Do POS systems have a monthly fee? Plenty do. The trap is that “monthly” can mean three different contracts: the register software, the card-processing account, and an equipment lease. A quote that says $0 on one of those three is not a $0 store.

This page is the category question. Clover’s own monthly is on whether Clover has a monthly fee. Square’s is on whether Square POS has a monthly fee. TotilPay’s published licenses are on the TotilPay EBT page.

The three monthlies that get mixed on purpose

Software. A per-register or per-location subscription for the POS application. NRS publishes POS plan prices on its hardware table. TotilPay Go is listed at $29.95 a month for retailers on the page we retrieved 2026-09-10. Clover’s software plans live on clover.com/pricing, which we retrieved the same day as a JavaScript app, so transcribe live rather than from a reseller PDF.

Processing. A monthly account fee, statement fee, PCI fee, or monthly minimum on the merchant account, on top of the percentage and cents. That bill can exist even if the register software is “free.”

Hardware. A rental or lease that looks like a software subscription because it is drafted that way. Counter Club publishes a handheld at $199 purchase or $24.95 a month rent, and an all-in-one at $399 purchase or $49.95 a month rent. Buying and renting are not the same monthly. Sample pricing applies to new accounts applying directly; pricing is subject to underwriting, MCC and the merchant agreement; rates may differ and are subject to change.

Korona currently publishes Core / Retail / Plus at $59 / $79 / $99 per terminal per month (retrieved 2026-09-11 from koronapos.com/pricing). NRS’s public pricing page (retrieved 2026-09-10 from nrsplus.com/pricing) lists software from $19.95 a month with NRS Pay. Square Free has no software monthly and still charges processing. A Reddit thread ranking first for this query is asking for a register with no monthly at all. That thread is not a vendor. Add software + processing monthly + hardware rent before you call anything $0.

If a seller will only give you one bundled number, you cannot tell which of those three you are in.

What Counter Club publishes as $0

The sample processing schedule on pricing lists $0.00 for monthly fee, annual fee, setup, statement, PCI and batch, with a $0.00 to $25.00 monthly minimum that is waived once discount charges exceed $25, and a $0.00 to $79.00 PCI non-compliance fee waived on completing the PCI checklist. Sample pricing applies to new accounts applying directly. Pricing is subject to underwriting, MCC and the merchant agreement; rates may differ and are subject to change.

There is no early termination fee on that sample, but $395 if rented equipment is not returned. $0 monthly processing is not a $0 terminal if you rent.

In-person sample processing is 2.50% plus $0.10. Keyed and online is 2.90% plus $0.25.

How to test a “no monthly fee” pitch

Ask, in writing:

  • Is software billed per device, per location, or not at all
  • Is there a processing monthly, statement, PCI, or monthly minimum
  • Is the terminal purchased, financed, or rented, and what is the unreturned-device fee
  • What apps are extra after the first month

A free terminal with an unreturned-device line is still a cost the month you leave. Counter Club publishes $395 if rented equipment is not returned. Sample pricing applies to new accounts applying directly; pricing is subject to underwriting, MCC and the merchant agreement; rates may differ and are subject to change. Read the unreturned-device line on any other quote rather than assuming it matches ours.

Run the processing half through the fee calculator. Hardware and software still need their own lines. The four-year view is on POS system cost.

Frequently asked questions

Can a POS have $0 software and still bill me every month? Yes. Processing monthly, PCI, and a terminal rental are separate.

Is a monthly minimum a monthly fee? It behaves like one in a slow month. It is a floor on processor income, not a software seat.

Do I need a monthly to take cards? Not on Counter Club’s published sample schedule. Other platforms sell software subscriptions as the product.

Why does a reseller quote a monthly when the brand site shows something else? Hardware is often sold by banks and ISOs who add their own account fee. Clover is the usual example. Get both documents.

If software is monthly, can I keep the terminal and leave processing? Only if the device is unlocked and you own it. Ask before you sign, not after.