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Helcim Review & Pricing (2026)

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Is Helcim Worth It?

Helcim is worth considering if you run a salon, barbershop, nail studio, spa or massage studio in the US or Canada, already have booking software, and want card processing with no monthly fee or hardware lease. Pricing is interchange-plus: the card network's cost plus Helcim's margin of 0.40% + 8¢ in person or 0.50% + 25¢ keyed and online under $50K a month. Helcim's own average for beauty and wellness businesses is 1.54% + 6¢ to 1.79% + 8¢ per in-person non-Amex payment, but that is a vendor figure; reviewers report effective rates of 3.14% and 3.7%. The Card Reader is a one-time $199. It is a weaker fit if you want booking and payments in one tool: Helcim has no calendar, integrates directly with Booky, reaches Boulevard through a Chrome extension, and lists Vagaro as Coming Soon. Several reviewers also report strict onboarding and accounts closed with little warning. We have not hands-on tested the product; this verdict is based on Helcim's pricing, beauty and wellness, integration and help center pages checked on 11 Nov 2026.

Solo ProfessionalNo monthly or per-user fee: you pay interchange plus Helcim's margin on each payment and buy a Card Reader ($199) or Smart Terminal ($349), or use Tap to Pay on iPhone in the US for $0.10 per payment on top of the in-person rate. You still need separate booking software.
Small TeamEvery staff member gets a login and PIN with role-based access at no charge, and there is no per-device or per-location fee. Tips, split payments and inventory are included. One 2023 reviewer reported sales-report limits of ten employees and ten terminals; this may have changed.
Larger Team / Multi-Site / EnterpriseMargins fall with volume: in person 0.35% + 7¢ at $50K–100K a month, 0.25% + 7¢ at $100K–500K, 0.20% + 6¢ at $500K–1M and 0.15% + 6¢ at $1M–5M; above $5M, ask sales. Multi-location management is not documented in Helcim's help center.

Who It’s For

Good Fit If…

  • Good Fit: You already use booking software and want to keep it, such as Booky (direct integration) or Boulevard (through Helcim's Chrome extension)
  • Good Fit: You want card processing with no monthly fee, contract or hardware lease
  • Good Fit: You prefer interchange and Helcim's margin itemised on your statement over a flat rate
  • Good Fit: Your business is in the US or Canada
  • Good Fit: You want to pass card fees to clients with Fee Saver, where your state or province allows it

Not a Fit If…

  • Not a Fit: You want booking, calendar and payments in one tool: Helcim has no booking of its own
  • Not a Fit: You use Vagaro and need it connected today: the Vagaro extension is listed as Coming Soon
  • Not a Fit: You need a predictable flat rate on every payment; interchange-plus costs vary by card
  • Not a Fit: Your business is outside the US and Canada
  • Not a Fit: You need a verified hands-on Tool Checked product test or ranked score before deciding (not published on this profile)

Business types: Barbershop · Beauty & Wellness · Day Spa · Hair Salon · Lash & Brow · Massage Studio · Med Spa · Nail Salon · Skin Care & Esthetician

Pricing & Total Cost

PlanPrice (USD)StaffIncludes
Helcim (single free plan)$0 /month, no monthly, setup, PCI or cancellation fees; you pay processing and hardwareUnlimited users
  • POS software (iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows)
  • Virtual terminal and invoicing
  • Recurring billing (+0.4% per transaction)
  • Online store and hosted payment pages
  • Inventory with low-stock alerts
  • Tips, split and partial payments
  • Next-business-day deposits (no fee)
  • Customer and card data migration (no fee)
Source
Hidden costs to know:
  • Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ (In-Person)
  • Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ (Keyed/Online)
  • Card pricing is interchange-plus: you pay the card network's interchange (which varies by card type, how the card is taken and the issuing country) plus Helcim's margin. There is no single fixed rate.
  • Helcim's margin under $50K a month in card sales is interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ in person and interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ for keyed and online payments. Margins drop at higher volume, based on your 3-month average.
  • Helcim's beauty and wellness page gives a vendor average of 1.54% + 6¢ to 1.79% + 8¢ per in-person non-Amex payment, depending on volume. Rewards, corporate, keyed and international cards cost more, and reviewers report effective rates of 3.14% and 3.7%.
  • The calculator uses 1.79% + 8¢ per payment, Helcim's own estimated average for in-person non-Amex payments at beauty and wellness businesses. It is a vendor estimate, not a guaranteed or contracted rate; reviewers report effective rates of 3.14% and 3.7%. It adds the Card Reader ($199) once and $0 for software.
  • Hardware is bought, not leased: Card Reader $199, Smart Terminal $349 (or $32/month for 12 months), plus shipping ($30 standard, $45 or $70 faster).
  • Optional 4G data on Helcim hardware is $7/month.
  • Tap to Pay on iPhone adds $0.10 per successful payment on top of the in-person rate (US only).
  • Recurring payments add 0.4% per transaction. ACH is 0.5% + 25¢, capped at $6 (plus 0.05% over $25K); a rejected ACH payment costs $5.
  • Chargebacks cost $15 each (refunded if you win). If you take a dispute to card-network arbitration and lose, the cost averages about $500 and can exceed $1,000.
  • Cross-border cards carry card-brand fees of about 1% plus higher international interchange; Helcim adds no markup of its own.
  • Helcim is a payments tool, not salon booking software: you still need, and pay for, a booking system.

Pricing shown for the US market in USD; local pricing and taxes may vary.

Calculate your real 12-month cost →

Real Cost by Business Size

Business SizeCost ItemsMonthly Total12-Month TotalAssumptions
One chair, Card Reader, $8,000/month in-person card sales at $80 average
  • Card Reader + standard shipping (one-time): $229
  • Software: $0
  • Helcim margin per month (excl. interchange): $40
$40$709Card Reader $199 + $30 standard shipping, paid once. Helcim margin 0.40% + 8¢ on 100 payments = $32 + $8 = $40/month, plus interchange (not modeled). Illustrative calculations from published prices, checked 11 Nov 2026; not observed customer spending. Interchange is not included because it depends on each card, so these are not total processing costs. Source
Small salon, Smart Terminal on financing, $20,000/month in person at $100 average
  • Smart Terminal financing: $32
  • 4G data (optional): $7
  • Helcim margin (excl. interchange): $96
$135$1,620Smart Terminal $32/month for 12 months; 4G data $7/month (optional, included here); Helcim margin 0.40% + 8¢ on 200 payments = $80 + $16 = $96/month, plus interchange (not modeled). Shipping not included. Illustrative calculations from published prices, checked 11 Nov 2026; not observed customer spending. Interchange is not included because it depends on each card, so these are not total processing costs. Source
Online deposits only, $2,000/month at $50 average
  • Helcim margin (excl. interchange): $20
$20$240Keyed and online margin 0.50% + 25¢ on 40 payments = $10 + $10 = $20/month, plus interchange (not modeled). No hardware. Illustrative calculations from published prices, checked 11 Nov 2026; not observed customer spending. Interchange is not included because it depends on each card, so these are not total processing costs. Source

Which Plan Should You Pick?

PlanPick It If…Upgrade When…
Helcim (single free plan)You already use a booking system and want lower, transparent card processing without monthly fees or a hardware lease.There are no paid tiers. Margins fall automatically above $50K/month card volume; above $5M/month, ask sales for custom pricing.

Price History

CheckedPlanPriceSource
11 Nov 2026Helcim$0 /month; interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ in person, + 0.50% + 25¢ keyed/online (under $50K/month); Card Reader $199, Smart Terminal $349Source

Features

FeatureHelcim (single free plan)Notes
Monthly fee– Source
In-person margin (under $50K/month)– Source
Keyed & online margin (under $50K/month)– Source
Tap to Pay on iPhone– Source
Recurring payments– Source
ACH– Source
Card Reader– Source
Smart Terminal– Source
Users / staff logins– Source
Chargeback fee– Source
Next-business-day deposits– Source

What It Can and Can’t Do

In-Person Checkout

  • Supported: Take card, tap and mobile-wallet payments on the Card Reader, Smart Terminal or Tap to Pay on iPhone (US)
  • Supported: Tips with recommended percentages, split and partial payments, refunds
  • Supported: Inventory tracking with low-stock alerts
  • Limitation: The POS app works only with Helcim hardware or an iPhone; other card readers are not supported
  • Limitation: No appointment calendar or online booking of its own
Source

Payments Away From the Chair

  • Supported: Invoices, payment links and a virtual terminal for deposits and phone payments
  • Supported: Recurring billing for memberships (+0.4% per transaction)
  • Supported: Online store and hosted payment pages
  • Limitation: Deposits are taken through payment links or your booking software, not through a Helcim booking flow
Source

Booking Software Connections

  • Supported: Direct integration with Booky (salon and spa software)
  • Supported: Helcim Payment Extension for Chrome bridges payments into browser-based software such as Boulevard
  • Limitation: The Payment Extension is not a direct API integration and is not endorsed by the booking software vendors
  • Limitation: Vagaro support through the extension is listed as Coming Soon
Source

Fees & Compliance

  • Supported: Fee Saver passes card fees to customers (3% in person in the US; 2.40% in Canada)
  • Supported: Signs a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement on request
  • Limitation: Fee Saver is not available in Connecticut, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma or Quebec
  • Limitation: Available to US and Canadian businesses only
Source

See It in Action

Helcim POS app on a tablet: numpad showing a $100.00 custom amount, with the cart, subtotal and Charge button on the right
Ringing Up a Custom Amount at the POS · Helcim (help center) Source
Helcim POS app on a phone: a cart with one $30 demo item plus tax, and the payment method sheet offering card manual entry, pre-authorization, cash or other
Choosing How the Client Pays at Checkout · Helcim (help center) Source
Helcim POS tip screen on a phone for a $10.00 sale, offering 15%, 18%, 20% or a custom tip, or no tip
Prompting Clients for a Tip · Helcim (help center) Source
Helcim Chargeback List with demo disputes showing status, chargeback ID, type, reason, dispute amount and response date
Tracking Chargebacks and Their Status · Helcim (help center) Source
Interchange Costs table from a demo Helcim monthly statement, listing each card type with its item count, sales, interchange rate and cost
Seeing Interchange Costs on the Monthly Statement · Helcim (help center) Source

Pros & Cons

  • Pro: No monthly, setup, PCI, statement or cancellation fees, and no contract or hardware lease
  • Pro: Helcim publishes its margin: interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ in person and + 0.50% + 25¢ keyed or online under $50K a month
  • Pro: Every staff member gets a login and PIN, with no per-user, per-location or per-device fee
  • Pro: Next-business-day card deposits at no extra cost for batches up to $25,000
  • Pro: Phone support six days a week, which several reviewers praise
  • Con: No booking calendar of its own: you still need separate booking software
  • Con: Costs vary by card; reviewers report effective rates of 3.14% and 3.7%, above Helcim's published averages
  • Con: Onboarding can require detailed financial documents, and some applicants were declined
  • Con: Several reviewers report accounts closed or frozen and payments refunded with little warning
  • Con: For US and Canadian businesses only; Tap to Pay on iPhone is US only

Setup & Migration

Data Import

Free, done for you

Contract & Cancelling

Contract

Monthly, cancel anytime

Cancellation Fee

No contracts, leases or cancellation fees. Purchased hardware is yours to keep; equipment can be returned within 30 days under Helcim's return policy.

How to Cancel

Contact Helcim support by phone or support ticket to close the account; accounts inactive for 12 months may be closed by Helcim.

Support

Channels

Email, Phone, Help center

Hours

Phone Mon–Fri 7am–5pm MT and Sat 9am–5pm MT; contact-form replies within one business day; support tickets and a help center.

Integrations & Security

Works With

Booky (direct; also confirmed on booky.ca), Xero (Xero App Store), WooCommerce (WordPress.org plugin), Foxy (Foxy wiki), QuickBooks Online (Helcim says direct), Helcim Payment Extension for Chrome (Boulevard live; Vagaro listed as Coming Soon; not endorsed by those vendors), Smart Terminal API; also listed by Helcim, not checked with the partners: Jane App, GoHighLevel, Housecall Pro, Jobber, Wave, Workiz, Zoho Invoice, ClinicSense

What Users Say

Platform Ratings

These are platform-wide aggregates, not ratings calculated from the selected reviews below.

Capterra

3.6/5

36 Reviews

Checked

Ease of use 3.9, Customer Service 4.0. Reviews are shared with GetApp and Software Advice; count once.

G2

3.7/5

20 Reviews

Checked

60% five-star and 20% one-star.

What Reviewers Liked

  • Liked: Quick, helpful phone support from real people — several business-owner reviews, though others report poor help (2021–2026). [Capterra, G2]
  • Liked: Lower fees than flat-rate processors such as Stripe or Square — several reviews, one saying fees nearly halved (2021–2025). [Capterra, G2]
  • Liked: Easy to use once set up — a few reviews (2025–2026). [Capterra, G2]
  • Liked: Works alongside separate booking software — one business-owner review (2026). Capterra

Concerns Reviewers Raised

  • Concern: Effective rates well above the advertised averages, such as 3.14% and 3.7% — a few reviews, one person posting on both platforms (2021–2026). [Capterra, G2]
  • Concern: Heavy onboarding paperwork, and some applicants declined — several reviews (2024–2026). Capterra
  • Concern: Accounts closed or frozen and payments refunded with little warning — a few reviews (2022–2026). [Capterra, G2]
  • Concern: Unreliable terminals, receipt printing and apps — older reviews, mostly before the 2023 Smart Terminal launch (2021–2023). [Capterra, G2]

Qualitative summary: based on 27 reviews we read on Capterra (3.6/5 from 36 reviews, shared with GetApp and Software Advice and counted once) and G2 (3.7/5 from 20 reviews), dated 2021–2026. No reviewer identifies as a salon, barbershop or nail studio owner; the closest are a registered massage therapist and a health and wellness business owner. This is not a representative survey or hands-on testing by Tool Checked. Check Helcim's official pages for current pricing and terms.

FAQ

How much does Helcim cost per month?

There is no monthly fee. Helcim charges no setup, PCI, statement or cancellation fees, and has no contracts or hardware leases. You pay per-payment processing and buy any hardware you use.

Source
What are Helcim's processing rates?

Helcim uses interchange-plus pricing. Under $50K a month in card sales, the margin is interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ in person and interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ for keyed and online payments, with lower margins at higher volumes. Interchange itself varies by card.

Source
What do salons typically pay with Helcim?

Helcim's beauty and wellness page says these businesses pay on average 1.54% + 6¢ to 1.79% + 8¢ per in-person non-Amex payment and 1.96% + 15¢ to 2.31% + 25¢ online, depending on volume. These are vendor averages, not quoted rates: reviewers report effective rates of 3.14% and 3.7% on some cards.

Source
How much is the hardware?

The Card Reader is $199 and the Smart Terminal $349, or $32 a month for 12 months on the pricing page, plus shipping. Tap to Pay on iPhone needs no hardware but adds $0.10 per successful payment and is US only.

Source
Does Helcim include salon booking?

No. Helcim handles payments only. It integrates directly with Booky, and its Chrome Payment Extension bridges payments into Boulevard; that extension is not a direct API integration and is not endorsed by Boulevard. Vagaro support is listed as Coming Soon.

Source
How fast are deposits?

Card batches up to $25,000 closed by 7:00 PM MT are deposited the next business day at no charge; larger batches take 1–2 business days and ACH 3–5. Helcim reviews your first few batches, which usually adds about 3 business days.

Source
Can I pass card fees to clients?

Yes, with Fee Saver: 3% in person in the US or 2.40% in Canada on the Smart Terminal. It is not available in Connecticut, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma or Quebec.

Source
Is Helcim HIPAA compliant?

Helcim says it will sign a Business Associate Agreement on request. If you run a med spa or massage studio, ask for it before you start.

Source
Can I use Helcim outside the US and Canada?

No. Helcim serves businesses in the US and Canada only, and Tap to Pay on iPhone is US only. You can accept cards issued abroad, but cross-border cards carry about 1% in card-brand fees plus higher interchange.

Source

Sources & How We Rate

  1. Helcim pricing page — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  2. Helcim fee / payments policy — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  3. Helcim for beauty & wellness — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  4. Helcim POS — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  5. Helcim integrations — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  6. Helcim + Booky — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  7. Helcim Payment Extension for Boulevard — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  8. Order Helcim equipment (help center) — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  9. What is a chargeback (help center) — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  10. What is Helcim Fee Saver (help center) — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  11. Helcim Payment Extension for Vagaro (Coming Soon) — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  12. Bank deposit timelines (help center) — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  13. Business restrictions (help center) — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  14. Booky (partner site) — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  15. Helcim for WooCommerce (WordPress.org) — Checked 11 Nov 2026
  16. Helcim on Xero App Store — Checked 11 Nov 2026

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