BeltStack

Stax Review (2026)

4.3BeltStack ratingBest for: Steady card volume that can amortize a membership-style feeStarting price: From $99/mo + interchange + ¢/txn
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Published rates and features vary by country, plan, and risk profile. Export a recent processing statement and confirm contract terms with the vendor before switching.

Quick verdict

Our take in a nutshell.

Membership pricing changes finance planning: some months the platform fee feels cheap, others expensive if truck rolls dip.

Pair with rigorous job costing so you know true margin after processing—not only labor and materials.

Stax is a finance decision: divide the monthly platform fee by expected card volume to get a breakeven basis-point equivalent, then add interchange. If that total beats your current effective rate for twelve months straight, membership logic holds.

Seasonal trades should stress-test January and February explicitly—what feels efficient in July can feel punitive in a slow winter.

Rating breakdown

How we scored this product.

  • Features

    4.2

    Solid SMB processing and reporting for operators who want fewer ad-hoc vendors—not the deepest developer surface.

  • Pricing

    4.0

    Membership plus interchange can flatten costs at volume but punishes low months if you do not model seasonality.

  • Ease of Use

    4.2

    Dashboards work for engaged owners; still expect some learning curve versus a single flat-rate app.

  • Support

    4.1

    Experiences vary—keep written quotes, fee schedules, and implementation emails for renewals.

  • Contractor fit

    4.2

    Better for steady multi-truck or multi-location card volume than single-truck businesses with extreme seasonality.

Pros and cons

What we liked and what to watch for.

Pros

  • Predictable monthly platform component
  • Can flatten economics at volume
  • Useful for multi-location standardization

Cons

  • Slow-season risk on membership fees
  • Needs quarterly repricing reviews
  • Not a silver bullet for disputes

Who this software is best for

Ideal users and use cases.

Operators with relatively even monthly card volume across crews or locations.

Who should avoid it

Highly seasonal single-truck businesses without cash reserves—model January before you sign.

Pricing overview

What to expect to pay.

Stax Pay (August 2026): monthly subscription by annual card volume—$99 up to $150k/year, $139 from $150k–$250k, $199+ above $250k—plus interchange at Stax’s stated 0% extra percentage markup, plus $0.08 card-present or $0.15 card-not-present. ACH is 1% capped at $10. That is not free processing: interchange still varies by card. Confirm your quote; custom pricing applies above high volume.

Published cents are $0.08 card-present and $0.15 card-not-present. Hardware is quoted separately; optional terminal protection is $19/month. Stax’s docs say it reviews processing about every six months and can raise the subscription if volume exceeds the approved tier. Chargeback dollar amounts are not listed on the public pricing page—verify the merchant agreement.

Versus Helcim-style interchange-plus without a membership, Stax wins when subscription + interchange + cents undercuts your statement for the whole year, not just busy months. Versus Stripe’s 2.9% + 30¢ (no monthly Payments fee), Stax needs enough steady volume that the subscription amortizes—see Stripe vs Stax.

Starting price: From $99/mo + interchange + ¢/txn

Key features

What stands out.

  • Membership model

    Trade per-transaction stacking for a platform fee when volume supports it.

  • Breakeven math

    Owners should spreadsheet monthly volume × effective rate vs platform fee + interchange—our review cannot substitute for your CFO or bookkeeper.

Integrations

Plays well with your stack.

Validate POS and accounting partners during sales calls, not after go-live—Stax economics assume you will actually consolidate volume, not run a shadow processor for half the crews.

  • Accounting and POS partners—validate during sales

How contractors use this software

Real-world workflows for trade businesses.

  • Standardize processing across branches under one membership line item
  • Review fee fit after peak summer season
  • Set calendar reminders to re-run breakeven math when volume is reviewed (Stax says about every six months)—volume drift can change the subscription tier

Alternatives

Other options we review.

Best Stax alternatives — full comparison, pricing, and who each option suits.

  • Helcim

    Straight interchange-plus

  • Square

    Simple flat field bundle

Compare with other payment processors

Head-to-head pages that include Stax.

Compare payment processing software

Still deciding?

Product-level next steps for evaluating Stax.

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Stax FAQs

Quick answers.