Gravity Payments review 2024: Cost, plans, features and more
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 4:59 p.m. UTC Jan. 3, 2024
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Gravity Payments
Pros
- Industry-specific solutions.
- 24/7 customer support.
- No monthly fees.
Cons
- No pricing transparency.
- Payment processing can be slow.
- Difficulty disputing chargebacks.
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- 27 companies reviewed.
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Featured credit card processing offers
Stax
Monthly fee
$99
Swiped transaction fee
7¢ to 10¢ + interchange rate
Merchant One
Monthly fee
$13.95
Swiped transaction fee
0.29% to 1.55% per transaction
Payment Depot
Free Trial
No
Offers
$0 Setup & No Cancellation Fees
Pricing
Customized Interchange+ Pricing – Rates as low as 0.2% – 1.95%
Clover
Monthly fee
$14.95
Swiped transaction fee
2.6% + 10¢
Gravity Payments overview
Gravity Payments is a credit card processor founded in 2004 to serve small businesses. It is based in Seattle, Washington, and has offices in Honolulu, Hawaii and Boise, Idaho. In 2015, Gravity made waves in the payments industry by increasing its minimum salary to $70,000 to ensure all employees were receiving a livable wage. By 2019, the company had grown to 200 employees. In 2022, Tami Kroll took the reins as the company’s CEO after six years as Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Gravity Payments sets itself apart with industry-specific solutions.
Its Gravity Legal software comes with no monthly, setup or termination fees. Users pay 1% per same-day bank transfer (capped at $30) and 2.95% per card transaction. The software integrates payment processing with legal intake and workflow processes. Users can accept payments via links, bank transfers or cards and embed payment links into emails and websites for quick client access. Finally, they can track and follow up on payments from the software’s interface.
In addition, Gravity Payments Poppy Bridal software offers unique tools for managing a bridal shop with plans ranging from $99 to $129 per month. It allows shops to list and manage inventory online, meaning customers can virtually select dresses that most interest them prior to in-store fittings. Shops can also create client profiles complete with personal information and even dress sizes. From the software, they can book appointments for dress fittings.
Although Gravity Payments has been in business since 2004, its online presence is sparse. It has one review on Trustpilot – a five-star review that praises its employee compensation practices. Gravity Payments doesn’t have a profile on other popular user review sites.
How much does Gravity Payments cost?
| GRAVITY PAYMENTS COST | |
|---|---|
Pricing structure
| Interchange-plus
|
Monthly fee
| $0
|
Online transaction fee
| Varies
|
Swiped/keyed transaction fee
| Varies
|
Keyed transaction fee
| Varies
|
Chargeback fee
| $25
|
Free equipment
| No
|
High-risk merchant
| No
|
Gravity Payments credit card processing
Gravity Payments offers a full suite of services to help businesses accept the most popular payment methods, including:
- Visa.
- Mastercard.
- Discover.
- American Express.
- Apple Pay.
- Google Pay.
- Samsung Pay.
Pricing
Gravity Payments doesn’t publish specifics about its pricing online. You will need to call a sales representative to receive a custom credit card processing quote. However, Gravity Payments does publish some pricing for its catered solutions. For example, Gravity Legal’s per transaction card fee is 2.95%. It also charges a $25 chargeback fee.
Add-ons and optional features
Gravity has several features that complement its credit card processing solution, including:
- Gravity Capital: Gravity offers business loans with flexible payback terms and no compounding interest. You can repay the loan by offering a percentage of your sales before it is deposited into your account. So, when sales are high, you pay more; when they are low, you pay less.
- Emergepay: This cloud-based API allows you to embed forms into your brands’ app or website to accept payments. Forms include checkout, pre-built embedded and fully customizable forms for accepting credit-card, bank transfer and digital-wallet payments.
- Dispute Manager: Gravity Payments’ dispute manager solution allows you to access and respond to chargeback notifications from one platform. You can also set it up to receive email alerts when your company is issued a dispute.
- Analytics: Gravity’s customer analytics platform shows you several data reports. These include sales summaries, sales and marketing trends and acquired customer trends.
Gravity lacks some features available from competitors. For example, it doesn’t have accounting or bookkeeping features and only supports a handful of integrations. If you need additional accounting and bookkeeping features, consider Intuit Payments. Or, for a provider with exceptional integration options, consider Stripe.
Gravity Payments also doesn’t offer free equipment, although several POS devices are available for purchase starting at $64. Consider Square if you need a credit card processing provider that offers free equipment and transparent pricing.
Equipment
Gravity Payment offers 22 compatible point-of-sale (POS) systems and devices for accepting payments in-store or on the go. Prices for these devices range from $64 to $1,995.
For example, you can purchase Clover’s Mini Gen 3 for $800 on Gravity Payments’ website. The Clover Mini offers a large touch screen and the ability to accept all payment types, including digital wallets like Apple Pay. In contrast, the ID Tech Shuttle is $64 and plugs into your mobile device for on-the-go payment processing. However, it only accepts magstripe cards. Other compatible solutions include handheld terminals, countertop readers and complete POS systems with printers and cash drawers.
Gravity Payments customer support and experience
Gravity Payments offers 24/7 live phone support in English, Spanish, Korean and Japanese. It also has a screen-sharing feature on its website for troubleshooting issues with its support team. In addition to phone support, it offers a support library and the ability to submit a ticket to request help, though it is missing live chat support.
Gravity’s customers report overall positive experiences with its customer support. According to user reviews, customers appreciate having responsive, knowledgeable local representatives who can solve most service-related problems. A small number of customers had negative experiences with Gravity’s customer support, including slow connections at times.
Gravity has a sleek website that is straightforward to navigate. However, it lacks essential information, such as pricing details. Instead of offering answers to common questions, visitors are frequently prompted to call the company’s sales team.
Gravity also offers apps for iPhone, iPad and Android. Its iOS app has a more modern appearance than its Android app. Still, both the Apple and Android apps let you perform everyday payment processing tasks, including cash processing, credit card and check transactions and inventory management. You can also pair the app with card readers and receipt printers to turn your device into a complete checkout tool.
Gravity Payments vs. Square
| FREE VERSION AVAILABLE | MONTHLY FEE | FREE CARD READER | ONLINE TRANSACTION FEE | 24/7 CUSTOMER SUPPORT | BEST FOR | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Gravity Payments | Yes | $0 | No | Varies | Yes | Companies needing catered industry solutions | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
 Square | Yes | $0 – $79 | Yes | 2.9% + 30 cents | No | New and small brick-and-mortar businesses | ||||||||
|
Square offers a free credit card processing plan, an upgraded Plus plan for $29 per month and a Premium plan for $79 per month. All plans offer several payment method options, including credit card, debit card and contactless payment methods. Higher-tiered plans add features such as live phone support, dispute management tools and a free POS app. Square also provides payment hardware and software, POS systems and small business financing.
Gravity is a payment processor that offers many of the same offerings as Square, including POS systems and business financing. Similar to Square, Gravity Payments offers a free plan in which you are only required to pay per-transaction fees and includes features like payment analytics, recurring payments and a suite of ecommerce tools.
However, there are a handful of differences between the two providers. One of the biggest differences with Gravity’s offerings is its 24/7 customer support. In addition, Gravity Payments doesn’t have transparent pricing data on its website. Instead, it works with each business to create a custom quote. Finally, unlike Square, it relies heavily on compatible devices and POS systems from other companies, such as Clover, rather than offering an in-house solution.
Based on their differences, Gravity is likely a better fit for larger companies that would benefit from a custom quote based on their unique needs, while Square is ideal for smaller businesses needing in-store payment processing for no upfront costs.
Gravity Payments vs. Stripe
| FREE VERSION AVAILABLE | MONTHLY FEE | FREE CARD READER | ONLINE TRANSACTION FEE | 24/7 CUSTOMER SUPPORT | BEST FOR | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravity Payments | Yes | $0 | No | Varies | Yes | Companies needing industry-specific solutions | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
 Stripe | Yes | $0 | No | 2.9% + 30 cents | Yes | Companies needing robust integration and API capabilities | ||||||||
|
Like Gravity Payments, Stripe allows companies to accept credit cards, debit cards and other payment methods through its software and APIs. It accepts all major payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and most digital wallet apps, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. You can use Stripes credit card processing with the Stripe Terminal, a POS system offered by the company.
Stripe has transparent pricing with no monthly fees and an interchange-plus pricing structure. For example, it charges 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction. In contrast to Gravity, Stripe’s transparent pricing makes it easier for companies to decide whether the provider is best for them. Gravity offers no pricing transparency online, and its sales representatives were reluctant to offer pricing details when we asked for them.
However, Gravity offers some unique features that Stripe does not, specifically its industry-specific software solutions. For example, its bridal software allows you to store dress inventory for clients to peruse before booking an appointment for in-store dress fittings. And, its legal software integrates payment processing into each firms’ appointment booking and workflow processes. Both offer resources for multi-location business management. Stripe on the other hand, relies on a plethora of integrations available on its app marketplace to help business owners customize their payment solution to meet their needs.
Stripe’s transparent pricing and endless ways to customize its solutions through APIs and integrations make it best for businesses wanting a straightforward pricing structure and to build their own solution to complement their already-existing tech stack.
Gravity Payments is better for larger businesses that want to negotiate the best custom quote and operate within the industries in which Gravity specializes, including niche industries such as veterinary or outdoor power equipment companies. Its flexible business loans and multi-location solutions are also great for companies needing funding to expand their operations.
Is Gravity Payments right for your business?
Gravity Payments offers the tools most businesses need to get started with payment processing, including useful features such as invoicing, customer analytics and recurring payments. It integrates with several POS systems, including Clover devices. And its industry-specific solutions often come complete with custom software designed to meet the needs of businesses within that industry and help them stay compliant with best practices.
Gravity Payments stands out for its 24/7 live customer support, available for all customers. According to user reviews, its customers like being able to turn to local and knowledgeable representatives who can work through all their problems. These offerings, coupled with its custom price quotes, mean Gravity may be best suited to larger, round-the-clock businesses and niche businesses with unique needs, such as legal, bridal, healthcare, government or veterinarian companies.
Gravity doesn’t publish specifics about its pricing structure but instead creates custom quotes. Its undisclosed pricing and custom quote requirement make it a mismatch for small companies wanting a straightforward, quick credit card processing setup. As such, these businesses should consider providers with more friendly solutions and pricing, such as Square.
Methodology
We extensively research the key competitors within an industry to determine the best products and services for your business. Our experts identify the factors that matter most to business owners, including pricing, features and customer support, to ensure that our recommendations offer well-rounded products that will meet the needs of various small businesses.
We collect extensive data to narrow our best list to reputable, easy-to-use products with stand-out features at a reasonable price point. And we look at user reviews to ensure that business owners like you are satisfied with our top picks’ services. We use the same rubric to assess companies within a particular space so you can confidently follow our blueprint to the Best credit card processing.
Featured credit card processing offers
Stax
Monthly fee
$99
Swiped transaction fee
7¢ to 10¢ + interchange rate
Merchant One
Monthly fee
$13.95
Swiped transaction fee
0.29% to 1.55% per transaction
Payment Depot
Free Trial
No
Offers
$0 Setup & No Cancellation Fees
Pricing
Customized Interchange+ Pricing – Rates as low as 0.2% – 1.95%
Clover
Monthly fee
$14.95
Swiped transaction fee
2.6% + 10¢
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
The steps to set up Gravity Payments are as follows:
- Fill out the sign-up form with information about you and your business, such as your name, phone number, location and industry.
- Work with the sales team to create your custom plan.
- Connect your bank account.
- Choose appropriate devices for your company and work with sales to set them up for payment processing.
Gravity offers very little information on how to get started. These are its basic steps but you may have additional setup, depending on your needs. For instance, you may have to configure a POS system or configure your customer analytics dashboard.
Gravity Payments does not offer a free trial because it doesn’t have plans that require a monthly fee. Instead, it works with each business to create a custom plan suited to their needs.
Gravity Payments doesn’t have a contract as it has no monthly fees. Instead, you will pay interchange-plus fees on each transaction you process with its services.
Gravity Payments offers a number of third-party payment processing and POS devices to help you accept payments. These include several devices from Clover, such as the Clover Go, Clover Flex Gen 3, Clover Mini Gen 3 and the Clover Station Duo. For more affordable solutions, it offers the ID Tech Shuffle and the Swipe ƒ B200.
Gravity Payments works with a Payment Card Industry (PCI) partner, SecureTrust, to walk you through becoming (and staying) PCI-compliant. In addition to PCI compliance, Gravity offers several technologies to help improve your business’ security status while using its products. These include P2P encryption, tokenization and fraud management tools. While the setup of these technologies is not automatic, Gravity will provide guidance in helping you implement them.
Gravity Payments has an Android and iOS app. These apps let you perform basic tasks like processing cash, credit card and check transactions and managing your inventory.
Gravity Payments supports some integrations, such as Modal (a mobile-friendly UI solution), VetBadger (a veterinarian practice management system) and LeanLaw (a legal financial management system). However, it only has 11 integrations, which is not as extensive as some competitors, such as Stripe.
One of the add-on services that Gravity Payments offers is Gravity Capital, a small business funding option. Gravity Capital is designed to compliment Gravity Payments by using a portion of your transactions to pay off your business funding instead of relying on monthly payments. Gravity Capital also doesn’t accrue compounding interest. To learn more, call Gravity’s sales.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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