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Starting from a $2,500 average transaction and the card mix typical for freelancers.
Freelance invoices are large and infrequent, which makes the percentage rate the only number that matters — and makes the choice of payment method worth real money.
Paydude surcharges Amex at +0.3%
Excluding Amex, counted above
Stripe surcharges these; Paydude does not
Take these shares from a real statement rather than estimating. Card mix moves the answer more than the headline rate does, which is the entire reason this calculator asks for it.
Paydude is cheaper here at any card mix — even if every single transaction were on a surcharged card, the base rate difference would still cover it.
Annual saving at other Amex + premium shares
Excludes chargeback and dispute fees, where Paydude charges $12 against a $15–$25 norm. Those depend on your dispute rate rather than your volume, so they are left out of the comparison above.
Clients paying business cards is the norm rather than the exception, and those cost more to accept everywhere.
| Fee | Effective rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ | $72.80 | 2.91% |
| Paydude 2.6% + 25¢ | $65.25 | 2.61% |
At this ticket size, a flat ACH fee of under a dollar against roughly $75 of card fees is not a close call. Many freelancers offer both and quietly steer larger invoices toward bank transfer, which is worth several thousand a year at modest volume.
If you invoice internationally, check the cross-border surcharge before the base rate — it is often the larger number.
GOOD QUESTIONS
At a typical $2,500 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.
Any processor with decent invoicing works. At this ticket size compare percentages only, ignore fixed fees entirely, and check the international surcharge if you have overseas clients.
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.
Frequently, at this ticket size. ACH is typically a flat fee of under a dollar rather than a percentage, so on a $2,500 payment it can cost a fraction of card processing. The trade is settlement speed and a longer dispute window.