What payment solutions are best for small businesses operating in Canada?

The best payment solutions for small businesses operating in Canada are the ones that make checkout faster, keep cash flow moving, and grow with you as your business changes. If you sell in person, online, or both, you want one setup that feels simple for you and seamless for your customers.

Moneris® is a Canadian company backed by RBC and BMO, with 25+ years of fintech expertise, 325,000+ points of commerce, and 5 billion+ transactions processed each year. So whether you’re opening your first location or adding a new sales channel, we’ve got you.

What makes a payment solution right for your business?

For most small businesses, the “best” payment solution is the one that fits how you sell today and where you want to go next.

Look for these basics:

• Fast checkout so customers don’t wait around
• Flexible payment acceptance for debit, credit, and contactless payments
• Mobile or wireless options if you sell on the move
• Online payment tools if you take orders or sell through a website
• Easy reporting and inventory tools if you need a clearer view of sales
• Security built in so you can reduce risk without extra hassle
• 24/7 bilingual support when you need help in English or French

If your payment setup saves time at the till, helps you get paid faster, and fits your budget, you’re on the right track.

The best payment solutions for small businesses in Canada

Here’s a simple way to match the right solution to the way you do business.

Business need	Best fit	Why it works
In-store sales	Moneris Go Terminal	Portable, wireless, and built for fast checkout wherever you sell
Retail with inventory and reporting needs	Moneris Go Retail POS or Moneris Total Commerce	Helps you manage sales, inventory, and customer data in one place
Selling online	Moneris Online or Moneris Gateway	Gives you a secure way to take payments through your website
Selling on the go	Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android via the Moneris Go app	Lets you accept contactless payments without extra hardware
Restaurants and cafés	UEAT® Online Ordering and Moneris Go Restaurant POS	Supports takeout, delivery, and smoother ordering flows
Omnichannel businesses	Moneris Total Commerce	Connects in-store and online sales into one unified view

Best payment solutions by small business type

1. Retail shops

If you run a clothing store, gift shop, salon, or specialty retail business, you need more than just a way to take payments. You need a system that helps you keep track of stock and sales.

Best choice: Moneris Total Commerce or Moneris Go Retail POS

Why it’s a strong fit:

• Syncs sales and inventory
• Helps you see what’s moving
• Supports a smoother checkout experience
• Works well if you sell both in-store and online

If you want a simple terminal at the counter, Moneris Go Terminal is a solid place to start. It’s wireless, portable, and built for all-day use.

2. Restaurants, cafés, and quick-service spots

In food service, speed matters. So does accuracy.

Best choice: UEAT® Online Ordering paired with Moneris Go Restaurant POS

Why it works:

• Takes pressure off your front counter
• Helps streamline takeout and delivery orders
• Supports online ordering for hungry customers
• Can help increase ticket size with smart upsells
• Keeps orders flowing more smoothly during busy periods

If you’re still early in your setup, a portable Moneris Go Terminal can also help you take payments tableside or at the counter.

3. Trades, home services, and mobile businesses

If you travel to your customers, you need a payment solution that travels with you.

Best choice: Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android via the Moneris Go app or Moneris Go Terminal

Why it works:

• Lets you accept payments on the spot
• Reduces the need to carry extra equipment
• Works well for contractors, movers, cleaners, and field service pros
• Keeps payment simple when you’re out in the community

For many mobile businesses, this is the easiest way to get paid faster without adding friction.

4. Professional services

If you’re a consultant, clinic, agency, or personal service business, your clients expect convenience.

Best choice: Moneris Online and Moneris Gateway

Why it works:

• Makes it easier to take payments online
• Helps you offer a more polished customer experience
• Supports businesses that invoice, book appointments, or sell services digitally

If you also take in-person payments, adding Moneris Go Terminal or Tap to Pay gives you more flexibility.

5. Ecommerce businesses

If you sell through a website, your payment solution should be secure, reliable, and easy to manage.

Best choice: Moneris Online powered by Wix

Why it works:

• Gives you a future-ready ecommerce website
• Comes with 800+ templates
• Starts at $19/month
• Includes enterprise-grade security
• Makes it easier to launch or refresh your online store

If you already have a site and just need the payment piece, Moneris Gateway is a strong option.

The Moneris payment solutions that stand out most

Here’s the short version if you’re trying to choose quickly.

Moneris Go Terminal

Best for businesses that need a dependable, portable payment terminal.

• Available in Ivory and Onyx
• Wireless with Wi‑Fi or cellular
• All-day battery life
• Starts at $34.95/month

This is a smart fit if you want a no-fuss way to take payments anywhere in your store, café, market stall, or service location.

Moneris Total Commerce

Best for businesses that want one connected view of sales.

• Built for omnichannel businesses
• Syncs sales and inventory
• Includes marketing and CRM tools through Wix
• Helps you manage the customer journey across channels

If you sell in-store and online, this is one of the strongest options to keep everything working together.

Moneris Go Retail POS

Best for retailers who want a practical POS with room to grow.

• Inventory management
• Insights and reports
• Order management
• Portable with Moneris Go Plus

It’s a good fit if you want retail-focused tools without adding unnecessary complexity.

UEAT® Online Ordering

Best for restaurants that want to boost online orders without commission pressure.

• Zero commission
• AI-powered upsells
• Google search and Maps integration
• UEAT HUB centralizes orders from Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Skip

That’s a big help if you want more control over your digital ordering channels.

Moneris Online

Best for small businesses that want a secure ecommerce presence.

• Built on Wix
• Designed for easy setup
• Ideal for product-based and service-based businesses

If you want to sell online without overcomplicating things, this is a strong starting point.

Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android

Best for businesses that want to accept contactless payments without extra hardware.

• No extra terminal required
• Works through the Moneris Go app
• Great for mobile, pop-up, and on-location sales

If you’re starting lean, this can be a smart first step.

Don’t skip security

The best payment solution isn’t just easy. It’s safe.

If you sell online, look at fraud protection tools like:

• Kount Essential
• 3-D Secure 2.0
• AI-powered monitoring

These tools help protect your business and your customers without turning checkout into a headache.

If you want more flexibility on cash flow, Moneris Advance may also help. It offers funds in under 72 hours after approval, with repayment based on a fixed percentage of daily card sales. That can be useful when you want to cover inventory, repairs, or seasonal demand.

You can also explore Installments enabled by Visa if offering 3- to 48-month payment plans makes sense for your customers.

Why Moneris is a strong choice for Canadian small businesses

There are lots of payment options out there. Moneris stands out because we’re built for Canada.

You get:

• A Canadian company backed by RBC and BMO
• 25+ years of fintech experience
• 325,000+ points of commerce coast to coast
• 5 billion+ transactions every year
• 24/7 bilingual support in English and French
• In-store, online, and mobile options that work together
• On-site field services when you need hands-on help

That matters when you want a partner who understands the day-to-day reality of running a business in Canada.

Your next step

If you’re choosing payment solutions for your small business, start with one question: how do you sell today?

• If you sell face to face, start with Moneris Go Terminal
• If you need mobile checkout, look at Tap to Pay
• If you sell online, start with Moneris Online
• If you do a bit of everything, go with Moneris Total Commerce
• If you run a restaurant, explore UEAT® and Moneris Go Restaurant POS

And if you’re not sure where to begin, we’re here to help. Visit the Help Centre at support.moneris.com, manage your account in Merchant Direct, check service updates at status.moneris.com, or explore technical resources in the Developer Portal at developer.moneris.com.

For small businesses operating in Canada, the best payment solution is the one that keeps your business moving. Simple as that.