--- title: "Understanding Helcim Fee Saver: Save on Processing Costs" slug: "what-is-helcim-fee-saver" description: "Learn how Helcim Fee Saver lets you pass on credit card processing fees to customers, reducing your costs for in-person and online sales." updated: 2026-08-07T17:19:12Z published: 2026-08-07T17:19:12Z canonical: "learn.helcim.com/what-is-helcim-fee-saver" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.helcim.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # What is Helcim Fee Saver? Running a business comes with many costs, and credit card processing fees can significantly impact your profits. Helcim Fee Saver is a feature designed to help you manage these costs by allowing you to pass processing fees on to your customers. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of Helcim Fee Saver, explaining how it works and what you need to know to use it effectively. ![Helcim Fee Saver simplified UI](https://cdn.document360.io/4e721329-1a9d-4ef0-8d2f-497e0c1f185a/Images/Documentation/fee-saver-simplified-UI.png) --- **In this article** - [What is Helcim Fee Saver?](/v1/docs/what-is-helcim-fee-saver#what-is-helcim-fee-saver) - [Which tools does Helcim Fee Saver work with?](/v1/docs/what-is-helcim-fee-saver#which-tools-does-helcim-fee-saver-work-with) - [How Helcim Fee Saver works](/v1/docs/what-is-helcim-fee-saver#how-helcim-fee-saver-works) - [Key benefits of Helcim Fee Saver](/v1/docs/what-is-helcim-fee-saver#key-benefits-of-helcim-fee-saver) - [Next steps](/v1/docs/what-is-helcim-fee-saver#next-steps) - [FAQ](/v1/docs/what-is-helcim-fee-saver#faq) --- ## What is Helcim Fee Saver? --- When you run a business and accept credit cards, you pay a processing fee for each transaction that eats into your profits. Helcim Fee Saver is a feature that helps you manage these fees by giving you the option to pass them on to your customers. | ![](https://cdn.document360.io/4e721329-1a9d-4ef0-8d2f-497e0c1f185a/Images/Documentation/sparkle.png) | When your customers choose to pay with a credit card, or a debit card that can be processed like a credit card, you can have them cover the processing costs. This can significantly reduce or even eliminate the fees your business pays. | | --- | --- | ## Which tools does Helcim Fee Saver work with? --- Helcim Fee Saver is available for: | **Online payments** | **In-person payments** | | --- | --- | | ✅ Pay Now Invoicing ✅ Payment Requests ✅ Payment Pages ✅ Integrations with HelcimPay.js | ✅ Helcim Smart Terminal ✅ Helcim Card Reader (Gen 3) | Fee Saver is **not** available for: | **Online payments** | **In-person payments** | | --- | --- | | ❌ Recurring Invoicing ❌ Recurring Payments ❌ Virtual Terminal ❌ Integrations with WooCommerce, Xero, or QuickBooks Online | ❌ Helcim Card Reader (Gen 1 and 2) ❌ Manual entry payments through the Helcim POS ❌ Tap to Pay on iPhone | ## How Helcim Fee Saver works --- Helcim Fee Saver functions in two ways, depending on whether you're accepting payments in person or online. --- **In-Person Payments** If you accept payments in person using the Helcim Smart Terminal, you can enable Fee Saver via a toggle. When a customer pays with a credit card, the processing fee is added to the transaction and appears as a "surcharge" on their receipt. --- **Online Payments** For online payments through Helcim Invoices, Payment Pages, Payment Requests, or HelcimPay.js, Fee Saver can also be enabled with a toggle. In this case, when a customer chooses to pay with a credit card instead of ACH, the fee is passed on to them and is shown as a "convenience fee" on their receipt. --- Here’s a breakdown of how fees are applied when Fee Saver is enabled. | **When a customer uses** | **You pay** | **Customer pays** | | --- | --- | --- | | Credit card (in-person) | 0% | 2.40% in Canada 3% in the US | | Credit card (online) | 0% | 3% *+0.5% for AMEX* *+1.5% for international cards* | | ACH (online) | 0.5% + 25¢ *capped at $6 for transactions under $25,000* | 0% | ## Key benefits of Helcim Fee Saver --- Helcim Fee Saver provides the following key benefits to businesses: --- **Easy activation** Fee Saver can be [enabled with a simple toggle](https://learn.helcim.com/docs/enable-helcim-fee-saver) within the compatible Helcim tools. This eliminates the need for complex setup procedures. **Automated compliance** Helcim's system uses preset rates that align with card brand rules, reducing the need for manual calculations of fees. The feature is also automatically disabled in [restricted regions](/v1/docs/what-is-helcim-fee-saver#faq) to help you comply with regulations. **Versatility** Fee Saver can be used across Helcim's payment tools, including both in-person and online payment methods. **Transparency** Fees are clearly displayed to customers in their order summary (before they make a payment) as either a "surcharge" for in-person transactions or a "convenience fee" for online transactions. This ensures clarity and helps maintain trust with your customers. --- ## Next steps --- If you're interested in lowering your credit card processing costs, consider enabling Helcim Fee Saver in your Helcim account. | ![](https://cdn.document360.io/4e721329-1a9d-4ef0-8d2f-497e0c1f185a/Images/Documentation/cursor.png) | For instructions on how to do this, head to our article on [Enabling Fee Saver](https://learn.helcim.com/docs/enable-helcim-fee-saver). | | --- | --- | --- ### FAQ **Is Helcim Fee Saver available for all merchants?** **Online Fee Saver** is available for all merchants, but requires ACH payments to be enabled to function. **In-Person Fee Saver** on the Smart Terminal does not require ACH but is **not** available in the following regions. In the USA: - Connecticut - Colorado - Maine - Massachusetts - Oklahoma In Canada: - Quebec **Does Fee Saver work for debit cards?** It depends on how the debit card is processed. Some debit cards in the U.S. and Canada (like those with a Visa or Mastercard logo) can be used similarly to credit cards. - If a customer uses one of these "credit-enabled" debit cards in person by swiping or signing, it's processed as a credit card transaction, and credit card processing rates apply. To process it as a debit card, the customer must select "debit," choose their account, and enter their PIN. - Regardless of how the debit card is processed, in-person debit card payments cannot be surcharged. Helcim's system recognizes debit cards to prevent surcharges from being applied. - For online payments, if a credit-enabled debit card is used, it's treated as a credit card payment. So, if Fee Saver is enabled for online payments, these debit cards will be charged a convenience fee. The customer can avoid this fee by paying via ACH/EFT instead. **Does online Fee Saver apply to payments made with Google Pay?** No, not at this time. When a customer pays using a digital wallet like Google Pay, we don't receive all the card details we need at the time of payment to apply the convenience fee. These transactions will be processed as a standard credit card payment, and all regular processing fees will apply to your business. **Will my customers be aware that their invoices have Helcim Fee Saver?** Yes, customers are notified of the fee when they select credit card payments, and the fee is displayed as a separate line item on their invoice and receipt. They will be given the option to pay with ACH if they don’t want to pay the additional fee. **What if my customer refuses to pay the extra fees?** Customers can choose to pay with ACH payments, debit cards (selecting the ‘debit’ payment method), or cash, which do not incur the fee.