Merchant Fee Calculator
Card processing costs per transaction and per year.
Enter your values
ⓘ Live results
Results
- Cost per transaction
- $1.69
- Monthly processing cost
- $2,393.80
- Annual cost
- $28,725.60
- Effective rate
- 3.56%
- Alternative provider monthly
- $1,777.80
- Annual saving by switching
- $7,392.00
- Surcharge needed to offset
- 3.56%
Quick answer
Processing cost = transaction value × percentage rate + fixed fee, so small tickets are hit hardest by the flat per-transaction charge.
Fee = amount × rate + fixed per transaction
How to use the Merchant Fee Calculator
- 1Enter your average ticket and monthly transaction count.
- 2Enter the percentage and fixed fee from your statement.
- 3Add an alternative provider's pricing to compare.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Average transaction48 $
- Transactions per month1400
- Percentage rate2.9 %
- Fixed fee per transaction0.30 $
- Monthly account fee25 $
- Alternative provider rate2.4 %
- Alternative fixed fee0.10 $
Results
- Cost per transaction$1.69
- Monthly processing cost$2,393.80
- Annual cost$28,725.60
- Effective rate3.56%
- Alternative provider monthly$1,777.80
- Annual saving by switching$7,392.00
- Surcharge needed to offset3.56%
Frequently asked questions
Why is my effective rate higher than quoted?
The fixed per-transaction fee. On a $10 sale, 30¢ alone is 3%, which is why low-ticket businesses need a low fixed fee more than a low percentage.
Is interchange-plus cheaper?
Usually for larger volumes, because you pay the true card-network cost plus a fixed markup rather than a blended rate that averages in the cheapest cards.
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by James Whitfield · How we build and test calculators
- Report an error
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.