Clover is made by Fiserv. Fiserv sells it direct on clover.com and also through banks, payment processors, independent sales organizations and individual agents. Everyone sells the same devices and the same software. What differs is the processing rate, the contract, the hardware terms and who picks up the phone when the printer stops printing.
We are a dealer. This page is still useful if you decide to buy direct.
What you get buying direct from clover.com
- Hardware at list price, outright or on a 36-month plan. Station Duo $1,899, Station Solo $1,799, Mini $849, Flex $699 to $749, Go $49 as of September 2026.
- Software month to month, $14.95 to $89.95 depending on business type.
- Processing at 2.3% + 10¢ in person on the full plans, 2.6% + 10¢ on Essentials, 3.5% + 10¢ keyed or online. Not negotiable.
- Setup by you. Menu, inventory, taxes, employees, receipt design, all self-serve with online guides and Clover phone support.
- No long-term processing contract. The 36-month hardware plan has an early termination fee, but processing is month to month.
Direct is the right call when volume is small, you are comfortable setting up software, and you would rather have a predictable published rate than a negotiated one.
What a dealer can add
- Free hardware placement. The dealer places Station, Mini or Flex units at no charge for qualifying merchants and recovers the cost from processing margin. The device stays the dealer’s property and goes back if you leave.
- Dual pricing. A card price and a cash price on every sale, so the merchant’s processing cost is $0. Clover.com does not set this up. Details in our dual pricing on Clover guide.
- Interchange-plus pricing. For merchants who do not want dual pricing, a dealer can price at interchange plus a fixed markup, which for most card mixes beats 2.3% + 10¢.
- Done-for-you setup. Menu or inventory import, tax rules, modifiers, employee permissions, printer routing, online ordering, all built before install day.
- A local person. In San Diego and Los Angeles that means someone on site the same day. Elsewhere it means a direct line, not a queue.
Where dealers go wrong
Everything above is why dealers exist. Here is why they have a reputation:
| Trap | What it looks like | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware lease | “Only $69 a month” for a Mini, 48 months, non-cancellable, often through a third-party leasing company | $3,312 for an $849 device, and you still do not own it |
| Multi-year processing contract | 36 months, auto-renews for 12 to 36 more unless cancelled in writing in a 30-day window | $295 to $595 early termination fee, plus liquidated damages on some contracts |
| Teaser rate | “1.69%” on the sales sheet, tiered pricing on the contract | Most transactions downgrade to 2.5% to 3.5% |
| Junk fees | PCI non-compliance, annual, statement, batch, regulatory, “technology” fees | $40 to $150 a month that never appears on the quote |
| Software markup | Dealer charges $129 a month for a $59.95 plan | $830 a year |
None of these are illegal. All of them are avoidable if you ask before signing.
Eight questions to ask any Clover seller
- Is the hardware purchased, placed or leased? If leased, who is the leasing company and what is the total of all payments?
- What is the processing contract length, and what is the early termination fee, in dollars?
- Which pricing model is this: flat, tiered, interchange-plus or dual pricing? Tiered is the answer to walk away from.
- What is the keyed or online rate? It is always higher and often left off the quote.
- List every monthly and annual fee. PCI, statement, batch, annual, gateway, regulatory. If the answer is “none,” get that in writing.
- Can I see a sample merchant statement from a current customer? Any dealer with happy customers has one.
- Who do I call at 7pm on a Friday when the Station will not batch? A name and a number, or a queue?
- If I leave, what happens to the equipment and my data? Exports of menu, inventory and customer lists should be yours.
How we answer those eight
Placement or purchase, never a lease. No long-term processing contract, no early termination fee. Dual pricing or interchange-plus, your choice, both quoted. Keyed rate on the same page as the in-person rate. Fee schedule on one page. Sample statement on request. A cell number, not a queue. Your data is yours.
We are not the right dealer for everyone. Multi-location restaurant groups with IT staff often do better direct or with an enterprise reseller. If that is you, we will say so on the first call.