My tickets are large. Does interchange-plus actually beat flat-rate at my size?

Yes, and the gap is widest in absolute dollar terms at large tickets. Flat-rate processors charge a fixed percentage on every transaction regardless of underlying interchange cost. The actual interchange on a typical swiped credit transaction is roughly 1.65 to 1.75 percent in Canada; on Interac debit it is 5 cents flat. The gap between actual cost and Square Canada's 2.5% on credit widens proportionally as the ticket gets bigger. On a $50 transaction the gap is small. On a $5,000 transaction the gap is a meaningful share of every job.

What about fleet cards (WEX, Voyager, ARI)?

Fleet cards route through specialized networks with their own interchange schedules. We pass fleet interchange through at the network's published cost plus our 0.30% margin. We disclose fleet card processing terms on the application. If your shop runs heavy fleet volume, the application includes a separate fleet-card section so we can quote the actual blended cost across your transaction types.

Will I have to change my shop-management system?

In most cases, no. Canadian shop-management platforms generally support processor integration through standard APIs or terminal connections. Tekmetric, Shop-Ware, Protractor, and Mitchell 1's Shop Management integrate with multiple processors. Some integrated processing partnerships have exclusivity clauses; in those cases, the answer depends on contract terms. We check compatibility on the application.

What about insurance-paid collision work? That arrives as keyed payment from the insurer.

Insurance-paid transactions are typically card-not-present (CNP) and run through our keyed and online rate (0.40% plus interchange). Insurance billing often arrives in batches; we process and settle to your account on standard next-business-day terms. We have collision shops in our merchant base; their workflow runs on Payzium without modification.

How fast can I switch?

It depends on your shop-management software and your card-volume profile. Open-integration shop-management systems plug in directly. Heavy fleet-card or insurance-billing setups need additional verification time. We confirm the path with you before you sign.

What is "Pay less or it's free"?

Your first 90 days on Payzium have to cost you less than your old processor did. We compare your effective rate on Payzium against your most recent prior-processor statement, like for like, normalized if your volume or card mix shifts so the comparison stays honest. If you do not pay less, we refund every Payzium fee you paid in those 90 days and put up to CA$1,000 (Canadian merchants) or US$1,000 (US merchants) toward moving you to another processor. You keep any savings either way. Full terms on /pay-less.

Auto repair

Big tickets make every basis point visible. You watch the terminal swipe and you know what you just paid.

Our base rate is 0.30% on swiped cards, 0.40% on keyed and online, plus the actual interchange, plus a $5 monthly account fee. On a typical 4-bay shop processing $60,000 a month, roughly $5,200 a year less than Square Canada. Every year. In writing.

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0.30% + interchange, in writing
Pay less or it's free
Honest Rate Promise: 2x junk fee refund
No junk fees

What you pay

A shop on Payzium at typical volumes.

$290/mo
$25,000 monthly volume. About $2,250 a year less than Square Canada.
$689/mo
$60,000 monthly volume. About $5,484 a year less than Square Canada.
$1,337/mo
$120,000 monthly volume. About $11,459 a year less than Square Canada.
$3,335/mo
$300,000 monthly volume. About $28,738 a year less than Square Canada.

Math is for 25% Interac, 15% Visa and Mastercard debit, 55% credit, 5% fleet cards, at $550 average ticket, 90% card-present. The calculator runs it on your numbers, including fleet card splits if you have them.

Common patterns

Four cost mechanisms every independent auto shop pays for.

01
Large-ticket markup amplification
Square Canada charges 2.5% on swiped credit transactions regardless of ticket size. On a $50 oil change, that is $1.25 in processing. On a $1,500 brake job, it is $37.50. On a $4,000 collision repair, it is $100. The percentage is constant; the dollars scale with the ticket. Our base rate is 0.30% plus the actual credit interchange (typically 1.65% on swiped Visa and Mastercard credit). On the same $4,000 repair, our total cost is roughly $78. The dollar gap is about $22 per ticket on credit transactions at typical card-present interchange. Across 2,000 transactions a year at a $550 average ticket, the gap on credit volume alone is meaningful and stacks across every job.
02
Interac is dramatically cheaper than flat-rate (and most shops do not capture that)
Interac runs as a separate domestic debit network in Canada at flat per-transaction fees, typically 5 cents through Payzium. On a $550 Interac transaction, the total cost is roughly 10 cents (5 cents Interac at cost plus the 5 cents per-tx fee). On Square Canada at 0.75% + 7 cents on Interac in person, the same transaction costs $4.20. The gap is about $4.10 per transaction on Interac, and Interac is 20 to 30 percent of typical auto-shop card volume. Many shops on flat-rate processing are paying Interac-priced rates on every debit transaction they accept, and the Interac slice is where the largest single dollar savings live in this vertical.
03
Fleet card processing premiums
Fleet cards (WEX, Voyager, ARI, Element, and other fleet management programs) route through specialized payment networks with their own interchange schedules. Most processors charge a premium surcharge on fleet card volume, often 30 to 80 basis points above standard credit interchange, sometimes more. The surcharge is rarely disclosed at signup. Fleet-heavy shops can be paying 4 to 6 percent effective rates on fleet card volume without realizing the fleet line is separately marked up. We disclose fleet card processing terms on the application and pass fleet interchange through at the network's published cost plus our 0.30% margin.
04
Monthly minimums and statement fees on lower-volume shops
Most processor contracts include a monthly minimum fee, typically $25 to $50. Plus a monthly statement fee, $10 to $20. Plus a PCI compliance fee or non-compliance penalty, $99 to $199 quarterly. A solo-bay shop doing $20K a month in card volume can pay $60 to $80 a month in flat fees against $250 to $400 in processing fees, an effective rate inflation of 15 to 30 percent on top of whatever rate was quoted. We do not charge monthly minimums, statement fees, or non-compliance penalties. The scam-fee list is published on /honest-rate-promise.

What changes

Three shops. Three switches.

Mississauga, ON
General auto repair, 4 bays
$75,000 per month, 55% credit
On Square Canada at roughly 1.91%. Paying $1,433 per month on processing.
On Payzium at 0.30% plus interchange. Paying $794 per month.
$7,658
Lower annually
Edmonton, AB
Collision and body work
$180,000 per month, heavy insurance-paid
On Square Canada at roughly 1.91%. Paying $3,438 per month on processing.
On Payzium at 0.30% plus interchange. Paying $1,845 per month.
$19,112
Lower annually
Halifax, NS
Tire shop with seasonal spike
$45,000 average per month, 35% Interac
On Square Canada at roughly 1.91%. Paying $860 per month on processing.
On Payzium at 0.30% plus interchange. Paying $479 per month.
$4,571
Lower annually

Illustrative composite. Numbers reflect Payzium's published rates and typical shops card mix at the stated volumes. Not a real customer case.

Open account

Apply online in minutes. No sales call, no commissioned rep.

Step 1
Tell us about your auto repair
Business name, role, monthly volume, your POS.
Step 2
Connect your bank
Plaid or manual.
Step 3
Sign and go live
Sign and go live. Most auto shops run on standalone terminals or shop-management systems with open processor integration (Mitchell 1, ALLDATA, Shop-Ware, Tekmetric, Protractor). If your shop-management system supports standard processor switching (most do), we plug in directly. Heavy fleet-card volume or specialty insurance-paid setups may need additional time while we verify the fleet network and insurance settlement paths.

Open free account

No phone calls. No quote forms. Rates are on /pricing.

FAQ

Big tickets make every basis point visible. You watch the terminal swipe and you know what you just paid.

A shop on Payzium at typical volumes.

Four cost mechanisms every independent auto shop pays for.

Large-ticket markup amplification

Interac is dramatically cheaper than flat-rate (and most shops do not capture that)

Fleet card processing premiums

Monthly minimums and statement fees on lower-volume shops

Three shops. Three switches.

Apply online in minutes. No sales call, no commissioned rep.

Tell us about your auto repair

Connect your bank

Sign and go live

Frequently asked questions

Related verticals.