Merchant services that keep pricing clear for US and Canadian businesses

Clearo delivers merchant processing services with transparent interchange-plus pricing and a dedicated account rep. No long-term contract. No cancellation fees. Clearo says setup takes under 48 hours.

Whether you run a counter, a website, a service truck, or a phone-based sales desk anywhere in the US or Canada, one provider and one rep handle all of it.

Want to see what you pay now before you decide? Send a recent statement for a free statement review.

What is a merchant account?

A merchant account is your agreement with an acquiring bank to accept card payments and receive the money. In Visa's terms, the merchant is the seller holding the contract with an acquirer, signed directly or through a payment facilitator. ISOs, the sales agents many owners meet first, work for the acquirer and don't process payments or receive settlement funds themselves (Visa).

The acquirer can be left holding chargebacks a merchant can't pay, so it reviews your business before it approves you. No loan is involved, but the OCC's examiner handbook still treats chargeback credit risk as a significant risk to an acquiring bank's earnings and capital, with the bank leaning on the merchant's creditworthiness (OCC). Our guides to what a merchant account is and how to get one cover the application step by step.

Who Clearo's merchant services fit

The right setup depends on how you take money: ticket size, channels, and volume.

• •Higher average tickets (service invoices, project deposits): each percentage point costs more dollars per sale, so the pricing model matters most here
• •Multi-channel shops: POS, online, mobile and virtual terminal payments from one provider, with one rep
• •Owners who want a person to call: every client has a dedicated rep, whether you run one location or several

Our industry pages cover restaurants, retail, medical and dental, automotive, home services, professional services, ecommerce, wellness and fitness, B2B and franchises, nonprofits, and hotels.

How Clearo works

Clearo uses interchange-plus pricing: interchange and network fees at cost, plus a markup shown on its own line. See pricing for how the model works. Your rate depends on your card mix, so for numbers that match your business, use the free statement review.

You also get multi-channel acceptance (POS, online, mobile, virtual terminal, ACH), a dedicated rep, and a credit card surcharging program where the rules allow it. For fee education, see credit card processing fees.

How to choose merchant services

1. Can you see interchange vs markup on every statement?
2. Do channels match how you sell (counter, web, phone, field)?
3. Is support a real person who knows your account?
4. Are there cancellation fees or equipment lease traps?
5. Will they review your current statement before you commit?

Clearo answers those with interchange-plus, multi-channel tools, dedicated reps, no cancellation fees, and a free statement review.

Whoever you choose, get the term and any exit fee in writing. The FTC's 2022 case against First American Payment Systems shows why: the agency alleged that businesses were promised they could leave at no cost, while the standard contract ran three years with a $495 cancellation fee (FTC). Ask whether any equipment is bought or leased, too, since the FTC has flagged leases that ran into the thousands for hardware worth a few hundred dollars (FTC).

And check how your current provider prices. If your statement lists qualified, mid-qualified and non-qualified charges, Washington State's Attorney General says you're on a tiered plan (Washington State Attorney General), and our guide to the merchant agreement walks through the clauses to read before you sign.