Comparison · Updated November 3, 2026
Gravity Payments vs Dharma Merchant Services
Gravity Payments
B+
A Seattle merchant services company founded in 2004, best known outside the industry for setting a $70,000 minimum salary in 2015, and better known inside it for doing two unfashionable things well: publishing a flat rate on its own website, and showing interchange and assessments at cost with its own markup as a separate line on the statement. Its formal complaint record is the cleanest of any provider we have reviewed at this size — one BBB complaint in three years against an A+ rating held since 2005. The two things to weigh against that are a markup that independent auditors have found higher than competing quotes, and a 2025 data breach at a third-party vendor that exposed Social Security numbers and banking details for 22,278 people and is now the subject of a proposed class action.
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.
VS
Overview
We compare the two for a low-risk US small business taking cards in person, online or both. We used each company's own published prices, help pages and fee tables as read on 3 November 2026. In-person prices are compared with in-person prices, and online with online. Both are independent sales organisations (ISOs): they sell merchant accounts under a sponsor bank rather than acting as the bank themselves. They publish different things. Dharma publishes its whole fee table for an interchange-plus account: card-network costs at cost, plus 0.15% and 8¢ per sale in person or 0.20% and 11¢ online, a $20 monthly fee on its rate tables (its monthly-fee FAQ says $15), a $25 chargeback fee, no PCI fee and a $49 closure fee, with no contract term. Gravity publishes one price: a flat 2.5% plus 10¢ on qualified in-person sales. Online, keyed and software-integrated sales may not qualify for it, and fall under a customised plan whose rate it does not publish. Gravity's help library lists PCI fees ($115 a year for integrated merchants and $85 a year breach protection for standalone ones, on a page last updated in October 2024) and promises 24/7 phone support. It does not publish its monthly fee, chargeback fee, contract length, exit fee or funding schedule. Gravity dates its start to 2004, when Dan Price founded it; it is based in Seattle and privately held. Dharma was founded in 2007 and is a registered ISO of Synovus Bank. Which costs less depends on your card mix and volume, so the comparison below works through examples.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Dharma publishes far more of what you will pay: its interchange-plus markup in person and online, a $20 monthly fee (its monthly-fee FAQ says $15), a $25 chargeback fee, no PCI fee, no contract term and a $49 closure fee. Gravity publishes a 2.5% + 10¢ flat rate for qualified in-person sales and its PCI fees, but not its monthly fee, chargeback fee, contract length, exit fee or funding schedule.
- ✓Neither in-person price is cheaper on every card. On a $50 Visa credit sale Dharma's published example works out at about $1.10 against Gravity's $1.35. On a premium Mastercard it is about $1.59 against $1.35. On a $10 regulated debit sale the two are within a cent of each other. Your card mix decides it.
- ✓Online, only Dharma has a published price: interchange plus 0.20% and 11¢, address verification included. Gravity's flat rate may not apply to online, keyed or software-integrated payments, which it prices on a customised plan.
- ✓Gravity's help library lists a $115 annual PCI fee for integrated merchants (plus $55 per extra location and $19.95 a month if you are not compliant) and $85 a year breach protection for standalone merchants. That page was last updated in October 2024, and Gravity's newer PCI page does not restate the fees. Dharma charges no PCI fee.
- ✓Gravity offers 24/7 phone support. Dharma's office hours are Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm and Friday 9am to 2pm Eastern. Both hold an A+ with the BBB.
Gravity Payments
Gravity Payments suits an established in-person business that wants a price it can see before a sales call, takes a lot of premium rewards and corporate cards, and values round-the-clock phone support. Before you sign, get the monthly fee, contract length, any early termination fee, the chargeback fee and the funding schedule in writing. None of them is published.
Dharma Merchant Services
Dharma Merchant Services suits a low-risk business processing at least a few thousand dollars a month, in person or online, that wants every fee published and no contract term. It does not take high-risk businesses, its support keeps office hours, and its $15 to $20 monthly fee makes it poor value at very low volume.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
For most low-risk small businesses that take at least a few thousand dollars a month, Dharma is the easier choice to check and to leave. Every fee is published, there is no contract term, there is no PCI fee, and online sales have a published rate too. Gravity is the better fit if you want 24/7 phone support or a flat price that does not move with the card mix, and its flat rate can come out cheaper than interchange plus on premium rewards and corporate cards. But Gravity publishes much less: no monthly fee, contract length, exit fee, chargeback fee or funding schedule, and no online price. Its help library lists PCI fees of $85 to $115 a year, which Dharma does not charge. If you are weighing Gravity, get those terms in writing and run your last statement through both.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Processing rates (US, November 2026)
| Feature | Gravity Payments | Dharma Merchant Services |
|---|---|---|
| In-person (card-present) sales | 2.5% + 10¢ flat (qualified sales) | Interchange + 0.15% + 8¢ |
| The two are priced on different models, so there is no winner. Gravity's flat rate already includes the card networks' costs. Dharma passes interchange and network assessments through at cost and adds its own markup. Dharma's published examples show what that means on a $100 sale: $0.65 on a Visa regulated debit card, $2.00 on a standard Visa credit card (Visa CPS Retail) and $2.97 on a Mastercard World Elite card. On Gravity's flat rate every $100 sale costs $2.60. Gravity says payments integrated with software, or taken when the customer is not present, may not qualify for the flat rate. Dharma's figures are from its retail rate page, Gravity's from its pricing page, both read on 3 November 2026. | ||
| Online and keyed (card-not-present) sales | Not disclosed | Interchange + 0.20% + 11¢ |
| Gravity prices online, keyed and software-integrated payments on its customised plan, described only as a 'custom processing rate & fees'. Dharma's online rate includes address verification (AVS) at no extra charge. Its published example of a $100 standard Visa online sale (Visa CPS Card Not Present) costs $2.37 in total. | ||
| Custom or high-volume pricing | Not disclosed | Interchange + 0.10% + 8¢ or 11¢; $15 a month |
| Dharma's high-volume pricing applies above $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 advance deposits, custom orders and open-ended subscriptions. Gravity's alternative to its flat rate is a customised plan. Its site does not say how that plan is structured or what it costs. Dharma also publishes American Express margins: 0.25% + 8¢ in person and 0.30% + 11¢ online. | ||
In-person (card-present) sales
Gravity Payments
2.5% + 10¢ flat (qualified sales)
Dharma Merchant Services
Interchange + 0.15% + 8¢
The two are priced on different models, so there is no winner. Gravity's flat rate already includes the card networks' costs. Dharma passes interchange and network assessments through at cost and adds its own markup. Dharma's published examples show what that means on a $100 sale: $0.65 on a Visa regulated debit card, $2.00 on a standard Visa credit card (Visa CPS Retail) and $2.97 on a Mastercard World Elite card. On Gravity's flat rate every $100 sale costs $2.60. Gravity says payments integrated with software, or taken when the customer is not present, may not qualify for the flat rate. Dharma's figures are from its retail rate page, Gravity's from its pricing page, both read on 3 November 2026.
Online and keyed (card-not-present) sales
Gravity Payments
Not disclosed
Dharma Merchant Services
Interchange + 0.20% + 11¢
Gravity prices online, keyed and software-integrated payments on its customised plan, described only as a 'custom processing rate & fees'. Dharma's online rate includes address verification (AVS) at no extra charge. Its published example of a $100 standard Visa online sale (Visa CPS Card Not Present) costs $2.37 in total.
Custom or high-volume pricing
Gravity Payments
Not disclosed
Dharma Merchant Services
Interchange + 0.10% + 8¢ or 11¢; $15 a month
Dharma's high-volume pricing applies above $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 advance deposits, custom orders and open-ended subscriptions. Gravity's alternative to its flat rate is a customised plan. Its site does not say how that plan is structured or what it costs. Dharma also publishes American Express margins: 0.25% + 8¢ in person and 0.30% + 11¢ online.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Online store or business taking most payments by phone or invoice
Recommended
Dharma Merchant Services
Dharma publishes an online rate of interchange plus 0.20% and 11¢ with AVS included, and funds card-not-present sales in two business days. Gravity's flat rate may not apply to online or keyed payments, and it does not publish the rate for its customised plan.
Shop or restaurant taking mostly in-person cards, processing $10,000 to $100,000 a month
Both. On a standard Visa credit sale, Dharma's interchange-plus pricing comes out below Gravity's 2.5% + 10¢. On premium rewards and corporate cards, Gravity's flat rate can be cheaper. Ask Dharma for its free statement analysis, and ask Gravity for its monthly fee and contract terms. Then price your last three months of statements on both.
Business that needs support outside office hours, such as a late-night bar or a 24-hour service
Recommended
Gravity Payments
Gravity offers 24/7 phone support. Dharma's support keeps Eastern office hours, ending at 4pm Monday to Thursday and 2pm on Friday.
Seasonal or event business that may close its account each year
Recommended
Dharma Merchant Services
Dharma has no contract term and says seasonal merchants pay no closure or reactivation fee. Gravity does not publish its contract length or exit fee.
Gravity Payments: Best for 1 use case
Dharma Merchant Services: Best for 2 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
It depends on your cards. Gravity charges a flat 2.5% + 10¢ on qualified in-person sales. Dharma charges interchange at cost plus 0.15% + 8¢ in person and a $20 monthly fee (its monthly-fee FAQ says $15). On $20,000 a month of $50 sales on a standard Visa credit card, using the interchange in Dharma's own published example, Dharma works out at about $460 including a $20 monthly fee ($455 at $15), against Gravity's $540 before any monthly or PCI fee. On premium Mastercard World Elite cards, Dharma's cost rises to about $654 and Gravity's flat rate becomes cheaper. Most businesses take a mix, so price your own statement on both.
Gravity does not publish its merchant agreement, contract length or exit fee. An older Gravity program guide from 2016, written when Wells Fargo was its sponsor bank, set a three-year term with a $495 early termination fee. Its sponsor banks have changed since, so that is not evidence of today's terms. Ask for both in writing before you sign. Dharma has no contract term and no early termination fee, and charges a $49 closure fee.
No. Dharma lists PCI compliance among the fees it does not charge, along with annual fees, monthly minimums, batch fees and AVS fees. Gravity's help library lists a $115 annual PCI fee for merchants using integrated software ($55 per extra location, and $19.95 a month if you are not compliant), and $85 a year breach protection for standalone merchants. That page was last updated in October 2024, so confirm Gravity's current PCI fees in writing.
Dharma pays in-person sales the next business day if you batch before your platform's cut-off, and online sales in two business days. New merchants may start on two-day funding. Gravity does not publish a deposit schedule. Its pricing page's 'fast funding' panel reads as a description of its Gravity Capital financing, so ask for the funding schedule and batch cut-off in writing.
Gravity offers 24/7 phone support, which it describes as US-based and multilingual. Dharma's support runs Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm and Friday 9am to 2pm Eastern, by phone and email. Both hold an A+ with the BBB with almost no complaints in the past three years. Dharma's 4.5 Trustpilot score comes from 142 reviews, while Gravity's three reviews are about its pay policy rather than its service.
Not necessarily. Gravity's pricing page says payments integrated with software, or taken when the customer is not physically present, may not qualify for the 2.5% + 10¢ flat rate. Those go on its customised plan, whose rate it does not publish. Dharma's online rate is published at interchange plus 0.20% + 11¢.
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