Moneris and Global Payments are the two names on most Canadian shortlists, and most comparisons of them say the same unhelpful thing: "no price information available." That's only half true. Moneris publishes flat-rate starting prices on its own site — 2.65% + $0.10 for in-person credit, $0.12 flat for Interac debit — while Global Payments keeps its pricing behind the quote wall. This guide starts from what's published, marks what's not, and gives you the question set that fills the blanks.
The two giants, in one paragraph
Moneris is the Canadian incumbent: a joint venture of RBC and BMO founded in 2000, Canada-based, with 24/7 support in English and French. Global Payments is the American scale player, founded in 1967, operating worldwide with deep ISO and partner channels in Canada. Both offer APIs, POS integrations, gateways, and omnichannel platforms. The difference that matters to a small business isn't features — it's how each one prices and contracts.
What Moneris publishes (and what it doesn't)
From Moneris's own retail page, checked October 2026 (all fees exclude taxes; additional fees may apply):
| Item | Published figure |
|---|---|
| Flat Rate: in-person credit | From 2.65% + $0.10 per transaction |
| Flat Rate: in-person Interac debit | $0.12 flat per transaction |
| Simplified Pricing | Interchange + card network fees + a Moneris transaction fee (their name for interchange-plus) |
| Go Terminal | $34.95/month |
| Tap to Pay on iPhone / Android | From $0/month (uses your own phone) |
What Moneris doesn't publish: the actual markup figure inside Simplified Pricing, monthly account and statement fees, or contract and termination terms — those come in the quote. A 2026 Moneris merchant rate sheet shows the shape of the extras: monthly account service fees, card-present and card-not-present monthly fees, and gateway fees, all before the per-transaction math.
What Global Payments publishes (and what it doesn't)
Global Payments publishes no list rates — third-party comparisons uniformly show "no price information available," and pricing flows through quotes and ISO partners. That isn't necessarily a red flag; it's the traditional acquirer model. But it means every Global Payments number you see is a negotiated quote, and the only figures that matter are the ones in writing: the markup over interchange, every monthly fee, and the contract terms.
The asymmetry, priced: Moneris's published floor lets you sanity-check any quote — if a Moneris rep quotes above 2.65% + $0.10 flat-rate for in-person credit, you know exactly how much room exists. With Global Payments there's no floor to check against, so the discipline shifts to getting two competing quotes and comparing effective rates from real statements, not headline percentages.
The questions that reveal the real price
- What is the exact markup over interchange? Get the percentage and per-transaction fee in writing — not "competitive rates."
- List every monthly fee. Account fee, statement fee, PCI fee, gateway fee, minimums. Ask: "What do I pay in a month where I process nothing?"
- Contract length and termination fee — in writing. Read the termination clause before the rate table; the cheapest quote is no bargain with a $500 exit fee.
- Equipment: buy, lease, or bring your own? Get the buyout price, the lease total over its full term, and what happens to the terminal if you leave.
- Who supports me at 9pm on a Saturday? Moneris advertises Canada-based 24/7 bilingual support; verify the equivalent wherever you sign.
Who fits whom
| Merchant profile | Lean |
|---|---|
| Wants published starting rates to benchmark quotes | Moneris — the floor is on the record |
| Values a Canadian support operation in both official languages | Moneris |
| Needs a global footprint or US expansion later | Global Payments — scale is the pitch |
| Comfortable negotiating and comparing competing quotes | Either — but Global Payments demands it |
| Wants the simplest possible sign-up | Neither is the simplicity pick — that's the flat-rate fintechs' lane |
A note on steps: this is a comparison guide, not a setup procedure — the question checklist above is the actionable part.
FAQ
Does Moneris have a contract?
Moneris doesn't publish its standard contract length or termination terms — those arrive with the quote. Ask for both in writing before signing, and price the exit fee into your first-year cost.
Why doesn't Global Payments publish prices?
It's the traditional acquirer model: pricing is set per merchant through quotes and ISO partners rather than a public rate card. Treat every Global Payments figure as negotiable and get competing quotes.
Which is cheaper, Moneris or Global Payments?
There's no public answer — Global Payments has no published rates to compare against Moneris's floor. The honest method: get written quotes from both, compute the effective rate (all fees divided by volume) on each, and compare those.