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Most buyers should pick Authorize.Net.
Choose Authorize.Net if you want published pricing and a payment gateway with fraud detection, recurring billing, and digital invoicing. Its plans start at $25 per month, with transaction costs that vary by plan. Choose CardConnect if merchant onboarding, portfolio reporting, and access to 300+ app integrations matter more than upfront price clarity. CardConnect does not publish rates, so request a written quote covering fees and support. Neither product lists a free plan.
01Side by side
| Authorize.Net | CardConnect | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $25/month; transaction fees vary by plan | Custom quote; rates not published |
| Free plan | No free plan listed | No free plan listed |
| Best for | Businesses needing a payment gateway and merchant account | Merchants and sales teams needing merchant tools |
| Core strength | Payment acceptance with built-in fraud detection | Onboarding, portfolio reporting, and transaction management |
| Learning curve | Ease-of-use score: 6/10 | Ease-of-use score: 6/10 |
| Integrations/data | Cards, wallets, eChecks, and fraud tools | 300+ apps; portfolio and transaction reporting |
| Team/seat costs | Seat costs not published | Seat costs not published |
| Support | 24/7 support included | Support terms not published |
Authorize.Net Choose Authorize.Net if
- Choose Authorize.Net if you want published monthly plan prices.
- Choose Authorize.Net if you need recurring billing and digital invoicing.
- Choose Authorize.Net if 24/7 support is a buying requirement.
CardConnect Choose CardConnect if
- Choose CardConnect if you need merchant onboarding tools.
- Choose CardConnect if portfolio and transaction reporting matter.
- Choose CardConnect if its 300+ app library fits your stack.
02Pricing compared
Authorize.Net lists three plans, each at $25 per month, with no annual price or discount published. The All-in-one plan includes a merchant account and charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. Gateway-only costs 10¢ per transaction plus a 10¢ daily batch fee; it does not include a merchant account. Gateway + eCheck also lists those card-processing fees, with eCheck processing at 0.75% for U.S. businesses. Recurring billing, digital invoicing, fraud detection and 24/7 support are listed across the plans.
CardConnect publishes no rates or billing terms and offers custom pricing by quote. Its plan limits and included features are also not published. That makes a direct price comparison impossible until you request a quote. Neither product lists a free plan.
03Features and depth
Authorize.Net focuses on accepting and processing payments. It supports cards, eChecks and digital wallets, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal. For in-person or phone sales, its listed tools include a virtual POS that connects a card reader to a computer and a browser-based Virtual Terminal. Simple Checkout adds Buy Now or Donate buttons to a website. Fraud detection, recurring billing and digital invoicing are also listed, though plan-specific transaction fees differ.
CardConnect covers payment acceptance online, in person and on the go, but its feature set also includes merchant-management tools. Businesses can track applications through approval, onboard accounts with a digital application, review deposits and batch reports, and access line-item residual reporting and sub-partner performance insights. CardConnect also lists POS hardware options and integrations with 300+ apps. Choose based on the work you need: Authorize.Net spells out payment tools and pricing, while CardConnect lists more onboarding and portfolio-management functions. Its rates and feature limits are not published.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Neither product publishes setup times or enough detail to compare the learning curve directly. Authorize.Net lists several ways to handle specific tasks: add checkout buttons, enter phone orders in a browser, or connect a card reader for in-person payments. Its plan choice also depends on whether you need a merchant account and how you process transactions, so check the fee model before signing up.
CardConnect’s digital application and application tracking may suit teams handling merchant onboarding, while its reporting tools cover deposits, batches and portfolio activity. Those functions may matter more to sales agents, ISOs and merchants managing multiple accounts than to a business that only needs checkout. Ask CardConnect for a walkthrough and written details on setup and support before deciding.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Authorize.Net or CardConnect?
Authorize.Net publishes plans at $25 per month, plus transaction charges that vary by plan. CardConnect does not publish rates, so we can’t tell whether it would cost less or more. Compare written quotes that include monthly fees, transaction charges and any other applicable costs.
Does Authorize.Net include a merchant account?
Its All-in-one plan lists a merchant account and payment gateway for $25 per month, plus 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. The Gateway-only plan costs the same monthly amount but does not include a merchant account. Check which arrangement fits your existing payment setup.
Does CardConnect integrate with other apps?
CardConnect lists access to a library of 300+ apps and says it can integrate with existing platforms. The available integrations, plan limits and any integration-related fees are not published on the vendor's site, so confirm your specific platform and costs with CardConnect.
Who should choose CardConnect over Authorize.Net?
Consider CardConnect if merchant onboarding, portfolio reporting, transaction management or its app integrations are central to your work. Authorize.Net is the clearer choice when published plan pricing and listed payment tools matter more. CardConnect does not publish rates, so get fees and support terms in writing before switching.