The Best 2025

How to Choose a Credit Card Processing Service for Your Business

Leaders

• Free EMV equipment

• Low transaction fees

• $500 guarantee you’ll save money on processing

• 24/7 technical support

Leaders is a merchant service company geared towards businesses that are looking for a one-stop payment processing solution with competitive prices.

While the company has low monthly rates and credit and debit card transaction fees, the exact figure you’ll pay will be customized to your account and you’ll have to speak to a Leaders representative to get these figures. The company provides users with free equipment, including a mobile card reader for a smartphone or tablet and free processing software, and trains users so that they can operate the software and equipment smoothly. The service also integrates with a number of accounting programs including most versions of Quickbooks. You can also use it with the Clover POS system.

In addition, because there is a monthly minimum of just $15 in charges, the company is well-suited to small businesses that don’t have a large volume of sales.

You also get what the company describes as “industry-leading technical support” which is available 24 hours every day of the year.

Approval for a new business is typically given in the same day, so you can get up and running quickly. The company says it has an approval rate of 98% and that approval is not dependent on customers having a good credit rating.

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Flagship

• No setup fees

• Free credit card swiper

• Cash advances up to $150,000

• Rates starting at .38% + $0.19 per transaction

Flagship merchant services is one of the most trusted names in the transaction processing industry and is well-suited to help customers running all types of businesses.

Trying out Flagship for your business is easy and risk free, as the company doesn’t charge any setup fees. You also don’t have to sign up for a long term contract and can quit anytime, so feel free to try out Flagship for a month to see if it’s right for you.

Flagship can supply you with a free credit card swiper as well as a mobile payment processor that can hook up to your iOS or Android device by way of the headphone jack, so you can make wireless transactions for your business from just about anywhere. The company can also supply you with a sales terminal run by Clover, one of the top POS systems on the market today.

If your company comes into some cash flow needs, you can get a cash advance from Flagship for up to $150,000. In addition, the company can provide you with special gift cards that you can use to promote your brand.

The rates for Flagship are also attractive, starting at .38% + $0.19 per transaction.

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iPayment

• Duplicate transaction prevention

• Send receipts via email or SMS

• Wide range of integrations with payment software

• Low transaction fees

iPayment is the chosen transaction processing company for more than 140,000 merchant customers, who use the service to process payments online, in house, and from all points in between by way of the mobile payment options. The service is best geared towards established businesses that need an easily scalable transaction system. The company’s reputation also speaks for itself: In 2025, it was chosen as the ISO/Merchant Sales Organization of the Year.

iPayment is a top reseller of Clover business hardware, including the mini and mobile consoles made by the company and works seamlessly with Clover POS system and the wide range of integrations that work with the software. The company can also provide customers with a wide variety of transaction terminals for purchase.

iPayment also promises a high level of encryption and tokenization in order to keep your transactions secure.

The platform boasts a wide range of features, including multiple in-app tax rates, check and cash payment recording, a barcode scanner, duplicate transaction prevention, and the ability to send receipts via email or SMS, among others.

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What is Merchant Services?

Merchant services is a broad terms that refers to merchant processing services giving a business the capability to accept payment using a customer's credit card. The merchant services provider (MSP) is the one who actually makes the transaction happen while complying with security requirements. Merchant services providers are also referred to as credit card processors (CCP). MSPs act as the intermediary between your business and your customer’s credit or debit card account.

This is how it works:

• A customer will swipe their credit card or enter their credit card information to make a purchase from your store

• Your point of sale software sends the data to your chosen MSP

• The MSP contacts the customer’s credit card association to check that they have enough credit to pay for the purchase

• The card association checks with the customer’s bank, and then (hopefully) sends the MSP a reply approving the transaction

• The MSP completes the transaction and sends you a receipt for the customer

Merchant Services Fees and Rates

Understanding the fees and rates for merchant services providers can be difficult. It seems like every MSP uses a different pricing structure and has a different way of calculating your fees, which makes it hard to compare one MSP to another.

Here are the main fees and rates to look out for:

Interchange fees

These are the biggest fees you'll pay. They're usually a percentage of each transaction plus a flat fee, e.g., 2.5% + $0.10 per transaction. Unusual transactions like foreign currency transactions incur higher interchange fees.

Assessment fees

These are generally a percentage of your estimated monthly sales volume, e.g., 0.1% of sales up to 1,000 sales, then 0.11% of the next 1,000 sales, etc.

Terminal fees

These are the cost of leasing a physical payment terminal for your store, so it doesn’t apply to online stores. Terminal leasing fees can add up to thousands of dollars, so it’s usually best to buy a terminal outright to avoid this extra charge.

A monthly or annual service charge

Not all MSPs charge this fee, but it’s important to know to look out for it.

Payment gateway fees

These only apply to online retailers. They pay for the cost of your online point of sale (POS) software, which is your virtual payment terminal.

Monthly minimum fee

You’ll have to pay a monthly minimum fee if you don't make a certain minimum amount of transactions each year.

Is Your Business Considered High Risk?

One of the main issues that affect how much you’ll pay MSPs is your type of business. Every business is organized into a merchant category and given a merchant category code (MCC). If you have a high-risk MCC, you’ll be charged higher fees than low-risk businesses. High-risk MCCs include those that sell products with a high return rate, need a large amount of capital to get started, or are considered to be in a high turnover industry.

Some high-risk MCCs are:

• Online gambling or casinos

• Advance bookings in travel and tourism

• Magazine or other subscription-based businesses

• Online dating services

• Debt collection

You could also be considered a high-risk business if:

• You have a history of frequent chargebacks

• You are all first-time business owners

• You have bad credit history

• You do a lot of business with international customers in areas that have a high risk of chargebacks (i.e., outside of the EU, North America, Japan, China, Singapore, or Australia)

• You are a multi-currency business

How to Find the Best Credit Card Processors

There isn’t one credit card processor that is the best for everyone, because every business is different. What’s best for a large retail store with many branches isn’t necessarily best for a small Ecommerce business. However, here are some things to look for to help you find the best credit card processors for your business:

• A CCP that has experience serving your sector.

• A CCP that can service all your needs in one—for example, if you have an online store and a brick and mortar store, look for an MSP that can process both face-to-face and online transactions.

• Hidden fees. Many companies practice ‘bait and switch’ where the price you see advertised doesn’t include all of the real costs.

• Compare fees carefully. Because there are a few different pricing models, it can be difficult to compare like with like. An MSP that seems to offer great value at first glance might actually cost more in the long run due to the pricing model.

• Check the minimum monthly transaction amount and make sure that you expect to meet it.

• Pay attention to whether the rates go up or down according to your volume of sales. If you make a lot of transactions, you'll want a CCP that lowers the fee as sales increase, but if you make just a few high-value sales per month, you'll want the lowest fees to apply to the lowest sales volume.

Credit Card Processing for Small Businesses

Paying by credit card is the norm these days so adding credit card processing capabilities can be a real boost to your income. Small businesses can choose online credit card processing, a conventional credit card reader, or a mobile credit card processor that integrates with a smartphone or tablet.

Conventional card readers can be best if you make a lot of face-to-face sales. If most of your credit card transactions take place online, then an online CCP and payment gateway will be the most useful. Sole traders and mobile businesses, like electricians or entertainers, might find that a mobile CCP that works with their smartphone serves them best.

What is a Payment Gateway?