Best Credit Card Processing Companies (2024)

The best credit card processing companies have competitive and transparent pricing, accept credit card payments plus a range of other payment methods, have accessible customer service options and commonly offer point-of-sale (POS) systems as well.

Here are our top choices for the best credit card processing companies and what makes them stand out.

Why we like it: Square stands apart from the competition with its flat-rate pricing and end-to-end payment processing solution. This means it handles most aspects of a credit card transaction, so you don’t need to purchase a payment gateway (a payment processing portal) or point-of-sale system from separate providers. Square provides a free credit card reader that works with its free app and a smartphone or tablet. Read our full Square review.

Why we like it: Helcim's pricing model is transparent, with no hidden fees. It uses interchange-plus pricing with volume-based discounts, making it a particularly cost-effective option for businesses with high monthly sales. The company has customer support available by phone, as well as comprehensive support resources on its website. Read our full Helcim review.

Why we like it: Stax's membership pricing model can save some businesses enough money to justify the monthly fee, especially if they have high sales volumes. Stax offers same-day funding for an additional fee. Phone-based support and an online knowledge base also make it a solid choice. Read our full Stax review.

Why we like it: Stripe enables your business to accept a wide range of online payment methods, including mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay and Alipay. It also lets you offer financing options to customers through "buy now, pay later" companies like Klarna and Afterpay. Read our full Stripe review.

Why we like it: Payment Depot's rates make it a cost-efficient option to consider if you are a medium- or high-volume merchant. Its monthly subscription fee is based on your processing volume, and it doesn't charge a markup on the interchange rate. Read our full Payment Depot review.

Why we like it: PaymentCloud works with businesses in high-risk industries, including those selling age-restricted products like tobacco and firearms; businesses that have high chargeback rates, such as electronics resellers; or those that may face a higher risk of fraud, such as finance companies. PaymentCloud also provides seven-days-a-week customer support for businesses in these industries. Read our full PaymentCloud review.

Why we like it: Dharma Merchant Services describes itself as a “socially responsible” merchant services provider. It makes sense, then, with the company’s commitment to sustainability and charitable giving, that it also offers discounted monthly and payment processing fees to registered nonprofits. Dharma is also fully transparent with its pricing, which isn’t true for all credit card processing companies. Read our full Dharma Merchant Services review.

Why we like it: Shopify Payments has competitive rates for payment processing and integrates directly with Shopify. Because you must have a paid Shopify plan to use its payment processing and POS solutions, Shopify Payments is a great fit for a business that already has a Shopify plan for e-commerce. Read our full Shopify Payments review.

Why we like it: With low processing fees, no long-term contracts and lots of integration options, National Processing can be a good option for businesses looking for a flat-rate processor. Just make sure to speak with a representative before signing up to find out whether you qualify for perks like a free terminal or other promotions.

Why we like it: If you already have a business bank account through Chase, processing payments through the company can be a convenient option. Plus, you get access to same-day deposits when you use Chase’s Smart Terminal.

Why we like it: Payline Data is transparent with its monthly and payment processing fees and is one of the rarer credit card processing companies that work with high-risk merchants. It also integrates with many popular shopping carts, including Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce, to enable you to easily take payments through your online store. Read our full Payline Data review.

Why we like it: Payanywhere does not add a markup fee to its flat-rate, in-person transaction fee, which makes it a cost-efficient option for small transactions at a brick-and-mortar business. However, depending on the hardware you choose, costs could add up quickly with Payanywhere as your provider. Read our full Payanywhere review.

Credit card processing involves authorizing and transferring funds between a customer’s issuing bank and a business’s merchant bank to complete a sale. It only takes a few seconds to authorize a customer’s credit card information, but the process doesn’t stop at the checkout line. After the card reader lets you know the customer’s credit card information has been approved, money moves from bank to bank via the settlement process, which usually takes at least one business day to complete.

Brick-and-mortars need software and hardware to accept credit card payments in-person — lots of credit card processing companies offer both. Square, for example, sells card readers and POS systems, plus monthly software plans that start at $0. As opposed to a physical card reader, online businesses need a payment gateway that lets customers securely enter their credit card information online and get it authorized. These generally come bundled together with payment processing services, too.

Expect to pay for a monthly subscription and per-transaction costs for credit card processing fees. Some monthly subscriptions are free while others cost upwards of $99. Credit card processing companies also charge a per-transaction fee that may vary depending on the card type and payment method (in-person or online).

Most of the time, that per-transaction fee will look something like 2.6% plus 15 cents, for example. Per-transaction costs are made up of three components: interchange fees, which are paid to the issuing bank; assessment fees, which are paid to the card networks; and payment processor fees.

Credit card processing companies that charge higher monthly subscription fees may offer lower processing fees — you’ll need to evaluate your business’s monthly sales volume and average sales cost to determine whether that model will save you money. Others have volume discounts, meaning you’ll pay less per transaction if you do more than $50,000 in sales per month, for example.

Starting out, look for credit card processing companies that can accommodate payments within each of your sales channels, whether those are online, in-person or both. If you prefer an all-in-one payment processor and POS system provider, rule out companies that don’t sell their own hardware (POS terminals, card readers, etc.).

Here are some additional factors to consider to choose the right credit card processing company for you.