Merchant Fee Calculator
Estimate merchant fees from average ticket size, rate, fixed fee, and card transaction volume.
This merchant fee calculator helps retailers, service businesses, clinics, restaurants, and local operators compare card acceptance costs before requesting processor quotes.
- Best for card acceptance estimates using percentage plus fixed fees.
- Add statement fees, PCI fees, chargebacks, equipment, and software separately when comparing quotes.
Formula:(average ticket size x merchant percentage fee) + fixed fee, multiplied by monthly card sales.
Last reviewed:2026-05-21
Sources: Square processing fees, Stripe US pricing
When to use this
Estimate merchant account and card acceptance costs for a small business.
What you get
At an $85 average ticket, 2.75% + $0.15 costs $2.49 per card sale. At 600 sales per month, merchant fees are about $1,492.50.
Useful next step
Use the estimate to compare options, pressure-test pricing, or decide which fee model deserves a closer look.
Problems this helps with
- Merchant statements are hard to compare
- Small-ticket businesses get hit by fixed fees
- Quoted rates can hide monthly or PCI charges
Example estimate
At an $85 average ticket, 2.75% + $0.15 costs $2.49 per card sale. At 600 sales per month, merchant fees are about $1,492.50.
Merchant Fee Calculator examples
Processor-specific inputs
Retail merchant
Use case: In-person card sales
Rate to enter: Use the card-present quote
Compare average ticket size and monthly sales count.
Service merchant
Use case: Invoices and keyed payments
Rate to enter: Use online or keyed rate
Model high-ticket payments because percentage fees dominate.
Restaurant merchant
Use case: POS payments and tips
Rate to enter: Use processor POS rate
Test busy-month transaction count to avoid underestimating fees.
Sample calculations
Coffee shop
- Amount
- $12 average ticket
- Rate
- 2.6% + $0.10
- Result
- $0.41 fee
Low-ticket merchants should watch fixed fees closely.
Service business
- Amount
- $250 invoice
- Rate
- 2.9% + $0.30
- Result
- $7.55 fee
Good baseline for card payments on invoices or payment links.
Retail store
- Amount
- $85 average ticket
- Rate
- 2.75% + $0.15
- Result
- $2.49 fee
Useful for comparing merchant account quotes.
High-ticket clinic
- Amount
- $900 payment
- Rate
- 2.5% + $0.10
- Result
- $22.60 fee
A small rate difference matters more when ticket size is high.
Fee table
| Merchant cost | Example | Calculator input | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage fee | 2.5% to 3.5% | Merchant percentage fee | Largest driver for high-ticket businesses |
| Fixed fee | $0.05 to $0.30 per sale | Fixed fee per sale | Largest driver for low-ticket businesses |
| Monthly statement or software fee | $10 to $99/month | Add outside this calculator | Can change provider comparison results |
| Chargeback fee | Flat fee per dispute | Risk planning item | Important for online and high-risk merchants |
Merchant quotes can include several line items. Use this calculator for the core transaction fee, then compare add-ons separately.
Compare processing options
Continue with a related tool or comparison that helps turn the estimate into a clearer decision.
Related fee calculators
FAQ
What are merchant fees?
Merchant fees are the costs a business pays to accept card payments, usually including a percentage fee, a fixed per-transaction fee, and sometimes monthly or statement fees.
How do I calculate merchant fees?
Multiply the average sale by the merchant percentage fee, add the fixed fee, then multiply by monthly card sales.
Is merchant fee the same as processing fee?
They overlap. Merchant fee usually refers to the business cost of accepting payments, while processing fee can also describe platform, ticketing, payout, or marketplace fees.
What should I compare in a merchant quote?
Compare percentage rate, fixed fee, monthly fee, PCI fee, hardware cost, contract term, chargeback fee, and whether rates differ by card type or entry method.