Our Take
4.0
NerdWallet rating
The bottom line:
The Clover point-of-sale system is a good option for business owners of many types — restaurants, retail outlets or professional services — that do most of their payment processing in person. Its hardware is on the pricey side, but the reasonable monthly cost and low in-person payment processing fees help offset that upfront investment over time.
Clover POS
Payment processing fees
2.3% + 10¢ or 2.6% + 10¢ in-person; 3.5% + 10¢ online.
Monthly fee
$0.00 and up.
Learn more
on Clover's website
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free plan available if you’re only using a mobile card reader.
- 24/7 phone and email support.
- All restaurant plans include no-fee online ordering, and retail plans let you integrate with existing online stores.
Cons
- Promotions require a three-year contract.
- Charges termination fees, though they may be waived in certain cases.
- Online payment processing rates are more expensive than competitors.
- Popular accounting integrations are only available through third-party apps.
Full Review
Clover is a point-of-sale (POS) system for small businesses that want to take payments from customers in person. The company and various third-party vendors sell a variety of Clover hardware bundles and components to merchants. Clover also offers card payment processing services.
Clover is owned by Fiserv, a payments and financial technology provider. Fiserv processes payments on the backend, though you can choose your own merchant services provider.
Clover pricing depends on payment processing fees, which are a function of sales and payment type, the monthly plan you choose and the POS hardware you need based on your type of business. With most plans, you can pay in full or monthly. If you choose to pay in full, you will encounter an upfront lump sum to own your hardware, plus a monthly software fee. For the monthly pay option, the hardware and software price are rolled into one monthly payment; though you don’t own the hardware upfront, you have the option to upgrade devices or even buy the hardware later.
Clover structures its plans and pricing based on industry:
- Full-service and quick-service dining. Features on Clover POS systems for restaurants are generally standard across tiers, unlike other POS systems that limit features on lower-priced options. The primary difference is the number and types of hardware.
- Retail. As you go up the three pricing tiers in Clover’s Retail plans, you get more hardware, but there are other differences to consider. The Standard and Advanced plans have a lower payment processing rate: 2.3% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction compared with 2.6% plus 10 cents in the Starter plan. Additional software features in the two higher plans include the ability to itemize returns and exchanges and integrate a scale to weigh items.
- Professional services. Unlike restaurants or retailers, professional service providers like an architect or a designer might regularly accept payments in a variety of ways — invoices, over the phone or in person, for example. If you don’t expect to accept in-person payments, the Starter plan will save you money because it doesn’t require hardware.
- Personal services. You can use Clover if you provide personal services, like at a hair salon or fitness studio. Like the Retail plan, the Personal Services Standard and Advanced offerings have a lower payment processing rate and can handle a few more complex tasks, like weighing items and itemizing returns.
- Home and field businesses. If you’re an electrician, landscaper or other type of professional who travels to job sites, Clover allows you to take payments in the field. If you prefer to send electronic invoices, the Starter plan is the best pick. The other two plans include a mobile solution so you can get paid anywhere.
Clover is best for businesses that:
- Want competitive, flat-rate in-person processing fees. Clover has one of the lowest in-person transaction rates among providers that use a flat-rate payment processing model.
- Don’t mind filling gaps in features with integrated apps. Clover’s system comes with standard POS capabilities, but some businesses may find they need to turn to third-party apps that integrate with Clover to fill all their business needs.
- Value 24/7 customer support. Clover offers 24/7 customer support by phone and email.
Deciding factors
Payment processing model | Flat rate. |
Payment processing fees |
Note: Prices are based on using Clover’s parent company, Fiserv, as your merchant service provider. If you use a different provider, your costs may differ. |
Monthly fee |
|
Hardware cost |
|
Contract length | 12-36 months. |
Customer support | 24/7 phone, chat and email support. |
Where Clover stands out
Low flat rates for in-person payment processing
Clover’s payment processing rates for in-person transactions are generally lower than those of industry heavyweights such as Stripe and Square. The higher your average sales volume, the more beneficial this is.
Decent monthly rates and features
Monthly software fees can really add up; Clover’s generally are below $100. Clover’s POS systems have many popular features, including table mapping and remote order ticket routing for restaurants and low-stock alerts and itemized returns for retail.
Top-notch hardware
Clover's distinctive white-and-silver hardware looks sharp and is built for point of sale — it isn't just an app you run on your own phone or tablet. Its handheld device in particular stands out for a few reasons: It can be used in retail settings, unlike Toast’s restaurant-only device; it has a built-in printer, unlike PayPal's Zettle device; and it accepts cards that swipe, which not all card readers do.
Extensive library of software integrations
Clover’s extensive App Market contains a wealth of third-party applications that integrate with its POS system. The library covers all areas of running a business, including tax and accounting software, marketing, analytics and more.
Where Clover falls short
No free options
Unlike some retail POS systems, the Clover POS system doesn’t have any free hardware or software options. POS systems that let you bring your own device aren’t exactly free — the device costs something at some point — but they can mean less outgoing cash when you get started.
Products and pricing can be hard to understand
It can be tough to find all the information you need about Clover’s products on its website. You can buy Clover directly, but there are many other resellers, including Citi, Wells Fargo, Dharma Merchant Services and Sam’s Club. Each has its own pricing, which makes it hard to compare your options. You also might be required to sign a long-term contract, which limits your flexibility.
Alternatives to Clover
Square
Why we like it: Square provides a robust set of POS features, plus additional services such as payroll and customer loyalty programs with comparable fees, and they are simpler to understand — no third parties to navigate. Square also doesn't require long-term contracts, which means you can switch if a better fit comes along. Read our full Square POS review.
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium and Square Restaurants Plus plans.
- $89 for Square Retail Plus plan.
- $165 for Square Restaurant Premium plan.
- Custom pricing for Square Retail plan.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- 3.3% plus 30 cents for invoices.
- $0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional reader) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).
- $59 for Square Reader contactless and chip card reader.
- $149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included; monthly financing available).
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer (monthly financing available).
- $799 for Square Register two-screen system (monthly financing available).
Payment Depot
Why we like it: For potentially cheaper payment processing rates, consider Payment Depot — a merchant services provider that offers membership pricing and wholesale interchange rates. Payment Depot resells several of Clover’s POS systems. Other tools include a payment gateway and virtual terminal. Read our full Payment Depot review.
$0.
Payment processing fees: 0.2%-1.95% plus interchange.
Hardware: Quote-based.
Compare POS providers
To compare POS options, check out NerdWallet’s list of point-of-sale systems that are best for small-business owners. Our recommendations are based on the provider’s pricing and transparency, software and hardware options, system functionality, customer support, software integrations and contract requirements.
Learn more
on Clover's website
Methodology
NerdWallet’s point-of-sale systems provider ratings reward companies whose products and services are priced well and work in a variety of payment scenarios, among other criteria. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including cost, system capabilities, contract requirements, customer service and integrations and add-ons. Learn more about how we rate point-of-sale (POS) systems providers.
These ratings are a guide, but services, hardware and pricing can vary widely from business to business and provider to provider. We encourage you to shop around and compare several providers.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Clover and Square are comparable on many factors related to POS systems, including flat-rate payment processing, transaction fees, industry-tailored solutions, offline mode to accept payments during internet outages, virtual terminal to manually enter credit card transactions, a long list of features, add-on tools and numerous app integrations. It ultimately comes down to your business needs and priorities.
Clover charges a monthly software fee that varies by industry and plan tier. The monthly fee ranges from $14.95 for several of the industry Starter plans, such as retail and professional services, to $114.85 for the Full-Service Dining Advanced plan.
With its distinctive hardware, competitive payment processing fees and solid list of features and capabilities, Clover POS is a worthy contender for most small businesses. While several POS providers (including Square, Toast and PayPal Zettle) offer free software plans, many businesses may find those free options lacking in some key features that can be found in Clover’s solutions.
