Payment Processing &
Merchant Fee Calculators
Audit credit card processing fees, calculate exact net payouts, and compare localized merchant rate cards across 6 major payment gateways and 5 global markets.
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📊 2026 Master Payment Gateway Rate Card Comparison Matrix
Compare default domestic processing rates, fixed per-transaction fees, and cross-border surcharges across all supported platforms:
| Platform | US Rate | UK Rate | CA Rate | AU Rate | IN Rate | Hub |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 2.9% + $0.30 | 1.5% + £0.20 | 2.9% + CA$0.30 | 1.75% + A$0.30 | 2.0% + ₹3.00 | View → |
| PayPal Commerce | 3.49% + $0.49 | 2.9% + £0.30 | 2.9% + CA$0.30 | 2.6% + A$0.30 | 3.0% + ₹3.00 | View → |
| Etsy Marketplace | 6.5% + 3.0% + $0.25 | 6.5% + 4.0% + £0.20 | 6.5% + 3.0% + CA$0.25 | 6.5% + 3.0% + A$0.25 | 6.5% + 4.0% + ₹3.00 | View → |
| Shopify Payments | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.0% + £0.25 | 2.9% + CA$0.30 | 1.75% + A$0.30 | 2.0% + ₹3.00 | View → |
| Square POS / Web | 2.9% + $0.30 | 1.4% + £0.25 | 2.9% + CA$0.30 | 2.2% + A$0.30 | N/A | View → |
| LemonSqueezy MoR | 5.0% + $0.50 | 5.0% + $0.50 | 5.0% + $0.50 | 5.0% + $0.50 | 5.0% + $0.50 | View → |
Understanding Payment Gateway Fees & Interchange Economics
Comprehensive guide to credit card processing fees, flat-rate pricing models, and cross-border currency conversion surcharges.
💳 How Credit Card Processing Fees Work
Every card transaction routes through a three-party ecosystem: the merchant acquiring bank, the card network (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), and the customer's issuing bank. Each entity deducts a mandatory cut before the net funds reach your bank account.
Your total processing cost combines wholesale interchange fees (paid to the card issuer), card brand network assessments, and the gateway's processor markup. Understanding these layers helps businesses identify hidden surcharges and optimize transaction margins.
⚖️ Flat-Rate vs. Interchange-Plus (IC+) Pricing
Most standard payment gateways operate on a blended flat-rate model (such as 2.9% + $0.30). You pay one predictable rate regardless of whether a shopper taps a low-cost regulated debit card or an expensive international rewards card.
Businesses scaling beyond $80,000 monthly can negotiate Interchange-Plus (IC+) pricing. IC+ passes through true wholesale interchange costs plus a small fixed gateway markup (e.g. IC + 0.15% + $0.10), slashing total processing overhead by 20% to 40%.
🌐 Cross-Border Surcharges & Currency FX
Accepting global payments introduces cross-border overhead. Gateways charge an international card surcharge (typically +1.0% to +1.75%) on cards issued overseas, even if the transaction is processed and settled in your local domestic currency.
When international buyers checkout in foreign currencies, processors levy an additional currency conversion fee of 1.0% to 3.0%. Combining overseas card fees with FX markups frequently pushes total transaction friction above 5.5% on cross-border orders.
🛍️ Merchant of Record (MoR) Platforms
Platforms like LemonSqueezy act as full Merchants of Record. Instead of simply processing payments, an MoR assumes legal liability for automatically calculating, collecting, and remitting global sales tax, GST, and VAT across more than 100 countries.
Although MoR headline rates (e.g. 5.0% + $0.50) are higher than standard gateways, they eliminate international sales tax filing headaches, fraud liabilities, chargeback disputes, and foreign business registration expenses for digital businesses.
📚 Merchant Payment Processing Glossary & Terminology
The baseline wholesale fee charged by issuing banks to process card payments. Regulated in the EU/UK at 0.2%/0.3% and uncapped in the US.
The total percentage rate charged to a merchant for accepting card payments, combining interchange, assessments, and processor markup.
A forced reversal of funds initiated by the cardholder's bank. Gateways levy dispute fees ($15–$25) per occurrence.
An entity authorized to process buyer transactions on behalf of a seller while assuming liability for tax compliance and refunds.