Square vs Helcim
Square is a good credit card processor for low-volume businesses. How does it compare to Helcim? Read our comparison chart below.
Square has a low swipe fee of 2.6% + $0.15 per transaction. It has no monthly fees, no contract, and no chargeback fees. Square offers a free swipe reader, feature-rich POS app, free virtual terminal, and free online store.
While Helcim offers interchange-plus pricing for businesses of all sizes, with automatic discounts for larger processing volume. It has no contract and no monthly fees. Merchants get full access to all its payment tools with no add-on fees or usage limits.
Compare Square with Helcim, side-by-side. Read on for an in-depth look, including ratings, reviews, pros and cons.
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Visit Site | Visit Site | |
Square | Helcim | |
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Square Reader: Free Mobile Credit Card Reader - | Start Accepting Payments Fast - | |
Benefits and Features | ||
Monthly Fee | ||
Good For | Mobile & small businesses with average transaction over $100 | Small-mid sized businesses; Seasonal businesses |
Equipment | Card reader: $0 to $59; Stand, Terminal, and Register available for purchase | $99 for Helcim Card Reader; $329 for Helcim Smart Terminal |
Accept International Payments | Customers can purchase in CAD/USD (not their local currency) from any location | |
Customer Service | Phone, Email, Live Chat Support, Seller Community | Phone, email, or schedule callback |
Fraud Prevention Tools | ![]() | ![]() |
Invoice Management | ![]() | ![]() |
Pricing Model | ||
Recurring Billing | ![]() | ![]() |
ACH Payments | ||
Swipe Rate | Interchange rate + 0.40% + $0.08 (for processing up to $50,000/mo; discounts for larger volume) | |
Online Rate | Interchange rate + 0.50% + $0.25 (for processing up to $50,000/month; discounts for larger volume) | |
Keyed-in Transaction Fee | Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ (for processing up to $50,000/mo; discounts for larger volume) | |
Deposit Time | Payments before 5PM PT / 8 PM ET is available the next business day | |
Chargeback Fee | $15 ($0 if you win the dispute) | |
CreditDonkey® Reviews | ||
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Price | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Equipment | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Contract | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Customer Service | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Ecommerce | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
High Volume Business | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Low Volume Business | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pros & Cons | Pros:
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Bottom Line | Good credit card processor for low-volume businesses... | Excellent interchange-plus provider if you're looking for overall value and service... |
Visit Site | Visit Site | |
Square Reader: Free Mobile Credit Card Reader
- Pay 2.6% + 15¢ Per Swipe for Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express
- Accept Credit Cards Anywhere
- Fast Setup, No Commitments
Square Contactless and Chip Card Reader
- Pay 2.6% + 15¢ per tap or dip for Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express
- Accept Chip Cards and Contactless Payments Anywhere
Square Terminal
- 2.6% + 15¢ per tap, dip, or swipe
- Fully integrated POS system with built-in receipt printer
- 5.5" display
Helcim Card Reader for $99
- Tap & Pay
- Chip & PIN
- PIN Debit
- Email receipts
- Inventory and customer tracking
- Analytics & reporting
- Batch history
- Card on file
Helcim Pricing
Monthly Volume | In-person Transactions | Online and Keyed Transactions |
---|---|---|
$0 - $50,000 | Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ | Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ |
$50,001 - $100,000 | Interchange + 0.35% + 7¢ | Interchange + 0.45% + 20¢ |
$100,001 - $500,000 | Interchange + 0.25% + 7¢ | Interchange + 0.35% + 20¢ |
$500,001 - $1,000,000 | Interchange + 0.20% + 6¢ | Interchange + 0.25% + 15¢ |
$1,000,001+ | Interchange + 0.15% + 6¢ | Interchange + 0.15% + 15¢ |
Which is Better: Square or Helcim?
Still need help deciding which merchant services is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing Square or Stripe.
In short: Square's equipment and low volume business are impressive. Helcim's customer service is noteworthy.