Our verdict: 3.8 out of 5, cheap and open about price, weaker on holds
Helcim scores 3.8 out of 5. It sells interchange-plus pricing: you pay the card network's wholesale cost (interchange) on each sale, plus a markup Helcim publishes for every volume band [1]. There is no monthly account fee, no contract and no lease [2]. Your account runs under Helcim's own merchant terms of service, which set the rules on reserves and closures [4].
Three things decide whether it fits you. First, your card mix: debit-heavy shops gain the most, because a regulated debit card costs only 0.05% + 21¢ in interchange at the counter [3]. Second, your volume, since the markup falls as you grow. Third, your tolerance for a hold, because the terms give Helcim wide room to keep a reserve [4].
Pros
- Markups posted for every tier, from 0.40% + 8¢ down to 0.15% + 6¢ [1]
- No monthly fee, contract, lease or cancellation fee [2]
- No chargeback fee when the dispute goes your way [2]
- Readers bought outright, starting at $199 [2]
Cons
- Terms allow a reserve for any reason and closure without notice [4]
- 34 per 100 organic reviews describe held funds or closures [6]
- No phone help on Sundays or overnight [5]
- Card network fees come on top of the published markup
Helcim pricing and fees, from its own pages
Helcim prices by tier. The tier comes from the average of your last three months of card volume, and it changes on its own as you grow [1]. In person means dipped, tapped or swiped; keyed and online covers virtual terminal, invoices and web checkout.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| In person, $0 to $50K a month | Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ [1] |
| In person, $50K to $100K | Interchange + 0.35% + 7¢ [1] |
| In person, $100K to $500K | Interchange + 0.25% + 7¢ [1] |
| Keyed and online, $0 to $50K | Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ [1] |
| Keyed and online, $50K to $100K | Interchange + 0.45% + 20¢ [1] |
| ACH bank payment | 0.5% + 25¢, capped at $6 [8] |
| Chargeback | $0 if won, $15 if lost [2] |
| Monthly account fee, PCI fee, statement fee | $0 [2] |
| Deposits | Next business morning, no fee [2] |
| International cards | Network cross-border fee passed through [7] |
To compare Helcim with other processors, we ran one standard shop through its prices: in-person sales of $25 each. For interchange we used Visa's April 2026 rates as a stand-in for every card, with 40% regulated debit (plus the 1¢ fraud add-on), 30% basic credit at 1.51% + 10¢ and 30% Visa Infinite at 2.30% + 10¢ [3]. On $25 sales that mix averages 1.755% of sales.
| Monthly card sales | Interchange (1.755%) [3] | Helcim markup [1] | Monthly fee | Total | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 (400 sales) | $175.50 | 0.40% = $40 + 400 x 8¢ = $32 | $0 | $247.50 | 2.48% |
| $30,000 (1,200 sales) | $526.50 | 0.40% = $120 + 1,200 x 8¢ = $96 | $0 | $742.50 | 2.48% |
| $75,000 (3,000 sales) | $1,316.25 | 0.35% = $262.50 + 3,000 x 7¢ = $210 | $0 | $1,788.75 | 2.39% |
Two things are not in that math. Card network fees (Visa and Mastercard assessments) come on top, so the real bill sits a little higher. A customer base with many premium rewards cards also pushes interchange up. Helcim adds 10¢ per sale for Tap to Pay on iPhone and 0.4% per sale on recurring payments [2], so a subscription business should add those.
Contract, cancellation and hardware
Helcim has no contract term to run out. Its pricing page lists "No contracts, leases, termination fees or cancellation fees" [2], and its terms let you close the account at any time by calling [4]. One catch on leaving: the terms say you get no refund of fees already paid, pro rata or otherwise [4].
| Device | Price |
|---|---|
| Card Reader | $199 plus shipping [2] |
| Smart Terminal | $349 plus shipping, or $32 a month for one year [2] |
| 4G wireless data for the terminal | $7 a month, optional [2] |
| Tap to Pay on iPhone | No device, 10¢ added per sale [2] |
There is no third-party lease company in this picture, which is the main way small shops get stuck paying for years. Helcim does not say on its pages that its readers work with other processors, so plan on the device staying with Helcim if you leave.
Holds, reserves and account closures
This is Helcim's weak spot. Its US merchant terms, last updated June 30, 2025, say: "We may require a Reserve for any reason related to your use of the Services" [4]. The amount is whatever Helcim reasonably decides covers its possible losses, and the terms add that Helcim may withhold funds by delaying payouts [4]. If the account closes, a reserve stays for at least six months from the termination date [4].
Closure is just as open. The terms say "Helcim reserves the right to terminate your Account for any reason, without notice, at any time" [4]. That wording is common in this industry, but it gives a merchant no stated timeline.
Reviews back up the worry. We read the three most recent pages of Helcim's Trustpilot profile, 60 reviews in all. Of the 38 labeled Unprompted, 13 described held deposits, batches under review, or an account that was closed. That is about 34 per 100 organic reviews [6].
- Tell Helcim your real average and largest ticket at signup, and warn it before a big sale or a seasonal jump.
- Answer document requests from its Trust and Safety team the same day; the help center lists trustandsafety@helcim.com for batch reviews [5].
- Keep a refund policy and delivery proof on file, since chargebacks are the usual trigger for a reserve.
- Hold back one to two weeks of operating cash so a paused batch does not stop payroll.
Support and customer evidence
Helcim's phone line, +1 (877) 643-5246, is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain time [5]. When lines are busy you can leave a number for a callback. Tickets from the dashboard carry a 12 business hour response target [5]. There is no Sunday line.
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Reviews read | 60 [6] |
| Invited (labeled Verified) | 22, or 37% [6] |
| Organic (labeled Unprompted) | 38 [6] |
| Organic average | 3.2 stars [6] |
| Organic reviews on holds or closures | 13 (34 per 100) [6] |
| Organic reviews unable to reach a person | 8 [6] |
| Profile total shown | 1,106 reviews, 77% five star [6] |
The organic reviews split sharply: 20 of 38 gave five stars and 16 gave one star, and most of the one-star reviews were about holds or closures. The invited reviews averaged higher, which is why the profile total looks better than the organic sample.
Helcim alternatives
- Stax: no percent markup at all, just a per-sale fee and a monthly membership, which comes in under Helcim at $75,000 a month in our model but over it at $30,000.
- Dharma Merchant Services: a lower published markup with a $20 monthly fee, on a bank merchant account.
- Square (our processing service, BatchOut, earns money on Square sign-ups): flat rate, simpler to start, costs more at volume. See Square fees.
- Stripe: better for online-first businesses with developers. See Square vs Clover vs Stripe.
Helcim Fee Saver and New Jersey surcharge rules
Fee Saver adds a 3.0% fee to customer credit card payments, in person and online, while you still pay 1.0% + 8¢ on PIN debit [8]. Helcim turns off in-person Fee Saver in Connecticut, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts and Oklahoma [8]. New Jersey allows a surcharge but caps it at your actual cost to process the card, so check the math on our NJ surcharge law page before you switch it on.