Helcim vs PayPal: Cost and Fees Calculator
Enter your volumes to compare estimated monthly costs and fees for Helcim and PayPal across the selling types both offer, using published US pricing.
In-person card payments
Selling online (eCommerce)
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 PayPal 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. PayPal is the best-known online payments brand, which also covers in-person sales through PayPal Zettle card readers. PayPal charges 3.49% + $0.49 for standard online PayPal checkout and 2.29% + $0.09 in person via Zettle (reader $79, or $29 for your first), with no monthly fee.
How they are similar: Where they overlap: both Helcim and PayPal cover taking card payments in person with a card reader or terminal and selling online, which is what this calculator compares. Neither requires a monthly subscription on the plans compared here, so your cost scales purely with sales. 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 a full POS system, 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 PayPal 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. PayPal brings the trust of its consumer brand and one of the lowest in-person rates via Zettle, but its 3.49% + $0.49 online checkout is among the most expensive standard online rates.
Assumptions used in this calculator
- Helcim is modeled on: Interchange-plus, avg 1.93% + $0.08 in person, $99 reader, no monthly fee; Interchange-plus, avg 2.49% + $0.25 online, no monthly or gateway fee.
- PayPal is modeled on: 2.29% + $0.09 in person via PayPal Zettle, reader $79; 3.49% + $0.49 for standard PayPal online checkout.
- 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.