Stax Review 2021

Stax (formerly Fattmerchant) is a cheap credit card processing solution with a strong reputation. We combed through hundreds of user reviews to make sure Stax wasn’t pulling a fast one with its prices, and almost every single small-business reviewer said they saved money on processing fees using Stax. 

Stax is a relatively new company, arriving on the scene in 2014. Its number-one selling point has always been its prices, but its digital payment processing platform, point-of-sale integrations, and customizable application programming interface (API) payment portal all add much-needed value to small-business processing needs.

Stax has two pricing systems based on your yearly sales volume.

Stax also offers custom pricing for any businesses doing $5 million or more in sales per year. If that’s your business, you’ll have to call to negotiate those rates.

Stax stated rates for businesses below $5 million in yearly sales are highly competitive. They only take $0.06–$0.15 per transaction depending on the processing method and your plan. This is the lowest processing rate we’ve been able to find, meaning you’ll be spending less money per transaction than anywhere else out there. 

The biggest drawback of Stax pricing model is its expensive monthly fee. Most credit card processing companies don’t charge nearly as hefty a sum as Stax. Square, for example, charges more per transaction than Stax but doesn’t have any monthly fees.

Stax also requires a three-year contract. Luckily, it doesn’t penalize you for canceling before the expiration of the contract. You can cancel any time at no extra cost. Stax only requires that you give 30 days’ notice before canceling.

Some processing companies like to tack on hidden fees to nickel-and-dime their clients. After reviewing Stax's business practices, we can safely say that it has a good track record of transparent pricing and fees. In fact, it has no hidden fees:

Do you need an online terminal for your website? Stax has an API that you can integrate into your website with a custom flow so your payment experience is tailored to your customers. 

The API can be used for mobile apps, websites, and software and hardware solutions, allowing you the freedom to add payment processing functionality wherever you need it. The API also comes with customer management, inventory tracking, invoicing, and recurring billing features.

Stax’s Omni software serves as both a way to accept keyed-in payments and a way to run analytic reports based on your transaction data. These reports can help you see the strengths and weaknesses of your sales process, guiding you toward data-supported solutions.

Stax payment processing integrates with 90% of third-party point-of-sale systems, including some of the most popular systems in the industry:

• Aloha
• Micros
• Revel
• Vend
• ShopKeep

Point-of-sale systems are useful because they can provide inventory management, cash drawers, accounting integration, and customer management features.

Stax is a great solution for any business owner who wants to save money on processing fees and has a solid sales volume every month. Luckily, those savings come bundled with a high-quality offering. Stax’s payment processing tools are smartly designed, easy to use, and tailored to the needs of the modern business.

Stax is not good for businesses that only need to process a credit card once in a while. You have to pay the expensive monthly fee whether or not you process a single payment in a given month. So if your processing needs are more sporadic, you may want to stick with a pay-as-you-go solution like Square.

Additionally, Stax may not be good for businesses looking for a one-stop-shop solution. Stax is a payment processing solution that offers point-of-sale integrations, but not many point-of-sale features. This means you’ll end up paying for a point-of-sale system and a payment processor if you need those additional features. 

Square, on the other hand, is both a payment processor and a point-of-sale system that gives you additional features for a flat per-transaction rate. It may be a better option for businesses looking for a more all-in-one solution.

Stax is a great credit card processor for businesses that want to save money on processing fees. You’ll be able to take payments online, over the phone, on the go, and in person using Stax’s terminals and payment platform. 

But Stax’s expensive monthly fee means your business will have to be doing a reasonable amount of processing volume every month to save money. So if your business is already doing a lot of processing every month, there’s no cheaper processing solution than Stax.

If Stax doesn’t quite fit your bill of wanted features and functionalities, be sure to check out our other top payment processing recommendations.

Disclaimer

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.