Helcim Review
No contracts. No monthly fees.Top-rated customer service
Lowest interchange rate for each transaction
Optimal for small-medium businesses
Easily sign up in minutes
Pros & Cons
- No minimum processing requirement
- No monthly fees or hidden charges
- Great customer service
- All-inclusive platform
- Potentially expensive for low-volume businesses
Plans & Pricing
Helcim prides itself on being very transparent about its offering of services. Currently, there is no monthly fee structure on this platform. Users are charged on the spot, depending on the kind of transactions they carry out.
You will be able to secure discounts on the rates depending on volume. There are also no setup fees, cancellations, or quarterly fees. If there is a chargeback and you win the dispute there will be no fee. Otherwise, it will cost $15.
There will be auto-pause billing in place, which means that there will be no monthly fee if there have been no payments processed during that given month. Overall, the fee structure at Helcim is pretty affordable thanks to the use of using an interchange rate for every transaction.
Other Transactions
Since Helcim charges differently for its in-person and keyed-in transactions, here is a rundown of the different charges for transacting specific monetary volumes:
Transaction volume (per month) | In-Person transactions | Keyed-in and online transactions |
$0 – $50,000 | 0.40% + $0.08 | 0.50% + $0.25 |
$50,000 – $100,000 | 0.35% + $0.07 | 0.45% + $0.20 |
$100,001 – $500,000 | 0.25% + $0.07 | 0.35% + $0.20 |
$500,000 – $1,000,000 | 0.20% + $0.06 | 0.25% + $0.15 |
$1,000,001+ | 0.15% + $0.06 | 0.15% + $0.15 |
*Note that each of the transaction charges includes interchange rates.
However, Helcim is ideal for small and mid-sized businesses with a number of regular merchant service charges that are not required to pay when using Helcim. These charges include:
- Set up fees
- Monthly minimums
- Cancellation fees
- PCI non-compliance
- Monthly account maintenance
- Statement charges
Overview
Helcim is a payment processing company that offers transparent and affordable pricing for small businesses. They use interchange-plus pricing, which means you only pay the cost of processing a transaction plus a small markup. Helcim also offers a variety of features to help businesses get paid, including a virtual terminal, online invoicing, and recurring payments. Helcim is a good option for small businesses that are looking for a reliable and affordable payment processor. They have a good reputation for customer service, and their platform is easy to use.
Features and Functionality
When it comes to the Helcim offering, there are many great features to keep in mind if you are considering using them for your needs. These features include:
All-in-one Platform -Free!
With Helcim, your one account gives you access to an array of tools at no extra cost! Virtual Terminal, Invoicing, Point-of-sale (POS), E-commerce, Customer Portal, Inventory, Online Food Ordering, and Recurring Payments.
In-Person Payments
Accept all payments on one device. The Helcim Card Reader is EMV and NFC enabled, accepts all major credit and debit cards, and does everything a traditional credit card machine can do, and more. Cards are securely saved for easy repeat billing. Batches and customer transaction history are automatically stored for you. You get real-time transaction data your business can use
Unlimited users
Helcim does not charge per-user fees, meaning that businesses can give access to each of their staff and keep good records of activity (as opposed to sharing passwords to avoid user fees).
Built-in Printer
The Helcim Smart Terminal comes with a built-in printer and 2 rolls of complementary receipt rolls. The Smart Terminal, like our POS, also provides an option for emailed receipts.
Seamlessly works with other Helcim tools
Merchants also have access with other Helcim tools for free such as Invoicing, Customer Portal, Product and Services, Online Checkout.
Credit Card Processing
Helcim allows merchants to accept credit card payments from different credit card companies. The cost-plus pricing system is adopted here, and merchants can also accept international payments at no extra cost for exchange rates.
Invoicing
With just a few simple clicks, Helcim allows users to create unlimited invoices from a single account. These invoices can be customized and set up for one-time or recurring billings. There is also a ‘pay now’ button attached to each invoice to direct customers to an intuitive payment page. Merchants can also send payment requests via emails or text messages.
There is a wide range of services included with Helcim’s invoicing service. They include:
● Product catalogs
● Customizable fields
● Built-in card processing
● Automated tax computation
● Automated email reminders
● Compatibility with various devices
Hosted Payment Page
Helcim makes online payments convenient for users via their hosted payment page. This page is easy to set up and allows users to run invoicing, client registrations, shopping carts and service subscriptions without paying extra fees for a domain. This page is also user-friendly and ensures that each store’s customers enjoy an improved payment experience.
E-commerce
Helcim also provides a hosted online store for its users. On this store, merchants can conveniently run an online store using customized templates, without paying a dime for domain use. You also get an SSL certificate at no extra cost.
While using this store, you have unlimited access to discount codes, shopping carts, tax calculations, and product shipping options. You can also include unlimited inventory and eCommerce pages in this online store.
Helcim also places you at an advantage by ensuring that your store is SEO optimized. This way, your potential customers can easily find your store on the Internet.
Hardware Requirements
Helcim Smart Terminal
The Helcim Smart Terminal is a standalone wireless device that will be preloaded with the Helcim app so merchants can accept in-person credit, debit, and even mobile payments with ease via Tap, Pin & Chip or manual credit card entry. This is Helcim’s newest device on offer providing another option for our merchants to accept payments through the Helcim app without the need for managing multiple devices.
Point-of-Sale
Unlike a few other merchant service providers, Helcim doesn’t mandate you to purchase any POS system from them using their service. However, if you need to use POS software and its numerous functions, you can purchase a POS stand and a thermal printer (even third-party products) along with the Helcim card reader.
Integrations and Add-Ons
Helcim integrates seamlessly with accounting and eCommerce software to help users run their businesses more conveniently. It integrates with a host of shopping carts, the QuickBooks Desktop, and the QuickBooks Online software. With these integrations, you can easily move your data between Helcim and your accounting software to minimize data management errors. Helcim also has APIs to enable its users to customize the system to meet their specific business needs.
Integrations & Add-ons
There is no comprehensive list of the available integration options through the Helcim website, but there are many different integrations possible with third-party providers of software. This includes the likes of Quickbooks, Shopify, and Magento.
This software provider also provides API for users who would rather fine-tune the Helcim software to meet specific needs in their businesses.
Seamlessly works with other Helcim tools: Merchants also have access to other Helcim tools for free such as Invoicing, Customer Portal, Products and Services and, Online Checkout.
Ease of Use
Across the board, all of the various software and hardware that is provided by Helcim is easy to use. Helcim places an emphasis on having clean and concise systems that do everything you need without having excess clutter.
Quick and Easy Setup: The setup process for all systems is pretty seamless and the interface is going to be straightforward. You will find that there is no steep learning curve attached to using Helcim products or services. Merchants can unbox their new Smart Terminal and be ready to start accepting payments after completing a short and intuitive WiFi onboarding flow and logging into the Helcim app.
Customer Support
Helcim has an in-house team of experts who are tirelessly devoted to enhancing the merchant experience. From onboarding to using Helcim’s suite of payment tools, troubleshooting, or just celebrating business success, our Merchant Experience team is always ready to lend a helping hand. Helcim offers support to its customers around the clock, so you can always get an issue resolved quickly and effectively. There is a toll-free phone number you can ring or you can send the team an email. It is usually best to contact the support team during regular business hours.
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24/7 Help & Support
Helcim offers 24/7 support and are responsive around the clock either through toll free number or email -
Phone Support
There is phone support available using a toll free number listed on Helcim's website -
Email
Yes email support is available, you will usually get a response within 24 hours -
Video Tutorials
Video tutorials are available through the Helcim Youtube channel -
FAQ
FAQ available on website with a very comprehensive section of useful advice -
Blog
Blog available on Helcim's website
Final Word
Helcim is a great choice for merchants as it does not lock you into a lengthy contract, has great customer service, and has a transparent pricing structure. With competitive pricing and a wide range of great software tools that will help you and your business, Helcim is a great fit for most types of merchants.
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