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Clover vs Helcim: a flat 2.6% + 10¢ against interchange-plus
Updated Oct 15, 2026
Both have no monthly software fee. Clover's Starter plan charges a flat 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person card sale and needs a $199 Go reader; its contract terms vary by the provider selling it. Helcim charges interchange plus 0.40% + 8¢, publishes no all-in rate, sells a $99 reader and has no long-term contract. Helcim's free account includes inventory and an online store; Clover Starter doesn't.
At a glance, by our score
- Lowest pricePromotion
#4 Clover
$0 Starter software with a $199 Go reader at 2.6% + 10¢; contract terms vary by seller
Offer Essentials or Services Growth (90-day free trial)Checked Sep 27, 2026 · ends Dec 31, 2026
6.1/10FairOur scoreVisit CloverOn clover.com - Lowest price
#5 Helcim
Interchange-plus card pricing with no monthly fee or contract, and a $99 card reader
5.9/10PoorOur scoreVisit HelcimOn helcim.com
Side by side
| Criterion | Clover | Helcim |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 6.1/10FairOur score #4 of 8 | 5.9/10PoorOur score #5 of 8 |
| Card rate (30%) | 9.3 / 10 | 0.0 / 10 |
| Monthly software fee (25%) | 10.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Contract (15%) | 0.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Cheapest card reader (15%) | 3.4 / 10 | 6.7 / 10 |
| Included on the entry plan (15%) | 2.0 / 10 | 6.0 / 10 |
| Price from | $0 / month | $0 / month |
| Best for | $0 Starter software with a $199 Go reader at 2.6% + 10¢; contract terms vary by seller | Interchange-plus card pricing with no monthly fee or contract, and a $99 card reader |
| Visit | Visit CloverOn clover.com | Visit HelcimOn helcim.com |
Who should pick which
- Clover: $0 Starter software with a $199 Go reader at 2.6% + 10¢; contract terms vary by seller
- Helcim: Interchange-plus card pricing with no monthly fee or contract, and a $99 card reader
At a glance
| Clover | Helcim | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Starter | Helcim POS, free account |
| In-person card rate | 2.6% + 10¢ | interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ |
| Fee on a $30 card sale | about $0.88 | $0.20 margin plus interchange |
| Monthly software fee | $0 | $0 |
| Cheapest card reader | Go reader $199 | Card Reader $99 |
| Contract | not published; varies by provider | none; no fee named |
| Inventory tracking | not on Starter (Essentials, $29.95) | yes |
| Online store or ordering | optional add-on | Online Checkout, no extra charge |
| Offline payments | yes, once turned on | not described in its help centre |
| Customer directory or loyalty | not on Starter (pages conflict) | Customers tool; no loyalty described |
| Employee timecards | no shift management (pages conflict) | its pages don't say |
Entry plans from Clover's Go pricing page and Helcim's help centre, read Sep 27, 2026. Helcim's own website showed a bot check, so its facts come from its help centre.
Price
Neither charges a monthly software fee on its entry plan. The difference is how a card sale is priced.
- Clover Starter charges a flat 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person sale, about $0.88 on a $30 sale. Keyed-in cards cost 3.5% + 10¢.
- Helcim charges interchange-plus. Its margin on in-person sales at up to $50K a month is "Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢", which is $0.20 on a $30 sale before the card network's interchange fee (volume discounts). Interchange varies by card, and Helcim publishes no all-in rate. Its help centre's example, a $100 standard Mastercard in person, totals $1.51. The margin falls to 0.15% + 6¢ above $1M a month.
Hardware: Clover's cheapest device is the $199 Go reader (shop); Helcim's Card Reader is $99, so Clover's costs $100 more. Clover's Compact terminal is $349 or $16 a month for 36 months; Helcim's Smart Terminal is $349.
Clover's Essentials plan, $29.95 a month at 2.5% + 10¢, adds stock tracking and the customer database. It has no software fee for 90 days for qualified new merchants, valid through 12/31/2026.
Where they differ
- Contract. Clover's pricing FAQ says "Contract terms and any termination fees can vary based on your service provider", and its 36-month device subscriptions are "non-cancelable and ineligible for refunds". Helcim promises "no monthly fees or long-term contracts" (Smart Terminal), and closing an account through support names no fee.
- What the free plan includes. Helcim's free account includes inventory management, an online store "with no additional charges" and a Customers tool. Clover Starter leaves out stock tracking, and a new online store is an optional add-on. Clover's pages conflict on Starter's customer database; we use the worse reading, not included.
- Offline payments. Clover devices "can still accept payments if you turn on the Offline Payments option" (payments page). Helcim's help centre describes no offline mode.
- Support. Clover promises "24/7 expert phone support". Helcim offers phone support Monday to Friday 7am-5pm and Saturday 9am-5pm MST, plus dashboard tickets (contact support). Neither describes live chat.
- Restaurants. Helcim is on our restaurant list, for split payments and pick-up orders through its online store. Clover's table mapping and bill splitting are on Restaurant Growth, $89.95 a month plus hardware.
Who should pick which
Pick Clover if you want one published rate per sale, offline payments and a phone line at any hour, and you can get the contract terms in writing from whoever sells it to you.
Pick Helcim if you want inventory and an online store at no monthly cost, no contract and a cheaper reader, and you can live with a statement that shows interchange on each sale.
See both in our POS ranking.