Clear accept fees explained
Clear Accept fees confuse a lot of UK business owners for one simple reason: most people meet ClearAccept through their business software rather than choosing it as a payment provider. If your ecommerce platform, booking system or membership software runs on a ClearCourse product, ClearAccept is likely the payments engine underneath, and this guide explains exactly what you pay, including the VAT detail that catches people out.
What are Clear Accept fees?
ClearAccept's published rate is 1.4% plus 20p per transaction, plus VAT, with no monthly fee and no minimum monthly charge. Because VAT is added on top, the true cost per transaction is effectively 1.68% plus 24p unless your business is VAT registered and can reclaim it.
That VAT line is the single most misunderstood part of ClearAccept pricing. Most UK payment providers quote fees with no VAT applied at all, so a like-for-like comparison against a provider quoting 1.5% flat is not as close as it first looks if you cannot reclaim the VAT. Rates can also vary by platform, since ClearAccept is sold through the software you use, so treat 1.4% plus 20p as the published benchmark and check your own agreement.
Who is ClearAccept?
ClearAccept Ltd is the payments arm of ClearCourse, a UK software group, and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for payment services. It provides embedded payments inside ClearCourse software products, combining the payment gateway and merchant account in one service.
You will find ClearAccept behind platforms including EKM and Sellerdeck for ecommerce, plus membership, booking and club management systems used by golf clubs, professional bodies and similar organisations. If your software provider is part of ClearCourse, ClearAccept is typically the integrated payment option, which is the same gateway-plus-merchant-account bundle we explain in what is a payment gateway and what is a merchant account.
What fees does ClearAccept charge in full?
The published structure is refreshingly short: a per-transaction fee of 1.4% plus 20p plus VAT, covering online, MOTO and virtual terminal payments, with no setup fee, no monthly fee and no minimum. You only pay when you transact.
| Item | Published cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction fee | 1.4% + 20p + VAT | Effectively 1.68% + 24p if you cannot reclaim VAT |
| Monthly fee | None published | No minimum monthly charge |
| Setup fee | None published | Applications typically take around four working days |
| Settlement | Typically three working days | GBP settlement only |
| Amex | Supported | Requires your own Amex merchant ID |
| Failed payments | No charge | You pay on completed transactions only |
Figures reflect published ClearCourse platform pricing at the time of writing in July 2026 and can change or vary by platform, so confirm your exact rate in your ClearAccept agreement or portal.
Is 1.4% plus 20p a good rate?
For an online transaction it is competitive against pay-as-you-go rivals, sitting in the same range as major gateways once VAT is reclaimed. For a VAT-unregistered business the effective 1.68% plus 24p is less sharp, and at higher volumes a negotiated setup can undercut it meaningfully.
The comparison depends on your transaction size. On a £10 sale, the 20p fixed fee adds a full two percentage points of cost; on a £200 invoice it is a rounding error. As a benchmark, negotiated custom pricing for established businesses starts from around 0.35% for debit and 0.65% for consumer credit in person, so the gap grows with volume, which is the same maths covered in flat-rate vs custom pricing.
What do ClearAccept customers say?
ClearAccept holds an Excellent rating of around 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot from a modest number of reviews. Praise focuses on responsive, named support staff; criticism comes mainly from merchants on acquired platforms who felt pushed to migrate, and some frustration around payout reporting clarity.
That mixed picture is worth weighing in context: the platform-embedded model means switching payments without switching software is not always straightforward, so the decision carries more weight than picking a standalone provider you can drop next month.
Can you use a different provider with ClearCourse software?
Sometimes, but it depends on the platform. Some ClearCourse products support alternative gateways, occasionally with an additional platform commission for using them, while others are built around ClearAccept. Check your platform's payment options and total cost both ways before deciding.
When comparing, calculate the full monthly cost including any platform surcharge for external gateways, not just the headline rates. If the numbers are close, integration quality and reconciliation time are worth real money too.
Not sure if your rate stacks up?
Send us a recent statement, ClearAccept or otherwise, and we will show you exactly what you are paying and whether a better setup exists for your volume.
Get your free statement reviewFrequently asked questions
Does ClearAccept charge a monthly fee?
No monthly fee or minimum monthly charge is published. You pay the per-transaction rate of 1.4 percent plus twenty pence plus VAT only when you take a payment.
Why is VAT added to ClearAccept fees?
ClearAccept prices its transaction fee exclusive of VAT, so twenty percent is added on top, making the effective cost 1.68 percent plus twenty-four pence. VAT-registered businesses can reclaim this, while unregistered businesses bear the full amount.
How long does ClearAccept take to pay out?
Settlement is typically three working days from the transaction date, with the exact timing depending on the receiving bank. Settlement is currently in pounds sterling only.
Does ClearAccept support American Express?
Yes, but you need your own Amex merchant ID, which you can supply during the application or add later through support. Amex transactions are then processed alongside Visa and Mastercard.
Is ClearAccept regulated?
Yes. ClearAccept Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 for the provision of payment services, and the platform is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant.
Can I take phone payments through ClearAccept?
Yes. Accounts are typically set up with both online and MOTO capability, and a virtual terminal is available, so you can key in card details for telephone orders at the same published rate.
Is ClearAccept the same as Clearpay?
No. ClearAccept is a card payment processor owned by software group ClearCourse, while Clearpay is a separate buy-now-pay-later service. The similar names cause regular confusion, but they are unrelated companies with entirely different fees.
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