Merchant Account Cost Comparison Calculator

We take our role in providing guidance and education regarding the card payment industry very seriously. At our own expense, we have vigorously defended our right to continue expose unethical and predatory practices in the industry, successfully defeating every attempt to silence us. However, fending off frivolous lawsuits is costly. To sustain these efforts, one of the ways we generate revenue is through affiliate partnerships with ethical providers. This means that some of our outgoing links connect business owners to trustworthy, low-cost payment processors, which is what most of our readers seek. We see this revenue channel as a win-win-win for everyone involved. Business owners find good processors, processors get good clients, and we are able to continue to provide a valuable service to the small business community. We also recommend and link to many services that do not compensate us. Our priority is to guide you to the best solutions for your needs, regardless of potential revenue. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us.

All mentions of rate and fee costs are estimations based on publicly available information and client feedback. Actual costs may vary based on a variety of factors unique to your business.

Are You Overpaying for Credit Card Processing? Find Out.

This calculator can help you understand if you could be overpaying for your merchant account. The calculations are based on the average Interchange fees and average processor markups. When you enter your total fees, please include the total in fees including monthly fees and processing fees. This total should be included in your statement as one line item; however, some statements may require that you sum the total by hand.

Please note that the result is an estimation only and does reflect all business types. This calculator will be most accurate for traditional businesses such as retail, restaurant, and professional services. It will over estimate savings for “high-risk” industries and those that primarily operate in B2B sales.


What the Results Mean

Result: You are Overpaying

This result indicates a high likelihood that you are overpaying for processing services. The higher the number, the more likely that it is an accurate estimation.

What You Can Do

If you have a traditional business with a low risk of chargebacks or fraud, we recommend contacting the Helcim and CDG Commerce to obtain quotes. Both offer extremely low pricing and industry leading technology and support

If you have a “high-risk” business, we recommend contacting PaymentCloud, Host Merchant Services, and eMerchantBroker to obtain quotes. All offer competitive high-risk pricing and take top ratings for service and support.

Result: You are not Overpaying

Congratulations! This means that you are very likely paying less than even the most competitive credit card processors in the industry. Job well done!

Give Us Your Feedback

Did this tool help you? What else would you like to see? Let us know in the comment section below.