10 Best B2B Credit Card Processing: Improve Cash Flow in 2024

Finding a reliable payment processing solution as a B2B business can be daunting, especially when confronted with unpredictable billing cycles and high transaction fees that can eat into your profits. These challenges are often compounded by poorly designed payment gateways, which can lack recurring payment solutions and strong e-commerce security.

Signing a contract with the wrong credit card payment processor can drain your financial resources and impede the growth of your business. To reduce the risk, you’ll want a payment processor that offers low online transaction fees, excellent third-party integrations, quick payout times, advanced security features, and business loans.

To help you make an informed decision, I researched dozens of credit card processing services. Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) emerged as the standout option for B2B companies. LMS offers personalized plans to meet your needs, low monthly fees, a chargeback team, and the support of a dedicated account manager. It also offers cash advances for qualifying businesses.

If you’re looking for flexibility and negotiable rates, you can contact LMS for a free quote. Alternatively, continue reading to find other top credit card processors for B2B businesses in 2024.

What We Look For in the Best Payment Processing Services

When investigating the best credit card payment processors, I focused on key features and benefits that are crucial for B2B business owners.

• Low rates and per-transaction fees. To determine the best credit card payment rates for your B2B business, I considered several business types and volumes. As a result, you’ll find well-priced processors suited to high-volume businesses, e-commerce companies, SMEs, and more.
• E-commerce integrations. The credit card processors on my list offer a payment gateway through the trusted Authorize.net service, while some also have proprietary gateways. But not only that, you’ll get e-commerce integrations like CartManager and business integrations like QuickBooks to simplify business management.
• Recurring billing. Every payment processor on this list allows you to set up recurring billing, offering extra tools on top of its built-in features to help you manage clients, invoicing, and bookkeeping for recurring fees and subscriptions. Each of these value-added services are often included for free and are great for e-commerce and SaaS B2B businesses.
• Virtual terminals. The payment processors on this list provide virtual terminals when you open an account, either for free or for a small fee. As a result, you can accommodate all your customer’s payment preferences, including mail order/telephone order (MOTO) payments.
• Progressive security measures. Most of my solutions provide active fraud prevention, tokenization, end-to-end encryption, and are PCI and HIPAA compliant. Because of this, your customer’s financial and medical information stays protected from scammers and your business can avoid fraudulent chargebacks.

1. Leaders Merchant Services: Best for B2B Businesses Looking for Industry-Low Rates

Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) is the best choice for most B2B businesses due to its industry-low rates and negotiable pricing. You’ll find it’s a cost-effective solution that adapts to your business size and sales patterns, allowing you to maximize revenue and cover your expenses for as little as $9.00. During my research, I found that LMS’ pricing model is beneficial for startups or small businesses with varying monthly transaction volumes.

A valuable feature LMS offers is Instant Accept, which allows existing QuickBooks users to access its virtual terminal. This integration provides several useful features for B2B businesses, including the ability to pay pending invoices and set up recurring billing. You’ll also be able to sync data in real time, which automatically updates your QuickBooks accounts and reduces the likelihood of accounting errors.

If your business needs a cash injection, LMS also offers loans to B2B businesses. You don’t have to struggle to meet payback deadlines or put up collateral, as you can pay the loan back through a small commission from your sales. Because of this, LMS is ideal for SMEs that may not have access to the capital high-volume businesses do.

Features and Benefits

• Powerful tools for e-commerce. LMS lets you process e-commerce payments using the Authorize.net payment gateway and CartManager. If you own an online store, LMS can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your business using its analytics software.
• Industry-high approval rate. LMS boasts a 98% approval rate for registered businesses, no matter the type or size. If you’ve had trouble opening a merchant account due to credit, consider LMS. And if you’re thinking of switching processors, you can apply and get approved in less than 24 hours.
• Chargeback protection. LMS protects your sales against card-not-present (CNP) disputes with its dedicated chargeback team, who will guide you through the process.
• Personal account manager. With your success and profitability in mind, LMS assigns you an account manager once you open your merchant account. If you have inquiries, concerns, or technical problems with hardware, they’ll be there to help.

To see if it’s right for your business, read our full LMS review.

2. ProMerchant: Recurring Payment Solutions for High-Risk B2B Businesses 

ProMerchant is particularly well-suited for high-risk B2B businesses that offer subscription-based services. Its integration with Authorize.net allows you to set up and manage recurring payments while giving you access to BigCommerce, Magento, industry-specific integrations like Doubleknot, and API documentation

With ProMerchant, you’ll get access to the Payments Hub virtual terminal for free, enabling you to accept payments via multiple channels, including MOTO. You can also use Payments Hub’s API to add a shopping cart and ”buy now” or “donate now” buttons to your website. This is a great option for you if you’re looking to increase revenue and manage your payments more effectively.

ProMerchant offers two distinct pricing plans to cater to different business needs: a flat fee plan and a zero-cost processing plan designed for retail businesses and restaurants. Its Interchange Plus Fixed Rate is typically $7.95 and you’ll pay a fixed interchange and transaction fee of 3% + 10¢ (credit). What’s more, ProMerchant offers monthly contracts with no cancellation fees.

Features and Benefits

• Free next-day funding. With ProMerchant, you won’t need to take out a loan to improve your business’s cash flow. Notably, you can get next-day funding free of charge, which is rare among credit card processors.
• Online transaction monitoring. ProMerchant actively monitors online transactions, allowing you to set filters and alerts to detect suspicious activity. Plus, it can block transactions from specific IP addresses, a crucial feature for mitigating fraud.
• Returning client management. Through its integration with Authorize.net, you’ll have access to a secure, PCI compliant customer management tool that saves your returning clients’ information for easy and quick checkouts.
• Fast approval. ProMerchant has one of the fastest vetting processes on the market, approving your request in as little as 2 to 24 hours. If your B2B company takes payments online, you can start accepting credit card payments in just 48 hours.

Read our expert ProMerchant review for more details.

3. PAYARC: Accept B2B Payments in Up to 150 Currencies

Unlike other B2B credit card payment processors, PAYARC distinguishes itself through partnerships with international gateways like RS2, TSYS, and Planet Payment. You can accept payments in up to 150 currencies, giving you access to more potential clients. Plus, integrations with WooCommerce and Chargezoom let you calculate taxes and manage recurring payments, saving you time by automating tasks that don’t require human interaction.

You’ll gain access to a comprehensive dashboard with PAYARC, allowing you to use your data to pull reports, issue invoices, and manage your business effectively. This level of access to real-time data can influence the growth and success of your business, making PAYARC one of the best credit card processors for international B2Bs.

While PAYARC provides limited information in regards to pricing, its customer support team maintains transparency. I was able to get some typical prices for its membership plans, with its most competitively priced plan being $69.00 for B2B businesses with a monthly sales volume of up to $25,000. If you’re a startup or SME earning less than $7,000 per month, PAYARC’s flat rate plan is your best option at 2.9% + 30¢ (online) per transaction.

Features and Benefits

• Advanced security. PAYARC prioritizes security in its payment processing, offering Level 1 PCI compliance to ensure the protection of data when storing, transmitting, and processing your customers’ credit card information. Plus, you get tokenization, end-to-end encryption, and active fraud prevention.
• Fast payouts. Standard payout times range from 24-48 hours, but for an additional $20/month, you can get same-day payouts that allow your business to maintain a steady cash flow.
• Free hardware with some plans. The availability of a free PAX A920 terminal depends on your selected plan but if your B2B business has a brick-and-mortar location, you can potentially save hundreds of dollars on quality hardware. Note that if you decide to cancel your PAYARC contract, you’ll have to return it.
• Free demo. To leverage PAYARC and benefit from its features, you can schedule a demo with its support team. Simply submit your email address to get a full walk-through.

See more B2B benefits in our comprehensive PAYARC review.

4. Flagship Merchant Services: Great Choice for Subscription-Based B2B Businesses

Flagship Merchant Services (Flagship) caters to e-commerce B2B businesses by giving your clients an incentive to subscribe to long-term plans. It does this using its gift card and a digital loyalty program, which encourages spending from new and existing clients, differentiates your business from its competition with personalized cards, and tracks buying trends.

In addition to a digital loyalty program, Flagship offers the iAccess Business Management Portal, giving you access to invaluable insights and recommendations based on sales and buying trends. Plus, it analyzes your visitor activity, market performance, and competitor behavior to determine how you can establish an advantage and continue to grow your business.

With Flagship, you get access to Authorize.net for just $7.95 – a large discount over Authorize.net’s $25/month fee. However, you should also factor in that Flagship does have additional fees for ACH transactions, PCI compliance, and PCI non-compliance, which can add up in the long run.

Features and Benefits

• SME cash advance. If you need more capital to invest in your B2B, Flagship offers a business loan of up to $150,000. This benefit can be instrumental to the operation and growth of your business.
• E-commerce apps. Flagship is a certified Clover reseller, which gives you access to over 100 business apps in categories such as employee management, gift cards, memberships, and order and delivery. This allows you to streamline your business operations without having to purchase additional software, though you will have to pay a monthly software fee.
• “Meet or beat” guarantee. If Flagship cannot match or undercut your current processing rates, you’ll get a $200 AMEX gift card. To find out if it can beat your current rates, you can contact Flagship’s customer support for a free quote.
• Mobile optimized checkout pages. Thanks to Authorize.net’s advanced SDK, your checkout pages are automatically mobile responsive to give your clients the best user experience across devices.

For more B2B features, read our expert Flagship review.

5. CreditCardProcessing.com: Advanced Security and Insurance Protection for B2B Businesses

Not only is CreditCardProcessing.com (CCP.com) Level 1 PCI compliant, but as a merchant you’ll also benefit from its $100,000 data breach insurance, end-to-end encryption, tokenization, advanced fraud detection and prevention, and payer verification. On top of this, you’ll get 4 fraud prevention and detection filters through Authorize.net that focus on velocity and IP filtering, AVS, and CVV checks to minimize fraudulent activity.

Besides advanced security and data breach insurance, CCP.com gives you access to Vindicia, a subscription management solution that optimizes your recurring and subscription billing. Vindicia leverages upselling opportunities that allow you to acquire new clients and retain existing ones. You’ll also get Vindicia Retain, which resolves up to 30% of failed transactions using algorithms to analyze and rectify problems like expired credit cards.

CCP.com offers customized pricing plans, including four subscription plans that are well-suited to large volume, low transaction B2B businesses. Starting at $15.00, CCP.com’s flat-rate plans are more affordable than processors like Stax, and the more you pay per month, the lower the interchange-plus fee per transaction. However, you’ll find that its pricing models are slightly more expensive than my other top picks and can be too complex for B2B startups.

Features and Benefits

• Round-the-clock technical support. While its sales support is available Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST, CCP.com’s technical support team is accessible 24/7 via phone and email.
• Dedicated account manager. If you sign up for its high-volume subscription plan, you’ll get a personal account manager to provide personalized support tailored to your B2B business’s needs.
• Complementary training. If you’re a startup, CCP.com offers free training for both its POS terminals and e-commerce solutions. This will save you time and equip you with the knowledge to troubleshoot problems and make the most of CCP.com’s features.
• Additional payment methods. If your clients prefer a different payment method to credit, you can also accept e-Checks through Authorize.net’s payment gateway. You’ll be able to manage recurring billing as usual while offering your clients an alternative way to pay.

Read our full CCP.com review for more on pricing.

6. Stax: An All-in-One Payment Processor for Large SaaS Businesses

Stax is particularly beneficial for high-volume US-based B2B businesses. With its proprietary Stax Connect solution, you can create and send customizable invoices, schedule recurring SaaS payments, set payment reminders, split payments, and share payment links. Despite not including all its features for free, Stax excels at streamlining the whole payment process.

Stax also offers superb built-in e-commerce integrations. Popular e-commerce platforms like BigCommerce and Magento are easy to connect and manage, allowing you to brand your website from home page to shopping cart and checkout page. If you choose to use Stax’s advanced API, you’ll need to be tech-savvy to integrate it into your website.

Stax automatically qualifies CNP payments for Level 2 processing and gives you access to one of the lowest interchange rates for B2B transactions. Plus, Stax’s software fees are included in its monthly subscription, meaning you can benefit from its features for as little as $99.00. However, Stax isn’t cheap and startups or low-volume businesses would benefit more from flexible pricing models offered by Leaders Merchant Services or PAYARC.

Features and Benefits

• Data and analytics. With Stax, you can manage client refunds and track payment history, as well as monitor payment trends and access sales data. This enables you to manage customer records and make informed decisions about your business and track sales-related commissions and promotions.
• Stax API. Stax’s API allows you to integrate payment processing into your website or app through its secure Stax.js script. You can also use its API to connect to the platforms you use the most, including MailChimp, Zapier, and CRMs.
• A variety of business apps. If you’re not technically inclined, Stax makes it easy for you to sync with top business tools without using code. You can connect to Monday.com, Slack, Shift4Shop, Xero, and Salesforce, just to name a few.
• QuickBooks 2-Way Sync. This feature can effortlessly sync your unpaid invoices, payments, and catalog items to give you an up-to-date financial view of your B2B business.

Take a look at our expert Stax review for more information.

Other Notable B2B Credit Card Processors

7. Chase Payment Solutions

Chase Payment Solutions (Chase) is ideal for SMEs due to its straightforward flat-rate pricing model. With no hidden fees and a flat rate fee of 2.9% + 25¢, Chase is a good option for B2B businesses focused on cost control. Chase also offers same-day funding, but you’ll need to open a Chase Business Complete Banking account, which incurs a $15/month fee if you don’t meet specific criteria.

Chase also offers specialized payment software, including tools like FuseBill for subscription management, BuilderTrend for construction project management, PayRent for property management rent collection, and EventZilla for event management. It also has a partnership with BigCommerce to support new and small e-commerce B2B businesses.

8. POS Pros

POS Pros provides a robust selection of POS solutions but it also offers a pretty decent e-commerce suite. This includes a shopping cart through Authorize.net and integrations with Shopify and FreshBooks. If your B2B business has sales agents in the field, you can also use Authorize.net’s free mobile app to accept payments on the go.

On top of this, POS Pros will give you $500 if it can’t beat your current processing rates. This makes POS Pros a good option for B2B businesses looking to switch payment processors as you’ll either save on your processing rates or receive a generous incentive without paying more per month. However, determining pricing can be challenging so I recommend contacting POS Pros for a quote.

9. Square Payments

Square Payments is a decent choice for new B2B businesses needing quick access to funding. It enables you to start selling in just two minutes without a lengthy vetting process, and its small business checking account grants immediate access to your earnings. Having researched dozens of credit card processors, I find this feature invaluable for startups attempting to maintain a positive cash flow and support business transactions.

While it’s transparent with its fees, Square does impose higher-than-average transaction fees, especially when compared to other processors like Leaders Merchant Services. Plus, I found that Square offers better rates for brick-and-mortar retail businesses, meaning your costs could be substantially higher if you’re an e-commerce business.

10. Helcim

Helcim offers a unique advantage for B2B e-commerce businesses by offering a free store builder and web hosting. This combination is ideal if you’re looking to establish or expand your online presence without extra fees. However, Helcim doesn’t offer same-day or even next-day payments, meaning you’ll have to wait at least 2 days to receive your money.

Helcim’s lack of monthly fees and competitive interchange-plus rates are particularly beneficial for growing businesses. Unlike many processors that cater best to low-volume businesses, Helcim offers a sliding-scale pricing model where your per-transaction rates decrease as your business’s volume increases. Keep in mind that you’ll have to pay additional fees for things like returned items and ACH/e-transfer payments.

These Are the Best B2B Credit Card Processing for Your Business

Every B2B business comes with a unique set of needs, meaning you need to choose a credit card processor based on the features that best suit you.

If price is your bottom line, I recommend Leaders Merchant Services. It offers industry-low rates and the convenience of a virtual terminal through QuickBooks, making it a top choice for small B2B businesses looking to streamline their accounting and payment processes.

If you’re a high-risk B2B business looking for a recurring billing solution, go with ProMerchant. You’ll have access to automated payments and invoicing tools, plus you can use the free Payments Hub virtual terminal to process MOTO payments and access detailed sales data.

Or, if you’re looking to cater to an international clientele, consider PAYARC instead. PAYARC provides access to several payment gateways and e-commerce integrations that allow you to accept up to 150 currencies.

FAQ

What is the best credit card processor for small and large B2B businesses?

I recommend Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) for most B2B businesses. Its industry-low rates, negotiable pricing, and its Instant Accept integration with QuickBooks makes payment processing affordable and streamlined. For large and enterprise B2B businesses, Stax can save businesses up to 40% in processing fees and features robust in-house e-commerce solutions.

What is the best credit card processor for B2B security?

CreditCardProcessing.com (CCP.com) is the best credit card processor for security. It provides advanced security measures and boasts Level 1 PCI compliance, tokenization, end-to-end encryption, active fraud prevention, and $100,000 data breach insurance.

What is the most popular payment method used in B2B?

The favored payment methods in B2B transactions have recently shifted to electronic payments, with an increase in card adoption and a decrease in check usage. ACH payments, wire transfers, credit cards, and cash are now the most commonly used methods. B2B transactions have also opened up globally, so in addition to offering these methods, you’ll also want to consider a payment processor that can accept foreign currency.

Is PAYARC or Square the better B2B credit card processor?

The better credit card processor depends on your business’s specific needs. Square is best for startups because of its quick application process and it provides immediate access to your funds with a small business checking account. For high-volume e-commerce businesses, PAYARC is more suitable as its membership pricing plans are competitively priced and include access to numerous payment gateways and software integrations.