by Matt Rej
Whether you’re currently using Cornerstone Software or you’re considering it for your veterinary practice, there’s a good chance you’re also evaluating Cornerstone Payments for integrated credit card processing.
But the marketing and promotional materials about the payment features can be tough to understand.
We get tons of questions about the feature comparison chart on the Cornerstone Payments page because it contains nine different processing options, and terms like “unauthorized” or “unsanctioned” are scattered throughout.
To make things even more confusing, some of the authorized and approved payment integrations are no longer supported.
So if your head is spinning while looking at all of this, don’t worry, I’ll simplify everything so you can understand your options and how it impacts your processing costs.
About Cornerstone Vet Software
Cornerstone Veterinary Software is IDEXX’s flagship practice management solution that supports everything from electronic medical records to appointment booking, inventory management, imaging integration, and beyond.
It’s an older system, and the only server-based solution offered by IDEXX.
Lots of newer vet practices opt for ezyVet or Neo (both cloud-based systems from IDEXX and easier to manage), but we still have plenty of clients using Cornerstone because they were onboarded years ago.
But Cornerstone is still IDEXX’s most popular vet software by far. Of the 200,000+ veterinarians using software from IDEXX, 125,000+ use Cornerstone.
How Integrated Payment Processing Works With Cornerstone Payments
First and foremost, I want to make it clear that you don’t have to use this feature if you’re using Cornerstone. You’re free to choose any payment processor that you want.
The benefit of the integrated solution is that your payment processing capabilities are in the same interface as your other vet practice management tools. And it eliminates the need for manual data entry if you want to match payments with customer records and automatic reconciliation.
Here’s what needs to happen for the integrated payment processing capabilities to work:
- Cornerstone/IDEXX (the software provider) needs to support a third-party payment processor and payment gateway.
- The software and payment processor are connected via APIs and gateways.
- If the processor isn’t supported by the software, you can’t integrate the processor.
- When you accept a card payment, the processor handles everything on the backend.
- That payment data is integrated in your practice management system.
Cornerstone is NOT a payment processor.
All they do is set up an API so the third-party processor can integrate with the software through their gateway.
What Payment Processors Integrate With Cornerstone Payments?
Currently, Fiserv is the only payment processor that integrates with Cornerstone Payments from IDEXX. The integration is supported via CardPointe, a payment gateway from CardConnect (which is owned by Fiserv).
Cornerstone used to support OpenEdge, XCharge, and EdgeExpress from Global Payments. But the support from these integrations expired on December 31, 2024.
With the Fiserv integration, veterinary practices have access to online payment processing, card on-file payments, and even text-to-pay invoicing. For in-person payments, you have three different terminal options to choose from:
- Ingenico
- Clover Flex
- Clover Mini
If you were previously using Ingenico hardware with Global Payments, that same terminal can be used with Fiserv, though it may need to be reconfigured.
Clearing Up Some Confusion About Cornerstone Payments
All the questions we get about Cornerstone’s integrated processing can likely be resolved if IDEXX just updated their website with a new explanation.
The existing feature comparison chart no longer makes sense because it’s outdated and contradicts itself. Right now, the Fiserv column is the only one that matters. Nothing else is currently supported.
Let’s go through the rest so you can see what I’m talking about:
I don’t think this chart has been updated in at least two years.
I’m writing this in January 2026, and the page says that IDEXX/Global integration “will no longer be supported after December 31, 2024,” which implies that this is happening in the future (even though it’s been expired over a year).
The Global column is also marked “Yes” for IDEXX support, which is no longer true.
I’m also not sure why Cornerstone went out of its way to call out certain providers as unauthorized and unsanctioned. These are not common terms in the payment processing space, even for integrated payments.
Specifically, they mentioned Gravity Payments and Rectangle Health.
Both of these are reputable providers that you’re free to use. They just won’t integrate with Cornerstone’s software.
The chart says that these tools “scrape” or “hack” into the system. But that’s not a known problem I’ve ever heard of. If Cornerstone doesn’t support the integration, that’s the end of the story. Your processor may use other tools to try and help you consolidate payment data. But there’s nothing nefarious happening here.
Additionally, the chart says that the Fiserv Canada option is planned for 2025. And that a surcharging feature is coming soon when CS 9.7 is released. Well, 2025 is behind us, and CS 9.7 is already out (and I didn’t find any surcharging capabilities in the documentation).
Why This Matters
I think IDEXX is putting much more effort into its newer cloud-based solutions (ezyVet and Neo).
Cloud software is the future, and while Cornerstone is still a popular product that’s being updated with new versions, I think it’s trending to become a legacy system in the coming years.
IDEXX’s lack of attention to detail on the Cornerstone Payments page is very telling. So if your vet practice is looking for a new system, I think it’s worth checking out other options.
On the payments side, Fiserv is solid. You’ll be able to accept payments as advertised, hassle-free.
But there’s no way to tell if and when Fiserv support will also be dropped. Thousands of vets were using OpenEdge, EdgeExpress, and XCharge from Global Payments for years problem free before the integration was no longer supported.
We work with businesses across a wide range of sectors, and most are using some type of integrated payment solution with industry-specific software. It’s rare to see a processor dropped after an integration already existed.
Cornerstone Payments Credit Card Processing Fees
So, how much does it cost to process card transactions via Cornerstone Payments?
Fiserv sets your rates, so this is entirely dependent on your merchant agreement with them. Cornerstone does not set your pricing and has nothing to do with your processing fees. Though Cornerstone may charge you for access to the integration feature.
Fiserv offers interchange-plus pricing, which is exactly what you want.
This means you pay the wholesale rates set by the card networks (Visa, Mastercard, etc.), plus a small markup to Fiserv on each transaction.
You get a highly detailed statement breakdown, showing exactly what you pay at the interchange level for each card type. Here’s a snippet from one of our clients:
You can see all of the interchange charges from Visa and Discover on this page.
And we can also see that Fiserv is charging this business 0.073% + $0.10 per transaction, which is a decent rate.
Just be aware that in addition to your rate per transaction, Fiserv will likely hit you with a range of other miscellaneous service fees that can total a few hundred extra dollars every month. Check out my full Fiserv review for a more detailed explanation of these charges, which ones are legit, and which ones you can remove or negotiate.
Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
Server-based veterinary practice management software isn’t for everyone. Most modern vets go with a cloud solution because it’s so much easier to deploy and manage.
But if you’re already using Cornerstone Software, you probably don’t need to change anything. And if you’re using Cornerstone Payments, you need to understand that your rates are 100% negotiable.
- Fiserv is the only processor that integrates with Cornerstone.
- Gateways from Global Payments (OpenEdge, XCharge, EdgeExpress) are no longer supported.
- But you’re not forced to use any of these providers with Cornerstone.
- Despite Cornerstone’s confusing marketing materials, you can still use Gravity Payments, Rectangle Health, or any of the hundreds of processors on the market of your choosing.
- Though your payments interface and data won’t be integrated within Cornerstone.
- Ignore the “unauthorized” and “unsanctioned” language on Cornerstone’s site regarding these other processors.
Despite the feature being called Cornerstone Payments, they aren’t actually your processor. You need to contact your processor directly to negotiate better terms.