Helcim vs Payment Depot 2026: Which Costs Less
Helcim vs Payment Depot 2026 effective-rate comparison at $25K, $100K, and $250K monthly volume, with crossover math and contract terms for U.S. merchants.
Jun 14, 2026
Read comparisonCompare Payment Processors: Real 2026 Rates from $10K to $1M Monthly
Updated August 2026
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Tell us what you sell. We send back 3 matched processors plus the questions to ask before you sign.
12 Payment Processors at a Glance: 2026 Real Rates
Published 2026 rates for the U.S. market. IC = interchange (the card-network fee, typically 1.3-2.3%, passed through). For your effective rate, use the fee calculator.
| Processor | Online rate | In-person rate | Monthly fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.7% + $0.05 | $0 | Online-first, developer teams |
| Square | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.6% + $0.10 | $0 | Retail / POS, $0-$80K monthly |
| PayPal | 2.99% + $0.49 | 2.29% + $0.09 | $0 | Checkout conversion (5-10% lift) |
| Helcim | IC + 0.40% + $0.08 | IC + 0.30% + $0.08 | $0 | Transparent IC-plus, >$25K/mo |
| Stax (FattMerchant) | IC + $0.18 | IC + $0.10 | $99-199 | Subscription pricing, >$80K/mo |
| Payment Depot | IC + 0.20% | IC + 0.15% | $79-199 | High volume members, >$100K/mo |
| Clover | 2.3-3.5% + $0.10 | 2.3-2.6% + $0.10 | $0-$60 | All-in-one restaurant / retail POS |
| Authorize.net | 2.9% + $0.30 | N/A (gateway) | $25 + $0.10/tx | Gateway-only, BYO processor |
| Braintree | 2.59% + $0.49 | 2.29% + $0.09 | $0 | Subscription + marketplace |
| Adyen | IC + 0.60% + $0.13 | IC + 0.50% + $0.13 | Custom | Enterprise / global / >$1M/mo |
| Shopify Payments | 2.4-2.9% + $0.30 | 2.4-2.7% + $0.00 | Plan-bundled | Shopify stores only |
| Worldpay | Negotiated | Negotiated | Custom | Mid-market enterprise, >$500K/mo |
Rates pulled from each processor's public pricing page as of August 2026. Custom-negotiated rates differ. Effective rate (what you actually pay) usually runs 0.20-0.60% above sticker due to card mix and hidden fees.
High-risk merchants
Declined, frozen, or flagged as high-risk?
The rates below assume a processor will take you. Before you compare them, read the high-risk payment processing guide for reserves, VAMP thresholds and the processors that approve CBD, gaming, nutra, firearms, travel and subscription merchants.
Head to head
Brand duels
Two processors, one decision. Each of these runs the same effective-rate math on both sides at your volume and card mix, then says which one wins and where the break-even sits. Start here when you have already narrowed the field to a shortlist of two and need the cost difference in dollars.
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Read comparisonSquare vs Shopify Payments 2026: Rates Tie, Square Wins Unless You Run a Shopify Store
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Read comparisonStripe vs Worldpay 2026: Which Actually Costs Less
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Read comparisonSquare vs Helcim 2026: Helcim Wins Above $10K Monthly
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Nov. 8, 2025
Read comparisonBy size
By monthly volume
Processing cost is a function of volume, not brand. Below $10,000 a month flat-rate pricing is usually fine; above $80,000 both Stripe and Square are beaten by interchange-plus. These pages break the market into tiers and show what a merchant at that size should expect to pay.
Best Payment Processors for $10K-$25K Monthly Volume (2026)
Flat-rate vs interchange-plus at $10K-$25K monthly: real 2026 effective rates for Stripe, Square, Helcim, PayPal, Stax. Which wins on $15K monthly volume.
May 18, 2026
Read comparisonBest Payment Processors for $25K-$50K Monthly Volume (2026)
At $25K-$50K monthly, interchange-plus (Helcim, Stax) starts beating flat-rate (Stripe, Square) by 0.30-0.45% on effective rate. Here is the real math.
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Read comparisonBest Payment Processors for $50K-$100K Monthly Volume (2026)
$50K-$100K monthly: Helcim, Stax, Payment Depot, and negotiated IC++ from independent ISOs. Real 2026 rates, the four hidden fees to push on, and when to negotiate.
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Read comparisonBest Payment Processors for $100K-$250K Monthly Volume (2026)
At $100K-$250K monthly, every basis point is $100-$250/month. Real 2026 IC++ rates, the negotiation leverage you have at this tier, and the four contract clauses to push on.
May 18, 2026
Read comparisonBest Payment Processors for $500K-$1M Monthly Volume (2026)
$500K-$1M monthly merchants belong on direct acquirer contracts or enterprise IC++ from Adyen, Worldpay, or Global Payments. Real 2026 rates and negotiation leverage.
May 18, 2026
Read comparisonBest Payment Processing Companies 2026: Complete Guide
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Jan. 6, 2026
Read comparisonBy requirement
By use case
Same processors, different constraints. A restaurant needs tip adjustment and fast funding, a B2B seller needs Level 2 and Level 3 data, a subscription business needs dunning and retry logic that stays inside card-network rules. These roundups rank the field by the requirement that decides the shortlist rather than by headline rate alone.
Best Payment Processors for Automotive Shops in 2026
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Read comparisonBest Multi-Acquirer Payment Processors: 2026 Comparison
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Jun 17, 2026
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Read comparisonBest Interchange-Plus Payment Processors: 2026 Comparison
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Read comparisonBest Payment Processors for Yoga and Fitness Studios in 2026
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Read comparisonAI Dunning and Recovery Tools: 2026 Comparison
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Jun 8, 2026
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Read comparisonHard to approve
High-risk merchants
Declined, frozen, or classified high-risk by underwriting? Rate is the second question here, approval is the first. Start with the high-risk payment processing guide for how underwriting classifies CBD, gaming, nutra, firearms, travel and subscription merchants, what reserves and VAMP thresholds cost, then compare the processors that actually approve.
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