Contractors don't process payments — they collect project money. A few large invoices a month, deposits up front, progress draws, a final holdback. Put a percentage fee on that structure and the numbers get serious fast: at 3.1% + $0.30 — the published Stripe Canada rate inside Tradify, the trade job-management app — a $10,000 bathroom invoice costs about $310 in fees. The question isn't which processor has the prettiest app; it's which rail each job size belongs on.
The job-size ladder: what cards cost at $500, $5,000, and $50,000
Card rail: 3.10% + $0.30 per invoice (Stripe Canada via Tradify, published). Bank-transfer rail: 0.50% + $0.25, capped at $6 per transfer up to $25,000 (Helcim's published ACH/EFT pricing — a Canadian-available benchmark for the bank-transfer alternative).
| Job | Card cost | Bank-transfer cost | You keep by steering |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 service call | $15.80 | $2.75 | $13.05 |
| $5,000 reno stage | $155.30 | $6.00 (cap) | $149.30 |
| $50,000 addition | $1,550.30 | $6.00 (cap) | $1,544.30 |
The pattern is brutal and simple: the card fee scales with the invoice, the bank-transfer fee hits its cap and stops. Past about $1,200, the cap makes the comparison a rout.
Decision framework: which payment method for which job
- Under ~$1,000: cards are fine. The dollar gap is small and customers expect to tap. Use a mobile reader at the jobsite (Square Canada: 2.50% in-person, checked 2026-10-11).
- $1,000–$5,000: offer both, default to transfer. Put the bank-transfer option first on the invoice with cards as the backup — most clients switch willingly when the choice is presented at contract signing, not at invoice time.
- Over $5,000: bank transfer, always. The card fee at this size buys real equipment. Keep cards only for the deposit if the client insists.
- Deposits: a card deposit is worth the fee — it commits the client and funds materials. Price the fee into the deposit, don't absorb it silently.
- Recurring maintenance plans: pre-authorized debit beats cards — no expiry, no 3% on every visit.
Field payments: mobile readers and Tap to Pay
For the small-job end, a phone-based reader keeps the fee at in-person rates instead of keyed-in rates — the difference between 2.50% and 3%+ on every service call. Square's Canadian reader runs about $69 one-time with no monthly fee; the reader pays for itself the first time it converts a keyed phone payment into a tapped one.
Deposits, progress payments, and Canadian surcharge rules
If you'd rather keep cards and pass the cost on, Canada allows surcharging within a 2.4% cap — with 30 days' notice to the card brand and your acquirer, signage at every payment point, and no surcharges on debit. It's barred in Quebec. For contractors, the cleaner play is usually dual presentation (transfer price vs card price) rather than a formal surcharge program, which carries the notice and disclosure overhead for every job.
What trades say: real merchant reviews
Merchant Maverick's Helcim review aggregates Trustpilot (~4.2–4.3/5) and G2 (~4.2/5): merchants praise transparent interchange-plus pricing and responsive, knowledgeable support, while complaints cluster on higher-than-expected effective rates at small volumes and occasional POS app instability (merchantmaverick.com/reviews/helcim-review). Square's review picture: users consistently praise ease of setup and use, with recurring complaints about hard-to-reach live support and fees biting harder as volume grows (nasdaq.com/articles/square-review).
A note on steps: this is a decision guide, not a repair procedure — the numbered framework above is the actionable part.
FAQ
Should I take credit cards for a $20,000 renovation?
Only if the client insists — at 3.1% that's ~$620 in fees versus ~$6 by bank transfer. Offer the transfer first; keep the card option as the backup so you never lose the job over payment method.
Can I surcharge a contractor deposit in Canada?
Yes, within the 2.4% cap, with 30 days' notice to the brand and acquirer and proper signage — except in Quebec, where surcharging is prohibited.
What's cheapest for monthly maintenance-plan billing?
Pre-authorized debit through a Canadian PAD provider — flat cents per withdrawal, no percentage, and no card-expiry churn.