If you already want interchange-plus pricing and a person you can phone, the question is no longer flat rate against pass-through. It is how to tell one interchange-plus offer from another, because two quotes can carry the same label and cost very different amounts once the markup, the monthly fees and the extras are added up. This guide shows what to compare, which fee lines to look for on Helcim’s current pricing page or any other provider’s, how to test phone support before you sign, and what NPS’s 2026 pricing study does and does not tell you if you are already paying pass-through prices.
The short answer
- “Interchange plus” is a format, not a price. The markup, the per-sale charge, monthly fees and extras decide what you pay.
- NPS’s pricing study may not apply to you. It compared flat rate with pass-through. If you are already on pass-through, the savings, if any, come from the markup and the extras.
- Test the phone before you sign. Hours, who answers, how fast, and whether you get a named person.
- Ask for the quote in writing, priced on your own last 90 days, not on an average.
- Read Helcim’s own current pricing page. We do not quote its prices or describe how it prices, because those change.
What interchange plus means, and what it does not
Every card payment has three layers of cost. Interchange is a fee set by the card networks and paid to the bank that issued the customer’s card. Network fees are smaller charges paid to Visa, Mastercard and the others. The processor’s markup is what the company handling your payments adds for itself.
Interchange-plus pricing, also called pass-through or cost-plus, passes the first two layers to you at cost and states the markup on its own line. That gives you something to compare. NPS’s guide to the four merchant account pricing models lists the pros and cons: complete visibility, efficient scaling and eligibility for card-data savings, against a longer statement and, sometimes, small separate monthly fees.
What the label does not tell you is the size of the markup, what else is charged, or how good the service is. Two offers can both be interchange-plus and differ by hundreds of dollars a year on the same volume. That is why the rest of this guide is about comparison.
Why two interchange-plus quotes can differ
When you collect quotes, put each one into the same table. These are the lines that vary.
- The percentage markup. The part added on top of interchange, stated as a percentage of the sale.
- The per-transaction charge. A fixed amount on every sale. It matters more when your average sale is small.
- Monthly fees. Account, gateway, statement and software fees. Some providers charge a flat monthly membership instead of a percentage markup, a model NPS describes in its pricing guide and offers in select programs.
- Compliance and other fees. PCI compliance and similar charges. NPS’s statement guide says a PCI non-compliance fee is something you should not have to pay once you complete your self-assessment questionnaire.
- Minimums and annual fees. Charges that apply if your volume is low.
- Dispute fees. What a chargeback costs and whether it is returned if you win.
- Terminal and software costs. Bought or leased, and what cancellation costs.
- Contract terms. Length, renewal and early termination.
- Markup changes. Whether the markup can be raised, and with how much notice. NPS suggests auditing your statement quarterly because markups can be raised.
Ask for the whole table in writing. A provider that cannot fill in every line before you sign is telling you something about what the statement will look like later.
Quote Comparison
Fee lines that vary between interchange-plus quotes
| Fee line | What it covers | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage markup | Added on top of interchange | Stated as a percentage of the sale |
| Per-transaction charge | Fixed amount on every sale | Matters more when your average sale is small |
| Monthly fees | Account, gateway, statement, software | Some providers charge a flat monthly membership instead |
| Compliance fees | PCI compliance and similar charges | Should not apply once you complete your self-assessment |
| Dispute fees | What a chargeback costs | Check whether it is returned if you win |
The fee lines to look for on Helcim, or any provider
We do not quote Helcim’s prices on this page, and we do not describe how it prices its cards. Plans and fees change, and only the provider’s own current pricing page is a reliable source. Open it with your latest statement beside it and check these items.
- Whether the page shows interchange and the markup separately, and what the markup is.
- Whether the markup changes with your monthly volume, and the volume levels.
- Rates for cards typed in by hand, online payments and in-person payments.
- Fees for the gateway, invoicing, recurring billing and ACH bank payments.
- Monthly, account and software fees.
- Hardware prices and whether you own the terminal.
- Dispute and chargeback fees.
- Payout timing, and whether funds can be held.
- The support hours and the way to reach a person.
Then ask whichever provider you are comparing the same question: can I see these lines in writing, priced on my own transactions? For a general list of questions, see 20 critical questions to ask your payment processor before signing.
What our 2026 pricing study says, and why it may not apply to you
NPS published a pricing study in 2026 that compares flat-rate pricing with interchange pass-through pricing. It is a model built on published rate schedules, not a survey of real businesses, and it was written by a processor that sells pass-through pricing. In the model, businesses selling online or by invoice paid 19% to 31% less on pass-through than on flat rate, across average tickets from $15 to $2,500.
That comparison was flat rate against pass-through. If you already pay pass-through prices, the 19% to 31% range does not describe your situation, and you should not expect it. The study did not model Helcim or any other specific provider. If you already pay interchange-plus, the study’s 19% to 31% does not apply to you, and it does not compare one interchange-plus offer with another. Between two pass-through offers, the difference is whatever is in the table above: the markup, the extras and the support. That difference can be real, and it can also be small. We will say so if it is.
The study does explain why pass-through is cheaper than flat rate when it is. Federal rules cap the fee on debit cards issued by large banks at 0.05% of the sale plus 21 cents, with a 1 cent fraud adjustment. Debit cards from smaller banks are exempt from the cap and cost more, and the study assumed 35% of debit volume came from exempt cards. Under interchange-plus, every provider passes the same interchange to you, so debit mix affects all of them in the same way. That is why the markup and the extras are where your comparison lives.
Phone support: how to test it before you sign
Support is easy to promise and hard to compare. We explain our thinking in transparent payment processing plus real support. Do not take our word for it, and do not take anyone’s. Test it.
- Find the number first. Is there a phone number on the website that goes to a person, or only chat, forms and a help center?
- Call before you sign. Ask a real question about your situation, such as how a dispute or a held payout is handled. Note how long it took to reach a person and how useful the answer was.
- Ask about hours. Weekends, evenings and holidays. Payment problems do not wait for business hours.
- Ask who you will talk to. A named account manager, or whoever answers.
- Ask about escalation. What happens when the first person cannot fix it?
- Ask for the answer in the contract. A support promise that exists only in marketing is hard to hold anyone to.
Before You Sign
How to test phone support before you commit
- Find the phone number on the website that goes to a person
- Call before you sign and ask a real question about disputes or a held payout
- Ask about hours: weekends, evenings and holidays
- Ask who you will talk to: a named account manager, or whoever answers
- Ask about escalation when the first person cannot fix it
- Ask for the support commitment in the contract
If you build software that connects to payments, support matters in another way. NPS wrote about why developers need people who understand the integration in your payment API is only as good as the support behind it.
Beyond price: the features your invoices and payments need
If your current setup is already interchange-plus, you probably want the next provider to do more than process cards. Here is a short checklist to match against what you actually use.
- ACH bank payments next to cards. NPS notes that ACH transfers typically cost much less in flat fees than percentage-based card fees.
- Invoicing and payment links that carry your brand and connect to your accounting software.
- Recurring billing and partial payments if you collect deposits or subscriptions.
- Level 2 and Level 3 data if you sell to businesses. NPS’s pricing models guide describes these as reduced interchange rates, up to 1% less, for business customers when extra data is provided. See Level 2 and Level 3 processing.
- An API and webhooks if your software must trigger or confirm payments.
- Retail or restaurant POS if you take payments in person.
NPS describes its NPSONE platform as combining a gateway with APIs and webhooks, Smart Invoicing with QuickBooks Online sync, ACH, recurring billing and Level 2 and Level 3 support, and says it connects with more than 500 software products. We are not claiming it has every feature another provider has. Bring your list and ask for a demonstration.
Own account, underwriting and the questions people forget
A merchant account is the account that receives your card payments before they go to your bank. Ask any provider whether you would have your own, or whether you would be grouped with many other businesses under a master account. Our guide to the choice is in Stripe alternative for small business.
Providers that give you your own merchant account review your business first. This is called underwriting. NPS describes what that review typically looks at, such as your type of business, how long you have operated, your processing and chargeback history, and your credit. Our guide on who is eligible for a merchant account covers it. Expect to provide documents, and ask for a timeline.
How to run a fair comparison
- Download 90 days of transactions and fees from your current provider. Three months smooths out a holiday or a few large sales.
- Work out your current effective rate: total processing fees divided by total card sales. See how to read your merchant statement.
- Send the same data to every provider you are considering and ask for pricing on those exact transactions.
- Put each answer into the table of lines above and add up the monthly totals, including software and extras.
- Show your current provider the lowest real quote and ask whether it will adjust its markup. The answer is useful either way.
Fair Comparison
How to compare quotes on your own transactions
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Download 90 days of transactions and feesDownload 90 days of transactions and fees from your current provider.
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Work out your current effective rateTotal processing fees divided by total card sales.
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Send the same data to every providerAsk for pricing on those exact transactions.
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Put each answer into the same tableAdd up the monthly totals, including software and extras.
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Show your current provider the lowest real quoteAsk whether it will adjust its markup.
NPS offers a free statement review, with no obligation to switch, and we explain the method in how much are you really paying Stripe, Square, PayPal or QuickBooks.
Moving without disruption
- Ask about the contract and any charge for leaving before you start.
- Find out how stored cards, recurring schedules and open invoices move, and what customers must re-enter.
- Test with a real transaction and check the deposit in your bank.
- Run the old and new setups together for a short overlap.
- Choose a quiet week for the cutover.
- Save the new support number where your team can find it.
When staying put is the better answer
If you already pay a fair markup, your fees are low, your invoicing works and the phone is answered by someone who knows your account, there may be little to gain. The cost and effort of moving have to be weighed against a small saving. We would rather tell you that than win a customer who gains nothing.
For the full picture across every sales channel and average ticket, read our guide to cheapest payment processing in 2026.
For a wider comparison that includes Helcim, Stripe, Square and others, see our guide to the best payment processors, compared by business type.
Who wrote this, and where NPS fits
Nationwide Payment Systems (NPS) publishes this guide. We are a payments company, in business since 2001, and we sell merchant accounts, a gateway, invoicing and point of sale systems, so we are not neutral. We offer interchange-plus (cost-plus) and simplified pricing, and we do not publish one universal rate, because pricing depends on volume, ticket size, card mix and risk. Browse the payments guides or contact our team for a second opinion on a quote.
We are not the right fit for everyone. If a provider you already use gives you fair pricing and the support you need, stay. We do not quote competitors’ current prices or describe how they price, because those details change. Read each provider’s own pricing page.
Bottom line
Interchange plus is a format, not a price, so compare the markup, the monthly fees, the extras and the contract on the same 90 days of your own transactions. Do not expect NPS’s pricing study’s 19% to 31% figure to apply if you are already on pass-through pricing, because that study compared flat rate with pass-through. Test phone support by calling before you sign and ask for the answer in writing. Read Helcim’s own current pricing page, put every quote in the same table, and decide on the total. If you want a second opinion, contact our team, and if staying put is the better answer, we will say so.
Frequently asked questions
What should I compare between two interchange-plus offers?
Compare the percentage markup, the per-transaction charge, monthly and account fees, compliance fees, dispute fees, hardware, contract terms and whether the markup can change. Ask for all of it in writing, priced on your own last 90 days of transactions.
Will switching to NPS save me 19% to 31%?
Not if you already pay pass-through prices. That figure comes from NPS’s 2026 pricing study, a model, which compared flat rate with pass-through for online and invoice sales. Between two interchange-plus offers, any difference comes from the markup, the extras and the service.
How do I test a provider’s phone support?
Find the phone number, call before you sign, and ask a real question about disputes or held payouts. Note how long it takes to reach a person and how useful the answer is. Ask about hours, a named account manager and escalation, and ask for the support commitment in the contract.
What is the difference between interchange-plus and a flat monthly membership?
With interchange-plus you pay the real card costs plus a percentage and per-sale markup. With a membership model the processor charges a flat monthly fee instead of a percentage markup and passes interchange through at cost. NPS offers membership pricing in select programs, and it tends to suit high-volume businesses.
Can I keep my invoicing and accounting connection if I move?
It depends on the provider. Ask whether the connection to your accounting software is two-way, how stored cards and recurring schedules move, and what customers must re-enter. NPS describes a two-way QuickBooks Online sync in its Smart Invoicing platform.
How does NPS help me compare?
Send us a recent statement. NPS offers a free statement review. There is no obligation to switch.
