Helcim vs Square
Last updated: September 1, 2026
Helcim
A-
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.
Square
A
Square offers simple, transparent payment processing ideal for small businesses. Flat-rate pricing, no monthly fees, and excellent software make it a top choice — but account holds and limited support are key concerns.
VS
Overview
Helcim on price, Square on everything you can touch. Helcim charges interchange plus 0.40% + 8¢ in person and interchange plus 0.50% + 25¢ online, with automatic volume discounts and no monthly fee; for most card mixes that comes in under Square's 2.6% + 15¢ in person and 3.3% + 30¢ online on the free plan. Square answers with a $59 reader, a $299 terminal, an $899 register, free POS software with an online store built in, and no chargeback fee. Past roughly $10,000 a month Helcim's savings outrun Square's convenience; below it, Square's hardware and ecosystem usually win.
Key Takeaways
- ✓In-person rate — Helcim: interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ (vs 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free)
- ✓Online rate — Helcim: interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ (vs 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free, 2.9% + 30¢ on paid plans)
- ✓ACH — Helcim: 0.5% + 25¢ capped at $6 (vs 1% with a $1 minimum)
- ✓Chargeback fee — Square: $0 (vs $15 if you lose the dispute)
- ✓Hardware — Square: $59 reader, $299 terminal, $899 register (vs $199 reader, $349 terminal, no register)
Helcim
Better for businesses processing more than about $10,000 a month, B2B and professional services taking ACH and invoices, and anyone who wants interchange itemised on the statement.
Square
Better for retail counters, cafés, restaurants and new businesses that want a free POS, cheap hardware, an online store and next-day money without thinking about interchange.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
Helcim if you are past about $10,000 a month or take a lot of ACH and invoices. Square if you run a counter. On cost the tables lean one way. Interchange plus 0.40% + 8¢ beats 2.6% + 15¢ on almost any card mix, the online gap is wider now that Square's free plan charges 3.3% + 30¢, Helcim's ACH is half the price and capped at $6, and its volume tiers apply automatically. The only fee where Square is cheaper is chargebacks, where it charges nothing. On everything else the tables lean the other way. Square's reader is $59 to Helcim's $199, its terminal $299 to $349, and Helcim has no register at all. Square's free plan includes a full POS and an online store, its money can be in your account in minutes for 1.95%, and Tap to Pay costs nothing extra. Helcim's support hours and reputation are better, but Square's ecosystem is what a retail or restaurant counter actually runs on. So the honest answer is volume and format. A professional-services firm, contractor, B2B seller or e-commerce store doing five figures a month should take Helcim's savings. A café, shop or new business that needs hardware, a menu and an online store today should take Square and revisit the decision when the processing bill gets large enough to notice. Our grades agree: Square an A, Helcim an A-, with Helcim ahead on support and reputation and Square on ease of use.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Pricing and rates
Feature
Helcim
Square
Pricing model
Interchange-plus, published rate table
Flat rate by plan
Helcim publishes its full markup table and passes interchange through at cost. Square bundles interchange into one flat rate that drops slightly on its $49 Plus and $149 Premium plans.
In-person rate
Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢
Winner
2.6% + 15¢ (Free); 2.5% (Plus); 2.4% (Premium)
Helcim's total depends on the card: Visa regulated debit interchange is 0.05% + $0.22, and card-present consumer credit runs from 1.51% + $0.10 (CPS Retail) to 2.10% + $0.10 (Signature Preferred) per Helcim's published Visa table. On most retail card mixes Helcim's all-in cost lands below 2.6% + 15¢; on small tickets and premium rewards cards the gap narrows.
Online and keyed rate
Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢
Winner
3.3% + 30¢ online (Free), 2.9% + 30¢ (Plus/Premium); 3.5% + 15¢ keyed
Square's free plan charges 3.3% + 30¢ for online and invoice payments since its October 2025 plan change; the 2.9% + 30¢ rate now requires a paid plan.
Volume discounts
Automatic tiers from $50K/month; interchange + 0.15% + 6¢ above $1M
Winner
Custom pricing if you process over $250,000 a year
Helcim's tiers apply from a rolling three-month average with no negotiation. Square's custom pricing is a sales conversation.
ACH bank payments
0.5% + 25¢, capped at $6
Winner
1%, $1 minimum; $10 cap on paid plans
Square's ACH is taken through invoices; the $10 fee cap applies on Plus and Premium only. Helcim adds 0.05% on amounts over $25,000 and charges $5 per rejected ACH.
International cards
No Helcim surcharge; network cross-border fees passed through
+1.5%
Helcim's documentation says it adds no international markup; the card brands' cross-border assessment (around 1%) and international interchange (1.10–2.25%) flow through at cost. Square adds a flat 1.5% on cards issued outside the US.
Monthly fee
$0
$0 (Free); $49 or $149 per location for Plus and Premium
Chargeback fee
$15 if lost; $0 if won
$0
Winner
Square lists chargebacks and dispute management among the things it never charges for. Helcim waives its $15 when the merchant wins.
Setup, PCI and statement fees
$0
$0
Pricing model
Helcim
Interchange-plus, published rate table
Square
Flat rate by plan
Helcim publishes its full markup table and passes interchange through at cost. Square bundles interchange into one flat rate that drops slightly on its $49 Plus and $149 Premium plans.
In-person rate
Helcim
Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢
Winner
Square
2.6% + 15¢ (Free); 2.5% (Plus); 2.4% (Premium)
Helcim's total depends on the card: Visa regulated debit interchange is 0.05% + $0.22, and card-present consumer credit runs from 1.51% + $0.10 (CPS Retail) to 2.10% + $0.10 (Signature Preferred) per Helcim's published Visa table. On most retail card mixes Helcim's all-in cost lands below 2.6% + 15¢; on small tickets and premium rewards cards the gap narrows.
Online and keyed rate
Helcim
Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢
Winner
Square
3.3% + 30¢ online (Free), 2.9% + 30¢ (Plus/Premium); 3.5% + 15¢ keyed
Square's free plan charges 3.3% + 30¢ for online and invoice payments since its October 2025 plan change; the 2.9% + 30¢ rate now requires a paid plan.
Volume discounts
Helcim
Automatic tiers from $50K/month; interchange + 0.15% + 6¢ above $1M
Winner
Square
Custom pricing if you process over $250,000 a year
Helcim's tiers apply from a rolling three-month average with no negotiation. Square's custom pricing is a sales conversation.
ACH bank payments
Helcim
0.5% + 25¢, capped at $6
Winner
Square
1%, $1 minimum; $10 cap on paid plans
Square's ACH is taken through invoices; the $10 fee cap applies on Plus and Premium only. Helcim adds 0.05% on amounts over $25,000 and charges $5 per rejected ACH.
International cards
Helcim
No Helcim surcharge; network cross-border fees passed through
Square
+1.5%
Helcim's documentation says it adds no international markup; the card brands' cross-border assessment (around 1%) and international interchange (1.10–2.25%) flow through at cost. Square adds a flat 1.5% on cards issued outside the US.
Monthly fee
Helcim
$0
Square
$0 (Free); $49 or $149 per location for Plus and Premium
Chargeback fee
Helcim
$15 if lost; $0 if won
Square
$0
Winner
Square lists chargebacks and dispute management among the things it never charges for. Helcim waives its $15 when the merchant wins.
Setup, PCI and statement fees
Helcim
$0
Square
$0
Jump to:
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Businesses processing over $10,000 a month
Recommended
Helcim
This is where interchange-plus stops being a rounding error. Helcim's markup is 0.40% + 8¢ in person and drops automatically at $50,000 a month; Square's flat rate does not move until you negotiate custom pricing above $250,000 a year.
Professional services, B2B and contractors
Recommended
Helcim
Invoices, recurring billing, a customer vault and ACH at 0.5% + 25¢ capped at $6 are free with Helcim, and it integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Jobber and Housecall Pro. Square's ACH is 1% with a $10 cap only on paid plans.
Retail shops and cafés
Recommended
Square
A $59 reader or a $299 terminal, free POS with inventory, an online store and Tap to Pay at no extra fee get a counter running the same day. Helcim has no register and its reader is $199.
Restaurants and bars
Recommended
Square
Square's restaurant POS mode, kitchen tools and hardware line are built for table service; Helcim's software is general-purpose. Budget for the $49 Plus plan if you need the full restaurant feature set.
Brand-new businesses with low volume
Recommended
Square
At a few thousand a month the rate difference is small and Square's free software, cheap hardware and instant transfers matter more. Move to Helcim once the monthly processing bill is large enough that 0.5% is real money.
High-risk businesses
Neither. Helcim's acceptable-use policy prohibits weapons, adult and drug categories and puts other restricted businesses through extra scrutiny it can revoke at any time; Square prohibits restricted categories outright. Both hold funds and close accounts on review. Use a high-risk specialist instead.
Helcim: Best for 2 use cases
Square: Best for 3 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
On processing, usually yes. Helcim charges the card network's interchange plus 0.40% + 8¢ in person and plus 0.50% + 25¢ online, and on most card mixes that totals less than Square's 2.6% + 15¢ in person and 3.3% + 30¢ online on the free plan. Helcim's ACH is also half the price. Square is cheaper on hardware, charges no chargeback fee and offers instant transfers, so at very low volume the total cost can favour Square.
No. Helcim charges no monthly, setup, PCI, statement or cancellation fees; you pay interchange plus its markup per transaction. Square's base plan is also free, with Plus at $49 and Premium at $149 per location per month for advanced software and slightly lower in-person rates.
Both are next business day for most merchants. Square deposits payments taken before 5 PM PT the next business day and sells instant or same-day transfers for 1.95%. Helcim deposits next business day at no cost if your bank is on the RTP or FedNow network, otherwise in one to two business days, and does not offer instant transfers.
No. Square lists chargebacks and dispute management among the things it never charges for, though you lose the original processing fee if the dispute goes against you. Helcim charges $15 on a lost chargeback and nothing on a won one.
Helcim. It runs an in-house team on a published phone line Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm Mountain and Saturdays 9am to 5pm, plus email and tickets. Square's live phone and chat run Monday to Friday 6am to 6pm Pacific, phone support is not guaranteed for every seller, and 24/7 phone needs the $149 Premium plan. Our reviews rate Helcim 4.0 and Square 1.0 for support.
No. Square's readers, terminals and register only work with Square's own processing. Helcim's Card Reader and Smart Terminal likewise only run Helcim. Switching processors means switching hardware, which is one reason to pick based on where your volume will be in two years rather than today.