Transparent interchange-plus pricing with automatic volume discounts.
Interchange + 0.50% + $0.25
online rate
$0
monthly fee
Next day
payout
Growing SMBs
Transparent pricing
Omnichannel
Small Business
Simple, predictable pricing with no long-term contracts.
Small businesses are best served by simple, predictable pricing, quick setup, and no lock-in. Compare processors that won't bury you in monthly fees or annual contracts.
23 processors
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Rated 4.5 out of 5 from 4 reviews.
All-in-one point of sale and payments for in-person businesses.
2.9% + $0.30
online rate
$0
monthly fee
Next day
payout
Retail
Restaurants
Small business
Subscription-style pricing that passes interchange straight through.
Interchange + $0.15
online rate
$99
monthly fee
Next day
payout
High volume
Predictable cost
Established businesses
The widely recognised wallet and checkout button merchants trust.
2.99% + $0.49
online rate
$0
monthly fee
Instant
payout
Small business
Cross-border
Quick setup
A long-established payment gateway for online and MOTO payments.
2.9% + $0.30
online rate
$25
monthly fee
Varies
payout
Traditional businesses
MOTO
Virtual terminal
Publishes its exact interchange-plus markup by industry rather than quoting it, and prices nonprofits lower still.
IC + 0.20% + $0.11
online rate
$20, $15 nonprofit
monthly fee
Varies
payout
Nonprofits
Small Business
Retail Storefronts
+1
Card readers and payments for over 4 million small businesses in 36 markets, with no monthly fees on the standard plan.
3.5% + $0.15 US, 2.5% UK
online rate
$0 standard
monthly fee
Next day
payout
Mobile and market sellers
Cafes and salons
Trades
+1
Stripe-owned African payment platform serving 200,000+ businesses in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Cote d'Ivoire.
1.5% + NGN 100, capped
online rate
None
monthly fee
Next day
payout
African ecommerce
Mobile money acceptance
Developer integrations
+1
European payment service provider with published per-transaction pricing, deep local method coverage and no monthly fee for online payments.
1.8% + EUR 0.25
online rate
EUR 0 online
monthly fee
Varies
payout
European ecommerce
Small business
Marketplaces
+1
Bank payment specialist collecting Direct Debit and open banking payments in 30+ countries, with capped per-transaction fees and no monthly cost.
No card payments
online rate
None
monthly fee
Varies
payout
Recurring billing
Invoice collection
Memberships and clubs
+1
US merchant services provider offering paperless card and ACH processing on month-to-month terms with no cancellation fee.
From 1.49% + $0.15
online rate
None above $10k volume
monthly fee
2-day
payout
Healthcare practices
Auto repair shops
Professional services
Indonesian payment gateway owned by GoTo Financial, with a published rate for every method: GoPay, QRIS, virtual accounts, cards and convenience stores.
2.9% + IDR 2,000
online rate
IDR 0 per month
monthly fee
T+3
payout
Indonesian ecommerce
Local payment methods
Small business
+1Small Business Payment Processing Buyers Guide
Updated August 2026
Choosing a payment processor as a small business comes down to a few things that actually move the needle: the real cost per sale, how fast you get paid, and whether you're locked into a contract. This guide walks through each so you can shortlist providers with confidence.
Key takeaways
- Flat-rate pricing (e.g. 2.9% + 30¢) is simplest for lower-volume businesses.
- Watch for monthly fees, PCI fees, and long-term contracts, not just the headline rate.
- Faster payouts matter for cash flow, so compare 1 to 2 day vs standard settlement.
What is small business payment processing?
Payment processing is the service that moves money from your customer's card or bank to your account when they buy from you. For a small business, a processor bundles the merchant account, the gateway, and often the card reader or checkout page into one monthly relationship, so you can accept cards online and in person without stitching the pieces together yourself.
What are the benefits for a small business?
The right processor lowers the friction of getting paid and the cost of every sale. Concrete benefits include:
- Transparent, predictable per-transaction pricing.
- No long-term contract, so you can switch if a better fit appears.
- Faster payouts that smooth out cash flow.
- Built-in tools like invoicing, tap-to-pay, and basic reporting.
What should you consider before signing up?
Look past the advertised rate. Check the monthly fee, any PCI-compliance or statement fees, the payout schedule, and whether the provider supports the payment methods your customers actually use. If you sell both online and in person, confirm one account covers both channels.
Trends in small business payments
Tap-to-pay on phones has removed most of the hardware cost of accepting cards in person, and flat-rate pricing has become the default for new businesses. Instant or next-day payouts, once an enterprise feature, are now widely available and worth prioritising for tighter cash flow.
Frequently asked questions
- What merchant services are best for a small business just starting out?
- Look for $0 monthly fee, no contract lock-in, and fast payouts; flat-rate and interchange-plus providers both work well depending on your volume.
- What are typical credit card processing fees for a small business?
- Most small businesses pay somewhere between 2.6% and 3.5% per transaction depending on card type, pricing model, and whether the sale is online or in person.
- Do small businesses need a monthly minimum with merchant services?
- Not necessarily. Several providers on this list have no monthly minimum, which suits businesses with lower or seasonal transaction volume.