Comparison · Updated October 22, 2026
Dharma Merchant Services vs Payment Depot
Dharma Merchant Services
A-
A small, long-running ISO that publishes its entire interchange-plus margin, charges $20 a month, and imposes no contract and no early termination fee. The catch is fit, not conduct: it declines high-risk verticals, is uneconomic below a few thousand dollars a month, and supports merchants only during business hours.
Payment Depot
C+
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.
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Overview
We compare the two for a low-risk US small business taking cards in person, online or both, using each company's published standard prices. Both price on interchange plus: you pay the card networks' interchange and assessment costs at cost, plus the provider's markup. In-person rates are compared with in-person rates, and online rates with online rates. Dharma's figures come from its published rate pages as archived between April and July 2026. Payment Depot's come from its pricing page, read on 22 October 2026. The two charge in different ways. Dharma publishes its whole fee table: interchange plus 0.15% and 8¢ per sale in person, plus 0.20% and 11¢ online, a $20 monthly fee, a $25 chargeback fee and a $49 closure fee (which one of its own pages contradicts), with no PCI, batch or annual fees. Payment Depot lists a lower markup, 0% plus 8¢ in person and 15¢ online, but it sells accounts as a subscription and prints no subscription price. The same page advertises "variable rates as low as 0.2% - 1.95%" and sends you to a consultant for a quote. Neither has a long-term contract. Payment Depot has been owned by Stax since 2021. It holds an F with the BBB and 2.3 out of 5 from 1,261 Trustpilot reviews. Dharma, founded in 2007, holds an A+ and 4.5 from 142 reviews.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Dharma Merchant Services is the safer choice for most small merchants. Every fee it charges is published, and its record is clean: BBB A+ and 4.5 on Trustpilot, against Payment Depot's BBB F and 2.3.
- ✓Payment Depot lists the lower markup: interchange plus 0% and 8¢ in person, against Dharma's 0.15% and 8¢. But it charges a monthly subscription it does not price. In person, Dharma costs $20 a month plus 0.15% of your volume more than Payment Depot's markup alone. At $20,000 a month that is $50, so Payment Depot is cheaper only if its subscription and other monthly fees come to less than that.
- ✓Online, Dharma's markup of 0.20% plus 11¢ is lower than Payment Depot's flat 15¢ on sales under $20, and higher above it. On a $50 sale it is 21¢ against 15¢.
- ✓Neither ties you to a contract. Payment Depot advertises no cancellation fee. Dharma charges a $49 closure fee, though one of its own pages says there is none. Several BBB complaints say Payment Depot was hard to cancel.
- ✓Dharma pays card-present sales the next business day and online sales in two. Payment Depot lists next-business-day funding without splitting it by channel.
Dharma Merchant Services
Choose Dharma Merchant Services if you are a low-risk business processing at least a few thousand dollars a month and want to know your full cost before you sign. It publishes its margins, monthly fee and every other charge, and has no contract. Budget for the $20 monthly fee, the $49 closure fee and two-day funding on online sales.
Payment Depot
Consider Payment Depot only if you process enough volume for its lower per-sale markup to outweigh a subscription it does not publish, and you get the subscription price, PCI fee, chargeback fee and your exact markup in writing first. Cancel in writing and keep the confirmation.
Overall Winner
🏆 Winner
Dharma Merchant Services
A-expert grade
Runner-up
Payment Depot
Why?
Dharma Merchant Services is the better choice for most low-risk US small businesses. You can work out its full cost before you sign: interchange plus 0.15% and 8¢ in person or 0.20% and 11¢ online, $20 a month, and no PCI, batch or annual fees. It has no contract, and its record is clean, with a BBB A+ and 4.5 out of 5 on Trustpilot. Payment Depot lists a lower markup, 0% plus 8¢ in person and 15¢ online, and at higher volumes that markup can come out cheaper, depending on the subscription. But it does not publish the monthly subscription it charges, its PCI fee or its chargeback fee. Its own pricing page also advertises variable rates and asks you to request a quote. BBB rates it F, citing complaints it did not answer, and its 2.3 Trustpilot score includes repeated complaints about rising fees. If Payment Depot's written quote, including every monthly fee, comes in well below Dharma's cost, it may still be worth considering.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Markup over interchange (standard accounts)
| Feature | Dharma Merchant Services | Payment Depot |
|---|---|---|
| In-person (card-present) sales | Interchange + 0.15% + 8¢ | Interchange + 0% + 8¢ |
| Both pass interchange and card-network assessments through at cost, and both charge 8¢ per in-person sale. Payment Depot charges no percentage on top, so its markup is lower by 0.15% of your volume, or 7.5¢ on a $50 sale. We mark no winner because the cost you actually pay also depends on Payment Depot's monthly subscription, which it does not publish. Its pricing page also advertises "variable rates as low as 0.2% - 1.95%" and asks you to request a quote, so 0% is the listed rate, not a promised one. Dharma's rate pages show worked examples: a $100 Visa CPS Retail sale costs $2.00 in total, of which Dharma's margin is 23¢. Payment Depot's figures come from its pricing page as read on 22 October 2026. | ||
| Online and keyed (card-not-present) sales | Interchange + 0.20% + 11¢ | Interchange + 0% + 15¢ |
| Dharma's online rate includes address verification (AVS) at no extra charge. Below $20 a sale, Dharma's markup is the lower of the two. Above $20, Payment Depot's is. On a $10 sale it is 13¢ against 15¢, and on a $50 sale 21¢ against 15¢. Both apply the same rate to keyed sales. | ||
| High-volume pricing | Interchange + 0.10% + 8¢ (in person) or 11¢ (online), $15 a month | Not disclosed |
| Dharma's high-volume pricing applies to merchants processing over $100,000 or 5,000 transactions a month, and to restaurants with an average ticket of $25 or less. It is not available to high-risk accounts, and Dharma may exclude future-delivery or custom-order businesses. Payment Depot publishes no separate high-volume rate. | ||
| American Express | Interchange + 0.25% + 8¢ (in person); + 0.30% + 11¢ (online) | Not disclosed |
| Dharma prices American Express separately on its rate pages. Payment Depot's pricing page gives no separate American Express rate. | ||
In-person (card-present) sales
Dharma Merchant Services
Interchange + 0.15% + 8¢
Payment Depot
Interchange + 0% + 8¢
Both pass interchange and card-network assessments through at cost, and both charge 8¢ per in-person sale. Payment Depot charges no percentage on top, so its markup is lower by 0.15% of your volume, or 7.5¢ on a $50 sale. We mark no winner because the cost you actually pay also depends on Payment Depot's monthly subscription, which it does not publish. Its pricing page also advertises "variable rates as low as 0.2% - 1.95%" and asks you to request a quote, so 0% is the listed rate, not a promised one. Dharma's rate pages show worked examples: a $100 Visa CPS Retail sale costs $2.00 in total, of which Dharma's margin is 23¢. Payment Depot's figures come from its pricing page as read on 22 October 2026.
Online and keyed (card-not-present) sales
Dharma Merchant Services
Interchange + 0.20% + 11¢
Payment Depot
Interchange + 0% + 15¢
Dharma's online rate includes address verification (AVS) at no extra charge. Below $20 a sale, Dharma's markup is the lower of the two. Above $20, Payment Depot's is. On a $10 sale it is 13¢ against 15¢, and on a $50 sale 21¢ against 15¢. Both apply the same rate to keyed sales.
High-volume pricing
Dharma Merchant Services
Interchange + 0.10% + 8¢ (in person) or 11¢ (online), $15 a month
Payment Depot
Not disclosed
Dharma's high-volume pricing applies to merchants processing over $100,000 or 5,000 transactions a month, and to restaurants with an average ticket of $25 or less. It is not available to high-risk accounts, and Dharma may exclude future-delivery or custom-order businesses. Payment Depot publishes no separate high-volume rate.
American Express
Dharma Merchant Services
Interchange + 0.25% + 8¢ (in person); + 0.30% + 11¢ (online)
Payment Depot
Not disclosed
Dharma prices American Express separately on its rate pages. Payment Depot's pricing page gives no separate American Express rate.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Retail shop or restaurant processing $10,000 to $50,000 a month in person
Recommended
Dharma Merchant Services
Dharma's full cost is published: on $20,000 a month in 400 sales of $50, its margin and monthly fee come to $82 on top of interchange. Payment Depot's markup on the same sales is $32 plus a subscription it does not publish. Unless Payment Depot quotes you less than $50 a month in total for its subscription and other monthly fees, Dharma costs the same or less, and Dharma publishes what it charges.
Online store with small orders (under $20)
Recommended
Dharma Merchant Services
Below $20 a sale, Dharma's online markup of 0.20% plus 11¢ is lower than Payment Depot's flat 15¢, and Dharma publishes its monthly fee. Budget for the gateway fee Dharma quotes on its nonprofit pages ($10 a month plus 5¢ a sale) if you need one, and for two-day funding on online sales.
High-volume merchant processing over $100,000 a month
Both. Dharma drops to interchange plus 0.10% and a $15 monthly fee above $100,000 a month. On $150,000 in person in 1,500 sales of $100, that is $285 a month. Payment Depot's listed markup on the same sales is $120 plus its unpublished subscription. Get a written quote from both, covering every monthly fee, and compare the totals.
Registered nonprofit taking donations
Recommended
Dharma Merchant Services
Dharma gives registered nonprofits reduced margins of interchange plus 0.10% and 8¢ in person or 11¢ online, with a $15 monthly fee on its nonprofit rates page, although its nonprofit landing page says there are no monthly subscription fees, so confirm which applies. It offers recurring donations through its MX Invoicing app for $10 a month. Payment Depot publishes no nonprofit pricing.
Business processing only a few hundred dollars a month
Neither. Dharma says it rarely makes sense below a few thousand dollars a month because of its monthly fee, and points small sellers to flat-rate services instead. Payment Depot's subscription is unpublished, so you cannot tell whether it would pay off. A flat-rate processor with no monthly fee is usually cheaper at this level.
High-risk business (CBD, nutraceuticals, firearms, adult and similar)
Neither. Dharma does not underwrite high-risk businesses, and its high-volume rates exclude them. Payment Depot's site describes no high-risk program. Look for a provider that specialises in high-risk accounts.
Dharma Merchant Services: Best for 3 use cases
Payment Depot: Best for 0 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
It depends on Payment Depot's subscription, which it does not publish. Payment Depot's listed markup is lower: interchange plus 0% and 8¢ in person and 15¢ online, against Dharma's 0.15% and 8¢ in person and 0.20% and 11¢ online. Dharma charges a published $20 monthly fee. In person, Dharma costs $20 a month plus 0.15% of your volume more than Payment Depot's markup alone. That is $50 a month at $20,000 in sales, so Payment Depot is cheaper only if its subscription and other monthly fees come to less than that. Online, Dharma's markup is lower on sales under $20.
Its pricing page refers to subscriptions but gives no price, and the Stax terms of use linked from its site say subscription fees are billed monthly in advance until you cancel. Independent reviewers also report a $10 monthly PCI fee, rising to $19.99 if you are not compliant. Payment Depot does not confirm that figure. Ask for every monthly fee in writing before you sign.
Neither has a long-term contract or an early termination fee. Dharma's rate pages list a $49 account closure fee, although its nonprofit page says there is no cancellation fee and its FAQ says seasonal merchants pay none. Payment Depot advertises no cancellation fees, but five BBB complaints filed between February 2024 and November 2025 say closing an account was difficult or that billing continued afterwards. With either provider, cancel in writing and keep the confirmation.
Stax, the Orlando-based payments company. Stax's own company timeline lists Payment Depot among its 2021 acquisitions, along with Fusebill and CardX. Payment Depot still trades under its own name, links to Stax's terms of use from its site, and is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank.
Dharma pays in-person sales the next business day if you batch before your platform's cut-off, which ranges from 7pm to 2am Eastern. Online and keyed sales take two business days. New merchants may start on two-day funding for everything. Payment Depot lists next-business-day funding without saying whether it covers online sales, and one February 2026 Trustpilot reviewer says deposits now take three days or more.
Yes. Dharma has operated since March 2007, is a registered ISO/MSP of Synovus Bank, and boards accounts on the TSYS and Fiserv platforms. As of October 2026 it holds an A+ on its main BBB profile with no complaints in the last three years, and 4.5 out of 5 from 142 Trustpilot reviews.
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