CardX
CardX by Stax provides automated credit card surcharging compliance technology that enables merchants, government agencies, and educational institutions to accept credit cards at 0% net cost across 48 US states and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What CardX does
CardX, founded in 2013 by Jonathan Razi and now operating as a subsidiary brand of Stax Payments (acquired November 2021), provides automated credit card surcharging compliance technology that enables merchants to accept credit cards at a 0% net cost by passing interchange fees to consumers through surcharges. Its core technology is a patent-pending card-type detection engine ("Intelligent Rate") that identifies credit vs. debit cards in under a second and applies compliant surcharges accordingly, alongside automated tracking of state-by-state surcharging laws and card brand rules. The product portfolio includes in-person EMV terminals, virtual terminals, and the Lightbox e-commerce checkout integration, plus a tailored Intelligent Rate solution for government and education institutions.
The company monetizes through a hybrid model: merchants pay a per-transaction fee on debit card volume (1.25% + $0.25), a monthly subscription starting at $99 for in-person terminal solutions, and licensing fees from the 200+ payment processors and ISOs that embed CardX technology. Distribution is split between direct sales (enterprise and government/education) and a channel-led motion through ISOs and software partners. The company serves 5,000+ customers across 48 U.S. states plus DC and Canada (excluding CT and MA), with reported $55M+ in customer savings delivered since 2023 and 99.99% platform uptime. CardX holds PCI DSS certification and benefits from its founder's involvement in shaping the U.S. Supreme Court precedent (Expressions Hair Design v. Schneiderman) that enabled surcharging in previously restricted states.
CardX firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CardX
- Legal name
- CardX, LLC
- Website
- https://cardx.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CardX by Stax provides automated credit card surcharging compliance technology that enables merchants, government agencies, and educational institutions to accept credit cards at 0% net cost across 48 US states and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CardX industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Processing Software
- NAICS
- Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Card Issuing & Program Management Platforms (BPAMAFAH)
Keywords
Where CardX is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
CardX business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Credit Card Surcharge Fees: CardX enables merchants to pass credit card fees onto customers through surcharging. The merchant pays 0% net cost on credit card transactions - the surcharge (typically up to 3%) covers the interchange fee.
- Debit Card Transaction Fees: Merchants pay 1.25% + $0.25 per debit card transaction. This is a per-transaction fee for debit card processing.
- Monthly Subscription Fees: A monthly subscription fee may be assessed for Use of the Solutions. Starting at $99 per month for in-person terminal solutions.
- Partner Licensing: CardX licenses its solution to industry-leading software companies and merchant services providers, generating licensing revenue through channel partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | In-Person Terminal: Starting at $99/month |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Credit Card Transactions: 0% net cost to merchant |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Debit Card Transactions: 1.25% + $0.25 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
CardX product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CardX provides automated credit card surcharging compliance technology that enables businesses to accept credit card payments at 0% net cost by passing processing fees onto customers while offering debit as a no-fee alternative. The platform handles card association registrations, determines card type in real time, manages state and federal disclosure requirements, and processes compliant surcharges as single transactions with itemized receipts. The solution is delivered through in-person terminals, virtual terminals, and online (Lightbox) channels, and includes a tailored Intelligent Rate offering for government and education institutions.
Product overview
CardX by Stax is a unified payment surcharging platform that enables merchants to accept credit cards at 0% net cost by passing credit card fees onto customers. The portfolio consists of three core products: the Business surcharging solution (cardx.com/for-business) for general merchants, the Government and Education solution (cardx.com/for-gov-edu) featuring Intelligent Rate pricing for eligible institutions, and the Lightbox e-commerce solution for online payments. All solutions integrate seamlessly with in-person terminals, virtual terminals, and online checkout, powered by CardX's automated compliance technology. The platform is available through Stax Payments after being acquired in November 2021.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Intelligent Rate: A pricing solution for government and education institutions that prices different cards at their different costs, allowing institutions to receive 100% of billed amounts with 0% cost.
- Lightbox
Products and services
- CardX by Stax for Business
- Intelligent Rate for Government and Education
- Lightbox E-commerce Solution
- In-Person Payments with Custom Terminal
- In-Office Payments (Virtual Terminal)
Quantifiable outcome
- $55M+ savings delivered to CardX customers since 2023
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CardX
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CardX technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
CardX partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CardX competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SurchX: SurchX is a direct competitor offering credit card surcharging compliance software to merchants, with similar focus on automated state-law compliance and merchant cost reduction. Most directly comparable to CardX in product, customer base, and regulatory positioning.
- Helcim: Helcim is a payment processor that competes on transparent, low-cost interchange-plus pricing for SMBs. Comparable to CardX in addressing merchant pain around high credit card acceptance fees, though without CardX's surcharging-specific focus.
- PaymentCloud: PaymentCloud is a merchant services provider offering credit card processing and surcharging solutions to SMBs across high-risk and mainstream verticals. Directly comparable to CardX as an ISO-style competitor for surcharging-enabled merchant accounts.
- National Processing: National Processing is a merchant services provider offering credit card processing and surcharging programs to SMBs across multiple verticals. Comparable to CardX as a direct ISO-style competitor with surcharging-specific offerings for similar customer segments.
Broad incumbents
- Square (Block): Square is a broad-incumbent payment platform that supports merchant surcharging within its processing product, serving overlapping SMB customers. While not specialized in surcharging compliance, it competes for the same merchant relationships and offers a comparable payment acceptance stack.
- Stripe: Stripe is a large-scale payment processing platform that supports surcharging on credit card transactions for its merchants. Comparable to CardX as a payments technology provider serving businesses with acceptance and fee-management functionality, though at much broader scale.
- PayPal: PayPal operates a merchant payment processing platform that supports surcharging and serves overlapping SMB and enterprise merchants. Comparable as a broad payments incumbent with overlapping surcharging/acceptance functionality.
- Toast: Toast is a vertical-specific payments and POS platform for restaurants that supports surcharging on credit transactions. Comparable to CardX in payment acceptance with surcharging capability, though specialized to the restaurant vertical rather than horizontal SMBs.
- Clover (Fiserv): Clover, a Fiserv company, is a POS and merchant services platform supporting surcharging for SMBs. Comparable to CardX as a broad payments platform with overlapping merchant-facing payment acceptance and fee management features.
Emerging players
- Finix: Finix is a payment infrastructure provider that enables software platforms and ISOs to embed payment processing. Comparable to CardX in serving the ISO/channel partner ecosystem with embedded payments technology, though focused on broader processing rather than surcharging compliance.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CardX social profiles
Digital presenceCardX compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
CardX financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CardX leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
CardX funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CardX M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CardX
What does CardX do?
CardX provides automated credit card surcharging compliance technology that enables businesses to accept credit card payments at 0% net cost by passing processing fees onto customers while offering debit as a no-fee alternative. The platform handles card association registrations, determines card type in real time, manages state and federal disclosure requirements, and processes compliant surcharges as single transactions with itemized receipts. The solution is delivered through in-person terminals, virtual terminals, and online (Lightbox) channels, and includes a tailored Intelligent Rate offering for government and education institutions.
Is CardX a public or private company?
CardX is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CardX founded?
CardX was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CardX based?
CardX is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does CardX make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Credit Card Surcharge Fees are the primary driver. The others are debit Card Transaction Fees, monthly Subscription Fees and partner Licensing.
Who are CardX's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SurchX, Helcim, PaymentCloud and National Processing. Broad incumbents are Square (Block), Stripe, PayPal, Toast and Clover (Fiserv). Finix is listed as an emerging player.
Does CardX have an API?
No public API is recorded for CardX.
What industry is CardX in?
CardX's product category is Payment Processing Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAFAH, Card Issuing & Program Management Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5223 and its SIC code is 7370.