# Paydude pricing explained

URL: https://www.paydude.io/resources/paydude-pricing-explained
Type: Guide
Published: 2026-09-05 · Updated: 2026-09-10
Summary: Paydude card rates from 2.6% + 25¢ with no monthly fee, plus an interchange-plus tier. Every situational fee explained with worked examples.

**Paydude charges 2.6% + 25¢ per successful card transaction under $100k of monthly volume, improving with volume and moving to interchange-plus above $5M — with no monthly platform fee.** Seven situational fees exist and each applies only in a specific circumstance. All of it is published.

## Summary

Four tiers, applied automatically by last month's volume. A tier locks for six months once reached. No monthly platform fee, and no extra percentage for subscriptions or invoices. Above $5M, pricing moves to interchange-plus with a disclosed markup.

## Card rates

**Applied automatically by last month's card volume**

| Tier | Monthly volume | Rate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | Under $100k | 2.6% + 25¢ |
| Growing | $100k – $1M | 2.55% + 20¢ |
| Scale | $1M – $5M | 2.5% + 15¢ |
| Interchange plus | $5M+ | Interchange plus 0.2% + 25¢ |

The top tier changes pricing model rather than just lowering the number. Instead of a blended rate, you pay the actual [interchange](https://www.paydude.io/resources/what-is-interchange) with a disclosed 0.2% + 25¢ markup — which at that scale is usually cheaper, and always more transparent. See [what is interchange-plus pricing](https://www.paydude.io/resources/what-is-interchange-plus-pricing).

## Situational fees

**Each applies only in the circumstance named**

| Situation | Cost | When it applies |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriptions and invoices | +0% | Never — recurring billing carries no extra percentage |
| ACH transactions | $0.75 | Per ACH transaction, instead of the card rate |
| Premium rewards, corporate, business and all Amex cards | +0.3% | When the customer pays with an eligible card of that type |
| Retrieval fee | $12 | A bank requests documentation before opening a dispute |
| Chargeback fee | $12 | A cardholder's bank reverses a payment |
| Chargeback reversal fee | $12 | A disputed payment is reversed back in your favour |
| Monthly difference / onboarding | $5 | Only if the account generates under $5 of monthly processing revenue |

## Worked examples

All three assume a $50 average transaction and domestic consumer cards, with no premium-card surcharge applied.

**What a month actually costs**

| Monthly volume | Transactions | Tier | Fees | Effective rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $25,000 | 500 | Starter | $775 | 3.10% |
| $250,000 | 5,000 | Growing | $7,375 | 2.95% |
| $2,000,000 | 40,000 | Scale | $56,000 | 2.80% |

Note that the effective rate is always higher than the headline percentage, because of the fixed per-transaction fee. That is true of every processor — see [what is an effective rate](https://www.paydude.io/resources/what-is-an-effective-rate).

> **Why the fixed fee matters more than the percentage:** At a $50 ticket, the 25¢ fixed fee adds 0.5% on top of the 2.6% rate. At a $10 ticket it adds 2.5%. If your average transaction is small, compare providers on the fixed fee first — the [payment fee impact calculator](https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/payment-fee-impact-calculator) shows the curve.

## How tiers actually behave

1. **Process your first month** — Everyone starts on the Starter tier at 2.6% + 25¢.
2. **Cross a volume threshold** — Exceed $100k in a calendar month and the Growing tier applies from the following month.
3. **The tier locks for six months** — Even if volume dips below the threshold, the better rate holds for six months.
4. **It renews automatically** — Reach that tier again at any point during those six months and the lock extends for another six.

There is no application and no renegotiation. The rate follows the volume.

**See it against your own numbers** Enter your volume and average transaction to see the difference. — [Open the calculator](https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/payment-processing-fee-calculator)

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Paydude have a monthly fee?

No monthly platform fee on any published tier. There is a $5 monthly difference charge that applies only if your account generates under $5 of monthly processing revenue, and it begins after your first transaction — so it functions as a floor on very low volume rather than a subscription.

### How do the volume tiers work?

The tier is set by last month's card volume and applies automatically. Cross a threshold once and the better rate locks for six months; reach that tier again during those six months and it renews for another six. You never have to ask for it.

### What costs extra?

Premium rewards, corporate, business and all American Express cards add 0.3%. ACH is $0.75 per transaction. Retrieval, chargeback and chargeback-reversal fees are $12 each. Subscriptions and invoicing add nothing.

### Are subscriptions charged extra?

No. Subscriptions and invoices carry no additional Paydude percentage, which is a real difference from providers that price recurring billing as a separate product on top of processing.

### What is the interchange-plus tier?

Above $5M of monthly volume, pricing moves to interchange plus 0.2% + 25¢ — you pay the actual interchange set by the card networks with a disclosed markup on top, rather than a blended flat rate. At that scale interchange-plus is usually cheaper, particularly on debit-heavy card mixes.