The cheapest EFTPOS machines compared
For a small or low-volume business, the cheapest EFTPOS machine is usually a flat-rate one with no monthly fee. As your volume grows, a negotiated deal beats it — and the only way to know where you sit is to get a quote and do the arithmetic.
What the flat-rate options cost, four business shapes
These are the providers that publish a rate. All of them charge no monthly fee, so the lowest percentage wins at every size — which is exactly why flat rate suits a smaller business.
Market stall — $4,000.00 a month over 400 transactions
| Provider | Monthly cost | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| Zeller | $56.00 | 1.40% |
| Square | $64.00 | 1.60% |
| Stripe | $118.80 | 2.97% |
Cheapest here: Zeller at $56.00 a month — an effective 1.40% of turnover.
Cafe — $18,000.00 a month over 1,800 transactions
| Provider | Monthly cost | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| Zeller | $252.00 | 1.40% |
| Square | $288.00 | 1.60% |
| Stripe | $534.60 | 2.97% |
Cheapest here: Zeller at $252.00 a month — an effective 1.40% of turnover.
Small retail — $35,000.00 a month over 900 transactions
| Provider | Monthly cost | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| Zeller | $490.00 | 1.40% |
| Square | $560.00 | 1.60% |
| Stripe | $753.50 | 2.15% |
Cheapest here: Zeller at $490.00 a month — an effective 1.40% of turnover.
Trades business — $60,000.00 a month over 150 transactions
| Provider | Monthly cost | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| Zeller | $840.00 | 1.40% |
| Square | $960.00 | 1.60% |
| Stripe | $1,138.50 | 1.90% |
Cheapest here: Zeller at $840.00 a month — an effective 1.40% of turnover.
The other half of the market quotes you a rate
Tyro, Shift4 (formerly Smartpay), PayNuts do not publish a transaction rate. It is quoted per business, based on your turnover, your industry and how you negotiate — and it typically comes with a monthly fee attached.
That is not an oversight on our part, it is how that half of the market prices. It also means the comparison above cannot tell you whether they are cheaper for you. Only a quote can.
The crossover: flat rate versus a quoted deal
This is the decision that actually matters, and it is not between two providers on the table above. It is between paying a simple flat rate with no monthly fee, and negotiating a lower rate that comes with one.
A monthly fee is fixed, so its weight shrinks as turnover grows. At $4,000 a month a $19 fee is nearly 0.5% of everything you take. At $60,000 it is 0.03% and effectively irrelevant. Below a certain turnover the flat rate wins; above it, the quoted deal does.
Roughly where that lands. Against Zeller's 1.4% with no monthly fee, a quoted 1.0% on a $19 plan breaks even at about $4,750 a month in card turnover. Below that the flat rate is cheaper; above it, the quote pulls ahead and keeps going.
That 1.0% is an illustration to show the mechanism, not a rate any provider has offered. Your own crossover depends entirely on the rate you are quoted.
Transaction count matters for the same reason in reverse. Flat cents-per-tap fees punish businesses with lots of small sales, which is exactly the businesses least able to absorb them.
So the practical answer: if you are small or your trade is irregular, take the flat rate and no monthly fee. If you are growing, get a quote and check it against your own numbers —the calculator will do the arithmetic once you have a figure to put in.
Transaction count matters for the same reason in reverse. Flat cents-per-tap fees punish businesses with lots of small sales, which is exactly the businesses least able to absorb them.
Put your own turnover in rather than picking the closest scenario above.
Cheaper than switching provider
Before you move, check whether least cost routing is switched on. Sending eligible debit taps down the Eftpos network instead of Visa or Mastercard can cut your card costs without changing provider at all — and a lot of merchants are paying the expensive way without knowing the setting exists. How routing works.