Clover by Paysafe Review: Is It Right for You? [2024 Update]

An Ideal Combination for Most Businesses

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Paysafe offers some of our highest-rated credit card processing thanks to its robust security features, integration with a wide range of worldwide payment methods, and adjustable payment rates. However, on its own, Paysafe’s offering of point-of-sale (POS) hardware can be lacking.

Luckily, Paysafe is a verified Clover reseller, which means you can enjoy the full benefits of Paysafe’s payment processing with the functionality of Clover’s top-of-the-line POS machines. As good as that combo sounds on paper, I wanted to make sure that the Clover and Paysafe combination was everything it promised to be. I spent months carefully researching both offerings, reading customer reviews, and evaluating their respective terms of service.

Long story short: it might not be perfect, but the combination of Clover’s highly functional and stylish machines with Paysafe’s robust payment processing will be ideal for many merchants.

Keep in mind that I will be focusing only on the Clover + Paysafe combination. If you’re interested in Paysafe as a processor, you can go ahead and learn more about Paysafe’s credit card processing1. Or keep reading to discover if the Clover and Paysafe combination is right for you.

Flexible POS for All Types of Businesses

Clover’s stylish and flexible machines can adapt to the needs of any business. Thanks to various integrations and functionalities, Clover’s POS systems can help you do much more than just accept credit card payments.

Paired with Paysafe’s e-commerce integrations, support for over 250 different payment methods worldwide, and secure transaction handling, the combo can take a huge weight off merchants’ backs.

And don’t underestimate the impact of Clover’s device aesthetics, either. Their stylish and modern designs can enhance your business’s image, giving it a more modern and professional feel. The competition is fierce, so every little edge counts.

Functional Handheld Devices To Take Your Business Anywhere You Go

If your business requires you to take payment on the go, Clover offers convenient handheld devices to let you accept credit card payments anywhere: the Clover Go and Clover Flex. Although these are small, easy-to-carry systems, their functionality doesn’t end with card-present payments.

The Clover Go is a small, rectangular device that connects to your smartphone through an audio jack or Bluetooth. Though it might not seem like much, integrating your Clover Go device with the Clover software backend can give you all the benefits of the Clover ecosystem in a single, small device.

On the other hand, the Clover Flex is a little bigger and resembles your standard smartphone. The Clover Flex comes with a built-in touchscreen display and thermal printer. You can also install custom apps on your Clover Flex. Each app serves a different industry, such as table management for restaurants or appointment scheduling for on-the-go professionals.

Stylish, Powerful, and Versatile Countertop Terminals

If you’re looking for a more static solution, Clover offers the Mini, Station, and Station duo systems. The Clover Mini is a small countertop terminal with a 7-inch display touchscreen. Besides allowing you to accept swiped, chipped, and EMV payments, the Clover Mini also gives you tools to track appointments, set up custom tipping options, track inventory, and even calculate taxes.

For something more robust, the Clover Station is a terminal complete with a cash register, receipt printer, barcode scanner, and customer-facing display. The Clover Station Pro for Retail features scheduling and performance reports, while the Clover Station Pro for Quick Serve Restaurants offers direct kitchen ordering. As you might imagine, the Station also gives you access to all of Clover’s backend tools to ensure your business runs smoothly.

Accept Over 200 Payment Methods

Paysafe offers a wide selection of payment options for customers all over the globe, like Boleto Bancario payments for Brazilian customers or SEPA payments for customers in the EU. Paysafe is also one of the few payment processors to accept several cryptocurrency options. Thanks to its broad reach, Paysafe ensures that customers worldwide have options for making their payments comfortably and securely.

You don’t have to wait an eternity to receive your funds, either. Paysafe boasts an impressive average payout speed of about one to two business days.

Paysafe Is Notable for Its E-Commerce Options

Paysafe started as an e-commerce processing company, so it knows about versatile and secure online payment processing. Besides providing access to an end-to-end encrypted payment gateway, Paysafe also allows you to create QR code payments and set up digital subscription pricing.

When paired with a Clover device, Paysafe updates your inventory and earnings information automatically, ensuring that your e-commerce and in person business works in harmony.

Option To Select Traditional POS Systems

If you’re looking for a more traditional POS device, Paysafe also provides Pax and FD terminals. These closely resemble the classic credit card readers most of us are familiar with.

Though they don’t have nearly as many integrations as the Clover devices, they still offer some great benefits and are slightly more affordable without Clover’s software fees1. For instance, the PAX A920 runs on Android technology and features front and back cameras, GPS support, and can support offline payments.

Simple Processing, Simple Hardware

Paysafe makes it easy for small to medium-sized businesses to set up effective credit card processing. At the same time, the Clover POS hardware offers a well-designed user experience, plenty of training tools, and a sleek, unintimidating interface. Processing card-present and card-not-present payments should be a breeze between the two.

Remember, however, that, unlike other credit card processors, Paysafe doesn’t offer online registration – you’ll have to contact its sales team via phone if you’re interested in its services.

Getting Started With Clover by Paysafe

Before you can get your hands on any Clover hardware, you must register for Paysafe’s credit card processing solutions first. To do so, go to the “apply” section of its website and call the listed number. You could also fill out the available questionnaire and wait for a callback from Paysafe. Talking on the phone with a sales representative is unavoidable.

You can order your equipment during your initial call or contact Paysafe’s POS Pros service to explore the specific hardware that suits your needs. After registering with Paysafe’s payment processing services and selecting your ideal machine, you can expect to receive your equipment within a few business days.

Specialized Features for a Wide Range of Industry Types

I’ve touched on this briefly before, but one of the best things about Clover’s devices is its flexibility based on industry. For example, if you run a restaurant, the Clover Mini and Station can both give you a layout of your table arrangement, track the bills for each, and even allow easy payment-splitting options for large groups.

The Clover devices make it easy for retail and wholesale stores to track inventory and set up custom product variants. You won’t even have to worry too much about returns, as Clover gives you simple tools to track returned or exchanged items at your store.

Besides its proprietary tools, Clover’s wide variety of official integrations allows you to have a specialized payment device for everything from a hotel to a boba stand.

Get Your Business Moving With Paysafe Mobile Pay

Though the Clover Go and Flex are great options if you’re doing business entirely on the go, it doesn’t mean you can’t combine the power and versatility of a countertop terminal with the convenience of on-the-go payments. For example, let’s say you run a restaurant but also offer takeout options. You can get one of Clover’s countertop devices for your primary location and have your couriers accept payments on the go using Paysafe’s Mobile Pay.

The Mobile Pay app allows you to take credit card payments using only your smartphone, either through EMV technology or by directly inputting the credit card’s data. Every payment gets updated automatically with the rest of your bookkeeping, so you can still manage your finances from the comfort of your locale.

Although it’s not as robust as other solutions, Paysafe’s POS systems, e-commerce offerings, and mobile app allows you to effectively run an omnichannel business.

Pricing Might Vary Depending on the Inventory

Since Paysafe is a verified Clover reseller, you shouldn’t have to deal with Clover’s monthly or per-transaction pricing. That means if you go with Paysafe as your payment processor and choose a Clover device, the only extra fee you’ll have to pay is a flat monthly fee.

That’s good news because, as a standalone subsidiary of Fiserv, Clover’s processing costs can get steep. Also, merchants have often complained about a lack of clarity from Fiserv and confusing payment structures. Although Paysafe’s interchange-plus pricing model (starting at 0.30% + 10¢) means transaction fees can fluctuate, you can expect to pay less when compared to Clover’s flat fee model.

The Clover equipment comes with an extra monthly fee for internet capabilities and enhanced security, but the outright price of the hardware can vary depending on what’s in stock. The support representative was eager to sign me up and offered a Clover Mini or a Clover Flex for free. Your experience will probably vary depending on the equipment and Paysafe’s availability.

The hardware prices listed on Clover’s website are as follows, but keep in mind that Paysafe might offer discounts depending on each merchant’s situation.

• Clover Go: $49
• Clover Flex: $599
• Cover Mini: $799
• Clover Station: $1699
• Clover Station Duo: $1799

In my case, the additional monthly fees were about $10 for enhanced security and about $25 for data roaming capabilities. These fees can increase depending on your business and the extras you want. For example, the Clover Station can come at an extra cost of about $85 per month for restaurant table-tracking features.

Though the per-transaction costs might vary, Paysafe offers competitive tiered rates overall. In my case, Paysafe offered me card-present fees as low as 0.45% for qualified debit cards and 1.65% for qualified credit cards.

In Person

0.45% + 15¢ (Qualified Debit) / transaction

1.65% + 15¢ (Qualified Credit) / transaction

2.2% + 15¢ (Rewards Cards) / transaction

3.5% + 15¢ (Non-qualified Credit) / transaction

Monthly Fee:$10

No E-commerce Fees

No Software Fees

Payout Time:1-2 days

Accepted Payment Methods: Credit/Debit Cards, Bank Transfers, Cryptocurrencies

Get Started

Online

0.99% + 25¢ (Qualified Debit) / transaction

1.99% + 25¢ (Qualified Credit) / transaction

2.99% + 25¢ (Rewards Cards) / transaction

3.99% + 25¢ (Non-qualified Credit) / transaction

Monthly Fee:$16

No E-commerce Fees

No Software Fees

Payout Time:1-2 Days

Accepted Payment Methods: Credit/Debit Cards, PayPal, Bank Transfers, Cryptocurrencies

Get Started

Cash Discount Plan

$0 + 1%-4% surcharge to customers / transaction

Monthly Fee:$16

No E-commerce Fees

No Software Fees

Payout Time:1-2 Days

Accepted Payment Methods: Credit/Debit Cards, PayPal, Bank Transfers, Cryptocurrencies

Get Started

Secure Processing Combined With Secure Hardware

Paysafe ensures strict and up-to-date security measures for all its credit card processing. Combine that with the added security measures employed by Clover’s devices, and you can rest assured your and your customers’ data will remain secure.

PCI Compliance & More

Paysafe is level 1 PCI compliant, offering the most rigorous security standards according to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Since the company originated in Europe, it is also fully compliant with all General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws.

All Clover devices receive updates according to the results of advanced testing by the PCI DSS. If you need help becoming PCI compliant, Paysafe offers free PCI compliance assistance for your business.

That said, remember that you’re still responsible for filling out the yearly PCI compliance questionnaire to avoid any non-compliance fees.

Additional Security Features

Both Paysafe and Clover offer extra security features at a cost. Clover’s Security Plus gives you access to regular audits, compliance assistance, and tokenization, while Paysafe’s enhanced security package offers an extra layer of insurance should your customers’ information become compromised.

Even without the extra fee, all Clover devices perform a daily self-test for vulnerabilities or infractions. You can also set up the devices to give different levels of access depending on the user.

You Could Contact Either Clover or Paysafe for Support

Paysafe and Clover support complement each other well, at least in terms of available methods. All my previous experiences contacting Clover through phone support have been rather underwhelming – but Paysafe’s phone support is efficient, friendly, and knowledgeable.

Since Paysafe’s information on its official website is somewhat scant, I relied on customer support for much of my research. In a single call, my support representative gave me information about pricing, PCI compliance assistance, which kind of device would be ideal for my business, and more.

I then received an email with additional information about the device recommended to me, the Clover Flex POS. It’s also worth mentioning that at no point during the call did I feel pressured to make a purchase immediately, which often happens with credit card processors.

Here’s how Clover and Paysafe complement each other: in my experience, Clover’s phone support is poor, but they make up for it with live chat support and a comprehensive knowledge base, which Paysafe lacks. Clover’s live chat support is usually efficient and friendly, though this time I felt more pressure from Clover’s support agent to commit to a hard sale.

But who do you contact and when? Reach out to Paysafe’s support for inquiries about credit card processing and turn to Clover for issues related to specific POS equipment.