# What Payment Processing Costs Agencies

URL: https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/payment-processing-for-agencies
Type: Free interactive calculator
Summary: Card processing costs for agencies, starting from a $5,000 average transaction and a realistic card mix. See your effective rate, not a headline rate.

Agency retainers are large, recurring and almost always paid on a company card — which is the most expensive card type to accept.

## Summary

A typical agency invoice is around $5,000. A 40% corporate card share is normal here and changes the comparison materially. At that ticket size the fixed fee is only 0.01% of the transaction — the percentage decides almost everything. Card mix matters more here than in most industries.

## What a agency invoice really costs

Monthly retainers also mean the same fee recurs, so a fraction of a percent compounds across the life of every client.

**One $5,000 transaction, on published domestic rates**

|  | Fee | Effective rate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ | $145.30 | 2.91% |
| Paydude 2.55% + 20¢ | $127.70 | 2.55% |

> **Business cards change this comparison:** Retainers are usually paid on corporate cards. A high corporate-card share is the one case where Paydude's +0.3% surcharge narrows the gap — the calculator above models it, and reports the share at which the advantage disappears.

## Retainers make small differences large

A $5,000 monthly retainer at 2.9% costs $1,740 a year in fees for one client. Across ten clients that is $17,400 — enough that a 0.3 point difference in rate is a real line in your P&L rather than a rounding error.

## What to check on your own statement

1. **Your real average transaction.** Total volume divided by transaction count.
2. **Your Amex and corporate card share.** In this industry it is usually higher than people expect, and it moves the answer.
3. **Whether you are being charged for keyed entry.** Manually entered card details cost more at most providers.
4. **Monthly, gateway and PCI fees**, divided by your volume.

For what a rate difference is worth across a client base, use the [overpayment calculator](https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/how-much-are-you-overpaying-calculator).

**See the full rate card** Every tier and every situational fee, published up front. — [View pricing](https://www.paydude.io/pricing)

## Frequently asked questions

### What does payment processing cost for agencies?

At a typical $5,000 transaction, a standard 2.9% + 30¢ rate works out at 2.91%. At that ticket the fixed fee is almost irrelevant — the percentage and your card mix decide the bill. Corporate and Amex cards, which are common in this industry, cost more to accept everywhere.

### What is the best payment processor for agencies?

Compare on percentage and on how corporate cards are priced. Also consider ACH for retainers — at $5,000 a month the saving against card fees is substantial and clients on a retainer rarely object.

### Why do business and corporate cards cost more?

Because their interchange is higher — the rewards and expense-management features those cards offer are funded from the fee the merchant pays. Some providers surcharge them explicitly; others fold the cost into a higher base rate that every merchant pays regardless of card mix.

### Is it cheaper to take ACH or bank transfer instead?

Frequently, at this ticket size. ACH is typically a flat fee of under a dollar rather than a percentage, so on a $5,000 payment it can cost a fraction of card processing. The trade is settlement speed and a longer dispute window.