How payments work in Clover
Clover's partner page lists several kinds of partner, including resellers, independent sales organizations (ISOs), referral partners and developers. That is why two businesses with the same Clover screen can have different processing arrangements.
A payment processor is the company that moves card money from your customer to your bank. With Clover, who that is and what you pay depends on the company that sold you the account.
Who this suits
Best fit
- A merchant who wants to read the statement from their Clover seller and understand each fee.
Not a fit
- Anyone who expects to bring a different processor inside Clover. We have not found a way to do that.
What we are checking for you
- Who your merchant agreement is actually with. The Clover logo on the screen does not tell you.
- Whether your contract has a minimum term or an exclusivity clause, and when it ends.
- Whether your terminals are owned or leased.
- Which Clover apps your business relies on.
What to watch
- Cards your customers have saved on file. Ask whether they can be moved to the new setup, or whether customers would need to enter them again.
- Recurring billing and subscriptions, which are tied to those saved cards.
- Gift card balances, if you sell gift cards.
- Card surcharges. Card network rules and some state laws limit them, so check before you add or keep one.
- Your current contract end date and any early cancellation fee.
Questions merchants ask
Can I use my own merchant account with Clover?
That depends on how your Clover was set up and who sold it to you, which is why we check your account instead of guessing.
Does my Clover contract have an exclusivity clause?
Merchants ask this often. Your agreement answers it. Send us the pages that cover term and cancellation and we will read them with you.
How do I see what I pay?
Open your monthly processing statement and add up every fee. Divide that total by your card sales for the month. The result is your effective rate, the real percentage you pay after every fee. Our free statement review walks you through it.
Which card readers work with Clover?
What works depends on how your account is set up. We confirm that before you buy or return anything.
See what you pay, for free
A person reads your statement with you and tells you what each fee means and whether a different processor is even possible with Clover. There is no pressure to switch.