How to Get the Cheapest Payment Processing for 2024

Of all the things you had to consider when launching your business, the way you process your clients’ payments might not have topped your list.

First, you had to nail booking appointments and offer a service that delivers on your promise to clients.

In all that excitement, though, did you consider how in-person and online payment processing fees would impact your bottom line?

That’s an especially important topic to consider as you think about your business plans for the year.

Schedulicity’s goal as a leading online booking app is to make managing your business’ time and expenses convenient and cost-effective.

We realized that while a lot of platforms offer payment processing for small businesses, they’re often overpriced — which can take a huge toll on a small business.

So, we set out to create the cheapest credit card processing in the business.

You can process client payments — in addition to managing your online booking — with Schedulicity’s built-in payment processor, which comes with our Unlimited Plan and are approved for payment processi ng.

Before we dive into the most common ways to accept credit cards, let’s get this out of the way: Schedulicity offers one of the lowest credit card transaction fees in the industry:

2.6% + $0.10 for every type of transaction. No hidden fees.

(Plus no client booking fees, no customer support fees, no cancellation fees.)

And… Schedulicity offers payment by text, so you can text your clients the bill, and they can pay from their own phone!

It’s not just convenient.

It’s the cheapest way for small businesses to accept credit cards online and in-person.

In this article:

How to compare credit card processing rates
The cheapest payment processors and their fees (for 2022)
How we stack up

How Do You Compare Payment Processing Rates?

To find a payment processor for your small business, you need to do an online payment processing services comparison.

Doing that legwork can get confusing because different processors offer different rates — and what they offer isn’t always what it seems.

For example, one payment service might offer lower-than-average rates for each card dip, swipe, or tap.

If you’re strictly an online business, though, the low rate for card swipes won’t offset the much higher rate for keyed-in transactions.

For other payment services, rates can change depending on the type of card a customer uses. It’s common to pay higher rates for transactions that involve rewards, prepaid, or private-label cards instead of major credit or debit cards.

With all those variables, how can you compare the rates that matter most to you?

How can you be sure you’re choosing the right (and least expensive) payment processor for your needs?

Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.

Cheapest Ways to Accept Credit Card Payments: A Comparison

As more clients turn to credit cards, the more convoluted some processing services make their payment structures.

Some pricing structures are tiered and confusing. Others are competitive but come with monthly subscription fees.

Many leading payment processing services are either more expensive or too complicated to fit most small businesses.

To help you sort all this out, here’s a comparison of common online payment processing services, organized from cheapest credit card processing rates (ahem, us) to most expensive.

Cheapest Payment Processors by Rate

Schedulicity: 2.6% + $0.10 for all transactions (credit card dips, swipes, or taps, e-commerce, keyed-in transactions, and pay-by-text).
Square: 2.6% + $0.10 for credit card dips, swipes, or taps. 2.9% + $0.30 for e-commerce. 3.5% + $0.15 for keyed-in transactions.
PayPal: Between 2.7%-2.9%, but also requires a partnership with an additional point-of-sale system
Mindbody: 2.75% (qualified), 3.5% + $0.15 (non-qualified) and a $15 monthly minimum fee applies if you process less than $550/month
Vagaro: 2.75% for “small businesses”, i.e. any business processing less than $4,000 per month
Stripe: Flat rate of 2.9% + 30¢ on all types of transactions
Shopify: Varying rates and a monthly fee ranging from $29 to $299

If you’d like to compare more details regarding the cheapest payment processors, take a look at our in-depth credit card payment procesing comparison chart.

How Does Schedulicity Pay Compare With Other Payment Processors?

Schedulicity’s built-in payment processing takes the complexity out of payment processing services. We offer an affordable rate, with easy-to-understand statements that make bookkeeping much simpler.

Besides offering those simple flat rates above:

No contracts or hidden fees.
No additional software or subscription to purchase if you’re already using our Unlimited Plan.
Available credit card reader.
A full-time Support team to help you work through any payment issues.
Daily deposit emails and detailed online reporting.
Credit card processing that’s built right into your online scheduling app, so clients can book and checkout in one app.

Keeping it simple and transparent means that you’ll have a better idea of what you’ll see on your statement each month.

Because we want to be the cheapest payment processing out there, and we want you to love the checkout experience, too.

Now that you know your options, you can use this information to find the cheapest way for small businesses to accept credit cards.

If you’re sold on Schedulicity, we don’t blame you. 😉 You can start accepting payments today by signing up for Schedulicity’s Unlimited Plan.