CardX offers surcharge compliance and zero-cost credit card payment solutions. It has various pricing options, and no setup or cancellation fees or lengthy contracts. Furthermore, it has multiple customer service options where you can receive friendly and helpful assistance. If you’re looking for a cost-saving solution to your merchant services, CardX is worth considering.
Monthly fee : In-person $35, in-office starting from $29
Per swipe fee : Credit card 0%; debit card 1% + 0.25, or 3.38%
Setup fee : $0
Cancellation fee : $0
PCI compliance fee : Unspecified
Best for : Merchants who want to save on card processing costs and remain compliant
Terminals: CardX comes with an EMV-enabled custom terminal, ethernet cord, power cord, receipt paper, and a Getting Started guide. The package also includes tasteful signage that helps inform customers about your services—a key component of compliance.
CardX offers point-of-sale (POS) solutions for online, in-office, and in-person transactions.
The online solution—Lightbox—enables you to pay seamlessly and securely through your website. Lightbox doesn't redirect your payment to another page, ensuring you remain compliant with the Payments Card Industry Data Security Standard requirements for protecting customer data and preventing identity theft.
The in-office solution, called Virtual Terminal, doesn’t require installation, equipment, or software. You won’t need any special expertise for processing orders, and you can complete this in a few clicks.
The in-person solution is the CardX terminal. It uses an EMV Quick Chip, rather than the card’s metallic stripe, to store the cardholder’s information. This is the secure card payment standard established by Europay, Mastercard, and Visa. The terminal has CardX software pre-installed, and you can plug it in and start using it immediately.
CardX benefits merchants through its zero cost on credit card transactions. You’ll receive 100% of the transaction sale amount. CardX automatically detects when a customer uses a debit card, keeping you compliant by not charging the customer any fee. However, if you accept debit cards, your business is responsible for paying the fee.
CardX offers a month-to-month subscription service with no setup and cancellation fees, according to customer support. After speaking to a payment consultant, who will consider your business volume, you’ll receive a free quote tailored to your business.
The in-person plan is $35 per month and provides an EMV-enabled custom terminal. The in-office plan starts from $29 a month for the Virtual Terminal. This includes the Lightbox software for processing online payments on your website.
Card acceptance pricing for CardX depends on whether your customer uses a credit or debit card. If it’s a credit card, you’ll pay 0%, while the customer will incur a 3.5% fee. If it’s a debit card, you’ll pay 1% + $0.25, while the customer pays 0%. However, key-entered debit transactions on the CardX Terminal do not qualify for the 1% + $0.25 rate. You’ll have to sign up for the Virtual Terminal to achieve that rate.
Note also that commercial debit card pricing may vary depending on the processor platform you’re using, meaning the assessed rate may be 3.38%.
For eligible institutions in the government and education sectors, CardX does not charge a flat rate. Instead, it uses Intelligent Rate technology to set pricing according to the card type. This means the institution pays 0% of the cost, and customers can use low-cost cards to reduce their service fees.
Gov+edu card acceptance pricing ranges from 0.75% to 3.99%, depending on the card type, and there is a $1.99 minimum. Technology pricing is $0 per month for the 2 options available: the in-office Virtual Terminal and the online Lightbox solution.
You can sign up for CardX by using the Get Started button on the website Homepage. This will take you to a registration page to input your name, email, phone number, and company name. CardX will call you back once it has your details.
Moreover, you can also phone or speak to a customer service agent on live chat, and they will connect you to the sales team to begin the application process. There are no contracts or upfront costs, and the consultant will guide you on registering and getting a free quote for your business.
Jonathan Razi founded CardX in 2013 to provide credit card acceptance and compliance solutions for businesses. Payments processor Stax took it over in 2021, but it retains its brand name and office location in N. Michigan Ave, Chicago, Illinois, with Razi remaining as CEO. It has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
The company has made a name for itself with its advocacy against “No Surcharge” state laws, taking its case as far as the United States Supreme Court. Thus, CardX serves businesses in 48 states, but is unavailable in Connecticut and Massachusetts, with Razi planning to take his court battles there.
CardX operates Monday-Saturday, 8am-6pm (CT), offering multiple customer support options. You can contact the team by using the online contact form, via email, or on the phone. There are different phone numbers and emails listed for sales, customer support, and CardX’s partners. There’s also a small number of FAQs on the website.
Live chat is available to answer general queries about CardX’s services or to transfer you to the relevant department to receive help setting up an account. These in-house customer support agents operate during regular business hours and are friendly and helpful. The chatbot also functions well and quickly transfers you to speak to a human agent.
Note that you can only discuss pricing questions after an agent obtains your information and connects you to CardX’s payment consultants, who will generate a free quote for your business.
CardX offers a zero-cost credit card payment processing solution that saves merchants money. Its application process is straightforward, there are no setup fees, and you won’t need to commit to a lengthy contract. Furthermore, its merchant and POS solutions ensure seamless and secure payments and surcharges, while keeping your business compliant with card-processing rules.
Pricing for CardX involves several options to meet your specific card processing, technology, and institutional needs—from online and in-office to in-person payments. It ensures compliance by automatically providing detailed summaries of the transactions and surcharges. Plus, its customer support agents are friendly and will help you address any concerns.
Bottom line, if you’re looking for a cost-saving and compliance-enforcing credit card processor, CardX is worth considering.