Rescue Payments

What Rescue Payments does

Rescue Payments is a Canadian payment processing company founded in 2021 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, that specializes in compliant credit card surcharge programs for merchants. Its core product, "Pass The Fee" technology, is a software overlay that automatically calculates and applies a 2.4% surcharge to credit card transactions, allowing merchants to offset processing costs by passing them to customers while remaining compliant with Canadian regulations and card-network rules. The platform is delivered through Android-based smart terminals (wired, Wi-Fi, and LTE), a mobile app, and online checkout/invoice systems, with embedded integrations into QuickBooks and Xero for accounting sync.

The company operates a hybrid business model combining transaction-based payment processing revenue from processed volume with add-on services and partner-driven income streams. Pricing is transparent with no monthly fees, and the offering is structured as a pay-as-you-go take rate on transaction volume. Complementary revenue streams include BNPL/lending solutions offered through partner lenders, dual pricing programs, and a referral/agent program that compensates partners for merchant acquisition. The customer base spans 4,500+ monthly active merchants across Canada (excluding Quebec, where surcharging is prohibited), serving primarily SMBs alongside targeted verticals such as automotive dealers, healthcare/dental practices, luxury retail, private education, home improvement, and B2B companies.

Rescue distributes through self-serve online sign-up, direct phone sales, a referral partner and agent network, SaaS platform partnerships, and embedded integrations with accounting software. The company processes approximately $137M in credit card payments per month (~4,987 customers have collectively saved $41M+ in fees), positioning itself as a niche, compliance-focused acquirer in the Canadian market.

Name

Rescue Payments

Legal name

RESCUE PAYMENTS Inc.

Website

https://rescuepayments.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rescue Payments is a Canadian payment processor founded in 2021 that helps merchants reduce credit card processing fees by 99.7% through its proprietary Pass The Fee surcharge platform, serving 4,500+ SMB and mid-market businesses across Canada via smart terminals, online invoicing, and QuickBooks/Xero integrations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing Software

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

SIC

Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

Payment Reconciliation, Reporting & Settlement Infrastructure (FSAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Issuer/Network-Led Installments (Card-Based Pay-Over-Time) (FSAGAIAB), Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB)

Keywords

• Credit card processing
• Surcharge payment platform
• Merchant payment solutions
• Payment processing software
• Card-present payments

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Credit Card Surcharge Processing: Transaction-based surcharge revenue where merchants pass a 2.4% fee to customers paying with credit cards. The company facilitates compliant surcharge processing and earns revenue from the transaction volume processed through its platform. This model allows businesses to reduce their credit card processing costs to near zero.
2. Lending Solutions / BNPL: Buy Now, Pay Later and short-term lending solutions for merchants offering high-value products and services. Rescue partners with lending providers to offer consumer loans, merchant financing, and custom lending programs, potentially earning referral or partnership fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rescue Payments is a Canadian payment processor that sells a proprietary surcharge automation platform ("Pass The Fee") enabling merchants to pass credit card processing costs to customers via a compliant 2.4% surcharge. The company bundles this with Android-based smart payment terminals (wired, Wi-Fi, LTE), a mobile payment app, online invoice/checkout, QuickBooks/Xero integrations, Visa/Mastercard surcharge registration, signage, training, and 24/7 support. Complementary offerings include a Dual Pricing program, partner-enabled BNPL/consumer loans and merchant financing, and customized Enterprise Solutions.

Product overview

Rescue Payments offers a unified payment processing platform centered on its Pass The Fee Technology surcharge program, which enables merchants to reduce credit card processing fees by 99.7% by passing costs to customers. The platform provides multiple acceptance channels through Android-based smart terminals, a mobile app, and online checkout/invoice systems with built-in QuickBooks and Xero integration. Additional offerings include Buy Now, Pay Later financing solutions through partner lenders, Dual Pricing programs for transparency, and a Rescue Kit for hassle-free onboarding. The Enterprise tier provides customized solutions including DMS integration for automotive dealers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pass The Fee Surcharge Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce credit card processing fees by 99.7%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• QuickBookscoreTechnology or IntegrationRescue Payments integrates with QuickBooks accounting software, allowing merchants to accept credit card payments in invoices with compliant surcharge. Payment data syncs automatically back to QuickBooks upon customer payment.
• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Xero accounting platform for embedded surcharge payments in invoices, with automatic data synchronization back to accounting system.
• Lending PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRescue partners with lending providers to offer BNPL solutions, consumer loans, and merchant financing for high-value products and services. Partners include unnamed consumer loan providers, BNPL platforms, and merchant cash advance partners.
• Electronic Transactions Association (ETA)minorOthersRescue Payments is a member of the Electronic Transactions Association, Canada's industry trade association for electronic payment processing companies.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Clover (Fiserv): POS and payment processing platform widely used in North American SMBs. Comparable in Android-based smart terminals and integrated merchant services.
• PayPal: Global digital payments incumbent serving Canadian merchants with online, in-person, and BNPL (Pay in 4) capabilities. Comparable in omni-channel acceptance and SMB-focused offerings.
• Stripe: Global online payment processing platform with growing Canadian SMB and enterprise share. Comparable in offering integrated payment processing, QuickBooks/Xero integrations, and developer-friendly infrastructure.
• Square (Block): Global payment processing and POS provider with significant Canadian presence. Comparable in serving SMBs with integrated terminals and omni-channel payment acceptance, though broader product portfolio.

Direct peers

• Helcim: Canadian payment processor offering transparent pricing and processing for SMBs. Directly comparable as a homegrown Canadian merchant payments competitor with a similar target market and emphasis on fee transparency.
• Moneris: Canada's largest payment processor serving hundreds of thousands of merchants. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in Canadian card-present and e-commerce payments that Rescue directly competes with.
• Lightspeed Commerce: Canadian-headquartered commerce and POS platform with integrated payments. Comparable as a Canadian fintech serving retail, hospitality, and automotive with omni-channel payment solutions.

Regional players

• Toast: Restaurant-focused payments and POS platform expanding in Canada. Comparable in integrated Android-based terminals and SMB verticals though primarily US-focused.
• Poynt (GoDaddy): Smart payment terminal provider (acquired by GoDaddy). Comparable in Android-based smart terminal hardware for SMBs and omni-channel payment acceptance.

Emerging players

• Affirm (PayBright Canada): BNPL provider operating in Canada (formerly PayBright). Comparable in offering consumer installment lending integrated with merchant checkout for high-value purchases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rescue-payments

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Rescue Payments