Helcim is card processor that uses interchange-plus pricing and offers transparent rates. To find out if Helcim could benefit you, continue reading the review below.
Originating from Canada in 2006, Helcim has now expanded to the United States. They run on a month-to-month basis, so there are no ETFs to worry about.
They are generous and considerate enough to configure terminals for you and negotiate pricing plans to ensure that you get the most out of your business.
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Helcim Products & Services
Helcim has various services that you can integrate such as merchant accounts or terminals. You can choose from retail-only or eCommerce only and add whatever you please to your account.
Helcim’s processor, Elavon gives you access to processing your transactions when you sign up for a merchant account directly with them.
Helcim will take care of everything else if needed such has monthly billing statements and customer service.
Helcim recommends for you to purchase terminals instead of renting it if you are particularly a merchant from the U.S.
Some popular terminals include Ingenico iCT220 for $199, Ingenico iWL220 for $549, and Ingenico iWL250 for $549 (plus $17.00 per month for the wireless data plan).
All of them are EMV-compliant and accepts NFC payments as well.
For those who already have their own terminal, Helcim can actually reprogram if for you with no additional cost, as long as your terminal is EMV-compliant!
Helcim’s commerce plans have integrated virtual terminals allow and that allows you to enter credit card transactions manually from a computer or with a card reader.
Consider a virtual terminal for convenient card transactions or backup.
Helcim eCommerce also offers a payment gateway that accepts and processes online transactions.
This comes with:
- Recurring billing support
- Managing customer information via Card Valut
- Integrated shopping carts
- Payment pages
- Payment gateway APIs
Helcim Commerce has a mobile app so you can process transactions whenever and wherever you want.
You can also purchase a Helcim Card Reader for $30 per unit, but it is magstripe-only.
Helcim Commerce includes shopping cart integration and they have one on their platform, but you may also use a third-party cart if you want.
Check out Helcim’s website for all the compatible shopping carts.
Helcim Fees & Rates
Helcim’s processing rates and fees are competitive, but they offer them directly online. Because of these transparent rates, you can estimate how much Helcim will cost you.
Every merchant who decides to use Helcim will be set up with interchange-plus pricing.
There are three pricing plans to choose from. Non-profit organizations can also get discounted rates.
| Pricing Plan | Per Transaction Rate | Monthly Fee | Details |
| Retail | Interchange + 0.25% + $0.08 | $15.00 | Access to Helcim Commerce platform, mobile payments and a virtual terminal. |
| eCommerce | Interchange + 0.45% + $0.25 | $35.00 | Includes payment gateway and hosted online store. |
| Retail + eCommerce | Same as above. | $50.00 | Combines all features of Retail and eCommerce plans. |
| Non-Profit | Interchange + 0.10% + $0.10 | Same as Retail, eCommerce or Both. | To qualify, you must be registered as a charity with the federal government. |
These are considered some of the highest rates that Helcim charges for small businesses. Merchants, however, are eligible for discounts depending on your monthly processing volume.
| Retail Volume | Per Transaction Rate |
| $0 – $25,000 | Interchange + 0.25% + $0.08 |
| $25,001 – $50,000 | Interchange + 0.23% + $0.07 |
| $50,001 – $100,000 | Interchange + 0.21% + $0.07 |
| $100,001 – $250,000 | Interchange + 0.20% + $0.06 |
| $250,001 – $1,000,000 | Interchange + 0.18% + $0.06 |
| $1,000,001 – $5,000,000 | Interchange + 0.15% + $0.05 |
| $5,000,001+ | Interchange + 0.10% + $0.05 |
| Online & eCommerce Volume | Per Transaction Rate |
| $0 – $25,000 | Interchange + 0.45% + $0.25 |
| $25,001 – $50,000 | Interchange + 0.40% + $0.20 |
| $50,001 – $100,000 | Interchange + 0.35% + $0.20 |
| $100,001 – $250,000 | Interchange + 0.30% + $0.15 |
| $250,001 – $1,000,000 | Interchange + 0.25% + $0.15 |
| $1,000,001 – $5,000,000 | Interchange + 0.15% + $0.10 |
| $5,000,001+ | Interchange + 0.10% + $0.10 |
These are the standard processing rates, but you can negotiate with Helcim about pricing if needed.
They also offer customized pricing depending on your situational needs.
Since Helcim aims to keep your monthly fees down, they have eliminated a bunch of standard fees such as:
- Account setup or application fees
- Gateway setup or monthly gateway fees
- Annual fees
- PCI compliance fees (included in your monthly account fee)
- Statement fees
- Monthly minimum fees
- Early termination or account closure fees
There might be some extra charges that you might have to pay depending on any changes you make to your account.
Down below are some common additional costs to consider:
| Common Fees | Cost |
| Next-Day Deposit | $10.00 per month |
| Chargeback | $15.00 per occurrence |
| Bank Account Change | $25.00 per occurrence |
| Business Name Change | $25.00 per occurrence |
| Insufficient Funds (NSF) | $25.00 per occurrence |
| PCI Non-Compliance | $60.00 per month |
| Wireless Data | $17.00 per month (only applies if you have a wireless terminal) |
For optional merchant services, the costs of those are listed down below as well.
| Optional Merchant Service | Cost |
| Each Additional Location | + $15.00/month |
| Multi-Currency Processing (MCP) | + $25.00/month |
| Level 3 Credit Card Data | + $25.00/month |
Customer Support & Satisfaction
Helcim has all their processing fees and rates listed on their easily navigable website.
With this high of transparency, Helcim is dedicated to resolving any customer concerns or dissatisfaction.
They are also all around social media and you can reach Helcim on their Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts, they all offer further insight about Helcim’s services and updates regularly.
Helcim also has a convenient YouTube channel for those who need to see how they work.
Contract & Closing
All merchants with Helcim run on a month-to-month contract.
Helcim even has a 30-day free trial on their site that you can apply for if you would like to test out their services.
Bottom Line
Overall, Helcim is best recommended for those who don’t necessarily have high transaction.
Helcim can even negotiate with you on customized pricing if none of their pricing plans suit you. You also won’t have to worry about high costs or poor customer support since they are understanding.
If you tend to have larger transaction volumes, then consider Chase Merchant Services instead, a direct processor that provides more security.
For someone who’s new to the business world and don’t have that high of a transaction volume, then processors like Square can assist you in the journey.
If you are interested in finding out more information about card processors, then check out our Best Credit Card Processing Services to learn about all kinds of different card processors!
