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Turn one monthly statement into the only rate that is comparable across processors — then see what the same month costs at published pricing.
Take three numbers off a single monthly statement — total volume processed, total fees paid, and number of transactions — and this works out what you actually paid as a percentage.
The gross amount of card payments on the statement, before fees.
Every line: discount rate, per-item fees, monthly, PCI, statement and gateway charges.
Paydude adds 0.3% on these. Leave it at 25% if you are not sure — a typical mix.
Take all three figures from a single monthly statement so the period matches. Totals include every fee line, not just the headline discount rate — that is what makes the result comparable.
Paydude comes out cheaper at every card mix here — even with all of your volume on surcharged cards you would still keep $1,200 a year.
Yearly difference by share of surcharged cards
Every processor advertises a percentage plus a fixed fee. The percentage is comparable between providers; the fixed fee is not, because what it costs you depends entirely on your average transaction size.
| Average transaction | Fixed fee as a % | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | 3.00% | 5.90% |
| $50 | 0.60% | 3.50% |
| $250 | 0.12% | 3.02% |
A coffee shop and a furniture retailer on identical published rates pay very different effective rates. That is why the effective rate is the only figure worth comparing.
Use a single settlement period so the volume and the fees cover exactly the same transactions.
Gross card volume before fees and before refunds are netted out.
Everything the processor charged: percentage, fixed fees, surcharges, monthly fees and dispute fees.
Multiply by 100 for a percentage. That is your effective rate.
An effective rate on its own is only half an answer — you still need something to hold it against. The calculator above costs the same statement at Paydude's published tiers, including the 0.3% we add on premium, corporate, business and American Express cards. The ladder in the results panel walks that share from 0% to 100%, so you can find your own card mix rather than trust a single figure. If the difference shrinks to nothing partway up that ladder, the page will tell you where.
GOOD QUESTIONS
It depends heavily on your average transaction size and card mix. For card-not-present ecommerce with a healthy ticket size, mid-to-high 2% is common; below a $15 average ticket, effective rates above 4% are normal regardless of provider.
Use gross processed volume, not net. Most processors do not refund the fixed fee on a refunded transaction, so netting refunds out understates what you paid.
Almost always some combination of the fixed per-transaction fee on small tickets, international or premium card surcharges, and monthly or dispute fees that the quoted rate never included.