“Clover locked me into a three-year contract” is one of the most common complaints online, and it is almost never Clover that did it. Clover’s own terms are short. The long ones come from the reseller channel. This page separates the two, explains how cancellation works, and lists what to check before signing.
What clover.com requires
| Item | clover.com terms, September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Software | Month to month; change or cancel plan any time |
| Processing | No long-term contract; published rates |
| Hardware, paid outright | Yours; no term |
| Hardware, 36-month plan | Term commitment; early termination fee if cancelled early |
| Setup, PCI, annual fees | Not charged on standard direct pricing |
That is the whole list. A merchant buying direct can leave at any time, subject only to paying off a hardware plan.
What resellers add
Dealers set their own processing agreements. The common additions:
| Item | Typical reseller terms | Ours |
|---|---|---|
| Processing term | 36 months, auto-renewing for 12 to 36 months unless cancelled in a 30-day window | Month to month |
| Early termination fee | $295 to $595, sometimes plus remaining monthly minimums as liquidated damages | None |
| Hardware | 48-month non-cancellable lease through a third-party leasing company, or a placement program | Placement for qualifying merchants, or purchase; never a lease |
| Monthly fees | Statement, PCI, annual, batch, gateway, regulatory | Fee schedule on one page; no PCI or annual junk fees |
| Rate changes | Permitted with notice on the statement | Rate committed in writing |
None of this is Clover’s doing and none of it is illegal. It is why reading the agreement matters more than reading the rate.
Leases specifically
An equipment lease is a contract with a leasing company, separate from the processing agreement, often non-cancellable for 48 months, and frequently sold as “free equipment.” A Mini that lists at $849 costs $2,900 to $4,300 over such a lease, and the merchant does not own it at the end. The lease survives cancelling the processing. If a proposal includes a lease, decline it; ask for placement or purchase instead. The difference between a placement and a lease is on Clover reseller vs direct.
How to cancel
- Find the agreement. The processing agreement names the provider, the term, the notice window and the ETF. If you cannot find it, the provider’s name is on your statement.
- Export your data. Menu, inventory, customers, employees and reports from the dashboard. Do this before anything is deactivated.
- Give notice in writing per the agreement’s clause. Keep a copy.
- Return placed or leased hardware per the provider’s instructions; get a receipt. Purchased hardware is yours, and whether it works with a new provider depends on the processor; see used Clover and reprogramming.
- Check the final statement for ETF, remaining minimums and equipment charges. Dispute anything not in the agreement.
- Watch for the lease. If a lease exists, it continues until paid; negotiate a buyout.
Clover support cannot cancel a merchant account; the provider that boarded it does.
Before you sign, anywhere
- Contract term and renewal clause, in months.
- Early termination fee, in dollars, and any liquidated damages formula.
- Hardware: purchased, placed or leased. If leased, the leasing company and the total of all payments.
- The full fee schedule: monthly, annual, PCI, statement, batch, gateway, minimum.
- The pricing model and whether the rate can change.
- Who owns your data and how you export it.
If it is not on one page, ask for it on one page. That is our standard and it should be the minimum for anyone selling Clover.