How Much Are Clover Credit Card Processing Fees in 2022?

Clover offers a wide range of solutions to help merchants accept and process payments, engage their customers, and grow their business. But are they easy on the wallet of a small business owner? Let’s dive in and review what makes up Clover credit card processing fees.

After all, when it comes to choosing a payment processor, the processing fees are always a major consideration. And for good reason. For perspective, American merchants paid a whopping $110.32 billion in payment processing fees in 2020.

So, we’ve put together a comprehensive review of Clover’s elaborate fee structure that will help you make an informed decision about whether or not to choose its services for your small business.

Let’s get started.

Understanding the Clover POS System and Pricing

Clover is an all-in-one system that offers credit card processing for small businesses along with the necessary hardware and software they need to accept payments.

The company is owned by Fiserv and also offers a range of business solutions (e.g., employee management software, customer engagement software, etc.) that are supported by its point of sale (POS) system.

To find out whether Clover might be a worthwhile investment for your small business, you need to first understand its pricing structure. This will typically have three components:

1. An upfront hardware cost. Clover offers a wide range of hardware options which we’ll delve into in just a bit.

2. A set monthly fee for the POS software. Merchants don’t need to pay this fee for the first 30 days.

3. Payment processing fees. These will apply to each transaction you process and are to be paid monthly. We’ll discuss the specifics in a subsequent section.

How Clover Credit Card Processing Works

Clover groups its hardware and software offerings into bundles, especially suited for the following types of businesses:

• Full-service dining
• Quick-service dining
• Retail shops
• Professional services
• Personal services
• Home and field services

For each of these categories, Clover offers three different pricing tiers (or plans) for merchants to choose from—Starter, Standard, and Advanced.

So there’s a Standard plan for quick-service restaurants and likewise, there’s a Standard plan for personal services—each with a different set of features and price. If your business doesn’t fall into any of these categories, you can opt for a custom configuration too.

Regardless of the plan you choose, you’ll always have access to Clover’s reporting tools, 24/7 customer support, virtual terminal, and third-party business management apps on the Clover App Market. You should also be able to set up loyalty programs and gift cards and accept contactless payments (like Apple Pay or Google Pay).

It’s worthwhile to note that Clover is also sold by many third-party vendors that may offer different terms and/or pricing. However, for the purposes of this article, we’ll be focusing only on the plans/prices offered by Clover directly.

Clover Credit Card Processing Fees

Clover credit card processing fees have two components:

• A transaction fee. A percentage of the value of each transaction a merchant processes.
• A flat fee for every transaction.

The transaction fee varies by the type of transaction—card-present or card-not-present—with a slightly higher fee for keyed-in or card-not-present transactions.

In general, you may expect to pay the following Clover credit card processing fees:

• 2.3% + 10¢ or 2.6%+ 10¢ for every in‑person transaction, depending on your plan
• 3.5% + 10¢ for every keyed‑in transaction

Clover POS Hardware Options and Costs

Clover offers a number of POS hardware options with wide-ranging pricing and features suited for different types of business needs. Let’s take a look.

• Clover Station Solo: The Station Solo is an all-in-one countertop POS machine that comes with a 14-inch touchscreen, cash drawer, receipt printer, and dual built-in cameras with barcode scanners. It accepts magstripe and EMV chip cards for swipe and dip payments. Particularly suited for full-service restaurant owners, the Station Solo helps them build floor plans, take orders remotely, track sales, and improve operational efficiency. It is available for $1349.

• Clover Station Duo: The Station Duo includes all of the features that Solo offers along with a few significant upgrades. It includes a second 7-inch touchscreen for customers to confirm their orders, make payments, redeem rewards, and leave tips. This makes it particularly useful for quick-service restaurants and retail settings where customers tend to line up fast. It supports swipe, dip, and tap payments.

• Clover Mini: This is a sleek and compact countertop POS system that supports swipe, dip, and tap payments. It comes with a 7-inch touchscreen, receipt printer, and barcode scanner. It also allows merchants to accept card-not-present transactions and set up invoices or recurring payments.

• Clover Flex: This is an all-in-one handheld point of sale device with a 5-inch display that accepts swipe, dip, and tap payments and generates both digital and paper receipts. It also allows you to track sales, accept orders, capture customer signatures, and read barcodes.

• Clover Go: The Go app allows you to transform your iOS or Android mobile device into a full POS. It comes with a mobile card reader that accepts swipe, dip, and tap payments. It allows you to store digital receipts that you can send to your customers via email or text. Clover Go is quite inexpensive.

Clover Pricing Plans by Business Type

To meet the payment processing needs of various types of businesses, Clover offers the following plans:

1. Full-Service Dining

Clover offers the following subscription plans for full-service restaurants:

Starter: This is available for a one-time payment of $1349 or 3 installments of $450 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $74.95. It comes with the Station Solo and includes order management, online ordering, tracking and reporting, and omnichannel menu management functionality. 

Standard: This is available for a one-time payment of $1848 or 3 installments of $616 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $84.90. It comes with the Station Solo and the Flex. This plan also includes features for tableside ordering and firing besides offering all the functionality of the Starter package. 

Advanced: This one’s available for a one-time payment of $3497 or 3 installments of $1165 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $94.85. It comes with the Station Solo, the Station Duo, and the Flex and offers all the features included in the Standard package.

All the above plans have the same processing fees of 2.3% + 10¢ for card-present transactions, and 3.5% + 10¢ for card-not-present.

2. Quick-Service Dining

These plans are great for smaller counter-service or quick-service restaurants. Once again, Clover offers the following three plans:

Starter: Available at a one-time payment of $749 or 3 installments of $250 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $44.95. It comes with the Clover Mini and includes features for order management, online ordering, omnichannel menu management, tracking and reporting, and employee management.

Standard: Available at a one-time payment of $1649 or 3 installments of $549 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $44.95. It comes with the Station Duo and includes all the features offered in the Starter package.

Advanced: Available at a one-time payment of $2148 or 3 installments of $715 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $54.90. It comes with the Station Duo and the Flex and therefore offers a wider range of features. 

All the above plans have the same processing fees of 2.3% + 10¢ for card-present transactions, and 3.5% + 10¢ for card-not-present.

3. Retail Shops

Best suited for retail, grocery, and convenience stores, Clover offers the following three variants to meet your business needs as accurately as possible.

Starter: Available at a one-time payment of $749 or 3 installments of $250 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $14.95. It comes with the Clover Mini and includes inventory and order management, tracking and reporting, online sales, and employee and customer management features. The processing fees for card-present transactions are 2.6% + 10¢, and for keyed-in transactions are 3.5% + 10¢. 

Standard: Available at a one-time payment of $1649 or 3 installments of $549 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $44.95, the Standard plan comes with the Station Duo. Besides offering all the functionality of the Starter package, it includes advanced order management features. The processing fees for card-present transactions are 2.3% + 10¢ and for keyed-in transactions are 3.5% + 10¢.

Advanced: Available at a one-time payment of $2148 or 3 installments of $715 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $54.90. It comes with the Station Duo and the Flex and therefore offers a wider range of features. The processing fees are the same as that of the Standard plan.

4. Professional Services 

For professional service providers like accountants, lawyers, or bookkeepers, Clover offers the following three plans:

Starter: In this plan, merchants can access the Clover dashboard from their phone, tablet, or computer thus avoiding any hardware costs. This means they can only process card-not-present transactions in this package. The processing fees are 3.5% + 10¢ and merchants must pay a monthly fee of $14.95. It includes features like invoicing, tracking, reporting, order management, client engagement, etc.

Standard: This is available for a one-time payment of $499 or 3 installments of $166 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $14.95. It comes with the Clover Flex and can be used to process swipe, dip, and tap payments. Besides offering the functionality included in the Starter package, it also supports loyalty programs, gift cards, and promotions. Card-present transactions are charged at 2.6% + 10¢ and card-not-present transactions at 3.5% + 10¢.

Advanced: This is available for a one-time payment of $1349 or 3 installments of $450 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $44.95. It comes with the Clover Station Solo and offers some more advanced features besides the ones included in the Standard package. The Clover credit card processing fees for card-present transactions are 2.3% + 10¢, and for card-not-present transactions are 3.5% + 10¢. 

5. Personal Services

Clover offers the following three plans for personal service providers like cleaners, beauticians, and hairstylists.

Starter: This is available for a one-time payment of $499 or 3 installments of $166 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $14.95. It comes with the Clover Flex and can be used to process swipe, dip, and tap payments. It includes features for order management, customer engagement, tracking and reporting, and employee management. Card-present transactions are charged at 2.6% + 10¢, and keyed-in transactions at 3.5% + 10¢.

Standard: Available at a one-time payment of $749 or 3 installments of $250 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $44.95. It comes with the Clover Mini. Besides offering all the functionality of the Starter package, it includes advanced order management features. Card-present transactions are charged at 2.3% + 10¢ and keyed-in transactions at 3.5% + 10¢.

Advanced: Available at a one-time payment of $1649 or 3 installments of $549 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $44.95, the Standard plan comes with the Station Duo and offers the same processing fees as the Standard plan.

6. Home and Field Services

For professionals offering home and field services (e.g., electricians, plumbers, etc.), Clover offers the following plans:

Starter: In this plan, merchants can access the Clover dashboard from their phone, tablet, or computer thus avoiding any hardware costs. This means they can only process card-not-present transactions in this package. The processing fees are 3.5% + 10¢ and merchants must pay a monthly fee of $14.95. It includes features like invoicing, tracking, reporting, order management, customer engagement, etc.

Standard: This comes with the Clover Go-paired mobile card reader at an affordable one-time payment of $49 for the hardware and a monthly fee of $14.95. Card-present transactions are charged at 2.6% + 10¢ and card-not-present transactions at 3.5% + 10¢.

Advanced: This is available for a one-time payment of $499 or 3 installments of $166 for the hardware, plus a monthly fee of $14.95. It comes with the Clover Flex and can be used to process swipe, dip, and tap payments. Besides offering all the functionality of the Standard package, it includes advanced order management features. Processing fees are the same as the Standard plan. 

Pros and Cons of Clover Merchant Services for Small Businesses

Clover offers a number of unique benefits for small businesses. Their point-of-sale systems are some of the easiest to set up and use. Plus, they offer fairly competitive flat rate payment processing that may be beneficial for businesses processing low volumes. They also provide outstanding customer support with 24/7 phone support across all their plans.

That said, Clover devices are mostly on the expensive side, which makes this all-in-one POS solution not so great for small business owners. Plus, their elaborate and complex pricing plans are quite difficult to comprehend and high-volume businesses may end up paying a lot in credit card processing fees.

Can You Get Better Credit Card Processing Rates Elsewhere?

Most merchants—especially small businesses—may find Clover to be quite expensive due to its pricing structure and flat-rate Clover credit card processing fees. Choosing a payment processing provider like Payment Depot that offers wholesale interchange rates through its membership-based pricing can turn out to be much more cost-effective. This can be especially great for high-volume merchants.

Payment Depot resells several of Clover’s hardware and can create significant savings for small businesses as far as payment processing costs go. Contact our award-winning customer service team today to learn more.

FAQs

Does Clover Charge Hidden Fees?

If you buy your hardware and merchant account directly from Clover or other reputable vendors (like Payment Depot), you won’t need to worry about any hidden fees. However, some dishonest resellers may sneak in certain hidden fees in their merchant services contract, so be sure to read the fine print carefully.

What Integrations Does Clover Offer?

Clover integrates seamlessly with hundreds of business management apps. You can access all of them from the Clover App Market.

What Security Features Does Clover Provide?

Clover offers data protection through end-to-end encryption and tokenization. It also offers Clover Security Plus, an add-on that helps merchants protect themselves from potential breaches while staying PCI compliant.