Guide
Leasing spreads the cost of a terminal over time, but a lease is a separate contract that can outlast your processing agreement. Read both before deciding.
✓ Installed by our team and supported by phone. Rates and equipment are quoted to your business.
Short answer: Buying costs more up front but you own the device. Leasing spreads the cost, but many terminal leases are non-cancellable, run for years and cost far more in total than the device is worth. Before signing, ask for the total of all payments, the term, the cancellation terms and whether the device works with another processor.
Key facts
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Merchant Fund Express explains payments in plain English so owners can make better decisions about equipment and processing.
Leasing spreads the cost of a terminal over time, but a lease is a separate contract that can outlast your processing agreement. Read both before deciding.
Buying means paying for the hardware up front and owning it. Leasing means monthly payments over a set term, often with no early cancellation, and you may pay more in total than the device costs to buy.
The right choice depends on your cash flow, how long you expect to use the device and whether the lease can be cancelled. Some businesses finance equipment through a separate business loan or line of credit instead of a lease.
You can pay up front and plan to keep the device for years.
Cash is tight now and you understand the full term and total cost.
Check the term, cancellation rules and who owns the device at the end.
A small equipment loan can let you own the device while paying over time.
| Buy | Lease | |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | Higher | Lower |
| Total cost over time | Known | Can be higher |
| Ownership | Yours | Depends on the lease |
| Cancellation | Not applicable | Often restricted |
A new bakery is offered a lease for a countertop terminal. Before signing, the owner reads the term and cancellation rules, compares the total of all monthly payments to buying, and asks whether the lease would continue if they changed processors.
A device or pricing decision looks bigger on paper than it is in practice. Most owners are well served by choosing for their busiest ten minutes, keeping the first setup simple and adding pieces as volume proves the need.
Call (305) 384-8391 and tell us how you sell. We will explain the options in plain English, give you a personal quote and review your current statement for free. There is no price list to compare against, because the right setup depends on your business.
As explained by Merchant Fund Express. Updated 2026.
Reviewed by the Merchant Fund Express team on October 12, 2026. Official pages checked as of that date.
Many leases are non-cancellable. Read the terms before you sign.
No. Equipment is quoted to your business when we size your setup.
Merchant Fund Express can talk with you about funding options for equipment.
It can. The lease is often a separate contract from the processing agreement.
Yes. English and Spanish support are available by phone, on site and during staff training, so the person who opens on Monday can learn it in the language they work in.
Sometimes. We review what you have and tell you what can be reused, what is worth replacing and what you should check in your contract before deciding.
Call Merchant Fund Express. We install it, train your staff and stay on the line after launch. Ask for a free rate review while you are at it.
