Credit Card Processing Fee Calculator

The list rates cluster tightly: Square and Stripe both charge 2.9% + $0.30 for online card payments, PayPal charges 3.49% + $0.49 for goods-and-services and invoices, and in-person rates run lower (Square is about 2.6% + $0.15 tapped or dipped). Keyed-in cards cost the most, near 3.5%. All of these are list prices: processors negotiate at volume, and rates change, so enter the rate on your actual statement.

Sometimes. Card-network rules allow credit card surcharges up to a cap (generally 3%) with advance disclosure, but several US states restrict or ban them, and debit cards can never be surcharged. Many merchants skip the compliance risk and raise prices across the board instead: on a $100 sale, pricing at $103.30 quietly covers a 2.9% + $0.30 fee. Check your state's rules before posting a surcharge notice.

Almost always. A typical ACH debit runs 0.8% capped at $5, against 2.9% + $0.30 for a card. On a $1,000 invoice that is $5.00 versus $29.30, so B2B sellers who move clients to bank payment keep an extra two points and up. The trade-offs are slower settlement (a few business days) and no card rewards for the payer, which is why consumer checkout stays on cards.

Three usual causes. The fixed fee per transaction weighs more on small tickets: 2.9% + $0.30 is really 5.4% on a $12 sale. Card mix matters: international, premium rewards and keyed-in cards carry surcharges over the base rate. And refunds are not free: most processors keep the original fee when you refund. Compute your true rate from a statement (total fees ÷ total volume) and compare it with the number this calculator shows.