Affiliate Disclosure

How we make money and our commitment to honest comparisons.

How affiliate referrals work

PaymentGateway.ca earns a referral fee when you sign up for a payment processor through our links.

Here's how it works:

  1. You click a link to a processor (e.g., Helcim, Stripe, Square) from our site.
  2. You sign up and activate your account with that processor.
  3. The processor pays us a referral fee (usually a one-time payment or a small percentage of fees for the first few months).

This costs you nothing. The processor pays us out of their marketing budget, not your transaction fees. Your rates are the same whether you sign up through us or directly.

Our commitment

We do not rank processors based on who pays us the most.

Here's what that means in practice:

  • We call out what sucks. If a processor has high fees, clunky software, or poor support, we say so. even if they're an affiliate partner.
  • We include non-affiliates. If a processor is worth considering but doesn't have an affiliate program (like Moneris), we include them anyway.
  • We recommend based on fit, not commission. Helcim pays a lower referral fee than some competitors, but we recommend them for businesses that want transparent interchange-plus pricing. Stripe pays well, but we explicitly say it's more expensive for most Canadian businesses.
  • We verify pricing quarterly. Every comparison table shows a "last verified" date. If pricing changes, we update it.

If you think we're getting something wrong, or if you spot a processor we've recommended that doesn't deserve it, call us out. We'd rather fix it than lose credibility.

Which processors are affiliate partners?

As of February 2026, we have affiliate relationships with:

  • Helcim. we earn a referral fee if you sign up
  • Stripe. we earn a referral fee if you sign up
  • Square. we earn a referral fee if you sign up

We do not currently have affiliate relationships with:

  • Moneris. included because it's a major Canadian processor
  • KONEK / Interac Direct. included because it's an important alternative payment rail

This list may change as we add or remove partnerships. We'll keep this page updated.

Why affiliates instead of ads?

We considered a few business models:

  • Display ads (Google AdSense): Would clutter the site, slow it down, and we'd have no control over what gets advertised. No thanks.
  • Paid listings: Processors could pay to be featured. This creates a direct conflict of interest. Also no.
  • Affiliate referrals: We only earn if you actually sign up and find the processor useful. This aligns our incentives with yours.

Affiliates aren't perfect, but they're the model that keeps the site free while minimizing conflicts of interest.

Questions about our affiliate relationships?

If you have questions about how we make money, how we choose which processors to recommend, or anything else, get in touch.

Contact Us

Legal disclaimer

PaymentGateway.ca is not a payment processor. We do not process transactions, hold funds, or have access to payment data. We are a comparison website.

All pricing data is provided for informational purposes only. Rates shown are estimates based on publicly available information and may not reflect your actual costs. Always verify pricing directly with the processor before signing up.

We are not affiliated with Visa, Mastercard, Interac, or any card network. We are not licensed or regulated by any financial authority.

By using this site, you acknowledge that we may earn referral fees from processors listed here.