The bottom line
Merchant-Accounts.ca is a Burlington, Ontario company that has sold online and phone card processing since 2001. It has two plans. Starter is a flat 2.5% + 30¢ on regular cards with no monthly fee. Advanced is interchange-plus with a $39 monthly fee and a markup you only learn from a quote.
Its strongest case is selling in US dollars or other currencies, because it can pay you in that currency with no conversion. For plain Canadian-dollar sales, the numbers below show where it wins and where it doesn’t.
Get told when Merchant-Accounts.ca's fees change
Providers change fees with little notice. We email you what changed when a price here does, and nothing else.
Merchant-Accounts.ca fees at a glance
Visit Merchant-Accounts.caWe may earn a fee if you sign up. It never changes the prices we show or what we recommend.- Pricing model
- mixed
- Contract
- No locked-in contract; no cancellation fee on Starter
- Payouts
- Daily, about 72 hours after the sale
- Monthly cost to take cards
- $0 (Starter plan)
| Payment type | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Online | 2.5% + 30¢ | merchant-accounts.ca |
| Keyed in | 2.5% + 30¢ | merchant-accounts.ca |
Monthly fees and plans
- Starter plan monthly fee: $0
- Advanced plan monthly fee: $39
- Starter dormancy fee (a month with no sales; card fees paid that month count toward it): $50
- Advanced dormancy fee (a month with no sales; card fees paid that month count toward it): $20
Checked October 26, 2026 on merchant-accounts.ca. Prices change, so confirm with Merchant-Accounts.ca before you sign.
The rates page doesn’t list an in-person rate or an Interac debit price.
Who it’s for
- Businesses selling to US or overseas customers. Starter settles US dollar sales into a US dollar bank account, and Advanced supports any major currency, so you skip a conversion fee. Stripe, for comparison, lists +2% when a payment has to be converted.
- Online and phone sellers on regular Visa and Mastercard. Starter’s 2.5% + 30¢ is below Stripe’s 2.9% + 30¢ and Square’s 2.8% + 30¢ for online payments.
- Owners who want one named contact. Its rates page says you get support “from the same person for the lifetime of your account.”
Who should skip it
- Shops that take cards at a counter. There’s no published in-person or Interac price.
- Sellers under about $2,000 a month. A slow month can cost up to $50 (see the dormancy fee below).
- Anyone who wants a published total on Advanced. The markup is by quote only.
- Businesses that take a lot of American Express. You need your own Amex merchant number, and there’s no Amex price on the rates page.
The catch
Starter’s 2.5% is for regular cards. On some rewards, premium and corporate cards, Merchant-Accounts.ca adds the extra interchange the card network charges. Its own table shows effective rates from 2.73% (Mastercard World) to 3.5% (Visa Infinite Privilege). The 30¢ applies on top.
A slow month has a floor. Starter charges a $50 dormancy fee in a month with no sales, and says the card fees you pay that month count toward it. Its example is a $500 month, and it says the account is “totally free” once you reach $2,000 a month in sales. So in a quiet month you may pay up to $50 in total. Advanced works the same way at $20. Ask for the rule in writing.
Advanced’s markup isn’t published. The rates page says a quote is based on how much you process and your chargeback risk. Its example is “Interchange + 0.20%” for “a typical mid-sized business.” That’s their example, not a price.
Chargebacks cost $25. Helcim charges $15, and only if you lose.
Cross-border fees are passed on. When a foreign card is used, Visa and Mastercard charge a cross-border fee: 0.50% if you bill in your own currency, 1.00% if you bill in theirs. Merchant-Accounts.ca says it passes these through at cost, without a markup.
A reserve is possible. It says it doesn’t require a security deposit, but underwriters may ask for a reserve on high volume or higher-risk businesses, which it says is under 10% of clients (their claim).
What it costs at your size
Starter against other flat online rates, for regular Canadian cards at a $50 average sale (our estimates):
| Monthly online sales | Merchant-Accounts.ca Starter | Square | Stripe |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 (40 sales) | $62 | $68 | $70 |
| $5,000 (100 sales) | $155 | $170 | $175 |
| $10,000 (200 sales) | $310 | $340 | $350 |
The $5,000 row worked out: 2.5% × $5,000 = $125, plus 100 × 30¢ = $30. Premium cards raise the Starter number. If every sale were on a Visa Infinite card (2.75%), the $5,000 month would be $167.50, still under Stripe’s $175.
Advanced against Helcim’s online markup. Both add interchange, so it cancels out. Helcim charges 0.50% + 25¢ online under $50,000 a month, with no monthly fee. Advanced charges its quoted markup + 20¢ + $39. At a $50 average sale, Advanced costs less only if its quoted markup is under (our math):
- $5,000 a month (100 sales): never. Helcim costs less at any markup.
- $10,000 a month (200 sales): about 0.21%.
- $25,000 a month (500 sales): about 0.44%.
- $40,000 a month (800 sales): about 0.50%.
Get your Advanced quote in writing and compare. Either way, put last month’s numbers in the fee calculator to find your real rate first.
Selling in US dollars
If you charge customers in US dollars and keep the money in US dollars, no conversion happens. Merchant-Accounts.ca says “it’s recommended to deposit funds into a US currency bank account which can be located in Canada or the USA.” Starter covers Canadian and US dollars. Advanced covers more than 20 listed currencies, from the euro to the Korean won.
Stripe lists +2% when it converts a payment. On US$10,000 of converted sales a month, that’s US$200 before any card fee.
What to ask before you sign
- What markup would you quote on Advanced, in writing, for last month’s sales?
- How exactly does the dormancy fee work in a month with a few sales?
- Is there a cancellation fee on Advanced?
Compared with
- Helcim: interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ online with no monthly fee, a published markup that drops with volume, and next-business-morning deposits.
- Stripe: 2.9% + CA$0.30 online with no monthly fee and wide checkout support, but +0.8% on international cards and +2% when it converts currency.
Common questions
How much does Merchant-Accounts.ca charge?
On the Starter plan, 2.5% + 30¢ per payment on a regular Visa or Mastercard, with no setup or monthly fee. On Advanced, $39 a month plus 20¢ per payment, plus interchange and a markup set by quote. Some rewards and corporate cards cost more on Starter, up to 3.5%.
Does Merchant-Accounts.ca have a contract?
Its rates page says there's no locked-in contract. For Starter, it also says there are no cancellation fees and you can cancel at any time. It doesn't state a cancellation fee either way for Advanced, so ask before you sign.
Can Merchant-Accounts.ca pay me in US dollars?
Yes. Starter takes payments in Canadian or US dollars and settles them into a Canadian or US dollar bank account. Advanced supports any major currency, and Merchant-Accounts.ca says you can receive funds in that currency with no conversion.
How fast does Merchant-Accounts.ca deposit my money?
It says daily funding is the most popular option, and that it takes about 72 hours from the sale for the money to show up in your bank account. Settlements don't happen on Sundays. It says approval takes up to 5 business days once your paperwork is complete.
Does Merchant-Accounts.ca take American Express?
Yes, but you need your own American Express merchant number. Merchant-Accounts.ca says only American Express can issue it, so you apply to American Express directly, and its rates page doesn't list an Amex price.