What CardChamp does

CardChamp is a U.S. payment processing and merchant services company founded in October 2009 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, operating as a registered Independent Sales Organization (ISO) of KeyBank, National Association (Cleveland, OH) and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (Concord, CA). The company was rebranded to CardChamp in June 2019 from a prior DBA and serves SMBs across the United States through a multi-channel go-to-market encompassing direct field/inside sales, an agent and ISO referral channel with monthly residual payouts, an ISV/SaaS developer channel with revenue share, and a self-serve digital application processed in under 10 minutes.

The product portfolio is anchored by proprietary payment gateway technology (Transax and CardChamp Gateway), a tokenization and vaulting layer ("SAFE" technology) that reduces PCI scope, and integration with the CardPointe merchant dashboard for statements, chargeback notifications, and real-time reporting. Card-present transactions run through Clover point-of-sale hardware (CardChamp is a registered Clover partner) and countertop terminals, while card-not-present flows use a virtual terminal, hosted payment pages, recurring billing, and an iOS/Android mobile app. A differentiator is CardChamp Direct, which embeds payment processing directly into QuickBooks Desktop and Enterprise with Level 2/3 optimization for corporate and purchasing cards, alongside an ACH offering at $0.25 per transaction and ERP-system integrations.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid pricing stack: subscription platform fees ($10–$20 per month per plan), interchange-plus transaction economics (e.g., Interchange + 35 bps + $0.05 per authorization under CardChamp Direct), cash-discount/surcharge economics under CardChamp Zero (3.50% on credit, 1.25% + $0.25 on debit), ACH transaction fees, and partner revenue-share residuals. The company markets transparent month-to-month terms with no cancellation penalties and claims approximately 25% average cost savings versus incumbents. Named strategic customers/partners include Clearview Federal Credit Union, SSB Bank, Unishippers, and Bruster's Real Ice Cream, and the company has executed multiple merchant-portfolio acquisitions (Last Switch, Turbo Merchant, Merchant Credit Exchange) as a roll-up growth lever.

Name

CardChamp

Legal name

CardChamp

Website

https://cardchamp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CardChamp is a U.S. payment processing and merchant services ISO (sponsored by KeyBank and Wells Fargo) that provides card-present, card-not-present, ACH, and recurring billing processing — along with a QuickBooks-integrated gateway and a cash-discount/surcharge program — to SMBs across multiple verticals and SaaS platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription / Monthly Platform Fees: CardChamp charges monthly subscription fees for its Wholesale and other pricing plans. The CardChamp Direct plan includes a $15 monthly platform fee. The CardChamp Zero free plan charges $10 per month. These provide recurring monthly revenue regardless of transaction volume.
2. Interchange Plus Pricing / Transaction Fees: CardChamp charges Interchange Plus pricing on top of direct interchange fees. For CardChamp Direct: Interchange + 35 basis points + $0.05 per authorization. Cash Discounting passes 95% of fees to customers. Transaction fees are charged per individual payment processed (card swiped, keyed, online invoice).
3. ACH / Electronic Check Processing Fees: ACH transactions are charged at $0.25 per transaction for CardChamp Direct. Optional ACH service may carry an additional setup fee. ACH fees are significantly lower than credit card fees.
4. Partner Revenue Share / Referral Residuals: CardChamp pays monthly residual revenue to agents, ISOs, strategic partners, and ISV/software developer partners who refer new merchants. Partners receive a percentage of the profits generated from referred merchants' processing activity. Upfront incentives may be offered for implementation costs.
5. CardChamp Zero / Cash Discount Surcharge Program: Under CardChamp Zero, merchants pay only a $10 monthly fee and pass fees to customers. CardChamp charges a 1.25% and $0.25 per-transaction fee on debit card purchases plus a $20 monthly platform fee, with the majority of costs passed to consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CardChamp is a U.S. payment processing and merchant services company that enables businesses to accept credit card, ACH, and electronic payments through its proprietary payment gateways (CardChamp Gateway and Transax), the CardPointe merchant dashboard, Clover POS hardware, and developer-friendly APIs. It offers omni-channel processing across card-present, card-not-present, e-commerce, and recurring billing, along with a QuickBooks-integrated plan (CardChamp Direct) and a compliant surcharging program (CardChamp Zero), operating as a registered ISO of KeyBank and Wells Fargo Bank.

Product overview

CardChamp is a payment processing company offering a multi-product portfolio centered around its CardChamp Gateway and Transax proprietary payment gateways. The platform supports card-present transactions through Clover POS and physical terminals, and card-not-present transactions via Virtual Terminal, Hosted Payment Pages, and mobile app. Key differentiators include the CardChamp Direct QuickBooks integration, the CardChamp Zero surcharge program, and developer-friendly APIs with SOAP and REST support. CardChamp operates as a registered Independent Sales Organization of KeyBank and also as an ISO of Wells Fargo Bank. The company has been in operation since October 2009 (rebranded to CardChamp in June 2019) and serves the entire United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Transax: Proprietary payment gateway equipped with dynamic features and robust APIs for custom integrations, designed for businesses primarily processing card-not-present transactions.
• CardChamp Zero

Products and services

• CardChamp Gateway CardChamp's proprietary payment gateway that enables businesses to accept credit card payments online, through virtual terminals, and via hosted payment pages, supporting card-present and card-not-present transactions with secure processing.
• Transax Payment Gateway Proprietary payment gateway designed for businesses processing card-not-present transactions, featuring virtual terminal, batch/bundle processing, recurring billing automation, hosted payment pages, invoice management with auto-pay enrollment, mobile app, and QuickBooks integration.
• CardPointe Merchant Dashboard Online merchant statement access platform and dashboard where CardChamp customers monitor transactions, view chargeback notifications, and manage merchant account settings.
• Developer API Developer-friendly API supporting SOAP and REST protocols that enables software companies and ISV developers to integrate secure payment processing, tokenization, hosted payment pages, and recurring billing capabilities into their applications.
• Clover POS Solution Point-of-sale (POS) hardware and software solution offered by CardChamp via its registered partnership with Clover Network, enabling card-present payment processing at retail locations.
• Credit Card Terminals Hardware payment terminals for accepting card-present transactions at physical business locations, including countertop terminals integrated with CardChamp's processing.
• CardChamp Direct for QuickBooks Specialized QuickBooks integration product providing direct in-app payment processing within QuickBooks Desktop and Enterprise, featuring Interchange Plus pricing and Level 2/3 processing optimization for business, corporate, and purchasing cards.
• CardChamp Zero (Cash Discount / Surcharge Program) Dual pricing and surcharge program that helps merchants offset credit card processing expenses by passing a 3.50% fee to consumers on Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express Opt Blue credit card transactions in a fully brand-compliant manner, with approximately 95% of fees passed to customers.
• ACH / Electronic Check Processing Optional additional service allowing businesses to accept ACH (electronic check) payments, transferring funds from customer to merchant bank accounts through the ACH Network at a cost typically less than $1 per transaction under $2,500.
• ERP Systems Integration Integration solutions connecting CardChamp's payment processing with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, enabling streamlined financial workflows and automated payment reconciliation for businesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Most businesses save approximately 25% on their credit card processing fees when switching to CardChamp.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Clearview Federal Credit UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClearview Federal Credit Union partnered with CardChamp for merchant services, enabling the credit union to offer credit card processing solutions to its member businesses. This is a strategic partnership bringing payment processing services to the credit union's commercial member base.
• SSB BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSB Bank partnered with CardChamp to provide Pittsburgh-based credit card processing services. The bank leverages CardChamp's payment processing infrastructure to offer merchant services to its business customers in the Pittsburgh area.
• UnishipperscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUnishippers, a shipping and logistics network, selected CardChamp as its preferred credit card processing partner for franchise and network members. Unishippers brings its existing business customer relationships to the partnership, referring them to CardChamp for payment processing.
• Bruster's Real Ice CreamcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCardChamp was selected as the preferred credit card processor for Bruster's Real Ice Cream retail locations. CardChamp provides payment processing across multiple franchise or corporate retail locations.
• Last SwitchminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCardChamp acquired the Last Switch merchant portfolio, expanding its credit card processing presence in Minnesota and Colorado markets. This was a portfolio acquisition of merchant accounts from a reseller/ISO partner.
• Turbo MerchantminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCardChamp acquired CardConnect merchant portfolio from Turbo Merchant, expanding support for businesses in the Pittsburgh area. This portfolio acquisition brought additional merchant accounts under CardChamp's processing platform.
• Merchant Credit ExchangeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCardChamp acquired a merchant portfolio from Merchant Credit Exchange with a go-forward agreement. This acquisition expanded CardChamp's merchant base through an acquisition of a reselling partner's book of business.
• QuickBooks (Intuit)coreTechnology or IntegrationCardChamp offers direct in-app integration with QuickBooks Desktop and Enterprise through CardChamp Direct. Businesses can process payments within their QuickBooks environment, avoiding manual data entry. The integration supports Level 2/3 processing for corporate and purchasing cards.
• Clover NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationCardChamp is a registered partner for Clover payment processing solutions. CardChamp provides credit card processing services through Clover POS hardware and software. The Clover name and logo are owned by Clover Network, LLC, a subsidiary of First Data Corporation.
• CardPointe (CardConnect)coreTechnology or IntegrationCardChamp integrates with CardPointe, a payment platform providing merchant dashboards, virtual terminals, transaction reporting, and chargeback management tools. CardPointe serves as the online portal for CardChamp merchant account management.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Square (Block): Square (part of Block) provides card-present and card-not-present payment processing, POS hardware, and merchant services targeted at SMBs across the US. It is the most visible transparent-pricing competitor to CardChamp in the SMB acquiring space.
• Stripe: Stripe is a leading online payment processor offering developer-friendly APIs, hosted checkout, and a growing suite of in-person/card-present products. Its API-first posture and transparent pricing directly mirror CardChamp's positioning in the SMB and SaaS segments.
• Payment Depot: Payment Depot is an SMB-focused merchant services ISO offering interchange-plus transparent pricing with subscription tiers. It competes head-to-head with CardChamp on the 'no hidden fees, no long-term contract' SMB value proposition.
• Helcim: Helcim is a Canadian-headquartered payment processor offering transparent interchange-plus pricing to SMBs in the US and Canada. Its cost-plus model and no-monthly-fee approach closely parallel CardChamp's pricing philosophy.
• Stax (formerly Fattmerchant): Stax is a subscription-based payment processor targeting SMBs with flat monthly pricing plus interchange, directly comparable to CardChamp's CardChamp Direct tier. It also offers developer APIs and SaaS partner integrations.
• Dharma Merchant Services: Dharma is an SMB-focused merchant services provider known for transparent interchange-plus pricing and no long-term contracts. It serves a similar SMB and B2B customer profile as CardChamp.
• Clover Network (Fiserv): Clover is a POS hardware/software platform owned by Fiserv that CardChamp resells and integrates with as a registered partner. As a competing merchant-services offering with strong SMB brand recognition, Clover is a direct go-to-market peer.
• QuickBooks Payments (Intuit): Intuit's QuickBooks Payments is the in-product payment processor for QuickBooks users. CardChamp explicitly benchmarks against QuickBooks Payments pricing and competes for the same QuickBooks-integrated SMB merchant.

Broad incumbents

• PayPal: PayPal operates Zettle (card-present) and PayPal Checkout (card-not-present) alongside a much broader payments and consumer wallet portfolio. It is a broad incumbent competing for the same SMB merchant customers but at vastly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Toast: Toast is a restaurant-vertical POS and payments platform increasingly expanding into adjacent SMB verticals. It competes with CardChamp in the hospitality/retail segment with a verticalized software-plus-payments bundle.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cardchamp

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CardChamp