About Stax POS

Stax is a merchant services provider offering an integrated payments platform that encompasses merchant accounts, eCommerce, mobile processing, inventory management, advanced invoicing and billing, comprehensive reporting, and additional features.

Stax’s pricing structure provides good value for merchants processing over $10K per month, making it a compelling option for many eCommerce businesses that typically face inflated fees from payment processors. However, smaller businesses may find that the monthly fees are too expensive for their needs.

Services and Features

Stax accommodates a wide range of business types with a comprehensive suite of in-house and third-party products. Its membership-based pricing plans include a full-service merchant account and 24/7 customer support. With many appealing features, Stax has earned a high rating in its category.

Payment Processing Services

• Merchant Accounts

Stax provides full-service merchant accounts, unlike payment service providers (PSPs), assigning a unique merchant ID number to each business. However, Stax is not a direct processor and collaborates with Worldpay for the actual payment processing.

• Countertop Terminals

For physical store merchants, Stax provides a range of terminals, including Dejavoo smart terminals and the complete selection of Clover POS hardware. If you already own a terminal, Stax will reprogram it to work with their system at no extra cost. Additionally, you can purchase a protection plan for more extensive support for your terminals. This option is perfect if you don’t require integration with your POS system. One of the benefits of Stax is that they sell terminals outright rather than leasing their credit card machines.

• Virtual Terminal

Stax’s virtual terminal is an excellent option for businesses that primarily process payments through a computer, such as in an office setting or when taking phone orders. It includes access to a customer database, invoicing, and inventory management features. Additionally, the virtual terminal can integrate with Stax’s credit card readers, allowing you to benefit from in-person processing rates. If you don’t need a complete shopping cart but want an easy way to accept online payments, Stax Pay offers a simple website payment feature starting at the growth plan level.

• Third-Party Integrations

Stax doesn’t showcase an extensive list of third-party integrations on its website like some other payment processors. However, it does offer the ability to integrate its payment processing with a variety of solutions, including payment gateways, shopping cart systems, POS software, and tools like QuickBooks.

• Shopping Cart

Stax provides an adjustable shopping cart for eCommerce businesses, allowing you to retain customers on your site throughout their shopping experience. You have full control over the design and appearance of the cart. This feature offers more advanced capabilities compared to the website payment option provided with the Stax virtual terminal.

• Developer Tools

For developers or businesses looking to use Stax for payment processing while incorporating their own custom software, the Stax API offers simple integration. Stax provides the necessary documentation, but you’ll need your own developer to handle the setup. While it’s not as open as platforms like Stripe or Square, it still offers a lot of flexibility. There’s a JavaScript library for web payments, and if you’d rather not handle customer card data directly, the invoice feature will redirect customers to a Stax-hosted page. Additionally, there’s a mobile SDK available for both iOS and Android.

• Mobile Processing

The Stax Pay mobile app is available on both iOS and Android devices. For mobile point-of-sale (mPOS), the Swipe Simple B250 card reader is offered, which connects via Bluetooth and supports EMV and mobile wallet payments (such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay). According to the Stax website, the Dejavoo QD2 wireless smart terminal is also available. The mobile plan provides access to additional features of the Stax platform, including invoicing and inventory management, at no extra charge.

Stax Pay Software Suite

Stax accounts come with the Stax Pay integrated payments platform, which consolidates all of your transaction data and offers various additional features. Here’s an overview of Stax’s customer database, invoicing, inventory, and reporting capabilities:

• Customer Database

The customer database allows you to track essential information, such as preferred payment methods, purchase histories, billed invoices, and other relevant details. It also lets you store customer card information on file, so you don’t have to request their card details each time they make a purchase.

• Inventory Management

Stax’s inventory system is quite functional, although it may not compete with a full-featured POS. Nonetheless, it’s a useful tool for users of invoicing, website payments, the virtual terminal, or the mobile app. While it lacks barcode and SKU support, the inventory tracking and centralized catalog remain valuable. Key inventory features include:

• Marking items as services
• Alerts for low-stocks
• Setting up discounts
• Managing tax rates
• Categorizing items
• Attaching image files
• Reporting

Previously, reporting features were fairly basic at the entry-level subscription and became more advanced with higher-tier plans. However, the complete reporting package now seems to be included from the beginning. Along with your financial data, you’ll have access to reports on item sales, item categories, projected inventory, and the ability to view data across multiple sales channels.

• Invoicing

Invoices can be sent directly from the mobile app or virtual terminal, and the invoicing feature integrates with your customer database and item catalog to automatically populate key information. You can also set up recurring invoices and view your scheduled ones easily. While it may not be as feature-rich as PayPal or Square, Stax provides the basic functionality needed. However, if you require advanced features like mandatory down payments, installment plans, or other specialized billing options, a dedicated recurring billing service may be more suitable.

• Centralized Online Portal

When you log into the Stax Pay platform, you’ll have access to all the details related to the Stax services you’re using. The Stax Pay portal is generally user-friendly and intuitive, though Stax also provides a straightforward tutorial to help guide you. While the tutorial could benefit from additional detail for users who may be hesitant to explore the dashboard, most Stax customers appear to navigate the platform without difficulty.

While Stax’s integrated, all-in-one payment processing platform has its imperfections, it performs well overall. The centralized system is effective, though it may not be as robust as using dedicated software for each individual function. In addition, Stax provides other payment solutions, such as Stax Bill for subscription billing, Stax Connect for SaaS companies, and CardX by Stax for businesses interested in implementing credit card surcharging.

Plans and Pricing

Although not explicitly stated on the website, Stax’s monthly subscription fee typically increases by around $100/month for every additional $500K in annual processing volume. For instance, merchants processing between $500K and $1M annually are usually quoted a monthly fee of $299. The monthly fee you pay for Stax depends on your processing volume. Below are the plan tiers published on their website:

PLAN	BEST FOR	PRICE
Process up to $12,500/month or up to $150K/year	Low-volume sellers	$99/month
Process up to $20,833/month  or $150K-$250K/year	Mid-volume sellers	$139/month
Process up to $41,667/month or $250K-$500K/year	Medium to high-volume sellers	$199/month
Process more than $41,667/month or over $500K/year	High-volume sellers	Custom pricing

Monthly subscription fees generally cover nearly all costs beyond payment processing, meaning you won’t be charged for batch fees, gateway fees, monthly minimum, early termination fee (ETF), and PCI compliance fee. However, some merchant complaints suggest that certain fees, like those mentioned above, are being charged in addition to the monthly subscription. If you decide to sign up with Stax, it’s important to confirm with the company exactly which additional fees you will be responsible for.

Transaction Fees

There are also per-transaction fees to consider. Unfortunately, Stax no longer lists its per-transaction rates on its Pricing page and instead mentions that you’ll pay 0% markup on direct-cost interchange. While there is no traditional markup, it is included in the form of the monthly fee. Swiped, dipped, or tapped transactions are charged $0.08 plus the interchange fee per transaction, while keyed-in transactions are billed at $0.15 plus the interchange fee per transaction.

These transaction fees are competitive, but when you factor in the monthly subscription, Stax may not be the most cost-effective option for low-volume businesses seeking an all-in-one payment platform. Without the high processing volume that can help reduce costs, the monthly fees contribute significantly to the overall markup. If you’re processing less than $10,000 per month (or close to that amount), you may find it more economical to choose another platform with more affordable pricing for various payment channels.

Other Fees

According to Stax representatives, the following miscellaneous fees may apply (note that these are not regular or monthly fees):

• Chargeback Fee: $25
• Retrieval Fee: $25
• NSF Fee (Non-Sufficient Funds): $15

Contract Terms

All Stax accounts are billed on a month-to-month basis with no early termination fee. If you decide to close your account, you just need to give 30 days’ notice. This flexible approach is exactly what we recommend when choosing a payment processor. Be sure to carefully review your entire merchant agreement before signing up.

Customer Support

Stax’s comprehensive knowledge base minimizes the need for direct support, and the inclusion of a functional search bar makes finding information easier. If you do need to contact customer support, Stax provides free 24/7 technical assistance through an email ticketing system. You can also call Stax for direct support when necessary.

Conclusion

Stax’s membership pricing model is straightforward, which is a benefit for merchants, and we appreciate that the company now provides the same set of standard features to all new users, regardless of their subscription level. However, we’ve noticed that the company isn’t entirely transparent about its pricing.

For low-volume merchants, particularly those with smaller ticket values, Stax may not offer the best value. Merchants processing less than $10,000 per month will likely save money by opting for a payment service provider (PSP). However, for merchants consistently processing higher volumes—especially those who utilize Stax’s robust feature set—the platform’s pricing is likely a good fit.

The overall value of Stax’s platform—encompassing eCommerce tools, centralized invoicing, data analytics, inventory management, and other features—makes it an attractive option for midsize and larger businesses. This is especially true when considering the stability and benefits provided by a full-service merchant account.