Big tickets shouldn't mean big fees

Yes, Helcim offers payment tools and features for automotive shops such as free POS software, inventory management, customer management, invoicing, recurring payments, and virtual terminal. Automotive shops can use Helcim portable payment terminals like the Helcim Smart Terminal and Helcim Card Reader to accept payments at the counter, on the go, on the road, or in the bay. After providing services, automotive shops can use Helcim Invoicing to send out invoices, estimates, and quotes via text or email. Auto shops can also use the Helcim Virtual Terminal to collect keyed payments over the phone, process recurring payments using saved payment details, or process overdue invoices.

With Helcim, auto shops can take a deposit before ordering parts, set up pre-authorized funds before starting the projects, bill in milestones on longer jobs, and collect the balance in person or by link.

Automotive shops usually choose Helcim for affordable payment processing fees, automatic volume discounts, free-to-access payment tools, and Level 2/3 credit card optimization. Helcim passes exactly what banks and payment networks charge to auto shops, plus a transparent margin on top, so auto shops can access affordable processing costs.

Automotive invoice values vary based on different jobs and seasons. With Helcim, auto shops automatically receive pricing discounts (up to 70%) as their sales increase, without negotiating. Helcim volume discounts ensure that auto shops can keep more profit as they grow or get more jobs during busy seasons.

Helcim Level 2/3 optimization lowers an auto shop’s payment processing fees when customers pay using business and corporate cards. In addition, Helcim ACH bank transfers are capped at $6 for transactions below $25,000, which matters for auto service invoices. There is no monthly fee, no PCI fee, and no contract, and the Helcim Payment Extension can connect Helcim merchant services to different shop management and accounting software.

Yes, Helcim is suitable for automotive shops with high processing volumes because of Helcim’s interchange-plus pricing and automatic volume discounts. Helcim's margin falls across five volume tiers as monthly card volume grows, from interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ at the entry tier down to interchange + 0.15% + 6¢, a reduction of up to 70%, and it happens automatically without a phone call or renegotiation. Unlike with other payment processors, automotive businesses don’t have to commit to any minimum processing volume to get Helcim fee discounts.

Helcim Level 2/3 interchange optimization helps auto shops lower credit card processing fees to as low as 1.45% for qualified transactions when commercial customers pay using business or corporate credit cards.

Yes, businesses can connect Helcim to different automotive shop management software solutions like ARI, AutoLeap, and AutoRepair Cloud using the Helcim Payment Extension. The Helcim Payment Extension is a no-code Chrome extension that auto shops can use to process payments with Helcim’s affordable rates without leaving the software.

Helcim is one of the lowest-cost payment processors for automotive businesses. While other payment processors charge expensive flat fees for credit cards, Helcim passes through the interchange cost charged by banks and payment networks to the merchants. Also, Helcim’s margin falls automatically as auto shops process more payments. Additionally, Helcim ACH/EFT transfers only cost 0.5% + 25¢ (capped at $6 for transactions below $25,000), providing auto shops another option to reduce payment processing fees. Finally, there are no monthly fees, PCI fees, setup fees, statement fees, or cancellation fees, so automotive businesses don’t have to pay anything extra.

Automotive businesses can lower payment processing fees by encouraging clients to pay by debit card in person or via ACH/EFT payments online.

Helcim charges 1.00% + 8¢ (or less depending on volume) for U.S. PIN-debit transactions, and 7¢ to 9¢ for Canadian Interac debit transactions. In contrast, some payment processors charge the same credit card fees for debit card transactions, so auto shop owners should check pricing carefully when choosing processors.

In addition, businesses can also use Helcim Fee Saver to pass credit card processing fees to customers when they choose to pay with credit cards.

Helcim interchange-plus rates fluctuate with every transaction. On average, automotive shops pay from 1.96% + 15¢ to 2.31% + 25¢ per online non-Amex transaction, and from 1.54% + 6¢ to 1.79% + 8¢ per in-person non-Amex transaction, depending on processing volume.

For American Express transactions, on average, automotive shops pay from 2.34% + 6¢ to 2.59% + 8¢ per online Amex transaction, and from 2.64% + 15¢ to 2.99% + 25¢ per in-person Amex transaction, depending on processing volume.