ProTech Payments is a merchant services and credit card processing provider based in Katy, Texas (25140 Kingsland Blvd STE 180, Katy TX 77494), serving Cypress and the surrounding northwest Houston corridor. We help restaurants, retailers, salons, auto shops, and service businesses in Cypress accept cards while keeping more of every sale, and our local team is a short drive up the Grand Parkway when something needs fixing in person.
Card acceptance is one of the largest recurring costs a Cypress business carries that owners rarely scrutinize. A shop running $40,000 a month through a flat-rate app at roughly 2.6% plus 15 cents per swipe is paying well over $12,000 a year in fees, and that number climbs as average ticket and volume grow. The gap between a transparent interchange-plus program (or a dual pricing setup that offsets the fee) and an opaque tiered statement is often thousands of dollars annually, which is why the choice of processor matters more than most owners assume.
This ranking is built for the Cypress business owner who wants honest pricing, hardware that works, and a human to call. We looked at national platforms that serve every ZIP code and at regional Houston-area providers that can meet you in person. We only state facts we could verify, and we placed ProTech Payments first because the combination of dual pricing, local Katy support, and no long-term lock-in is hard to match locally. Compare the options below and decide for yourself.
How we ranked these providers
We weighted six criteria that decide what a Cypress business actually pays and how painful the relationship is to live with.
- Pricing transparency. Is the rate model clear (flat rate, interchange-plus, or membership), or buried in a tiered statement designed to creep upward over time?
- Dual pricing and fee offset. Can the processor legally pass the card cost to the customer through a dual pricing or cash discount program, so the business keeps closer to 100% of the sale?
- Local support. When a terminal goes down on a Saturday in Cypress, is there a local human who answers, or only a national call queue?
- Hardware and POS. Does the provider offer real countertop, handheld, and mobile point-of-sale options, and does it sell hardware outright instead of locking you into a multi-year lease?
- Contract terms. Month-to-month freedom, or multi-year agreements with early termination fees?
- Integrations. Online checkout, invoicing, and gateway options for businesses that sell beyond the counter.
The best merchant services in Cypress
- ProTech Payments (Katy, TX)
- Helcim
- Stax
- Square
- Clover (via a reseller)
- Houston-area regional ISOs
1. ProTech Payments
ProTech Payments ranks first for Cypress because we solve the cost problem directly instead of shaving a few basis points off a margin you should not be paying at all. Our dual pricing program lets a Cypress business display one price for cash and one for card, legally offsetting the processing cost so the owner keeps closer to the full ticket. For a $40,000-per-month shop, that is the difference between absorbing five figures of fees a year and recovering most of it.
We back that with things national apps cannot: a free statement analysis that shows you exactly what you pay today versus what you would pay with us, line by line, before you commit to anything. Our office sits in Katy on Kingsland Blvd, a short drive from Cypress, so local support is a real person you can reach and, when needed, see in person. We do not lock businesses into multi-year contracts, and we provide modern terminals and point-of-sale hardware sold outright rather than through the lease traps that inflate Clover deals.
Honest limitation: dual pricing changes how prices are shown at checkout, and a minority of owners prefer to absorb fees rather than display a card price. For those businesses we offer standard transparent credit card processing, but the strongest savings come from the dual pricing model. Run the numbers first with our fee calculator.
2. Helcim
Helcim is a strong national choice for transparency. It uses interchange-plus pricing with no monthly subscription, no contracts, and no cancellation fees, and it applies automatic volume discounts as you grow. Published in-person rates start at interchange plus 0.40% and 8 cents, with online rates starting at interchange plus 0.50% and 25 cents.
Who it fits: Cypress businesses processing roughly $10,000 to $40,000 a month that want clean interchange-plus pricing and are comfortable handling setup and support online. Honest limitation: support is remote, so there is no one local to walk into your Cypress storefront, and Helcim does not offer a dual pricing program structured the way ProTech does to fully offset the fee.
3. Stax
Stax (formerly Fattmerchant) runs a membership model: a flat monthly fee starting around $99 in exchange for direct interchange rates with no percentage markup, so you pay only a small per-transaction cent fee. For high-volume merchants the math is compelling. At roughly $40,000 to $50,000 a month or more, the savings on markup typically outweigh the subscription cost.
Who it fits: established Cypress businesses with consistent high volume that can spread the monthly fee across many transactions. Honest limitation: the fixed monthly fee is dead weight for lower-volume shops, where it can cost more than a no-monthly-fee option, and like the others it is a remote-support platform.
4. Square
Square is the easiest on-ramp for a new or low-volume Cypress business. The software is free with no monthly contract on the base plan, and in-person tap, dip, or swipe transactions run a flat 2.6% plus 15 cents. Online sales are 2.9% plus 30 cents and keyed-in cards are 3.5% plus 15 cents. Hardware starts cheap and setup takes minutes.
Who it fits: pop-ups, market vendors, and small Cypress shops that value simplicity over the lowest rate. Honest limitation: the flat rate is convenient but expensive as you scale, since you pay the same 2.6% on a low-cost card that a processor pays little to run. A growing business usually outgrows Square’s pricing and should compare it against interchange-plus or dual pricing.
5. Clover (via a reseller)
Clover is capable POS hardware (built by Fiserv) with a wide lineup: the Mini, Flex handheld, and Station countertop units. The catch is that Clover is sold through resellers, and your processing rate, fees, and contract depend entirely on which reseller you sign with. Card-present rates commonly fall around 2.3% to 2.6% plus 10 cents depending on the deal.
Who it fits: full-service restaurants and retailers in Cypress that want Clover’s app ecosystem and a robust countertop system. Honest limitation: some resellers push multi-year hardware leases, where an $1,800 Station can cost $4,000 to $6,000 over 48 months with no way to cancel. If you choose Clover, buy the hardware outright and read the processing agreement closely. ProTech can provide Clover hardware on transparent terms without the lease trap.
6. Houston-area regional ISOs
Cypress sits inside the greater Houston market, which has several established independent sales organizations and processors that serve local businesses, including registered ISOs of regional banks. These firms can offer in-person account setup and terminal support across the Houston metro.
Who they fit: Cypress owners who specifically want a Houston-based account rep. Honest limitation: pricing transparency varies widely across regional ISOs, and tiered statements with creeping rates are common, so always request an itemized rate breakdown and avoid long-term contracts. This is exactly where a side-by-side statement analysis protects you.
Provider comparison
| Provider | Pricing model | Best for | Local support |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProTech Payments | Dual pricing / transparent interchange-plus | Cypress businesses that want to offset fees and keep more per sale | Yes, Katy office near Cypress |
| Helcim | Interchange-plus, no monthly fee | Mid-volume shops wanting transparent online-first pricing | No, remote |
| Stax | Membership (flat monthly) plus interchange | Established high-volume merchants | No, remote |
| Square | Flat rate (2.6% + 15c in person) | New or low-volume businesses | No, remote |
| Clover (reseller) | Varies by reseller | Restaurants and retailers wanting Clover POS | Depends on reseller |
| Houston regional ISOs | Varies (often tiered) | Owners wanting a Houston rep | Sometimes, varies |
Why ProTech Payments is the best choice in Cypress
For a Cypress business owner, the decision comes down to two questions: how much of each sale do you keep, and who picks up the phone when something breaks. ProTech Payments answers both. Our dual pricing program offsets the card cost so you keep closer to the full ticket instead of donating five figures a year to processing fees, and our Katy office puts a real support team minutes from Cypress rather than in a national call queue. We price transparently, sell hardware outright, and never bury you in a multi-year lock-in.
The national platforms are good tools, but a flat-rate app gets expensive as you grow, a membership fee is dead weight if your volume is modest, and a Clover lease through the wrong reseller can cost three times the hardware’s value. The honest move is to compare your real numbers. Start with a free statement analysis and we will show you exactly what you pay today versus what dual pricing would save, then get started when the math makes sense for your Cypress business.
Frequently asked questions
Do you actually serve Cypress, TX or just Katy?
Both. Our office is in Katy on Kingsland Blvd, and Cypress is a short drive north up the Grand Parkway. We serve businesses across northwest Houston, and you can see our local page at merchant services in Cypress, TX.
What is dual pricing and is it legal in Texas?
Dual pricing displays one price for cash and one for card so the card processing cost is passed to the customer who chooses to pay by card, letting the business keep closer to the full sale. It is widely used in Texas, and our dual pricing and cash discount program options are set up to comply with card brand rules. We configure the signage and terminals correctly so you stay compliant.
How much can a Cypress business save on processing fees?
It depends on volume and average ticket, but a shop running $40,000 a month at a flat 2.6% pays over $12,000 a year in fees, most of which dual pricing can recover. Use our credit card processing fee calculator for your own numbers, or request a free statement analysis for a line-by-line comparison.
Are you locked into a long contract with ProTech?
No. We do not require multi-year agreements, which is a deliberate contrast to many Clover resellers and regional ISOs. If the relationship does not work, you are free to leave.
Can you provide POS hardware and a system, not just a card reader?
Yes. We offer full point-of-sale systems including countertop and handheld terminals, sold outright rather than through inflated leases, and we can supply Clover hardware on transparent terms.
How do I get started?
The fastest first step is a free statement analysis so you see the savings before committing. When you are ready, contact us and our Katy team will set up your account for your Cypress business.
