Calculator
Effective Rate Calculator
Turn your card processing costs into one effective rate so you can tell whether your current pricing is competitive.
Current monthly fees
$535
Current annual fees
$6,419
Effective rate
3.57%
Monthly transactions
333
Compare the next cost question
The provider button opens an official website, not an affiliate offer. Estimates are educational; verify your channel, software costs, and current terms before switching.
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Running a retail store? Compare more than fees.
If you also need inventory, purchasing and store reporting, explore Zoho POS as a separate software option. Verify supported payments and costs for your location.
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| Provider estimate | Model | Effective rate | Annual cost | Difference vs current |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PayPal POS PayPal POS in-person public rate Official rate source | Flat rate | 2.49% | $4,482 | $1,937 |
QuickBooks Payments QuickBooks card-reader standard rate Official rate source | Flat rate | 2.50% | $4,500 | $1,919 |
Stripe Stripe Terminal in-person domestic cards Official rate source | Flat rate | 2.81% | $5,060 | $1,359 |
Square Square Free in-person domestic cards Official rate source | Flat rate | 2.93% | $5,279 | $1,139 |
Public-rate example limitations
These rows use public domestic card rates for the selected channel, not a blended estimate or a provider recommendation. For mixed sales, calculate each channel separately. Stripe Terminal needs a compatible integration; software and hardware costs are not included. Interchange-plus and quote-based options are excluded because a processor markup is not a complete rate. Your real cost can vary by card mix, volume, hardware, software plan, risk review, and negotiated terms. QuickBooks account subscription costs are excluded. Rates checked October 14, 2026; verify current terms at the linked official sources.
Restaurant preset context: typical needs include tips, kitchen workflows, tables, offline mode.
Effective rate formula
These formulas turn a processor statement into a comparable monthly and annual cost estimate.
Monthly processing fees
Monthly card sales x percentage fee + transactions x per-transaction fee + monthly fixed fees
Effective processing rate
Total monthly processing fees / monthly card sales
Enter monthly card sales
Use card volume, not total revenue, if part of your sales are cash, ACH, or check.
Estimate transaction count
Average ticket size helps estimate how often the per-transaction fee applies.
Compare modeled costs
Use the provider table as a directional model, then verify current rates and terms.
Public Standard Rate Examples
These verified public examples cover different payment channels and are not a lowest-provider ranking. Match the channel to how you accept payments. They are not custom quotes and may not include software, hardware, chargebacks, international cards, or industry-specific fees.
| Provider estimate | Model | Percent | Per transaction | Monthly fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Free in-person domestic cards | Flat rate | 2.60% | $0.15 | $0 | Pricing page Verified 2026-10-14 |
| Stripe online card payments | Flat rate | 2.90% | $0.30 | $0 | Pricing page Verified 2026-10-14 |
| Stripe Terminal in-person domestic cards | Flat rate | 2.70% | $0.05 | $0 | Pricing page Verified 2026-10-14 |
| Square Free online or invoice domestic cards | Flat rate | 3.30% | $0.30 | $0 | Pricing page Verified 2026-10-14 |
| PayPal POS in-person public rate | Flat rate | 2.29% | $0.09 | $0 | Pricing page Verified 2026-10-14 |
| QuickBooks card-reader standard rate | Flat rate | 2.50% | $0.00 | $0 | Pricing page Verified 2026-10-14 |
For inventory-led retailAffiliate partner
Need more than a payment-rate comparison?
If retail inventory and store operations matter as much as processing cost, compare Zoho POS for checkout, purchasing, vendors, multi-outlet management, and reporting. Verify current regional pricing and payment integrations.
We may earn a commission. Check regional availability, pricing and supported processors. Affiliate disclosure · Compare total POS costs first
Compare provider pricing
Use the calculator result as a starting point, then verify current pricing and contract terms directly with each provider.
Helcim
Official provider link
- growing businesses
- in-person merchants
- lower-fee quotes
Square
Official provider link
- new businesses
- restaurants
- food trucks
Stripe
Official provider link
- online payments
- SaaS
- developer-led businesses
These buttons currently open official provider websites. Pricing can change; verify current rates, monthly fees, hardware costs, and contract terms before signing up.
Effective rate questions
What is a good effective rate for credit card processing?
A good effective rate depends on business type, transaction channel, card mix, and volume. The useful first step is to compare your total monthly fees against monthly card sales, then quote alternatives if the result looks high for your situation.
Why does average ticket size matter?
Per-transaction fees become more expensive when average tickets are small. A business with many $10 tickets can pay a higher effective rate than a business with fewer $100 tickets, even when the advertised percentage rate is the same.
Are these provider estimates guaranteed quotes?
No. They are educational estimates based on public pricing assumptions. Real costs can vary by negotiated pricing, card mix, keyed versus swiped transactions, chargebacks, hardware, software plans, and industry risk.
What should I do after using the calculator?
Compare your effective rate with at least two current provider quotes, ask which fees are included, and confirm whether the pricing model is flat-rate, interchange-plus, tiered, or subscription-based.
For more background, read the credit card processing fees guide and the methodology.