Helcim vs Clover: Cost and Fees Calculator
Enter your volumes to compare estimated monthly costs and fees for Helcim and Clover across the selling types both offer, using published US pricing.
In-person card payments
Full POS system
Estimates combine processing fees and monthly subscriptions on the plans noted above. One-time hardware, setup, and add-ons are excluded. Rates are published or typical US pricing as of mid-2026 and may have changed.
How the Helcim vs Clover calculator works, and how the two compare
Helcim is an interchange-plus payment processor with free POS software, known for transparent pricing that gets cheaper with volume. Helcim has no monthly fee and passes through interchange plus a small markup, averaging 1.93% + $0.08 in person and 2.49% + $0.25 online, with automatic volume discounts and a $99 smart reader. Clover is Fiserv's POS hardware and payments brand, sold directly and through resellers, popular with retail and restaurants. Clover charges 2.6% + $0.10 in person (2.3% + $0.10 on restaurant plans) with software plans from $14.95 to around $59.95 or more per month and hardware from the $99 Go reader to the $799 Mini.
How they are similar: Where they overlap: both Helcim and Clover cover taking card payments in person with a card reader or terminal and running a full point-of-sale system, which is what this calculator compares. In both cases the bill is driven by a percentage of each sale plus any fixed per-transaction fee, which is why your average transaction size changes the effective rate as much as the headline percentage does.
How they differ: Only Helcim offers online selling, so that side of the business is not part of this comparison. Helcim operates as interchange-plus pricing that passes through card network costs plus a small markup, while Clover operates as flat-rate card processing with published per-transaction fees. Helcim's interchange-plus model usually undercuts flat-rate processors once you pass roughly $10,000 per month in card volume, and its rates drop automatically as volume grows. Clover pairs polished proprietary hardware with an app marketplace, but pricing varies by reseller, most plans carry monthly fees, and 36-month agreements are common.
Assumptions used in this calculator
- Helcim is modeled on: Interchange-plus, avg 1.93% + $0.08 in person, $99 reader, no monthly fee; Free POS software, interchange-plus processing, avg 1.93% + $0.08.
- Clover is modeled on: 2.6% + $0.10 in person, software from $14.95 per month, Go reader $99; 2.6% + $0.10 (2.3% restaurant plans), Register plan from $59.95 per month, Mini from $799.
- Rates are published or typical US pricing as of mid-2026 and change often; quote-based providers are modeled at representative rates. Always confirm current pricing with the provider.
- One-time hardware, setup, add-on apps, keyed-in transactions, international cards, and chargeback fees are excluded from the monthly figures.