Clover Review: Features, Hardware Costs, and Real Value Analysis

Clover legitimacy and licensing

Yes. Clover is the point of sale brand of Fiserv, one of the largest payment processors in the U.S. Fiserv got Clover when it bought First Data in 2019. Banks such as Wells Fargo resell Clover under their own merchant services, and Clover also sells direct at clover.com.

Fiserv’s handling of Clover is the subject of a securities class action filed in July 2025 in federal court in New York. Investors allege that Fiserv moved as many as 200,000 merchants from its older Payeezy platform to Clover from late 2023 to mid 2024 and misled investors about Clover’s growth. Fiserv says it disagrees and will defend itself. The case is about investor disclosures, not a ruling against Clover’s merchant contracts.

Clover pricing explained

There is no single Clover price. What you pay depends on whether you buy from clover.com, a bank or a reseller.

• Through Wells Fargo: software from $0 (Starter) to $89.95 a month (Restaurant Growth) for the first device, plus a $9.95 merchant account fee and a $10 PCI compliance fee each month. In-person cards cost 2.60% plus 15 cents under $40,000 a month, down to 2.40% plus 15 cents at $80,000 and up. Wells Fargo lists no early termination fee.
• Direct from clover.com: Clover advertised in-person rates as low as 2.3% plus 10 cents, and a $450 statement credit that requires a 3-year contract.

On $30,000 a month in card sales, the gap between 2.3% plus 10 cents and 2.6% plus 15 cents is about $90 a month in percentage fees alone, plus 5 cents more on every sale. Ask every seller for the effective rate on your real sales mix.

Clover hardware costs

Wells Fargo lists the Clover Compact countertop device at $349 and the Clover Station Solo at $1,799, both as one-time purchases. Other sellers may lease the same devices monthly. A lease can cost far more than buying over its full term and is often a separate contract you cannot cancel early, so ask whether you are buying or leasing.

Clover hardware generally works only with Clover’s system, so if you switch processors later, you may need new equipment.

Clover complaints

Clover’s Trustpilot score is 1.9 out of 5 from 2,210 reviews, with 54% one star. The repeated complaints are long hold times, surprise fees (PCI, subscription increases and cancellation fees), funds held without a clear reason, outages, and 36 to 48 month contracts merchants say were not explained during the sale. The positive reviews mostly praise the hardware itself.

Many complaints trace back to the seller rather than Clover. Before you sign, get the processing rates, every monthly fee, the contract length and the early termination fee in writing, and keep a copy.

Contracts and cancellation

Your contract terms depend on who sold you Clover. Wells Fargo lists no early termination fee for its card processing. Clover’s own $450 credit offer requires a 3-year agreement. Independent resellers set their own terms, which may include multi-year agreements, termination fees and hardware leases.

To cancel, read your merchant agreement for the notice period and fees, contact the company that holds your merchant account (not always Clover), and return or pay off any leased hardware. Business accounts are not covered by most consumer protection laws, so the contract is what protects you.

Who should skip Clover

Skip Clover if you want pricing you can verify online without a sales call, if you sell mostly online, or if your card volume is small enough that monthly software, merchant account and PCI fees would eat into your margin. Low-volume sellers often do better with a no-monthly-fee option such as Helcim.