Modernizing Main Street: Mastercard Makes POS Device Nearly Free for Small Businesses

Mastercard is enhancing the value of its Small Business Navigator program by offering small businesses a Clover point-of-sale device for as little as a penny per month in hardware rental fees.

The offer can help small businesses save money on monthly terminal fees, providing a financial shot in the arm to businesses that may need it more than larger enterprises.

Businesses that need merchant terminals can choose to rent them for a monthly fee or buy them outright. Buying a terminal can ultimately prove to be cheaper than renting it. But Mastercard’s new small business offer removes cost from the consideration by essentially waiving a merchant’s monthly hardware rental fees.

“Small businesses make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses, yet many still face barriers accessing the technology, tools, and trusted support they need to compete and grow,” the company said in a press release announcing the offer.

Fiserv’s Clover POS machines offer value even to those businesses that don’t take advantage of Mastercard’s penny-per-month offer. The devices accept payments from credit and debit cards, and they can also accommodate transactions involving Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

The one-cent deal isn’t an introductory offer that will switch merchants to a more expensive plan after a few months. The hardware rental fee of a penny per month is good for 36 months for the first 1,000 small businesses that apply and qualify for the offer prior to Dec. 31, 2025. Eligibility depends in part on a merchant’s processing volume.

Many people aspire to own a small business one day. But owning and operating a successful small business isn’t easy. Nearly half of small businesses fail within five years of opening and more than 65% fail within their first 10 years.

Armed with that data, small businesses would be wise to consider taking advantage of offers such as Mastercard’s penny promotion that can help them save money during their formative years.

Businesses that equip themselves with terminals that can accept various forms of payment signal to customers that they’re committed to enabling different types of transactions, not just those that are the least expensive to process.

Nearly half of small businesses fail within five years of opening.

Having a point-of-sale terminal on hand can also ensure that a small business won’t miss out on a sale when a customer doesn’t carry cash and can only complete a transaction with their credit or debit card.

The Small Business Navigator program provides resources to help smaller outfits succeed. It provides small businesses with a “mobile-friendly hub offering free and trial-based tools, curated content, product discounts, and partner solutions to help SMBs operate more efficiently and securely,” according to Mastercard.  

Businesses can access reports through Small Business Navigator to learn from economists that leverage Mastercard transaction data and offer insights into evolving consumer trends.

“As small businesses continue to digitize and modernize, access to trusted, flexible solutions matters more than ever,” Chiro Aikat, U.S. Co-President at Mastercard, said in the company’s release. “By collaborating with partners like Fiserv, we’re helping entrepreneurs navigate their next chapter with tools that meet them where they are — and where they want to go.”