Helcim review

Helcim is the most cost-focused option on this list for sellers who process enough volume to care about margins. Instead of a flat rate, it charges interchange plus a published markup: keyed and online cards cost interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ for the first $50K a month, falling to 0.45% + 20¢ from $50K to $100K and lower above that, applied automatically. There are no monthly, minimum, software or statement fees, and no contracts or cancellation fees. Payouts are a strong point too, with next-business-morning deposits on credit and debit transactions at no charge. The toolkit covers Online Checkout, Payment Pages, invoicing, a virtual terminal and recurring billing, though subscriptions add 0.4% per transaction. The catch with interchange-plus is predictability: the cost of a sale depends on the card used, so monthly statements take more reading than a flat 2.9% model. Chargebacks are free if you win and $15 if you lose.

Who it is for

growing sellers who want interchange-plus rates without a subscription

Price

No monthly fee; keyed and online cards at interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ up to $50K per month, lower at higher volume.

$0 – $50K Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 13, 2026.

Key features

• No account monthly fees, minimums, software fees or statement fees
• Keyed and online margin drops from 0.50% + 25¢ to 0.45% + 20¢ above $50K a month
• Next-business-morning deposits on credit and debit card transactions at no charge
• Online Checkout, Payment Pages, invoicing and a virtual terminal
• Recurring payments add 0.4% per transaction

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: $0 chargeback fee for cases resolved in your favor
• Strength: No contracts, leases or cancellation fees
• Strength: Volume discounts apply automatically by monthly tier
• Weakness: Interchange-plus pricing makes each sale's cost vary by card type
• Weakness: Lost chargebacks cost $15
• Weakness: Subscription billing adds 0.4% on top of card rates

Key facts

• Monthly fee: $0
• Online rate under $50K: Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢
• Deposits: Next business morning, free
• Chargeback fee: $0 if won, $15 if lost

Where it ranks

Helcim is No. 2 in our Best Payment Gateways for Small Business verdict.