Head to head
Compared side by side on published facts and the same six criteria every review is graded on — generated from the live directory, not a sales page.
Clover
POS System · 3.7/5 mean
Clover is a widely used, all-in-one POS platform (hardware + software + app marketplace) favored by small and medium retailers and restaurants and backed by Fiserv, offering broad functionality but with real-world variability in support and reseller pricing.
Read the full review →Helcim
Payment Processor · 4.5/5 mean
Helcim is a Calgary-based payment processing company that offers genuinely transparent interchange-plus pricing with no monthly fees, no hidden charges, and a comprehensive suite of free payment tools.
Read the full review →Helcim holds the higher standing — by grade, then mean category score. The row-by-row picture below is what should actually decide it for your business.
Both graded against the same six criteria. How we grade · Last fact-checked September 2, 2026 and August 19, 2026.
| Criterion | Clover | Helcim |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 3.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
| Feature set | 5.0wins this criterion | 4.0 |
| Ease of use | 4.0 |
Straight from each provider's published documentation. Where a number isn't published, we say so rather than estimate.
| Metric | Clover | Helcim |
|---|---|---|
| Online rate | Not disclosed | Interchange + 0.5% + $0.25 per transaction |
| Monthly fee | Clover publishes $89.95/month (restaurant Growth) and $84.95-$104.90/month (retail Standard and Advanced); reseller quotes vary | $0 |
| Payout | Not disclosed | Next business morning for card payments (batch closed by 7:00 PM MT, under $25,000, RTP/FedNow-participating bank); otherwise 1-2 business days |
| Contract | Not disclosed | No long-term contracts |
| In-person rate | Not disclosed | Interchange + 0.4% + $0.08 per transaction |
| Keyed rate | Not disclosed | Interchange + 0.5% + $0.25 |
From the Helcim review
Clover supplies the all-in-one countertop POS hardware and app marketplace that Helcim lacks, making it a better fit for restaurants and retail counters. Helcim holds up on pricing transparency, publishing its full interchange-plus rate table where Clover's pricing varies widely by reseller.
Pick Clover if you run a restaurant or store that needs countertop registers and apps
Ideal for
Not recommended for
Ideal for
Not recommended for
The full reviews carry the pricing narratives, contract analysis and everything else behind these numbers — or let the matching funnel score the whole directory against your business.
| 4.0 |
| Customer support | 3.0 | 4.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| Contract terms | 3.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| Industry reputation | 4.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| International rate | Not disclosed | Not publicly specified |
|---|
| PCI fee | Depends on merchant service provider | $0 |
|---|
| Statement fee | None listed, but platform fee of $5.00 | $0 |
|---|
| Chargeback fee | Depend on reseller/acquirer contract | $15 per chargeback — refunded if merchant wins dispute |
|---|
| Early termination | Depending on partner/reseller contract | $0 |
|---|
| Last fact-checked | September 2, 2026 | August 19, 2026 |
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