# Credit Card Processing Fee Calculator

> Enter your processor’s rate — a percentage plus a fixed fee — to see the fee on any payment, what you keep, your monthly cost, and how the major processors compare.

- Source: https://plugstack.dev/tools/credit-card-processing-fee-calculator/
- Published by: PlugStack
- Last updated: 2026-09-24

## The formula

 
- **Processing fee** = payment × percentage rate + fixed fee
- **Net amount** = payment − fee
- **Effective rate** = fee ÷ payment
- **Price that covers the fee** = (amount you want + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − percentage rate)

 

## Standard US online rates (flat-rate processors)

 

| Processor | Standard online card rate |
| --- | --- |
| Stripe | 2.9% + 30¢ (+1.5% international, +1% conversion) |
| WooPayments | 2.9% + 30¢ (+1.5% international, +1% conversion) |
| Square — Free plan | 3.3% + 30¢ |
| Square — Plus / Premium plans | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| PayPal — standard card payments | 2.99% + 49¢ |
| PayPal — PayPal Checkout button | 3.49% + 49¢ |

 

Rates from each provider’s US pricing page, checked on the date at the top of this page. Pick a processor in the calculator to add international and conversion surcharges, or keep “Custom rate” for your own contract.

 

## Flat-rate vs interchange-plus

 

Flat-rate pricing (the table above) is simple and predictable — good for small and growing stores. Interchange-plus passes through the card network’s actual cost (which varies by card type) plus a fixed markup; it’s usually cheaper above roughly $50–100k per month in card volume, but harder to predict. If you’re on interchange-plus, enter your average effective rate as the custom percentage.

 

## What the monthly total tells you

 

Enter the number of payments per month to see fees per month and per year. A 0.3% difference in rate on $30,000 of monthly sales is $1,080 a year — worth a phone call to your processor, but rarely worth a migration on its own.

 

For provider-specific details see the [PayPal](https://plugstack.dev/tools/paypal-fee-calculator/) and [Stripe](https://plugstack.dev/tools/stripe-fee-calculator/) fee calculators.

## FAQ
### How are credit card processing fees calculated?
Most online processors charge a percentage of the payment plus a fixed amount per transaction, for example 2.9% + $0.30. On $80 that is 80 × 0.029 + 0.30 = $2.62.

### What is a normal credit card processing fee?
For US online payments on flat-rate processors, roughly 2.9–3.5% plus 30–49¢ per transaction. Interchange-plus pricing for larger merchants can be lower, and in-person payments are usually cheaper than online.

### Can I add a credit card surcharge?
Sometimes. In the US, card network rules cap credit card surcharges (Visa caps them at 3%), require disclosure, and do not allow surcharges on debit or prepaid cards; some states restrict them further. Many other countries ban or cap surcharges. Check the rules where you and your customers are before adding one.

### How do I pass the fee on without a surcharge?
Build it into your prices, or offer a cash / ACH discount where that is allowed. Use the “I want to receive” mode to find the price that covers the fee.

### Why is my effective rate higher than the advertised rate?
Because of the fixed fee, international and currency-conversion surcharges, and refunds where the fee is not returned. Enter a typical order value above to see your real effective rate.