The short answer
- Cheapest start: Tap to Pay on your phone. Square’s Tap to Pay on iPhone has $0 in monthly fees. You pay 2.5% per credit card payment or 0.75% + 7¢ per debit payment. There is no reader to buy.
- Want a card reader instead? Square’s Reader and Shopify’s WisePad 3 are both listed at $69. Stripe’s WisePad 3 is CA$79. Helcim’s Card Reader is $239 CAD.
- Want a terminal that sits on the counter? Stripe’s Reader S700 is CA$419, Helcim’s Smart Terminal is $429 CAD and Shopify’s POS Terminal is listed at $459. Square’s handheld Terminal is listed at $399.
- Watch out for rentals and lock-ins. Moneris rents its Go terminal for $34.95 a month and publishes no price to buy it. Clover says its devices “cannot be used with other payment processors.”
Visit Square or read our Square breakdown first.
The reader is the small cost
The price of a card reader is paid once. The processing fee is paid on every sale, for as long as you take cards.
Say you take $5,000 a month in credit cards at Square’s 2.5%. That’s $125 a month in fees, or $1,500 a year. The $69 reader is a rounding error next to that. Even a rate 0.25% lower would save you $150 a year, more than twice the price of the reader.
This is our estimate. It assumes every payment is a domestic credit card at the in-person rate. So pick the provider with the right rate for your sales first, then buy whatever reader it sells. To see your own numbers, use the fee calculator.
- SquareVisit Square
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.5%
- Online
- 2.8% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $0 · Free plan
- Contract
- Month to month
- MonerisVisit Moneris
Flat or custom
- In person
- 2.65% + 10¢
- Online
- 2.85% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $39.95 · Terminal rental + software fee
- Contract
- 3 years, then 6-month renewals (45 days notice)
- HelcimVisit Helcim
Interchange-plus
- In person
- Interchange + 0.4% + 8¢
- Online
- Interchange + 0.5% + 25¢
- Monthly
- $0 · No monthly fee
- Contract
- Month to month, no cancellation fee
- StripeVisit Stripe
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.7% + 5¢
- Online
- 2.9% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $0 · Reader bought separately
- Contract
- Not published
- Shopify POSVisit Shopify POS
Flat, by plan
- In person
- 2.6%
- Online
- 2.8% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $49 · Basic plan
- Contract
- Monthly or yearly billing
- CloverVisit Clover
Quote
- In person
- By quote
- Online
- By quote
- Monthly
- By quote
- Contract
- Set by the reseller; termination fees vary
Prices checked Oct 19, 2026 on each provider's own pricing page (how we check). "Interchange +" means the provider publishes only its markup. You also pay the card networks' interchange fee on top.
Tap to Pay: take cards on the phone you own
With Tap to Pay, your phone is the card reader. You download the provider’s app, and customers tap their card or phone on yours.
| Provider | App and phones | Cost to start | Rate per payment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square | Square Point of Sale, iPhone | $0, and $0 a month | 2.5% credit, 0.75% + 7¢ debit | Square’s Canadian Tap to Pay page covers iPhone only. |
| Moneris | Moneris Go, iPhone and Android | Free app | 2.45% + 10¢ credit, 0.70% + 12¢ debit | You must sign a merchant agreement with Moneris. |
| Stripe | Stripe Terminal, iPhone and Android | No hardware cost | 2.7% + CA$0.05, plus CA$0.15 per Tap to Pay payment | The CA$0.15 is on top of the card rate. |
| Shopify | Shopify POS, iPhone | Included with every plan | 2.6% on the Basic plan | Needs a Shopify plan (Basic is $49 a month) and Shopify Payments. |
| Clover | Clover Go, iPhone XS and later on iOS 17 and up | Not published | Not published | Offered on Clover’s Canadian site, with no fee listed. |
| Helcim | Helcim app | Not available | Not available | Helcim’s page says Tap to Pay is “currently available for US merchants.” |
Sources: Square, Moneris iPhone, Moneris Android, Stripe, Shopify, Clover, Helcim.
What a $50 credit card sale costs by Tap to Pay. Square: $1.25. Shopify (Basic): $1.30, plus the monthly plan. Moneris: about $1.33. Stripe: $1.55, because of the extra CA$0.15. That’s our math at each provider’s published rate.
One thing to check at Moneris. The rates above are from Moneris’s Tap to Pay pages. Its main pricing page lists 2.65% + 10¢ for in-person credit cards and 12¢ for Interac debit. Ask Moneris which rates your agreement will use.
Who Tap to Pay is for: market stalls, trades, mobile services and anyone just starting out. Who should skip it: a busy counter, where you’d rather hand customers a device of their own. And at Stripe, the extra CA$0.15 per payment soon costs more than a reader (see the catch below).
Card readers for small business
A mobile card reader works with your phone or tablet. It’s the cheapest hardware each provider sells.
| Provider | Reader | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square | Square Reader (2nd generation) | Listed at $69 | Square’s Canadian store shows ”$” with no currency code. |
| Shopify | WisePad 3 Card Reader | Listed at $69 | Shopify’s Canadian hardware store shows ”$” only. We assume CAD. |
| Stripe | BBPOS WisePad 3 | CA$79 | Stripe’s in-person rate is 2.7% + CA$0.05. |
| Helcim | Helcim Card Reader | $239 CAD | Helcim charges 9¢ per Interac debit payment, or 12¢ for tap. |
| Clover | Clover Go | Not published | Clover’s Canadian site lists its devices but no prices. |
Sources: Square hardware, Shopify hardware, Stripe, Helcim, Helcim pricing, Clover.
Helcim’s reader costs more up front. If most of your customers pay by debit, its low Interac price can make up the difference over time, since Square charges 0.75% + 7¢ per debit payment. On a $50 debit sale, that’s about 45¢ at Square versus 12¢ by tap at Helcim, by our math.
Credit card terminals: countertop and handheld
A terminal is a device with its own screen that customers pay on directly. Countertop models stay by the till. Handhelds can be carried to a table.
| Provider | Terminal | Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square | Square Terminal | Handheld | Listed at $399 | Or $34 a month over 12 months at 0% APR. That’s paying it off, not renting. |
| Square | Square Handheld | Handheld | Listed at $449 | |
| Stripe | Stripe Reader S700 | Countertop | CA$419 | |
| Stripe | Stripe Reader S710 | Countertop | CA$419 | A version of the S700 that can use a cellular connection. |
| Helcim | Helcim Smart Terminal | Countertop | $429 CAD | Or $39 CAD a month for 12 payments. Helcim says it “does not lease our equipment.” |
| Shopify | POS Terminal | Countertop | Listed at $459 | |
| Stripe | Stripe Reader T600 | Countertop | CA$469 | |
| Shopify | Victa Mobile | Handheld | Listed at $499 | |
| Moneris | Moneris Go Terminal | Countertop | Rental only, $34.95 a month | No price to buy it. Needs a Moneris merchant agreement. |
| Clover | Go, Flex, Flex Pocket, Mini, Station Solo, Station Duo, Compact | Countertop and handheld | Not published | Clover says its devices “cannot be used with other payment processors.” |
Want a full register instead? Square sells a Stand for an iPad at $249 (iPad not included) and a Register at $999, both listed on its Canadian pricing page.
Sources: Square hardware, Square pricing, Stripe, Helcim, Shopify hardware, Moneris, Clover.
Rent or buy?
Buy, if the provider lets you. Moneris lists its Go terminal at $34.95 a month and doesn’t publish a price to own it. By our math, that rental adds up to $419.40 a year and $1,258.20 over three years.
For about one year of that rental, you could buy a Stripe Reader S700 (CA$419) or a Helcim Smart Terminal ($429 CAD) and own it. Moneris does advertise, for a limited time, “save 50% on annual rental fees.” The terms behind that offer weren’t visible on the page, so ask for them in writing.
The catch: what to check before you buy
- Clover hardware only works with Clover. Clover’s Canadian page says its devices “cannot be used with other payment processors,” even if you buy or lease them from another company. Leave Clover and the hardware stays behind. Clover also says “Fees vary depending on your business type,” and publishes no device prices. Read our Clover breakdown.
- Stripe’s Tap to Pay fee adds up. Stripe charges CA$0.15 extra on every Tap to Pay payment. By our math, after about 527 tap payments you’d have paid more than the CA$79 price of its WisePad 3 reader, which has no extra fee.
- Moneris has more small fees. Moneris lists a $5 Moneris Go software fee but doesn’t say how often it’s billed. Ask whether it applies to the app and the terminal. See our Moneris breakdown.
- Shopify’s Tap to Pay needs Shopify Payments. Shopify says Tap to Pay payments “are processed through Shopify Payments,” so you need a Shopify plan too. Basic is $49 a month, or $37 a month paid yearly. See our Shopify breakdown.
- Square’s debit is a percentage. Square charges 0.75% + 7¢ per debit payment, so bigger debit sales cost more. Cards issued outside Canada add 1.5%.
Where to go next
- POS systems compared, if you need software to run your shop as well as take cards.
- What a POS system really costs, with hardware, software and fees added up.
- Credit card processing fees explained, line by line.
- How to lower your fees with the provider you already have.
- Provider breakdowns: Square, Helcim, Stripe, Moneris, Shopify and Clover.
- Some of these companies may pay us if you sign up. It never changes the numbers. Here’s how we make money.
Common questions
What is the cheapest way to take card payments in Canada?
Tap to Pay on your phone, with no reader to buy. Square's Tap to Pay on iPhone has $0 in monthly fees and costs 2.5% per credit card payment, or 0.75% + 7¢ for debit. Moneris's free Moneris Go app lists 2.45% + 10¢ for credit, but you need a Moneris merchant agreement. Stripe adds CA$0.15 to every Tap to Pay payment.
How much does a card reader for a small business cost in Canada?
At each provider's own store: Square's Reader is listed at $69, Shopify's WisePad 3 is listed at $69, Stripe's WisePad 3 is CA$79 and Helcim's Card Reader is $239 CAD. Countertop terminals cost CA$419 to $469 to buy at Stripe, Helcim and Shopify. Clover publishes no Canadian device prices, and Moneris rents its terminal instead.
Should I rent or buy a credit card terminal?
Buy if you can. Moneris rents its Go terminal for $34.95 a month and publishes no purchase price. By our math, that's $419.40 a year, about what it costs to buy a Stripe Reader S700 (CA$419) or a Helcim Smart Terminal ($429 CAD) once. A rental keeps costing you for as long as you use it.
Can I use a Clover terminal with another processor?
No. Clover's Canadian pricing page says that while Clover devices "may be purchased or leased from other entities, they cannot be used with other payment processors." If you leave Clover's processing later, plan on buying new hardware. Clover also publishes no device prices in Canada, so ask for the full cost in writing.