Running a Clover POS costs you money in three places at once: a percentage of every card sale, a monthly software subscription, and the hardware itself. A small shop buying directly from Clover.com might see Clover POS fees that look like 2.3% + $0.10 per in-person card swipe, $16 or more per month for software, and $749 to $1,899 up front for a device. Those numbers move around depending on who sold you the system, which plan tier you picked, and how your customers tend to pay.
Processing Fees on Every Card Sale
Card processing is the largest recurring cost of a Clover setup because it hits every transaction. Two things are stacked inside that percentage: the wholesale cost of moving money through the card networks (interchange paid to the card-issuing bank, plus assessments paid to Visa or Mastercard), and the markup your processor adds on top. The wholesale layer isn’t negotiable. The markup is the only piece you can actually shop.
Flat-Rate Versus Interchange-Plus
Direct from Clover.com, you’ll see flat-rate pricing. Retail and restaurant plans start at 2.3% + $0.10 per card-present transaction, personal and home services plans start at 2.5% + $0.10, and keyed-in or online transactions run higher (typically 3.5% + $0.10) because the network treats them as riskier.1Clover. Personal Services POS System and Software Pricing
Flat rates are easy to predict, but you pay the same percentage whether the customer taps a basic debit card or a premium rewards card. The rate is set high enough to cover the expensive cards, so you overpay on the cheap ones. Many third-party Clover providers offer interchange-plus pricing, which passes the actual wholesale cost through and adds a small fixed markup. For businesses processing more than roughly $10,000 a month, the math usually favors interchange-plus, though the statements get harder to read.
Why Card Mix Matters
Wholesale interchange depends on the card type, your industry, and how the payment was captured. A standard Visa consumer debit card swiped in a retail store might cost around 0.80% + $0.15, while a Visa Signature rewards card at the same terminal could run over 1.50% + $0.10. Business credit cards climb higher, with Visa’s published schedule showing business card interchange reaching 2.65% to 3.15% + $0.10 depending on the merchant category and tier.2Visa. Visa USA Interchange Reimbursement Fees
If your customers frequently pull out rewards cards or corporate cards, interchange eats a bigger slice of each sale. On a flat-rate plan you never see those individual costs. On interchange-plus, each statement shows you which card types are costing you the most.
Monthly Software Subscription
Clover charges a recurring software fee separate from processing. Plans are organized by industry (retail, quick-service restaurant, full-service restaurant, personal services, home and field services, and professional services), each with its own tiers.
Retail plans start at $16 per month for the Basic tier, which covers core POS functions on a compact countertop terminal.3Clover. Retail Systems Pricing Higher tiers add advanced inventory, employee scheduling, and deeper reporting. Full-service restaurant plans with table management and online ordering sit toward the top. Overall, expect monthly software between roughly $15 and $90, with additional device fees when you add a second or third terminal.4Clover. Clover Pricing
Two smaller charges don’t always show up on the pricing page. A merchant platform fee of $5 per month applies across all Clover plans regardless of tier. Some providers also add a surcharge of roughly $0.03 on every keyed-in transaction on top of the standard rate. Individually small, they add a noticeable amount to the annual total.
Hardware: Buy, Finance, or Lease
Clover’s software only runs on Clover-branded hardware, so this cost is unavoidable. Three devices cover most setups: the Flex is a handheld for tableside or mobile payments, the Mini is a compact countertop terminal, and the Station Duo is the full-size system with a merchant screen and customer-facing display.5Clover. Clover Devices
Direct purchase prices from Clover.com:
- Clover Flex: $749 outright, or $40/month for 36 months
- Clover Mini: $849 outright, or $45/month for 36 months
- Clover Station Duo: $1,899 outright, or $180/month for 36 months
The installment option is expensive. A Flex at $40 per month for 36 months totals $1,440, nearly double the $749 outright price. A Station Duo at $180 per month runs to $6,480 versus $1,899 paid up front. If cash flow allows, buying outright saves a lot.
Watch Out for Hardware Leases
Some Clover resellers offer equipment leases rather than a purchase or installment. These leases are typically non-cancelable multi-year contracts, and the total cost is dramatically higher than buying. If you close the business or switch processors mid-lease, you still owe every remaining payment. Leases are one of the most common sources of regret for Clover merchants. Avoid them unless you’ve compared the full lifetime cost and genuinely can’t afford the purchase price.
Protection Plans and Returns
Clover Care is a one-time hardware protection plan starting at $169. It covers manufacturer defects, cracked screens, liquid damage, and environmental wear, and allows up to three device replacements over three years with no per-claim deductibles or shipping costs. You must enroll within the first year of purchase. Coverage excludes theft, loss, and fire damage.
If you buy through an authorized provider, you typically have 30 days from the order date (not the delivery date) to return equipment. Returned devices generally carry a restocking fee of around $250 each, and after the 30-day window returns aren’t accepted for any reason. Read your provider’s specific return terms before buying, because they vary.
Why Two Merchants Pay Different Prices
Clover doesn’t sell exclusively through its own website. The system is distributed through banks, independent sales organizations, and merchant services providers, and each sets its own pricing on top of Clover’s base costs. Two shops running identical Clover setups can pay very different rates depending on who they bought from.
Some third-party providers offer hardware below Clover.com’s retail price but offset it with higher processing rates, longer contract terms, or added monthly fees. Others give away hardware for “free” but lock you into a tiered pricing model that quietly costs more per transaction than Clover’s standard flat rate. Lower upfront prices usually mean higher ongoing costs somewhere else.
Contract length is the other big variable. Clover.com’s direct plans are month-to-month or installment, but third-party providers often require 36-month or 48-month processing commitments. Early termination typically means paying the remaining balance in full, which on a long deal can be thousands of dollars. Before signing with any Clover provider, ask three specific questions: how long is the processing contract, how is the early termination fee calculated, and is the hardware a purchase or a lease. Those answers tell you more about the real cost than the rate sheet does.
Smaller Fees That Add Up
Chargebacks
When a customer disputes a charge with their bank, you get hit with a chargeback fee whether or not you win the dispute. The fee typically runs $25 to $30 per incident. You also lose the original sale amount during the dispute, and excessive chargebacks can put your entire merchant account at risk.
PCI Compliance
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard requires every business accepting card payments to maintain specific security protocols for cardholder data.7PCI Security Standards Council. PCI Security Standards Council Many Clover providers charge a monthly PCI compliance fee to cover monitoring and annual validation. If you fail to complete your annual PCI questionnaire, a separate non-compliance fee kicks in, running around $20 per month at typical providers. The bigger risk is a data breach while non-compliant, which can trigger fines of $5,000 to $100,000 per month from the card networks until the gaps are fixed.
Third-Party Apps
Clover’s App Market adds functionality beyond what your subscription tier includes: loyalty programs, advanced scheduling, marketing tools, online ordering, kitchen display integrations. Most apps carry their own monthly subscription, typically $10 to $70 per month depending on the category. Check whether a higher Clover tier already bundles the feature you’d otherwise buy separately. Third-party apps are not allowed to add surcharges to your transactions.8Clover. Transaction Data: Charges and Fees
Sales Tax Is Still Your Responsibility
Clover handles calculation and collection, not remittance. You configure the applicable rates based on your state, county, and city, and the POS applies the right rate at checkout. If you sell items taxed at different rates (food versus alcohol, or dine-in versus takeout in jurisdictions that distinguish them), you can create multiple tax rules and assign them to specific inventory categories.
The reporting dashboard tracks how much sales tax you’ve collected, broken down by rate and time period, which simplifies filing. But sending the collected funds to your state and local tax authorities on schedule is entirely on you. Missing a deadline or underreporting creates liability that falls on the business, not on Clover. If your jurisdiction has complex or frequently changing tax rules, one of the tax compliance apps in the App Market may be worth the added monthly cost.