Our payment processor

About Helcim

Transparent, PCI Level 1 payment processing built for healthcare.

Helcim is a Calgary-headquartered payment processor founded in 2007 that handles every card and ACH transaction at AETHRAFORM. Helcim is a Level 1 PCI-DSS compliant service provider — the highest security tier defined by the Payment Card Industry — and uses interchange-plus pricing with no monthly fees or contracts. The practice uses Helcim because it pairs modern developer tooling (HelcimPay.js, hosted payment pages, the Card Vault) with the security posture and HIPAA Business Associate Agreement that medical practices require.

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Founded

2007

Headquarters

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Website

www.helcim.com

Why we chose Helcim

A medical aesthetics practice has a different processor checklist than a coffee shop. These are the criteria that actually mattered to us.

Level 1 PCI-DSS service provider — the highest tier of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.
Modern HelcimPay.js modal lets card data flow directly to Helcim without ever touching the practice’s servers.
Card Vault tokenization replaces card numbers with one-way tokens for rebooked appointments and treatment plans.
Interchange-plus pricing with no monthly fees and no long-term contracts.
HIPAA Business Associate Agreement available on request for healthcare merchants.
Healthcare and professional services are explicitly supported merchant categories.

Pricing model

Interchange-plus, on our side

Helcim uses interchange-plus pricing — the wholesale interchange rate set by the card networks plus a flat margin. There are no monthly fees and no long-term contracts. That cost sits on the practice side; patients pay the published price for their service. We don't add card surcharges to consultations or treatment packages.

Frequently asked questions

Why did you choose Helcim over a larger processor?

Healthcare requires a Business Associate Agreement, transparent pricing, and a developer API that lets us integrate the checkout into our own portal. Helcim ships all three out of the box, alongside Level 1 PCI compliance.

How long has Helcim been operating?

Helcim has been processing payments since 2007 from offices in Calgary, Alberta, and Seattle, Washington.

Is Helcim a bank?

No. Helcim is a payment processor and gateway. The card networks (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) and your card issuer remain the parties that authorize and settle each transaction; Helcim is the secure pipe in between.

Where can I learn more about Helcim?

Visit helcim.com directly. Their public security and compliance documentation is at helcim.com/security.

Disclosures

Information about Helcim summarized on this page is drawn from Helcim’s public marketing and security documentation. The authoritative source is helcim.com.
Payments on aethraform.com are processed by Helcim, a Level 1 PCI-DSS compliant payment processor. AETHRAFORM never receives or stores full card numbers.
Card brands, network availability, Apple Pay / Google Pay support, and ACH transfer eligibility are determined by your card issuer, device, and Helcim’s availability — not by AETHRAFORM.
For information about financing third-party loans (CareCredit, Alphaeon, PatientFi, Cherry), see /financing-options. Helcim is the merchant processor only and does not extend credit.