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.
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 →Payment Depot
Payment Processor · 2.8/5 mean
Payment Depot, now operating as "Payment Depot by Stax," is a California-based merchant services provider founded in 2013 that pioneered the subscription/interchange-plus pricing model for small businesses, but has experienced significant customer service and transparency issues since its 2021 acquisition by Stax.
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 August 19, 2026.
| Criterion | Helcim | Payment Depot |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 5.0wins this criterion | 3.0 |
| Feature set | 4.0wins this criterion | 2.0 |
| Ease of use | 4.0wins this criterion |
Straight from each provider's published documentation. Where a number isn't published, we say so rather than estimate.
| Metric | Helcim | Payment Depot |
|---|---|---|
| Online rate | Interchange + 0.5% + $0.25 per transaction | 0.2% – 1.95% above interchange |
| Monthly fee | $0 | None |
| Payout | 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 | Next-day funding |
| Contract | No long-term contracts | None |
| In-person rate | Interchange + 0.4% + $0.08 per transaction | 0.2% – 1.95% above interchange |
| Keyed rate | Interchange + 0.5% + $0.25 | 0.2% – 1.95% above interchange |
From the Helcim review
Payment Depot offers interchange-plus pricing with Clover POS ecosystem integration, addressing the countertop register gap in Helcim's lineup. Helcim remains the stronger overall pick, with a published rate table and an A- grade against Payment Depot's C+, which reflects its post-acquisition support and transparency complaints.
Pick Payment Depot if you want interchange-plus pricing paired with the Clover POS ecosystem
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.
| 3.0 |
| Customer support | 4.0wins this criterion | 2.0 |
|---|
| Contract terms | 5.0wins this criterion | 4.0 |
|---|
| Industry reputation | 5.0wins this criterion | 3.0 |
|---|
| International rate |
|---|
| Not publicly specified |
| Not disclosed |
| PCI fee | $0 | $10/month PCI compliance fee. $19.99/month PCI non-compliance penalty |
|---|
| Statement fee | $0 | Not disclosed |
|---|
| Chargeback fee | $15 per chargeback — refunded if merchant wins dispute | $15 per chargeback |
|---|
| Early termination | $0 | None |
|---|
| Last fact-checked | August 19, 2026 | August 19, 2026 |
|---|