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SmallBizTech
Free toolInvoicing & Payments

Card Payment Fee Calculator: What You Keep From Each Invoice

Free card payment fee calculator. Enter your processor's percentage and fixed fee to see what you receive, your monthly cost and what to charge to cover the fee.

The payment
$
Your processor's fees

Take this from your own processor's pricing page or statement.

%
$

Estimated results

You receive per payment

$487.25

Fee per payment
$12.75
Effective fee rate
2.55%
Fees per month
$255.00
Fees per year
$3,060.00
Charge this to receive the full amount
$513.08
…which is extra on the invoice
$13.08

Uses only the rates you enter — we don't assume any provider's pricing. Calculated in your browser; nothing is sent to us.

What the calculator works out

Most card processors charge a percentage of each payment plus a fixed fee. This calculator applies both to your invoice and shows:

  • Fee per payment = amount × percentage + fixed fee
  • What you receive = amount − fee
  • Effective fee rate = fee ÷ amount. Small payments pay a higher effective rate because the fixed fee is spread over less money.
  • Monthly and yearly fees, from how many card payments you take
  • What to charge to receive the full amount = (amount + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage)

Worked example

These rates are examples, not any provider's pricing. A $500 invoice, a 2.5% fee and a $0.25 fixed fee, with 20 card payments a month:

  • Fee: 500 × 2.5% + 0.25 = $12.75
  • You receive: $487.25
  • Effective rate: 2.55%
  • Fees per month: 12.75 × 20 = $255, or $3,060 a year
  • To receive a full $500, the payment would need to be (500 + 0.25) ÷ 0.975 = $513.08, which is $13.08 more

Using the result

  • Check your own terms. Fee structures also vary by card type, region and how the payment is taken, so use the rate that fits most of your payments.
  • Count the fee as a cost of the job. If you price with a margin target, add the expected fee to your cost. The markup and margin calculator shows how the two connect.
  • Look at small invoices separately. The fixed fee takes a bigger bite of a $40 payment than of a $2,000 one.
  • Get the rules right before passing fees on. Whether and how you can add a surcharge depends on where you and your customer are.

Frequently asked questions

Which processor's fees does this use?

None. You enter the percentage and fixed fee from your own processor's pricing page or monthly statement, so the result reflects your actual terms rather than a guess at anyone's rates.

Why is the amount to charge more than the fee added to the invoice?

The fee is taken from the whole amount the customer pays, including the part that covers the fee. Adding the fee to the invoice and then paying a percentage on the larger total leaves you slightly short, so the calculator divides instead of adding.

Can I pass the card fee on to my customers?

Rules on surcharges and on how prices must be displayed differ by country and region, and card networks and your processor have their own terms. Check those before you add a surcharge. The calculator only shows the arithmetic.

Is my data stored?

No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent to our servers.

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