Credit card processing fee calculator
What would you keep?
Drag to your monthly card volume. Estimates use a 3% effective rate; the fee total on your own statement is the exact figure.
In one recent case, VMS saved a business owner more than $5,000 a month. Whatever your statement shows as total fees is the number that goes to zero.
Get my analysis at $25,000/mo →How to Use This Credit Card Processing Fee Calculator
Move the slider, or type a number, to match the card sales your business runs in a typical month. This credit card processing fee calculator applies a 3% effective rate, a common all-in cost for small businesses once every fee is counted, and shows what card fees add up to each month, each year and over three years.
Want your exact number? Find the total fees on last month’s processing statement and divide them by your total card volume for the same month. That percentage is your effective rate. Compare it with the 3% this credit card processing fee calculator uses: the higher yours is, the more you give up on every sale.
What Goes Into Credit Card Processing Fees
Every card payment carries three layers of cost:
- Interchange: the largest share, paid to the bank that issued your customer’s card. Rates vary by card type, and rewards and business cards cost more than basic debit cards.
- Card brand fees: smaller assessments charged by networks like Visa and Mastercard. Visa publishes its fee and interchange information for merchants.
- Processor markup: what your processor adds on top, plus monthly, statement, PCI and other account fees.
That is why two businesses with the same sales can pay very different amounts. Our guide to credit card processing fees walks through each line you will see on a statement.
How to Lower Your Processing Fees
Shopping for a lower rate helps, but the fees never go away on their own. With Zero Fee Processing, a small adjustment at checkout covers the cost of accepting cards, so the fee total on your statement can drop to zero. That is the “you keep” figure the calculator shows.
Not sure what you are paying today? Send us a recent statement and we will show you, line by line, what you pay now and what you would keep.
Credit Card Processing Fee Calculator FAQ
What is a good credit card processing rate?
Most small businesses pay an effective rate of roughly 2.5% to 3.5% of card sales once every fee is included. Where you land depends on your mix of cards, whether customers pay in person or online, and how much your processor marks up the cost.
How do I calculate credit card processing fees?
Multiply your monthly card volume by your effective rate. At $25,000 a month and 3%, that is $750 a month, or $9,000 a year. To find your effective rate, divide your total fees by your total card sales for the same month.
Why do online and keyed-in payments cost more?
When the card is not physically present, the risk of fraud is higher, so those transactions carry higher interchange rates than chip or tap payments made at the counter.
Is this credit card processing fee calculator free?
Yes. There is nothing to download and no sign-up. Move the slider to see your numbers, and if you want an exact figure, send us a statement for a free line-by-line review.
Does the calculator include every fee?
It uses a 3% effective rate, which rolls interchange, card brand fees and processor markup into one number. Your own statement is the exact figure, because your card mix and monthly account fees are specific to your business.
Our $1,000 Rate Guarantee
$1,000 Says We Can Beat Your Rate
Already have a quote from another processor? Send it our way. We’ll match or beat the processing price on a valid competitor quote. If we can’t, we’ll send you a $1,000 check within 48hours!
