Stax

Who Stax is for

Stax is for businesses that process enough volume to justify a monthly subscription in exchange for wholesale interchange rates. The model works like a Costco membership for payment processing: you pay a flat monthly fee ($99-$199) and get direct-cost interchange with no percentage markup on top. At the right volume, that math can save you real money compared to flat-rate processors like Square and Stripe.

The sweet spot is businesses processing $20,000 or more per month. Below that, the subscription fee eats most of your savings. Above that, the 0% markup starts compounding in your favor.

The subscription model trap

Stax’s marketing leads with “0% markup on interchange,” and that part is true. You pay wholesale card rates plus a small fixed fee ($0.08 per in-person transaction, $0.15 per online transaction). No percentage-based markup on top of interchange. Sounds like a no-brainer.

The catch is the monthly subscription. Stax’s tiers are volume-based: $99/month for up to $150K/year, $139/month for $150K-$250K/year, and $199+/month above that. That subscription is your markup, just structured differently. Instead of paying 0.3% on every transaction (like Helcim’s interchange-plus model), you’re paying a fixed monthly amount.

Whether that’s better depends entirely on your volume. Here’s the comparison that matters: Helcim charges interchange + 0.3% + $0.08 per in-person transaction with $0/month. Stax charges interchange + $0.00 + $0.08 per transaction with $99-$199/month. The only difference is Helcim’s 0.3% markup vs. Stax’s monthly fee. At $20K/month, Helcim’s 0.3% markup costs you $60. Stax’s subscription at that volume tier costs $139. You’re paying $79 more with Stax.

The pricing math

Estimated monthly processing costs for in-person payments (assumes 1.8% average interchange, $40 average ticket):

Stax beats Square at every volume level above $15K/month. But Helcim beats both, because it offers interchange-plus pricing without any monthly fee. Stax only catches Helcim at roughly $66,000/month in processing volume. For most small businesses, that math doesn’t work out in Stax’s favor.

Bottom line

Stax’s subscription model is a meaningful improvement over flat-rate processors like Square and Stripe. If you’re currently paying 2.6-2.9% on every transaction and process $20K+ per month, switching to Stax will save you money. But Stax isn’t the only game in town for interchange access. Helcim offers interchange-plus pricing with $0/month, no contracts, and automatic volume discounts. For businesses processing under $60K/month (which is most of FeeHawk’s audience), the math favors Helcim.

Where Stax does stand out: 200+ integrations, wide hardware selection, surcharging tools, and ACH processing. If those features matter more than saving an extra $50-$80/month on processing costs, Stax is a solid choice. If pure cost optimization is the goal, get a statement audit and compare the numbers side by side.