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
- We compare 21 payment providers across the Australian market.
- 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).
- We list providers regardless of whether they have a commercial relationship with us.
- We also compare across POS systems (19 providers), marketplace payments (7 providers), on-demand pay (10 providers), and provide a surcharge ban calculator.
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.
See it for yourself
Enter your numbers and watch the cheapest provider for your business rank first. No sign-up, no sales call.