Helcim Fees: The Right Pricing Model, and What the Markup Really Costs
Helcim does something most processors will not: it publishes its pricing, and the pricing is interchange-plus. You pay what each card actually costs, plus a stated markup, with no monthly fee and no contract. That is the right model. The question worth asking is how much that markup adds up to.
Helcim gets the structure right: interchange passed through at cost, a published markup, no monthly fee, no cancellation fee. That alone puts it ahead of every bundled flat-rate platform. But 0.40% plus 8 cents is a small-business entry price, not a floor. As volume grows, the markup is the only number left to negotiate.
Figures in brief
- Interchange + 0.40% + 8 cents: Helcim’s in-person markup at its entry volume tier.
- Interchange + 0.50% + 25 cents: the online and keyed-in markup at the same tier.
- $0: monthly, setup, PCI, statement and cancellation fees on Helcim’s published schedule.
- 0.5% + 25 cents, capped at $6: ACH bank payments.
- Automatic volume discounts: the markup steps down as monthly volume rises, without negotiation.
What Helcim charges, line by line
| Charge | Helcim’s published price | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| In-person cards | Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ | Entry tier; lower at higher volume |
| Online and keyed cards | Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ | Entry tier; lower at higher volume |
| ACH bank payments | 0.5% + 25¢, max $6 | Cheap for large invoices |
| Monthly, setup, PCI, statement, cancellation | $0 | None of the usual account fees |
| Chargeback | $15 | Charged only if you lose the dispute |
| Returned ACH payment | $5 | When a customer’s bank sends a payment back |
Source: Helcim’s published US pricing and its own fee guides, as reported in 2026. Volume tiers and optional feature charges can change; your Helcim statement shows what applies to you.
What Helcim’s markup costs on a real business
Take a shop doing $20,000 a month in in-person card sales at an average of $50, which is 400 payments.
a month in Helcim markup at the entry tier: $80 from the 0.40% and $32 from the 8 cents. That is on top of interchange, which every processor passes on.
is that markup as a share of sales. Fair for a small business, and far below what most flat-rate platforms quietly keep. But it is not the floor for a growing one.
Compare that with a flat rate. The same month on a bundled platform charging 2.6% plus 15 cents costs $580, all in. On Helcim, interchange plus markup on a typical card mix usually lands well below that. That is why bundled flat-rate pricing is the most expensive way for most growing businesses to take cards.
What Helcim gets right
Almost everything structural. The markup is published, so you can check your statement against it. Interchange is passed through, so when a cheap debit card is used, you pay less. There is no monthly fee or cancellation fee holding you in place. And the markup drops automatically as you grow. This is the model weAudit pushes merchants toward.
Where to keep your eyes open
A good model still needs checking. Three things matter on any interchange-plus account, Helcim’s included:
- Network fees at cost. Interchange-plus is only honest if assessments and network fees are passed through at the published rates.
- Setup. The right merchant category code, sales settled daily, and full data on business cards decide which interchange you qualify for.
- The markup as you grow. The automatic tiers help, but a business processing serious volume should still ask for a markup well below the entry price. For larger accounts, the markup is measured in single basis points, not tenths of a percent.
The real lesson from Helcim. It proves a processor can publish its price and pass through the real cost of every card. When yours will not do either, that tells you something. See who has the best credit card processing rates for why the structure matters more than the name.
Helcim elsewhere on weAudit
Our Helcim rating covers how Helcim treats merchants beyond price. For the opposite model, compare Stripe fees, and see interchange-plus pricing for what a fair markup looks like.
Common questions
What are Helcim’s fees?
Helcim publishes interchange-plus pricing. At its entry volume tier the markup is 0.40% plus 8 cents on in-person payments and 0.50% plus 25 cents on online and keyed payments, on top of the card’s actual interchange. ACH is 0.5% plus 25 cents, capped at $6.
Does Helcim charge a monthly fee?
No. Helcim’s published schedule has no monthly account fee, no setup fee, no PCI compliance fee, no statement fee and no cancellation fee.
Does Helcim’s rate go down as I grow?
Yes. Helcim lowers its markup automatically as monthly processing volume rises, through a published set of volume tiers, without a negotiation.
What other fees does Helcim charge?
A $15 chargeback fee if you lose a dispute, a $5 fee for a returned ACH payment, and hardware if you buy it. Optional features such as recurring billing can carry an added charge, so check the ones you use.
Is Helcim cheaper than Square or Stripe?
For most businesses above a few thousand dollars a month in card sales, an interchange-plus account with a published markup like Helcim’s costs less than a flat rate, because you pay the real cost of each card instead of one price for all of them. At very low volumes the per-transaction cents can narrow the gap.
Is Helcim’s markup low?
It is honest, but it is not the lowest available. 0.40% plus 8 cents is a fair entry price for a small business. Larger businesses can and should negotiate markups well below that.
Cite this page
How these figures were built. Helcim’s rates are its published US schedule as reported by Helcim and independent 2026 guides. Dollar examples are arithmetic on the entry-tier markup. Next review: April 2027.
Send us the statement. We will tell you what is in it.
Our first audit is free and takes about five minutes of your time. Even on a good pricing model, we check that interchange and network fees are passed through at cost, that the account is set up right, and whether your markup should be lower. If there is nothing to find, you will know that too.
Get My Free Audit See How the Audit Works 800-672-1292weAudit is not affiliated with Helcim. Helcim is a trademark of Helcim Inc. weAudit is processor-neutral and receives no revenue share, referral payment or other financial tie from any processor or ISO. © 2009-2026 weAudit.com. This page is for general educational purposes and is not financial, legal, or accounting advice.
Want to talk?
- Call us today 800-672-1292
- Book a free consultation
As seen on
