1. Your sales and the quotes
One processor per line: name, in-person %, in-person fixed $, online %, online fixed $, monthly $, dispute fee $, keeps or returns. "keeps" means the processor keeps its fee when you refund; "returns" means it gives the fee back.
Enter your sales and quotes, or load the example, then click Calculate the cost.
Result
Processors compared
| Processor | Percentage fees | Per-sale fees | Monthly + disputes | Total / month | Effective rate | Per year |
|---|
Effective rate by average sale
Same monthly sales, same mix, different average sale. Small sales punish a fixed per-sale fee.
The arithmetic, and what it leaves out
- Sales count = monthly sales ÷ average sale, split into in-person and online by your online share.
- Percentage fees = each channel's sales × its rate. Per-sale fees = each channel's sales count × its fixed fee.
- If a processor returns its fee on refunds, your refund rate takes that share of the processing fees back. If it keeps it, you pay on refunded sales too.
- Monthly fee and (disputes × dispute fee) are added on top. Effective rate = total ÷ monthly sales.
- Not modelled: card-brand and interchange differences between cards, PCI non-compliance fees, chargeback-protection add-ons, instant payout fees, currency conversion, international and amex surcharges, hardware, taxes and early termination fees. Add recurring ones to the monthly fee.
Common questions
What is the effective rate of a payment processor?
Total monthly fees divided by monthly card sales. It includes the percentage, the fixed fee on every sale, the monthly fee and dispute fees, so it is the number to compare, not the headline percentage.
Why is 2.9% + 30 cents expensive on small sales?
The 30 cents is charged on every sale. On a $5 sale it is 6%, so the real rate is about 8.9%; on a $100 sale it is 0.3%, so the real rate is about 3.2%.
Flat rate or interchange-plus?
Flat rate is simple and tends to win at low volume and small tickets. Interchange-plus passes through the card network cost and adds a smaller markup, which tends to win as volume and ticket size grow, but usually adds a monthly fee. Enter both quotes to see where you land.
Does the processor return its fee when I refund a sale?
It depends. Some keep the fee, so every refund costs you the original processing fee. Set each processor to keeps or returns and enter your refund rate.
Which fees does this leave out?
PCI non-compliance fees, chargeback-protection add-ons, instant payout fees, currency conversion, international and amex surcharges, hardware, and early termination fees. Add recurring ones to the monthly fee.
Is my data uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser tab and nothing is sent anywhere. There are no accounts.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is a planning estimate from numbers you enter. Read the processor agreement and its fee schedule before signing.