Mistakes and FAQ
Chargebacks and Dispute Fees: What They Cost and How to Respond
How card chargebacks work, what they really cost a merchant beyond the fee, the dispute timeline, how to submit evidence and how to keep your ratio low.
Card Processing Fee and Effective Rate Calculator
Estimate monthly processing fees from your sales, percentage rate, per-transaction fee and monthly costs.
Use this calculator to turn the numbers on a processor quote into a monthly dollar figure and then compare quotes on equal footing.
How it works. Fees equal monthly card sales multiplied by the percentage rate, plus the per-transaction fee multiplied by the number of transactions. The last line subtracts your other monthly fees, such as a statement fee, gateway fee or PCI program fee, from sales to show what you keep.
Worked example (illustrative inputs, not a quote). With $25,000 in monthly card sales at 2.4% plus $0.10 on 450 transactions, the percentage portion is $600 and the per-transaction portion is $45, so fees are $645. Add $35 in monthly fees and total cost is $680, or about 2.72% of sales. Dividing total cost by sales is your effective rate, and it is the single best number for comparing offers.
Limits. The calculator uses one blended rate. Real interchange varies by card type and how the card is accepted, and chargeback fees, early termination fees and equipment costs are not included. Try several percentage rates to see sensitivity, and always check your own statement for the actual mix.
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