Helcim Review 

About Helcim 

Helcim can provide a complete payment solution thanks to a diverse set of online, cloud-based, mobile, and retail payment platforms. Many companies prefer Helcim because there are no termination fees, no monthly minimums, and no long-term commitments.

It’s known for its tiered pricing that provides high-volume merchants with lower pricing and the company is based out of Calgary, Alberta. The company offers very flexible contract terms, transparent interchange-plus pricing, and a minimum of additional fees and provides all of the basic merchant services a business would need.

They don’t require cancellation fees and monthly minimums nor do they have long-term contracts. While it’s not the most affordable option for businesses with low sales volumes, it’s an excellent choice for most other small-business owners. 

Who is Helcim for?

Helcim can work with a variety of business types, from restaurants to retail and is a good solution for many small businesses that are starting up, or have limited credit card transaction volumes or who work on the move.

Helcim can be particularly useful for:

• Retail stores
• Quick service dining
• Cafes, restaurants, boutiques, convenience stores, shops, clothing stores and merchants
• Home & field services
• Personal services
• Professional services
• Hairdressers and beauty salons
• Couriers, drivers and taxis

Most of Helcim’s audience are smaller businesses, as noted above. Just like SumUp, both credit card processing providers are ideal for small businesses, offering small shops, pop up stalls and business owners a quick and simple way to start taking card payments.  

The Helcim reader in detail

Helcim offers just one credit card terminal: the proprietary Helcim Card Reader. This small, multifunctional device can handle all of your in-person credit card processing needs. 

In addition to support for magstripe, EMV, and NFC-based payment methods (including Apple Pay and Google Pay), it can sync up with your smartphone, tablet, or laptop/desktop computer. 

In terms of ergonomics, you will appreciate its small size compared to traditional payment terminals, which can be rather large and heavy. 

The Helcim Card Reader costs $199 and the countertop stand for it costs $39. It’s EMV and NFC enabled and has a swiper, so you can accept magnetic stripe cards, chip cards, contactless cards and mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. It also has a built-in PIN pad so you can accept PIN debit cards as well.

Cards accepted by Helcim

Card type	Accepted?
Debit cards	Yes
Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover etc)	Yes
Digital wallets (Apple Pay/Google Pay)	Yes

Helcim makes it possible to accept almost all cards, including international cards and this is one of its many advantages. 

Mastercard and Visa typically allow tap limits of up to $250, introduced post pandemic ensuring fewer consumers need to touch payment machines. This can vary depending on the card provider. The practice, which saves time for each transaction, has seen its use soar since the pandemic. 

You may also take mobile payments from your consumers using Helcim, if they are something they demand (Apple Pay or Google Pay). A keyed-in transaction may also be completed using Helcim’s included virtual terminal.

Helcim: Pricing and Commissions

Helcim’s pricing is clear and transparent. The price levels are determined by volume and whether the purchase occurs in person or online/keyed.

Helcim’s monthly price structure is as follows:

• $0 – $25k: 0.3 per cent and $0.08 in person and 0.5 per cent and 0.25c typed in
• $25k – $50k: 0.3 per cent and $0.07 in person and 0.5 per cent and 0.25c typed in
• $50k – $100k: 0.2 per cent and $0.07 in person and 0.4 per cent and 0.20c typed in
• $100k – $250k: 0.18 per cent and $0.06 in person and 0.35 per cent and 0.15c typed in
• $250k – $1m: 0.15 per cent and $0.06 in person and 0.3 per cent and 0.15c typed in
• $1m – $5m: 0.12 per cent and $0.05 in person and 0.25 per cent and 0.10c typed in
• Over $5m: 0.10 per cent and $0.05 in person and 0.20 per cent and 0.10c typed in

Businesses can save money as their operations expand. This might cause some projection concerns if you have a bad month and see revenue drop as this is not a total volume structure.

They offer all of its capabilities with a simple interchange-plus rate, and there is no monthly charge required as there is with several other credit card processors.

The interchange-plus pricing system is used by Helcim, and the in-person merchant prices that are shown on its website are much cheaper than the market standard.

However, low-volume firms, which are defined as those that handle less than $5,000 in credit card payments each month, may discover that working with a smartphone credit card processing provider that provides flat-rate pricing is more cost-effective.

Interchange fees

When considering interchange-plus pricing, it is important to understand that the % rate and the per-sale fee represent the margin that is retained by the processor.

This margin will be added to the basic interchange rate as well as the card brand fee that is established by the credit card networks.

The service provider maintains the extra costs to an absolute minimum, and any additional incidental fees that you could run into are explicitly mentioned in the agreement that you have with the merchant service.

Refunds fees and currency translation costs may be the only extra expenses you are required to pay in the event that your business processes transactions in several currencies.

Fee free features

Helcim has eliminated the following fees that other providers will typically add to your bill:

• Monthly account fees
• Setup fees
• PCI compliance fees
• Monthly minimums
• Early termination fees

Helcim order process

Registration for the service can be completed online on the official Helcim website. Customers can avail of free shipping, free countertop stand, easy setup and a delivery time of between 2 – 3 days. 

There’s no need to buy expensive POS equipment or SIM cards. Whether at your checkout or in your pocket, the Helcim Card Reader connects to devices you already own including computers, iPads and smartphones. 

We recommend that you plan to purchase your Helcim payment terminal at least 7 working days before you need it.

Helcim setup

Customers will receive your pre-configured Helcim, typically arriving pre-charged with 50% battery. There is no need for a technician, so you can carry out the setup by yourself in approximately 10-15 minutes. 

You will find the following items inside the package containing the Helcim Card Reader:

• Your brand-new magnetic card reader
• The battery that powers the card reader
• A USB cable with a “L” connection that is six feet long.
• The instruction handbook for the card reader.

To get started:

• To begin, connect the USB connection to your workstation by inserting it into one of the available USB ports.
• After that, insert the connector with the “L” shape into one of the side slots on the Helcim Card Reader.
• You should notice a beep if your POS Reader is connected to your computer in the right manner.
• You may check to see whether it is recharging by glancing at the power icon that is shown on the display of the Card Reader. If there is a lightning bolt next to the battery indicator, the Card Swiper is currently being charged.
• If you have to start the Helcim POS machine, you may do so by holding down the # key as well as the Yellow key on the keypad. This will cause the device to begin functioning.

When completely charged, the battery life of the device should be at least 12 hours for the typical small and medium business.

How to receive funds from your Helcim transactions

All Helcim merchants are automatically able to accept ACH payments with no extra signups or complicated paperwork needed and this feature is already built directly into the Helcim merchant platform.

ACH Payments usually take about 3 business days for the initial setup and first payment. Once a customer is set up and authorized, payments typically take 3-4 business days to be withdrawn from the customer’s bank account, you’ll see the funds deposited in your bank account 4 business days after the batch has been processed.

Bank Deposit Speed

U.S. merchants’ funds should appear in their bank account within 2 business days whilst transactions processed over the weekend are scheduled for deposit on the second business day. Canadian Merchants funds should appear in your account within 2 business days.

How to take payment from customers with the Helcim

Simply enter the amount, and the customer will do the rest as on a conventional terminal: insert their card, type their pin code and validate. A green tick confirms the success of the transaction and it is also possible to print the credit card receipt with compatible printers.

To charge the terminal, use the included cable and plug it into a computer or electrical outlet. Plug it into a computer or electrical outlet. It can be put to charge on or off or whilst in use which is convenient. Once charged, you’ll be able to enjoy up to 500 transactions on a single charge. 

Finally, you will be notified if the payment terminal software is updated. Updates are quite simple to perform and an update check is even performed by default when your device is connected to the application. 

Helcim features

Helcim Card Reader

Helcim provides customers one card terminal that is capable of handling all of their in-person and mobile payment processing requirements simultaneously.

Helcim’s POS Reader has a price tag of $109 and is capable of processing payments by chip and pin, swiped, and touch.

It is simple to set up, and it is able to connect with all of the devices that you already own, including your desktop, tablet, or smartphone.

Card Readers from Helcim come with a complimentary countertop stand and the company also sells a receipt printer as an add-on for $79 if customers want one.

The following are additional features:

• Email receipts
• Monitoring of stock levels
• Monitoring of the clientele
• Card for the record
• Analytics and reporting based on the history of batches

Contactless payment

Helcim gives you the ability to take a variety of payment types, just like any other reliable mobile payment terminal including:

• Contactless payments
• Payments by digital wallet (Google Pay, Apple Pay)

This feature is highly appreciated by small businesses because it saves a lot of time and avoids lines.

Pricing

Helcim features interchange-plus pricing, which makes it clear how much merchants are paying the company above the interchange rates and credit card brand fees that all credit card processors pay.

With the help of built-in payment alternatives, you won’t have to worry about converting currencies when you take payments from customers located in any part of the globe.

Be aware, however, that most forms of foreign commerce are subject to cross-border fees, which are determined by the companies that issue credit and debit cards.

Point Of Sale reader 

You are able to install the Helcim Pos system on almost any device of your choosing thanks to Helcim’s accommodating policy. When combined with the Helcim POS Machine for the acceptance of card-present transactions, your company will be able to take advantage of the full functionality of traditional POS readers without having to pay the exorbitant costs associated with traditional POS hardware and software subscription fees.

The following are some of the functionalities offered by the software:

• Payment options including credit and debit cards are included.
• Monitoring of stock levels
• Product/service catalog
• Having access to the invoices
• Unlimited number of invoices may be created.
• Personalization options, such as radio buttons and drop-down lists
• Discount voucher codes
• Automatic tax computations
• Email reminders sent automatically for past-due bills
• Virtual kiosk purchases when customers don’t have their credit card physically present 

Integrations

Helcim integrates well with QuickBooks, Magento, Rezgo, WooCommerce, Great Exposure and WHMCS. This makes it easy to fit into existing workflows for those who already use these popular platforms.

Software for online retail establishments

Helcim provides its customers with a cloud based online store that includes templates that may be customized to reflect their own identity.

With this service, you will not be charged more for web hosting, and you will be able to incorporate your current stock into your online store in addition to adding some other sections to your website that you like.

In addition, you have the option of adding a shop function to your website, complete with discount coupons, tax computations, and shipping interfaces; the payment process is also included.

People who already have websites may still utilize these functions, but if you need more specific requirements, Helcim also provides sophisticated DNS services that you can make use of.

Food Service and Ordering Online

You have the option with this feature to just have Helcim maintain your website, or you can integrate the menu and order page into an existing website you already have. You will have access to the shopping cart, the function for applying discount codes, the ability to calculate taxes, and suggestions for tips.

There is a sample available for this feature on Helcim, so that you may test it out and understand how it functions. Food Ordering, much like the online shop, allows you to personalize the look with your company’s colors and emblem.

Through the use of the payment gateway page function, you are able to employ a buy-now button almost anyplace on the internet, such as on your site, blogging, or email, regardless of whether you operate a site or not.

Online billing & client gateway

You may generate and send invoices to your clients through email or text message using the invoicing tools that are included in Helcim. Additionally, Helcim will send automated email reminders to customers whose payments are overdue.

To examine their purchases and make payments on their bills, your customers may either click on the “Pay Now” option or open a DIY client gateway on your website.

Security features

The fact that Helcim is certified as a PCI Degree 1 Service Provider indicates that the company satisfies the requirements for the Payment Card Industry’s highest level of data protection.

You will have access to a PCI portal as well as tutorials to assist you in completing the annual self-assessment questionnaire when you sign up for an account with Helcim since the cost of the PCI compliance framework is included in the monthly account charge.

Helcim Fraud Defender is a tool that evaluates and rates the potential for fraudulent activity associated with each transaction. In addition,

Helcim employs two-factor authentication to protect your account and protects credit card payment data by utilizing advanced encryption and smart contracts technology.

Support and Customer Service

Customers are pleased with the phone help that is provided (which is accessible around the clock), but it would be convenient to provide an internet chat facility enabling speedy inquiries and responses.

You may phone the business, request a return call at a time that is convenient for you, send an email, or complete a questionnaire on the company’s website if you need to get in touch with the firm.

In addition, Helcim has extended its customer assistance hours, and Elavon, the company’s associate bank and back-end processor, provides help during the company’s off-hours.

Helcim provides a searchable database that contains a complete selection of step-by-step instructions in the event that you would rather resolve problems on your own.

There, you will find information on everything, including how to utilize the API and how to establish up your account. In addition to this, it has a blog that is tailored to the needs of proprietors of small businesses.

These posts include advice, news, and explanations on the operation of various facets of credit card processing.

Helcim: Customer Reviews

Helcim has a strong 3.9/5 rating on Trustpilot from over 155 reviews, which are generally positive, with customers appreciating the simple setup process was simple and customer service team members helping beyond expectations. 

When it came to fixing issues with their merchant credit card terminal, the support team were cited on numerous occasions. For the negative reviews, clients noted the slow release of funds, which is difficult for us to verify. 

On the upside, we appreciate the fact that Helcim responded to each review to assist, regardless of whether it was positive or negative. 

Helcim: Overall verdict

Overall, Helcim is an excellent choice for SMB’s in terms of its pricing, customer support and ease of use. Finding a good merchant account provider can be a huge challenge for a small business owner due to the many variables to consider when estimating your costs. 

Helcim simplifies this process by offering transparent pricing disclosures on its website, and its online calculator can give you a reasonable idea of what your costs will be. Customers also get the widest range of payment processing services (mostly) for free without any monthly fees.

Overall, Helcim is well worth its 4.5 star rating and with upgrades made to its product allowing customers to access ecommerce tools and its free POS, Helcim can rightly be regarded as one of the best options for US and international businesses.