Credit Card Processing Effective Rate Calculator

Convert card volume and processor fees into an effective rate you can benchmark against interchange-plus quotes. Optional transaction count reveals the average fee per swipe and typical ticket size to highlight pricing efficiency.

Total dollar value of card payments processed this month.
All processor fees for the same month, including assessments and markups.
Defaults to 0. Add count to see average fee and ticket size per transaction.

Planning tool only. Confirm fee categories and minimums with your payment processor before renegotiating rates.

Examples

  • $85,000 volume, $2,200 fees, 1,900 transactions ⇒ Effective processing rate: 2.59% • Cost per $100 processed: $2.59 • Average fee per transaction: $1.16 on an average ticket of $44.74.
  • $42,500 volume, $980 fees, transaction count blank ⇒ Effective processing rate: 2.31% • Cost per $100 processed: $2.31.

FAQ

Should I include chargeback fees?

Yes. Add any monthly minimums, chargeback fees, and statement fees into the total so the effective rate reflects true all-in cost.

How do I compare quotes with per-transaction surcharges?

Enter the expected monthly volume and transaction count with the quoted rates to see the resulting effective rate and average fee per transaction side by side.

What if my volume fluctuates seasonally?

Re-run the calculation for peak and off-peak months. Effective rates often rise in low-volume periods if you have fixed monthly fees.

Additional Information

  • Effective rate divides all processor charges by settled card volume so you can compare blended fees across providers.
  • Average fee per transaction is shown only when a transaction count is provided and stays accurate even if you omit monthly fees already baked into the total.
  • Costs are displayed with U.S. currency formatting and percentages rounded to two decimals for apples-to-apples benchmarking.

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