Helcim vs Square: Cost and Fees Calculator
Enter your volumes to compare estimated monthly costs and fees for Helcim and Square across the selling types both offer, using published US pricing.
In-person card payments
Full POS system
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 Square 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. Square is an all-in-one flat-rate payments company covering card readers, full POS systems, and online stores. Square charges 2.6% + $0.15 in person on its free plan (readers from $59, Square Terminal $299), and 3.3% + $0.30 online on the free plan; paid plans at $49 and $149 per month lower those rates.
How they are similar: Where they overlap: both Helcim and Square cover taking card payments in person with a card reader or terminal, running a full point-of-sale system, 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: Helcim operates as interchange-plus pricing that passes through card network costs plus a small markup, while Square 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. Square is the strongest all-rounder: one account covers in-person, POS, invoices, and a free online store, with no monthly fee required to start.
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; Interchange-plus, avg 2.49% + $0.25 online, no monthly or gateway fee.
- Square is modeled on: 2.6% + $0.15 in person, free plan, $59 reader; 2.6% + $0.15, free POS software, Square Terminal $299; 3.3% + $0.30 online on the free plan (2.9% + $0.30 on paid plans).
- 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.