B2B Payments: Definition, Costs, Best Processors

on Stripe Payments' secure website

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Monthly fee

$0.00

With Stripe Terminal, you can integrate in-person payments into your online payment setup. Transparent pricing and customizable features make it a good choice for online-first businesses looking to extend to in-person sales. However, many features — including connecting hardware to software — require coding experience or “no-code” integrations.Read full review

Pros

Highly customizable online checkout options.
No termination fees or long-term contracts.
24/7 chat support.
Can process transactions in more than 135 currencies.
No PCI compliance fees.

Cons

Doesn’t sell full countertop POS setups; hardware is limited to handheld terminals and card readers.
Deposits can take up to two business days.
No phone or email support.

Our pick for

Subscription billing

Helcim’s free subscription manager tool allows you to set up recurring payments so that your clients automatically get billed (and your business automatically gets paid on time). You can customize payment schedules, add trial periods or one-time setup fees and get an overview of your subscribers in the dashboard. Since there’s no monthly fee, B2B payment processing consists of interchange rates plus Helcim’s per-transaction fee.

Helcim

5.0

on Helcim's secure website

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Monthly fee

$0.00

Unlike flat-rate payment processors that charge the same transaction fee across different types of credit cards, Helcim uses an interchange-plus pricing model. This means your business saves when a customer uses a card with low interchange rates. Helcim also offers volume discounts if you process more than $50,000 monthly, which is a plus for high-volume businesses. And if you need hardware for taking payments in-person, the company sells its own smart terminal and mobile card reader, too.Read full review

Pros

Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
Offers free POS software.
Offers volume-based discounts automatically.
No termination fees, long-term contracts or PCI compliance fees.

Cons

Deposits are available within two business days; same-day deposit option is not available.
Interchange-plus costs can be difficult to predict.

Our pick for

High-volume B2B businesses

Stax’s pricing structure is subscription-based, meaning you pay a monthly subscription fee plus a small markup on top of interchange rates to process payments. Monthly plans can be costly upfront, but if your B2B business frequently processes large payments or completes a high volume of transactions each month, the lower processing fees can help you save overall. Each plan also includes the ability to send recurring invoices.

Stax

3.6

on Stax's secure website

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Monthly fee

$99.00

and up.

Stax’s membership-based pricing model is meant for small businesses processing at least $5,000 in credit card transactions monthly. In addition to a monthly subscription cost, it charges a small margin on top of interchange rates. Optional add-ons include custom branding, next-day funding, shopping cart integrations and ACH processing.Read full review

Pros

Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
Unique add-on features, like custom branding.
No long-term contracts.
Compatible with POS system providers, such as Clover.
No PCI compliance fees.

Cons

Not ideal for businesses with low-volume sales.
Pricing isn't as transparent as competitors.
Interchange-plus costs can be difficult to predict.

Our pick for

Sending contracts

Square’s free contracts plan lets you generate and send customizable contracts to your clients. You can choose from a selection of contract templates or create your own to convey your B2B business’s specific policies. Online invoice payment rates range from 2.9% plus 30 cents to 3.3% plus 30 cents.

Square

5.0

on Square's secure website

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Monthly fee

$0.00

Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.

Square's product lineup is modular, but its POS system works well enough as a stand-alone product. Pricing is competitive, making it a solid option for many small businesses.Read full review

Pros

Offers a free mobile card reader and free POS software plan.
Can subscribe to related services, such as payroll, that integrate with its POS system.
No termination fees or long-term contracts.
No chargeback or PCI compliance fees.

Cons

Complex businesses might prefer a processor that integrates with more specialized POS systems.

Our pick for

Variety of accepted payment types

In addition to supporting credit card, debit card and ACH payments, PayPal Braintree also allows B2B payments through PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay and Google Pay. It also includes a recurring billing feature and offers advanced fraud protection tools for an added fee.

PayPal Braintree

4.0

Read Review

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Payment processing fees

2.59% + $0.49

credit & debit cards and digital wallets; 3.49% + 49¢ Venmo (U.S. only).

Monthly fee

$0.00

Braintree, which is owned by PayPal, provides payment processing solutions and merchant accounts for e-commerce businesses that sell products or services online and/or via mobile app. Though they can be time-consuming to apply for, individual merchant accounts can be beneficial for high-volume businesses or those that need specialized assistance. Payment service providers, like PayPal, group multiple businesses’ funds in the same merchant account as opposed to individual ones.Read full review

Pros

No contracts or early termination fees.
No monthly subscription costs or PCI compliance fees.
Accepts PayPal and Venmo in addition to credit and debit cards.
Simple checkout page that looks good on web and mobile.

Cons

Requires web development.
Not suited for brick and mortar stores.