-transaction fee. checked 2026-08-25
A percentage on its own says nothing about what a small shop pays. The monthly fee, the terminal and the per-transaction fee are fixed amounts, so they land hardest on the shops with the least card volume — which is the opposite of how the headline rate reads.
Who owns it?
Who owns this company is not stated on its own site, and we could not confirm it from a primary source. We have left it blank rather than repeat what other sites say.
Where this leaves you
- You cannot budget from this page. Ask for the rate in writing, for debit and credit separately, plus the monthly fee, the terminal cost, the minimum monthly charge and the length of the contract, before anyone books a call.
- Ask what the rate is on business and foreign cards. It is the most common reason a statement comes back higher than the quote.
- Providers that do publish a rate are listed in the full list.
Who this page is not for
This is not a review. We have not used Helcim, we hold no opinion on its hardware or its support, and nothing here is a recommendation. It answers one question: what the published price turns into as a share of card sales.
Sources
- Helcim pricing page — every figure on this page. checked 2026-08-25
- data.json — the row behind this page, with the source URL and check date on every figure.
Related
- Every provider we hold, and which publish a rate
- Work out your own effective rate
- The three numbers behind a card rate: the fixed fee, the flat fee and the floor
- How these figures are produced
Written by Kaz (pen name). Figures are copied from providers' published pricing pages on the dates shown. We have not used these products. Corrections: contact form.