How We Compare Providers

We rank providers by what they actually cost your business, not by who pays us. Here is exactly how the rankings are determined, where the data comes from, and how we stay independent.

Our ranking methodology

  • The default sort order is the calculated monthly cost based on your inputs (volume, average transaction size, and card mix).
  • The cheapest total cost ranks first.
  • No provider pays for ranking position.
  • You can re-sort by other criteria, including settlement speed, features, and provider name.
  • The calculator uses published rate data, not estimates.

Market coverage

  • In total we compare 104 providers across 12 business services in the Australian market.
  • In payments (21 providers), this includes all four major banks (ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB, Westpac), Australian independents (Tyro, Zeller, Square, SumUp), international platforms (Stripe, Adyen, PayPal, Checkout.com), and specialist providers (Pin Payments, Fat Zebra, Windcave, eway).
  • Beyond payments, we also compare 7 Marketplace Payments, 19 POS Systems, 7 Accounting Software, 8 Inventory Management, 10 Payroll Software, 8 HR Software, 4 On-Demand Pay, 9 CRM Software, 10 Email Marketing, 11 E-commerce Platforms, and 10 Print on Demand, plus a surcharge ban calculator.
  • We list providers regardless of whether they have a commercial relationship with us.

How we make money

  • MerchantCompare may earn affiliate commissions when merchants click through to a provider and sign up.
  • Affiliate partnerships, where they exist, never influence ranking order or calculator results.
  • If a provider is not the best fit based on your inputs, the tool says so and ranks a better option higher.
  • We list providers regardless of whether they participate in any affiliate or referral program.

Data sources and accuracy

  • All pricing data is sourced from official provider websites, pricing pages, and published rate cards.
  • Data is reviewed and updated regularly.
  • Where a provider does not publish transparent pricing, they are listed in a separate "Enterprise and custom pricing" tab so merchants know to request a quote.
  • If you spot an error, contact us and we will fix it within 24 hours.

Prices in Australian dollars

  • Every price and estimate on the site is shown in Australian dollars.
  • Providers that bill natively in US dollars are converted to AUD so you can compare like for like, rather than seeing overseas options look cheaper than they are.
  • The native billing currency is still shown on each provider, so you always know the source.

See it for yourself

Enter your numbers and watch the cheapest provider for your business rank first. No sign-up, no sales call.

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