SWITCHING
How to get out of a Clover contract and switch card processors
Find the exit fee and any lease, then switch without losing a day of sales. Truvana Tech helps owners in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia find both, in English or Spanish, before they switch.
- 7 steps
- Sources linked
- English or Spanish
How to switch credit card processors in 7 steps
The first four steps tell you what leaving costs. The last three get you out without losing a day of sales.
- 01
Find who you signed with
Your statement names who services the account and your merchant ID.
- 02
Read the term and exit fee
Note the end date, the renewal notice and the early termination fee.
- 05
Set up the new system first
Run a real sale on it while the old machine still works.
- 06
Cancel in writing
Write to every company and keep proof that each letter arrived.
- 07
Get the next offer in writing
Rate, monthly fees, term, renewal, exit fee and who owns the machine.
1. Find out who you really signed with
The company on your card machine may not hold your contract. Clover says banks such as Citi, PNC and Wells Fargo and more than 3,000 other financial institutions sell it (Clover, checked November 10, 2026).
| Who | What to know |
|---|---|
| Whoever services the account | Your card statement names it, with your merchant ID (MID) |
| A reseller (agent or ISO) | Sells accounts for a processor and may set your rates; if one signed you up, cancel with both |
| Every company taking a payment | Your bank statement shows each one |
2. Read the contract: term, renewal and early termination fee
Four clauses decide what leaving costs. If all you have is a sales sheet, ask for the full agreement.
| Clause | Search the agreement for | What to write down |
|---|---|---|
| Term | "term" | The start and end dates |
| Automatic renewal | "renew" | How many days' notice you must give, and how |
| Early termination fee | "terminat" | A flat amount, or a charge for each month left |
| Liquidated damages | "liquidated" | Fees the processor says it loses until the term ends |
Read it in a language you understand
In 2022, the FTC said First American pitched owners with limited English in their language, then gave them English-only paperwork: three-year terms, automatic renewal and a $495.00 cancellation fee. The company agreed to return $4.9 million (FTC, July 29, 2022).
Not sure what your Clover or processor contract says?
Send it with your last statement, and we mark the term, the exit fee and any lease, in English or Spanish.
3. Check for an equipment lease
A card machine lease is a separate contract, often with another company, so closing your card processing doesn't end it. Find its payment on your bank statement, then check:
- The months left
- The cancellation clause
- The buyout price
- What happens when it ends
The New York leasing case
In 2020, a New York court found Northern Leasing trapped small family businesses, restaurants among them, in uncancellable card machine leases. By 2024 the Attorney General secured more than $4.6 million for them (New York Attorney General, September 30, 2024).
4. List the monthly fees that keep charging
Unplugging the machine doesn't stop the bills. Check your last three statements and your bank account for each charge below.
| Charge | Who bills it | How it stops |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly, statement and PCI fees | The processor or reseller | Closing the account in writing |
| Software plan | The POS company; on Clover, Clover itself can bill it (PNC) | Cancelling it |
| Apps | The app maker; some Clover apps carry their own fees (Clover, checked November 10, 2026) | Cancelling each one |
| Equipment lease | The leasing company | Only as the lease allows |
5. Time the switch so you don't lose a day of sales
Never cancel first. Change over on a slow day, and keep the old account open until its last deposit and the new processor's first deposit reach your bank.
What to save and move before you switch processors
You can lose access the day the old account closes, so do these first.
Sales reports
- ■Download your sales reports
- ■Export item and customer lists
Gift card balances
- ■Export the balances customers still hold
- ■Do it before the old account closes
Online orders and saved cards
- ■Move online ordering and payment links
- ■Ask whether saved cards can move
Your bank account
- ■Keep it open after you switch
- ■Refunds and chargebacks on past sales still post
6. Cancel in writing
A phone call leaves no proof. Write to every company from step 1 within the notice window your contract sets, and keep proof each letter arrived.
What to put in the letter
- Your business's legal name
- Your merchant ID
- The closing date, and a request to stop all fees after it
- Where to send leased or rented equipment
- A request to confirm the final amount in writing
- Your signature
7. What to ask a new provider
Ask every provider these questions, us included, and get the answers in writing. If a seller won't write an answer down, treat that as the answer.
| Ask | Why |
|---|---|
| What are all the monthly fees, PCI included? | $20.00 a month is $240.00 a year |
| Can the machine work with another processor? | A locked machine stops working when you leave |
| Who answers when it breaks, in what language? | A system down on a Friday night costs sales |
| Does "0%" or "sin comisiones" mean my customers pay a surcharge? | Usually, and some states ban it: see the card fee rules by state |
If you're leaving Clover or Toast
Does Clover have a contract?
Often, for years. Clover's online offer, a $450.00 statement credit on new hardware, "requires a 3-year contract" (Clover pricing).
| What | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Fiserv processing agreements | Typically one to three years, renewing automatically unless you cancel in a narrow window (KORONA POS, a competitor) |
| Clover devices | Bought or leased, they can't be used with other payment processors (Clover FAQ, checked November 10, 2026) |
Leaving Toast: what to get in writing
Ask Toast in writing what leaving would cost, including anything you still owe on hardware.
The October 2026 FTC case
In October 2026, the FTC and several states sued Toast over its fees and cancellation terms, including early termination fees. These are allegations; Toast says it disagrees and will fight the case (FTC, Restaurant Dive).
Switch card processors without a lease trap
Switching is hard when you don't know what leaving costs. Truvana Tech reads the contract and statement with you in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Your new system runs before you cancel the old one.
Contract review
Know what leaving costs before you decide
Send your contract and your last statement. Truvana Tech goes through them with you, in English or Spanish, and marks what leaving would cost next to what you pay now, line by line.
- The term, renewal and exit fee
- Any lease and every monthly fee
Written quote
Every cost in writing before you sign
Our quote shows the card processing fee and the monthly fee. There is no contract. Hardware is free when you process your card sales with us.
- No contract and no equipment lease
- Whether the machine works with other processors
Local setup
No gap in sales on switch day
We set up and test your new system at your place and train your team, while your old account stays open until your first deposit with us reaches your bank.
- A test sale where you take payments
- Training in English or Spanish
Questions about leaving Clover and switching processors
How do I get out of a Clover contract?
Find who holds the contract (Clover, a bank or a reseller), its end date, exit fee and any lease. Set up your new system first, then close Clover through Clover support and in writing.
How do I deactivate my Clover account?
Clover's help center says to contact Clover support to close an account: use Help on a Clover device or in the dashboard, or call the number on your monthly statement (Clover Help, checked November 10, 2026). Write to any bank or reseller that sold you Clover too, and get the closing date in writing.
Why is Clover.com charging me?
Clover can bill its software plan directly, apart from whoever processes your cards, and some apps charge their own fees. Each keeps charging until it's cancelled. Your statements are in the Clover dashboard under Billing & Statements.
Can I cancel a Clover lease?
Usually not during the term. PNC's Spanish Clover page says leases come from a third party under a separate contract that "no se puede cancelar" (can't be cancelled) (PNC). Merchant Maverick says First Data Global Leasing, Fiserv's leasing division, won't cancel in the initial term, even if you return the machine or close your account (Merchant Maverick, checked November 10, 2026). Ask for a buyout quote.
What is an early termination fee in merchant services?
It's what a processor charges when you close your account before the term ends: a flat amount, like the $495.00 fee in a 2022 FTC case, or a charge for each month left. Get it in writing before you give notice.
How do I switch credit card processors without losing sales?
Set up and test the new machine first, switch on a slow day, and keep the old account open until the new processor's first deposit arrives. Then cancel in writing.
What if I'm still charged after I cancel?
Send a copy of your cancellation letter and ask for a refund. Software plans, apps and leases are often billed apart from processing, so check your bank statement for which company took the payment.
Can I keep my Toast POS and switch card processors?
Toast's POS, hardware and card payments come together. Toast says it is a payment facilitator, not a processor, and that its services run only on hardware it approves (Toast pricing, checked November 10, 2026). So plan to replace all three, and compare options in Toast vs Clover and our restaurant POS guide.
Find your exit fee and lease before you switch
Send your contract and last statement. A person replies in English or Spanish.
Tell us about your business
Your name and email are enough to start. Write in English or Spanish.