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Work out exactly what Helcim costs you at your volume and average transaction size.
Helcim passes interchange through with a published margin and no monthly fee. Drag both sliders — ticket size changes the answer as much as volume does, because the fixed per-transaction fee is a much bigger share of a small sale.
Ticket size matters as much as volume: the fixed per-transaction fee is what makes small payments expensive. Helcim prices on interchange-plus, so the rate used here is a typical all-in figure rather than a list price.
At $25, the flat $0.08 adds 0.32% on top of the 2.40% headline rate — which is why the effective rate is 2.72%, not 2.40%.
Helcim effective rate by ticket size
For comparison
Helcim uses interchange-plus pricing with a published markup that decreases as volume grows, and no monthly platform fee. Because interchange varies by card, your effective rate moves with your card mix rather than staying fixed.
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Percentage of each transaction | interchange + 0.4% |
| Fixed fee per transaction | 8¢ |
A percentage takes the same share of every sale. A fixed fee does not — 8¢ is the same amount on a $5 charge as on a $500 one, so it costs a hundred times more of the small one proportionally.
| Average transaction | Fee | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| $5 | $.20 | 4.00% |
| $10 | $.32 | 3.20% |
| $25 | $.68 | 2.72% |
| $50 | $1.28 | 2.56% |
| $100 | $2.48 | 2.48% |
| $250 | $6.08 | 2.43% |
Helcim suits small and mid-sized businesses that want interchange-plus transparency without the volume commitments larger providers require.
For your real blended number across all of those, run one month of statements through the effective rate calculator. To see every provider side by side, use the payment processor fee comparison.
GOOD QUESTIONS
Helcim advertises interchange + 0.4% for standard domestic card payments. What you actually pay is higher, because the fixed fee is a larger share of small transactions — at a $10 ticket the effective rate is 3.20%.
Because of the fixed 8¢ per transaction. The percentage is the same on every sale, but the flat fee is a much bigger proportion of a small one. Divide your total monthly fees by your total volume to see the real figure.
Not on the standard plan priced here. Some Helcim products and add-ons carry their own monthly costs, so check the plan you are actually on.
Compare effective rates at your own average ticket size, not headline percentages. A provider with a lower percentage and a higher fixed fee can easily cost more if your transactions are small. The payment processor fee comparison table puts every provider side by side at three ticket sizes.