Not one we lead with. We can board this if you want it. It is not one we know inside out, so we would be setting it up rather than advising you on it — and we would tell you that before you signed anything. Talk it through with us.
Payments · KurvPay
Kurv
Published rates, published hardware prices, and a free tap-to-pay path in.
- Retail
- Restaurant
- Bar & nightlife
- Hotel
- Home services
- Automotive
- Any business
An independent assessment. Vigilant can place Kurv, and is paid the same either way — which is why the drawbacks are on this page too.
What it is
Kurv is on this page for a reason we do not get to use often: it publishes its prices. A published swiped retail rate, a zero-fee programme, and interchange-plus with volume discounts — all on the public site, not in a proposal you have to ask for.
The hardware is priced the same way. Tap to Pay on a phone you already own is free. The handheld smart terminal is one free device then $24.95/month. The all-in-one dual-touchscreen countertop with a built-in printer is $49.95/month. Three devices, three published numbers, and a comparison table Kurv publishes itself.
Around the POS sit gateways, embedded payments for platforms, invoicing, contactless and QR payments, virtual terminals and chargeback prevention with representment. Onboarding is fast — Kurv quotes 15–20 minutes to deploy a device — and support is 24/7/365 across 30,000+ businesses.
What you are not getting is a restaurant platform. There is no table service, no KDS, no coursing. This is payment acceptance done cleanly and priced openly.
Who it fits
Best for
Retail counters, service businesses, field and mobile operators, and anyone who wants to compare a real number against their current statement without a sales meeting first.
Probably not ideal for
Full-service restaurants needing table management and a kitchen display, and multi-SKU retail needing deep inventory. Kurv is acceptance, not operations.
Key capabilities
- Published pricing
- A published swiped rate, a zero-fee programme, and IC+ with volume discounts — all public.
- Tap to Pay
- Accept on an iPhone or Android with no hardware at all, plus a free reporting dashboard.
- Handheld terminal
- Cordless, all-day battery, integrated receipt printer. One free, then $24.95/month.
- All-in-one countertop
- Dual touchscreens, integrated printer and built-in loyalty at $49.95/month.
- Beyond the counter
- Gateways, embedded payments, invoicing, contactless and QR, and virtual terminals.
- Chargeback prevention
- Vulnerability identification up front and representment when disputes land.
- Onboarding
- Rapid underwriting with devices quoted at 15–20 minutes to deploy, and 24/7/365 support.
Strengths and tradeoffs
Strengths
- It publishes its prices — a swiped rate, a zero-fee programme, and IC+ with volume discounts — all on a public page.
- Hardware prices are published too: free tap-to-pay, $24.95/mo handheld, $49.95/mo all-in-one.
- You can compare it against your current statement tonight without talking to a salesperson, including us.
- Fast onboarding — Kurv quotes 15–20 minutes to deploy a device — with 24/7/365 support.
- The wider stack is there when you need it: gateways, embedded payments, invoicing, virtual terminals, chargeback prevention with representment.
- Tap to Pay on a phone you already own means the entry cost can genuinely be zero.
Tradeoffs
- Acceptance, not operations. No table service, no KDS, no coursing, no deep inventory.
- The 0% programme means the cardholder pays 3.95% — that is a customer-experience decision as much as a financial one, and it deserves thought.
- Devices are monthly rentals rather than purchases, so over three years the all-in-one is not free money.
- Smaller brand than Clover or Square, with a correspondingly smaller integration ecosystem.
- Published retail rates are a starting point; your actual mix still decides the effective rate.
Pricing
Published on their own site: a swiped retail rate, a zero-fee programme, or interchange-plus with volume discounts. Ask us for the current figures. Hardware free, $24.95/mo or $49.95/mo.
Pricing reflects what the vendor publishes or what we have seen quoted. Your actual terms depend on volume, card mix and what is negotiated — which is the part we do.
Hardware
- Kurv Tap to Pay — iPhone or Android, no hardware
- Kurv Handheld Smart Terminal — cordless with printer
- Kurv All-in-One — dual touchscreen countertop with printer
Specifications
Drawings are schematic — they show the shape and rough proportions of each device, not an exact rendering of one model. Kurv hardware options and pricing depend on the programme, so ask and we will quote it.
Vigilant's assessment
We publish our margin, so we notice who else publishes anything. Kurv putting three rates and three hardware prices on a public page means you can check it against your statement without sitting through a pitch. That is worth more than a slightly better rate you can only get in a meeting.
How it compares
Three counters, three pricing philosophies. This is the comparison where the differences are about money rather than features.
| Criterion | Clover App ecosystem, sold by everyone | Square Flat rate, instant start | Kurv Published rates and hardware prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best at | Capability and growth headroom | Starting instantly at low volume | Legible pricing on real volume |
| Rate | Whatever your reseller quotes — ask us to check | 2.6% + 15¢ typical card present | A published swiped rate, or a zero-fee option |
| Hardware | Buy outright; refuse the lease | Buy outright, cheap | Free / $24.95 / $49.95 per month |
| Dual pricing | Available depending on the processor | No | Yes — published as a 0% programme |
| Operations depth | Deep via the app market | Good vertical apps | Light — acceptance focused |
| Onboarding | Days, depending on the reseller | Same day | 15–20 minutes to deploy, rapid underwriting |
| Support | Varies by reseller — ours is local | Queue and help centre | 24/7/365 |
| Watch out for | The lease and the plan tier | Outgrowing flat rate | Rentals add up; no operations tooling |
| Pick it when | You need a system, not just acceptance | You are small and starting out | You want a number you can verify yourself |
Verdict. If all you need is to take cards at a sensible, checkable rate, Kurv is hard to argue with. If you need the business system around the payment, that is Clover with the price properly negotiated — or a purpose-built platform from elsewhere on this page.
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