How much do credit card processing fees cost your business? Calculate fees for Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Discover transactions by processing type. See your net revenue for a single transaction or estimate monthly costs based on your sales volume.
Rates vary by processor and account — tick this box to enter the exact rates that apply to your merchant account.
| Fee Component | Amount | How It's Calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Discount rate fee | $0.00 | $0.00 × 0.00% |
| Assessment fee | $0.00 | $0.00 × 0.00% |
| Per-transaction fee | $0.00 | Flat fee per transaction |
| Total processing fee | $0.00 | $0.00 + $0.00 + $0.00 |
| You receive (net) | $0.00 | Gross minus total fee |
Situation: A customer pays $100.00 via your online store (Card Not Present, 2.9% + $0.30).
Calculation: Discount fee = $100.00 × 2.9% = $2.90. Total fee = $2.90 + $0.30 = $3.20.
Net: $100.00 − $3.20 = $96.80.
Situation: A customer pays $50.00 at your physical store (Swiped/Dipped, 2.6% + $0.10).
Calculation: Discount fee = $50.00 × 2.6% = $1.30. Total fee = $1.30 + $0.10 = $1.40.
Net: $50.00 − $1.40 = $48.60.
Situation: You process 500 online transactions per month, average ticket $75.00 (2.9% + $0.30).
Calculation: Gross volume = 500 × $75.00 = $37,500.00. Discount fee = $37,500.00 × 2.9% = $1,087.50. Fixed fees = 500 × $0.30 = $150.00.
Total fee: $1,087.50 + $150.00 = $1,237.50. Net: $37,500.00 − $1,237.50 = $36,262.50.
Discount Rate = 2.9% (online), 2.6% (in-person), 3.5% (keyed/Amex)
Assessment Fee = ~0.13% for Visa/Mastercard (typically 0.11%–0.15%)
Per-Transaction Fee = $0.30 (online), $0.10 (in-person), $0.15 (keyed)
Amount = the total transaction amount charged to the customer
Example: 500 transactions × $75 avg = $37,500 gross. Fee = $37,500 × 2.9% + 500 × $0.30 = $1,087.50 + $150.00 = $1,237.50.
| Processing Method | Discount Rate | Per-Transaction Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online (Card Not Present) | 2.9% | $0.30 | Standard for e-commerce, includes fraud tools |
| In-Person (Swiped/Dipped/Contactless) | 2.6% | $0.10 | Lower rate for card-present transactions |
| Keyed/Manual Entry | 3.5% | $0.15 | Higher risk — phone, mail, or manually entered |
| American Express | 3.5% | $0.00 | Flat rate, typically higher than Visa/MC |
| Visa/Mastercard Assessment | 0.13% | — | Added on top of discount rate for Visa/MC |
Rates vary by processor, account type, monthly volume, and card type. Always confirm your specific rate schedule with your payment processor.
Swiped/dipped transactions cost 2.6% + $0.10 vs 2.9% + $0.30 online — a savings of $0.30 + 0.3% per transaction. Encourage customers to pay in-store when possible.
Card-present rates (NFC, chip, or swipe) are consistently lower than keyed or card-not-present rates because the fraud risk is lower.
If you process over $10,000/month, ask your processor for a lower discount rate. Many will reduce rates for higher-volume merchants.
Processing fees can change. Review your monthly statement for rate changes, unexpected fees, or downgrades that increase your effective rate.
Credit card processing fees typically consist of three components: the discount rate (a percentage of each transaction), the assessment fee (a small percentage charged by the card networks like Visa and Mastercard), and a per-transaction fee (a flat amount per transaction). The total fee varies by processing method — online (card-not-present) transactions carry higher rates because of increased fraud risk, while in-person (swiped/dipped) transactions benefit from lower rates. American Express typically charges a flat percentage rate without a per-transaction fee, but the rate is higher than Visa or Mastercard's combined rate.
2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. The standard rate for e-commerce websites, online invoices, and any transaction where the card is not physically present. Includes fraud screening and chargeback tools.
2.6% + $0.10 per transaction. Lower rates because the card is physically present, reducing fraud risk. Applies to EMV chip, magnetic stripe, and contactless (NFC) payments.
3.5% + $0.15 per transaction. The highest rate for card-not-present transactions where the card number is manually entered (phone orders, mail orders, virtual terminals).
3.5% flat per transaction (no per-transaction fee). Amex charges a higher base rate but often has faster settlement and no additional assessment fees. Acceptance can attract higher-spending customers.
Processing fees are one of the largest operating expenses for businesses that accept card payments. For a business processing $50,000/month in online sales, the fees can exceed $1,500/month — that's over $18,000 per year. Understanding and optimizing your processing costs is essential for maintaining healthy profit margins.
A business processing $100,000/month in online sales at 2.9% + $0.30 with 1,200 transactions pays:
Discount fee: $100,000 × 2.9% = $2,900.00
Assessment fee: $100,000 × 0.13% = $130.00
Per-transaction fees: 1,200 × $0.30 = $360.00
Total monthly fee: $3,390.00 (3.39% effective rate)
That's $40,680 per year — reducing your effective rate by just 0.5% saves over $6,000 annually.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Credit card processing fees vary by processor, account type, monthly volume, card type, and industry. The rates shown (2.9% + $0.30 online, 2.6% + $0.10 in-person, 3.5% + $0.15 keyed, 3.5% Amex) are typical US benchmarks and may not reflect your actual merchant account rates. Assessment fees (~0.13%) are estimates based on standard Visa/Mastercard network fees. This calculator is provided for educational and estimation purposes only. Always review your merchant services agreement and processing statements for your exact rates. Figures are estimates, not financial advice.