Comparison · Updated October 31, 2026
PayJunction vs Stax
PayJunction
B+
A Santa Barbara ISO that has been processing since 2000, sells month-to-month with no cancellation fee, and has zero complaints on file with the BBB. The reservation is pricing: its published numbers are all 'as low as', and third-party accounts of its monthly fee flatly contradict each other.
Stax
B
Stax is a payments technology company founded in 2014 that partners with SaaS companies, ISOs, and SMBs to enable flexible, multi-channel payment processing and invoicing solutions, claiming a distinctive subscription-based pricing model with 0% interchange markup.
VS
Overview
We compare the two for a US small or mid-sized business taking card payments in person and online, using each company's own pricing pages, help centres and published merchant terms as of October 2026. Both are US ISOs. PayJunction is Messiahic, Inc., trading as PayJunction, in Santa Barbara, California: in business since 2000, independent, and a registered ISO of PNC Bank. Stax (formerly Fattmerchant, founded in Orlando in 2014) has been majority-owned by the private equity firm Greater Sum Ventures since December 2020, and is a registered ISO/MSP with Fifth Third Bank and Synovus Bank. The pricing models are different, so the headline rates do not compare directly. PayJunction sells percentage pricing published only as floors: cards 'as low as 1.49% + $0.15', ACH 'as low as 0.75%', and no monthly fee on its pricing page. Stax charges a monthly subscription ($99 a month up to $150,000 a year of processing, $139 up to $250,000, $199 and up above that) and passes interchange through with no percentage markup, plus $0.08 per in-person and $0.15 per keyed or online transaction. Stax is the only one you can cost before applying. Stax's merchant terms are month-to-month with no early termination fee. PayJunction advertises the same, but the card-processing agreement it publishes defaults to a three-year term with a closure fee unless your application says otherwise, so get month-to-month confirmed in writing. Both normally pay out the next business day. PayJunction has longer phone hours and a far cleaner public record: no BBB complaints in three years and 4.9 on Trustpilot, against 52 BBB complaints and 4.4 for Stax.
Key Takeaways
- ✓PayJunction has the stronger reputation: an A+ BBB rating with no complaints in three years and 4.9 on Trustpilot from 625 reviews. Stax is also A+ and accredited, but has 52 complaints in three years and scores 4.4 from 1,246 reviews.
- ✓Stax is the one you can cost in advance. It publishes its subscription tiers ($99, $139 and $199+ a month), its per-transaction fees ($0.08 in person, $0.15 keyed or online) and interchange at cost with no markup. PayJunction publishes only 'as low as' rates and no monthly fee.
- ✓Stax's terms are month-to-month with no early termination fee and 30 days' written notice, but add a $750 deconversion fee if you ask for help moving processors, a $499 charge for unreturned loaned equipment, and an exclusivity clause. PayJunction advertises month-to-month service and a $0 early termination fee, yet the card-processing agreement it publishes carries a three-year default term, a $250 or $500 closure fee, a $495 equipment non-return fee and an exclusivity clause unless your application says otherwise.
- ✓Both normally pay out to your bank the next business day. Stax says some new accounts start on 48-hour funding, and PayJunction says some setups take an extra day or two.
- ✓PayJunction's phone support runs 6am to 5pm Pacific on weekdays, which is 9am to 8pm Eastern. Stax's runs 9am to 6pm Eastern, with chat in the dashboard during the same hours.
PayJunction
PayJunction suits a card-present practice or service business, especially one whose software it integrates with, that values a clean complaint record and long support hours, and is willing to get a written quote, since it publishes no full price. Make sure the application confirms the month-to-month, no-fee exit it advertises.
Stax
Stax suits a business processing roughly $10,000 a month or more that wants to see its pricing before it applies: a fixed subscription, interchange at cost and a few cents per transaction. Watch the exit terms and reconcile early statements against your quote.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
The two are closer on terms than their marketing suggests, and both normally pay out the next business day. The difference is what each one will tell you before you sign. Stax publishes its whole pricing model: $99 to $199 or more a month, interchange at cost and $0.08 or $0.15 a transaction. That lets a business processing $10,000 or more a month work out its costs in advance and see the fixed fee spread thinly. Its terms are month-to-month with no early termination fee, but carry a $750 deconversion fee, a $499 equipment charge and an exclusivity clause. PayJunction publishes only 'as low as' rates and no monthly fee, so you need a written quote. It advertises month-to-month service with no cancellation fee, though its published card-processing agreement defaults to three years with a closure fee unless the application says otherwise. It has the cleaner record, with no BBB complaints in three years against 52 for Stax and 4.9 against 4.4 on Trustpilot, and longer phone hours. Choose PayJunction if service matters most and you will get a quote with month-to-month terms confirmed in writing. Choose Stax if you have the volume and want a price you can model now.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Pricing (US, October 2026)
| Feature | PayJunction | Stax |
|---|---|---|
| Card pricing model | As low as 1.49% + $0.15 | Interchange at cost + subscription |
| Different models, so no winner. PayJunction's Standard plan is published only as a floor ('as low as'), with an Enterprise plan quoted against your statements; its pricing page adds that additional fees may apply under the Merchant Agreement. Stax passes interchange through with 0% markup and charges a monthly subscription plus a fixed fee per transaction. Which is cheaper depends on your volume, ticket size and the rate PayJunction quotes you. | ||
| Monthly fee | Not disclosed | $99, $139 or $199+ by annual volume |
| PayJunction's pricing page names no monthly, gateway or statement fee; its help centre says some monthly fees are billed at the start of the following month, without listing them. Stax: $99 a month up to $150,000 of processing a year, $139 from $150,000 to $250,000, and $199 and up above $250,000, with a custom quote for higher volume. | ||
| Per-transaction fee | $0.15 (as low as) | $0.08 in person; $0.15 keyed or online |
| No winner: PayJunction's figure sits on top of a percentage and is a floor, while Stax's sits on top of interchange at cost. PayJunction does not publish a separate in-person and online rate. | ||
| ACH | As low as 0.75% | 1% (capped at $10) |
| No winner, because PayJunction's figure is a floor and has no published cap, while Stax's is a fixed rate with a $10 cap per payment. Stax lists ACH as an optional add-on. | ||
| PCI compliance fee | None; no non-compliance fee | Not disclosed |
| PayJunction's help centre says its PCI program with SecurityMetrics is free and that it charges no non-compliance fees. Stax's pricing page lists no PCI fee, but its help centre says a PCI non-compliance fee applies if you do not complete compliance within 90 days (60 days outside its Aperia portal), without giving the amount. | ||
Card pricing model
PayJunction
As low as 1.49% + $0.15
Stax
Interchange at cost + subscription
Different models, so no winner. PayJunction's Standard plan is published only as a floor ('as low as'), with an Enterprise plan quoted against your statements; its pricing page adds that additional fees may apply under the Merchant Agreement. Stax passes interchange through with 0% markup and charges a monthly subscription plus a fixed fee per transaction. Which is cheaper depends on your volume, ticket size and the rate PayJunction quotes you.
Monthly fee
PayJunction
Not disclosed
Stax
$99, $139 or $199+ by annual volume
PayJunction's pricing page names no monthly, gateway or statement fee; its help centre says some monthly fees are billed at the start of the following month, without listing them. Stax: $99 a month up to $150,000 of processing a year, $139 from $150,000 to $250,000, and $199 and up above $250,000, with a custom quote for higher volume.
Per-transaction fee
PayJunction
$0.15 (as low as)
Stax
$0.08 in person; $0.15 keyed or online
No winner: PayJunction's figure sits on top of a percentage and is a floor, while Stax's sits on top of interchange at cost. PayJunction does not publish a separate in-person and online rate.
ACH
PayJunction
As low as 0.75%
Stax
1% (capped at $10)
No winner, because PayJunction's figure is a floor and has no published cap, while Stax's is a fixed rate with a $10 cap per payment. Stax lists ACH as an optional add-on.
PCI compliance fee
PayJunction
None; no non-compliance fee
Stax
Not disclosed
PayJunction's help centre says its PCI program with SecurityMetrics is free and that it charges no non-compliance fees. Stax's pricing page lists no PCI fee, but its help centre says a PCI non-compliance fee applies if you do not complete compliance within 90 days (60 days outside its Aperia portal), without giving the amount.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Dental, veterinary or auto-service practice running integrated practice software
Recommended
PayJunction
PayJunction's terminals, virtual terminal and No-code Payments Integration are aimed at these practices, and its complaint record and phone hours are the stronger of the two. Ask for the full fee schedule in writing.
Business processing $10,000+ a month that wants to model costs before applying
Recommended
Stax
Stax publishes its subscription tiers, per-transaction fees and 0% interchange markup, so you can estimate your monthly bill from your own statements. PayJunction's floors cannot be costed until you are quoted.
Low-volume or seasonal seller
Neither. Stax's $99 minimum subscription is hard to justify at low volume. PayJunction publishes no monthly fee either way, so its cost at low volume is unknown until quoted. A provider with no monthly fee and published flat rates is easier to judge.
Business that wants to surcharge credit cards
Both run compliant surcharge plans that take the merchant's credit card cost to as low as 0%. Stax publishes its debit cost (1.25% + $0.25) and its plan starts at $99 a month. PayJunction does not publish its debit cost on the plan.
Shopify store
Neither. PayJunction says it is no longer available on Shopify, and we could not verify a Stax Shopify setup. Shopify Payments or a Shopify-supported gateway is the simpler route.
PayJunction: Best for 1 use case
Stax: Best for 1 use case
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
It depends on your volume and on the rate PayJunction quotes, because the two price differently. Stax charges a subscription of $99 a month up to $150,000 a year of processing, $139 up to $250,000 and $199 or more above that. It passes interchange through with no markup and adds $0.08 per in-person or $0.15 per keyed or online transaction. PayJunction publishes only floors, cards 'as low as 1.49% + $0.15' and ACH 'as low as 0.75%', and no monthly fee. Compare a written PayJunction quote with Stax's published model against your last few statements.
Stax's terms are month-to-month with no early termination fee and 30 days' written notice, though they include a $750 deconversion fee if you ask Stax to help move you to another processor and a $499 charge for loaned equipment not returned within 30 days. PayJunction says it has no long-term contracts and a $0 early termination fee, and its Gateway Agreement runs month to month on 30 days' notice. Its published card-processing agreement template, though, sets a three-year term with a $250 or $500 closure fee 'unless confirmed otherwise on your application', so check that your application says month-to-month.
Both normally pay to your bank the next business day. PayJunction pays card batches settled by 5pm Pacific the next business day, with some setups taking an extra day or two and direct Amex funding taking three to five business days. Stax approves most merchants for next-day funding but may start newer accounts with little processing history on 48-hour funding.
PayJunction's support line (800-601-0230, option 3) is open Monday to Friday, 6am to 5pm Pacific. Stax's (855-550-3288, option 2) is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm Eastern, with chat in the Stax dashboard during the same hours and a ticket form it aims to answer within 24 to 48 business hours.
PayJunction is the trading name of Messiahic, Inc., a California company in Santa Barbara that has been in business since 2000. It is independent and a registered ISO of PNC Bank. Stax was founded as Fattmerchant in Orlando in 2014. Private equity firm Greater Sum Ventures took a majority stake in December 2020, and the company was renamed Stax in 2021.
PayJunction says its PCI program is free and that it charges no non-compliance fees. Stax publishes no PCI program fee, but its help centre says a non-compliance fee applies if you have not completed PCI compliance within 90 days of enrolment (60 days outside its Aperia portal). It does not state the amount.
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