Helcim vs Stripe: Comparison

Helcim and Stripe both make our list of the best payment processors for small businesses. Both companies offer transparent processing fees, affordable hardware, and impressive selling features.

However, these two credit card processors also have some important differences that could render either unsuitable for your business needs—for example, international businesses based outside of the US cannot use Helcim, and businesses that sell exclusively in person probably won’t want to use Stripe.

Keep reading our Helcim vs. Stripe comparison to find out which processor will best serve your small business’s payment processing needs.

Helcim Vs. Stripe: At a Glance Comparison

Where Helcim Wins

Where Helcim Falls Short

Where Stripe Wins

Where Stripe Falls Short

Helcim vs Stripe: Pricing Comparison

Neither Stripe nor Helcim charges a monthly fee. Neither charges a set-up fee, and neither requires a long-term merchant services contract.

The main area in which Helcim’s and Stripe’s pricing differs is transaction fees. Helcim offers interchange-plus fees, while Stripe has flat-rate fees. Also, Stripe has various optional paid monthly plans for specific services (such as recurring billing and premium support), whereas Helcim does not charge a monthly fee for any of its services.

Ultimately, Helcim vs. Stripe pricing is not an apples-to-apples comparison. The more affordable choice will depend on your particular industry, processing volume, and feature needs.

Helcim Pricing Overview

Note that Helcim’s transaction fee range is so wide because your rate depends on your processing volume, with the highest-volume companies processing $1 million/month receiving the fees at the low end of these ranges. Nonprofits also receive discounted processing fees.

Other Helcim Fees

Stripe Pricing Overview

As you can see, Stripe offers a nonprofit discount as well. Stripe also offers volume discounts, though high-volume businesses will have to approach Stripe to receive a custom quote.

Other Stripe Fees

Paid Stripe Plans

Stripe also offers premium customer support plans in three different tiers; however, they do not publically list pricing for said plans.

Helcim vs Stripe: Hardware Comparison

Helcim and Stripe offer comparable processing hardware, with each offering at least one mobile reader and at least one smart terminal option. Hardware pricing (see Equipment Cost in the above pricing overviews) is also comparable between the two vendors, and both Helcim and Stripe let you purchase the hardware outright rather than forcing you to enter an expensive terminal lease.

The main difference between Helcim’s and Stripe’s processing hardware is not the hardware itself, but its out-of-the-box functionality. Helcim’s terminal comes pre-loaded with POS software (or if you opt for the basic reader, it will connect with the POS app on your phone).

In contrast, Stripe’s hardware is not a plug-and-play POS solution—to use Stripe for in-person selling, you will have to build your own POS system using the Stripe Terminal SDK, or integrate Stripe with a partnered POS system like Lightspeed or ERPLY.

However, you can use Stripe with Tap to Pay as a no-code way to accept in-person payments. This enables you to take in-person contactless payments with just your phone (Helcim also has this feature).

Helcim Hardware

Helcim offers a card reader called Helcim Reader. This Bluetooth reader features a PIN pad and a small LCD screen. It can accept NFC (contactless) and EMV (chip card) payments.

Additionally, Helcim sells a smart terminal called Helcim Terminal, which is another way to accept chip and tap cards. Helcim Terminal comes preloaded with the full Helcim POS app so no external hardware is needed. The device also has a built-in receipt printer.

Stripe Hardware

Stripe’s mobile card reader is more like Square’s credit card reader than Helcim’s, both in form and function; the Stripe Reader doesn’t have a screen or a PIN pad, just basic EMV and NFC functionality. Stripe does offer a terminal with PIN pad in some countries (BBPOS WisePad 3), but it is not available in the US.

Stripe also has two Android-based smart terminal options: the BBPOS WisePOS E and the Stripe Reader S700. Neither of these wireless terminals has a built-in receipt printer like Helcim’s terminal, but they both have a smaller form factor, fitting in the palm of your hand, and can accept magstripe payments.

Helcim vs Stripe: Features Comparison

Helcim and Stripe offer many of the same features, which you can compare below. Some notable differences include:

• Helcim has a cash discount program (Stripe does not)
• Helcim has a ready-to-use POS system (with Stripe, you have to build your own POS app)
• Helcim offers traditional merchant accounts (Stripe has aggregated merchant accounts)
• Stripe is an international payment processor (Helcim is only available in the US and Canada)
• Stripe offers more customization with APIs and third-party software integrations (BNPL, POS, shopping carts, etc.)
• Stripe has more in-depth features for eCommerce payments

Helcim Features

Here’s a look at Helcim’s top features:

Stripe Features

Here’s a look at Stripe’s top features:

Which Is Best For My Business?

Again, whether you should choose Helcim or Stripe depends largely on your unique business needs.

Helcim is best for:

• Businesses that take most sales in-person (for example, they are good for restaurant payment processing).
• Businesses that need relatively basic selling features with an easy-to-use POS
• US & Canadian small businesses that want the stability of a dedicated merchant account
• Mid-and high-volume small businesses processing at least $10K-$15K/month

Stripe is best for:

• Business owners with developer expertise (or the $ to hire a developer) who want to build a custom processing solution using payment APIs
• Low-volume eCommerce businesses processing less than $10K-$15K/month
• High-volume eCommerce businesses processing at least $100K/month
• International eCommerce businesses

To see how Helcim stacks up against another popular competitor, read our Helcim vs. Square comparison. I also recommend reading our full Helcim review and Stripe review to learn more details about these providers.