Pricing You Can Actually Read
Interchange+ rates, a Best Rate Guarantee in writing, and a $500 statement credit when you switch. No teaser pricing, no surprise line items.
What Interchange+ Actually Means
Most processors quote you a single bundled number that sounds simple. Here is what is actually happening underneath that number, and why we price it differently.
When a customer taps a Visa or Mastercard, the card network charges a wholesale fee. That wholesale fee is called the interchange rate, and it is set by Visa and Mastercard themselves. It varies by card type (rewards cards cost more, business cards cost more, standard consumer cards cost less). It varies by transaction type (in-person tap is the cheapest, keyed-in over the phone is the most expensive). Interchange is a real cost. Every processor pays it. None of us can change it.
On top of interchange sits Clover's processing fee. Most processors bundle interchange and the processor cut into a single rate, which is how you end up with one headline number that hides exactly how much the processor is taking. Interchange+ keeps the two costs separate. You pay the actual interchange (whatever it is for that specific card on that specific transaction), plus Clover's processing fee, set up front in writing.
This matters for two reasons. First, when interchange goes down (which happens when card networks adjust their rates), you save money instantly. With a bundled rate, the processor pockets the difference. Second, your statement comes from Clover and we will sit down with you to walk through it during your first month so you understand every part of it.
Big bank or generic processor
Bundled rate
Wholesale + processor markup
(no breakdown)
One headline number. You cannot see what the card network charges versus what the processor keeps. When wholesale interchange drops, the processor pockets it.
Big bank or generic processor
Bundled rate
Wholesale + processor markup
(no breakdown)
One headline number. You cannot see what the card network charges versus what the processor keeps. When wholesale interchange drops, the processor pockets it.
Azimuth Payments
Interchange+ rate
Clover's processing fee
(set up front in writing)
Wholesale interchange
(set by Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Interac)
Two separate costs. The wholesale interchange and Clover's processing fee. We set the rate up front in writing and can walk you through your Clover statement anytime.
Big bank or generic processor
Bundled rate
Wholesale + processor markup
(no breakdown)
One headline number. You cannot see what the card network charges versus what the processor keeps. When wholesale interchange drops, the processor pockets it.
Azimuth Payments
Interchange+ rate
Clover's processing fee
(set up front in writing)
Wholesale interchange
(set by Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Interac)
Two separate costs. The wholesale interchange and Clover's processing fee. We set the rate up front in writing and can walk you through your Clover statement anytime.
The Best Rate Guarantee
Send us your most recent processing statement. We will beat your effective rate, in writing, before you switch.
If we look at your numbers and we cannot beat your current rate, we will tell you so. Plainly. We are not going to waste your time pretending we can save you money when we cannot. That is a different kind of honesty than most of the industry runs on, and it is the only way we know how to do business.
The Best Rate Guarantee is on every Azimuth quote.
The $500 statement credit is yours when you make the switch. Applied to your account on day one. Treat it as our cost of starting the relationship.
What You Will See on Your Statement With Us
Every Azimuth Payments statement has the same shape. Here is what each piece is, in plain English, so you can read it and know what you are paying for.
The wholesale fee paid to Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Interac, depending on which card was used. This is the largest line on most statements. The card network keeps it.
A small fee charged by the card network on top of interchange. Also goes to the card network. Usually a fraction of a percent.
This is what Clover is paid for processing your transactions, set up front in writing during your onboarding so you know exactly what to expect.
If you have surcharging set up, gift cards, online ordering, or any other add-on service, those line items show up here. We will explain every line on the statement during your first month, and any time after that you have a question.
Total fees divided by total volume, expressed as a percentage. This is the number you should be comparing against your old processor's effective rate. Not the headline number they quoted you. The math on the bottom of your statement.
- 1
Interchange.
The wholesale fee paid to Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Interac, depending on which card was used. This is the largest line on most statements. The card network keeps it.
- 2
Network assessments.
A small fee charged by the card network on top of interchange. Also goes to the card network. Usually a fraction of a percent.
- 3
Clover's processing fee.
This is what Clover is paid for processing your transactions, set up front in writing during your onboarding so you know exactly what to expect.
- 4
Optional add-ons.
If you have surcharging set up, gift cards, online ordering, or any other add-on service, those line items show up here. We will explain every line on the statement during your first month, and any time after that you have a question.
- 5
Your effective rate.
Total fees divided by total volume, expressed as a percentage. This is the number you should be comparing against your old processor's effective rate. Not the headline number they quoted you. The math on the bottom of your statement.
Compare the Cost Against Stripe and Square
Most operators end up at Stripe or Square because the sign-up is fast. The rates look simple in marketing copy, and they are. They are also higher than Interchange+. Plug in your numbers and see what a year of processing actually costs at each one.
Total card volume in dollars per month, debit and credit combined.
Per-transaction fees hit small tickets harder. The average sale matters here.
Estimated annual savings vs. Stripe
$6,120
For your inputs above. Effective rates vary by card mix; Azimuth at 1.6 percent is a typical Interchange+ blended rate for a Southern Ontario small business. Your actual figure comes from a Free Savings Analysis on a real statement.
Estimate based on average published rates: Stripe 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, Square 2.65% + $0.10 per transaction, Azimuth Interchange+ at a 1.6% effective rate with no per-transaction fee. Real-world rates vary by card type and program. Send us your statement for a precise comparison.
What You Get With Azimuth Pricing
Next-day funding as standard.
Process today, money lands tomorrow. Not three days later. Not on a "rolling schedule." Tomorrow.
Pricing set in writing up front.
We will walk you through the rate and explain how Clover's statement is laid out before you sign anything. The first month, we go through your statement together so you can read every line.
Surcharging available, set up correctly.
If you want to skip processing fees entirely by passing them to credit card customers, we will set up surcharging for you. Compliant with Canadian rules, easy on your team, easy on your customers.
See how surcharging worksLocal on-site setup, training, and support.
We come to you in Owen Sound, Niagara Falls, the GTA, Hamilton, London, Windsor, anywhere across Southern Ontario. You will not be calling a 1-800 number to fix something on a Saturday night.
Common Questions About Our Pricing
It depends on your card mix, your monthly volume, and your transaction type. We do not publish a flat headline rate because that is exactly the kind of number that hides what is actually going on. Send us your last processing statement and we will give you our pricing in writing, beside what you are paying now, so you can see the math. If we cannot beat your effective rate, we will tell you straight.
