Choosing Gravity Payments Hardware Without Paying Twice
July 12, 2026
By Evan Brooks, merchant-hardware documentation analyst with eight years reviewing payment-terminal support materials (editorial persona)
Last reviewed: July 12, 2026
Gravity Payments currently lists U.S. payment hardware from the $115 Clover Go Gen 3 and $120 Swipe Simple B350 to Clover Station systems priced at $1,600 and $1,800. The purchase price may not be the full cost, because Clover devices can also carry service-plan, platform and keyed-transaction charges.
This independent guide is not operated by Gravity Payments and cannot sell, activate or replace a terminal.
What Gravity Payments hardware includes
Gravity Payments offers countertop terminals, portable devices, phone-connected readers and equipment designed to work inside compatible business software. Some models operate as standalone terminals, while others are marked integration-only and require a supported software connection.
That label matters more than screen size.
A standalone device can generally process payments without relying on a separate point-of-sale integration. An integration-only model is meant to receive transaction instructions from approved software. Buying the latter for a basic countertop workflow can leave the business with hardware that cannot perform the intended job by itself.
Start with the checkout workflow
Integration first. Device second.
Decide whether staff will enter the sale directly on the terminal, create it inside existing business software, carry the device to customers or use a phone or tablet. Gravity’s pricing page says merchants with an existing terminal should confirm compatibility with a Gravity consultant before assuming it can be reused.
The core questions are practical:
- Where is the sale created?
- Does the terminal need its own printer?
- Will staff take payments away from the counter?
- Is surcharging required?
- Must the device connect to existing scheduling, retail or practice software?
- How many employee profiles and locations are needed?
Skip hardware comparisons based only on appearance. A polished portable terminal can still be the wrong choice when the software does not support it.
Current Gravity Payments device prices
Gravity’s U.S. hardware page displayed the following prices when reviewed on July 12, 2026. Prices and availability can change, and rental terms are quoted separately.
| Device | Published price | Gravity classification |
|---|---|---|
| Clover Go Gen 3 | $115 | Standalone, surcharge-capable |
| Swipe Simple B350 | $120 | Standalone |
| MagTek iDynamo | $199 | Integration-only |
| PAX A80 | $250 | Standalone, surcharge-capable |
| FD150 | $300 | Standalone |
| PAX A35 | $425 | Integration-only |
| PAX Aries 8 | $425 | Integration-only |
| PAX A920 Pro | $600 | Standalone, surcharge-capable |
| Clover Flex Gen 4 | From $750 | Integration-capable, surcharge-capable |
| Clover Mini Gen 3 | $800 | Integration-capable, surcharge-capable |
| Clover Station Solo | $1,600 | Standalone, surcharge-capable |
| Clover Station Duo Gen 2 | $1,800 | Standalone, surcharge-capable |
Gravity says payment equipment generally ranges from $75 to $2,000 and invites businesses to ask about available rental options. The site does not publish one standard rental price, term or ownership schedule.
Ask whether the quoted equipment is purchased, rented or supplied under another arrangement. Also verify what happens to the device after account closure and whether replacement coverage is included.
Clover hardware has a second price layer
The Clover device price is not necessarily the recurring Clover cost.
Gravity says Clover merchants choose a service plan during onboarding and are billed directly by Clover. Every listed Clover plan also carries a $5 monthly Merchant Platform Fee and an additional $0.03 fee for keyed transactions.
The published plan amounts include:
- Starter: $0.00 for the first device and $11.95 for each additional device
- Essentials: $29.95 for the first device and $11.95 for each additional device
- Retail Growth: $84.95 for the first device and $19.95 for each additional device
- Services Growth: $84.95 for the first device and $19.95 for each additional device
- Restaurant Growth: $89.95 for the first device and $19.95 for each additional device
The Starter plan supports payment acceptance, contactless payments, certain offline-payment functions and Clover’s virtual terminal. Essentials adds features such as invoicing, transaction reports, order management, customer management and basic inventory tools. Higher plans add functions aimed at larger retailers, service businesses and table-service restaurants.
Price is only the first layer.
A $115 Clover Go can therefore create recurring platform and plan costs that are separate from card-processing charges. Confirm the full monthly total rather than comparing only the hardware purchase amount.
Standalone does not mean feature-identical
A PAX A80 and Clover Station Solo are both listed as standalone devices, but they serve different operating needs.
Gravity’s PAX A80 documentation describes a conventional terminal workflow: choose debit or credit, process a sale, enter the original transaction number for a void, select a refund method and close the batch through FUNC, BATCH, then Batch close.
Clover devices combine payments with a broader software environment. Depending on the service plan and hardware, businesses may gain inventory, employee, reporting, customer-management, online-store or restaurant functions.
Choose PAX-style hardware when the business mainly needs dependable payment acceptance. Consider Clover when the business intends to use its wider POS software and accepts the related service-plan structure.
Network setup can stop the launch
A delivered and powered terminal is not necessarily ready to process.
Gravity’s Clover Flex instructions require an activation code from Clover’s activation email. For Wi-Fi setup, the router should use WPA or WPA2 security and operate as a closed, protected network. Gravity advises businesses offering customer Wi-Fi to provide a separate network rather than placing payment equipment on the guest connection.
The Flex setup then asks the merchant to select a language, choose mobile or Wi-Fi connectivity, wait for a successful connection, enter the activation code and allow assigned applications to install.
A terminal that connects to Wi-Fi but lacks the expected payment application may not have completed activation. Repeatedly changing router settings will not correct an account or application assignment problem.
For a PAX A80, Gravity recommends moving the terminal closer to the access point when connectivity is unreliable. If it works in the new location, the network may need another access point or a different access-point position.
Portable hardware needs operational planning
The Clover Flex can connect through Wi-Fi or its installed mobile-network SIM. It accepts inserted chip cards, magnetic-stripe cards without chips and contactless cards or supported phones. The package described by Gravity includes a charging cradle, power components and receipt paper.
Portability creates new failure points: weak wireless coverage, discharged batteries, missing receipt paper and devices left under a shared employee profile.
Gravity’s Flex guide supports separate employee profiles with different permission levels and unique passcodes. Fingerprint login may be configured on supported devices.
Assign individual employee access before launch. Skip one shared manager passcode for the entire staff, because transaction review becomes harder when every action appears under the same profile.
Rebooting is not the first fix
Gravity publishes both soft and hard reboot instructions for the Clover Flex. A soft reboot is available from the device menu. For a hard reboot, Gravity instructs the user to remove the device from power, hold the power button for 32 seconds, release it, then power the device on again.
Use that exact procedure only after checking power, charging and connectivity.
A reboot will not fix an unsupported integration, unassigned application, disabled merchant account or incorrect service plan. It may briefly hide the original symptom and make support diagnosis slower.
Buying versus renting
Gravity publicly invites merchants to ask about rental options but does not publish the available models, monthly prices, minimum terms or return conditions.
Buying may suit a stable business that expects to keep the same supported hardware. Renting may reduce the initial cash requirement or simplify replacement, but its total cost cannot be compared until the duration and return terms are known.
Ask for four figures:
- Purchase price
- Monthly rental amount
- Minimum rental period
- Replacement or return charge
A low monthly amount can exceed the purchase price when the term is long enough.
When to contact Gravity support
Gravity publishes 24-hour multilingual support at 866-701-4700 in English, Spanish, Korean and Japanese. Its support page says online tickets receive a response within one business day and directs urgent problems to telephone support.
Have the exact device model, merchant location, connection type and displayed error available. Start from Gravity’s published support channel before beginning screen sharing; the company says screen sharing is intended for merchants already speaking with support and holding a session key.
FAQ
What is the cheapest listed Gravity Payments device?
The Clover Go Gen 3 is listed at $115.
Do I have to buy a terminal?
No. Gravity offers card-not-present options.
Can I reuse an existing terminal?
Possibly. Gravity tells merchants to confirm the current terminal’s compatibility with a consultant before relying on it. Model ownership alone does not show that its software, encryption and processor configuration will work with the new account.
What does integration-only mean?
The device is intended to work through compatible external software rather than as an independent checkout terminal. Gravity currently labels the MagTek iDynamo, PAX A35 and PAX Aries 8 as integration-only.
Does a Clover device have a monthly charge?
Clover service plans can create recurring charges. Gravity also lists a $5 monthly Merchant Platform Fee for all Clover plans and an extra $0.03 for keyed transactions.
Can Gravity Payments terminals use guest Wi-Fi?
Gravity’s Clover Flex instructions call for a closed WPA or WPA2 network and recommend that customer Wi-Fi be placed on a different network.
Does Gravity rent payment terminals?
Gravity says rental options are available for some businesses, but it does not publish standard rental prices or terms on the current devices page.
The practical choice is based on total operating cost: confirm standalone or integration status, add any service-plan charges, verify software compatibility and test the network before the first live sale.