Card Payment Cost Calculator & Fit Finder

Start with your business

How to use the card payment cost calculator

A useful comparison starts with the way customers actually pay you. A shop taking hundreds of small payments has different costs from a consultancy collecting a few large invoices. A restaurant may need several portable terminals, while an online business may need a checkout that works with its existing website.

Start with a recent payment statement if you already accept cards. If you are setting up, enter a realistic sales forecast and treat the result as a planning estimate. The sample figures in the tool are there to help you get started; replace them before using the results to make a decision.

1. Enter your monthly card sales. Separate payments taken in person, through your online checkout or payment links, and over the phone or by manual entry. Include card sales only, rather than cash sales or ordinary bank transfers.
2. Add your average payment. Use a separate average for each channel. If your statement shows both sales and transaction count, divide sales by the number of payments for that channel.
3. Set your locations, terminals and trading months. Use the total number of terminals across the locations you are comparing. For an online business, or a phone based setup that needs no separate terminals, enter zero terminals.
4. Refine your card mix. The default assumes UK standard consumer cards. Change the shares if you take premium, commercial or international cards, as these can have different charges.
5. Select your practical requirements. Tell the finder whether you need printed receipts, payments on the move, software integration, recurring payments or other features.
6. Compare your own offers if you have them. Enter the complete rates and extra charges, then download the summary to keep alongside your quotes.

For more background on the different charges, read our card machine fees guide. If you are still deciding what equipment you need, start with our guide to card machines.

Know what the figures include

What do the calculator results mean?

Public tariffs and your own offers are shown separately because they may include different costs. The tool does not invent a negotiated rate for a provider that needs to assess your business. Where a price or product scope is not covered, it tells you that a further check is needed.

For each published estimate, open the rates and assumptions to see the source and recorded check date. Prices that are overdue for review stop producing estimates. Your own offer comparison remains available, but the accuracy of those figures depends on the information you enter.

Why your average payment matters

Some offers charge a percentage of each payment. Others combine a percentage with a fixed pence charge. The pence part has a bigger effect when customers spend smaller amounts.

This is why comparing headline percentages alone can be misleading. Ask providers to price the same sales volume, transaction count and card mix. If your online orders are typically much larger than your in person payments, use different average payment values for those channels.

The finder estimates payment counts from sales divided by average payment. Actual billing can differ because individual transactions vary and providers may round each transaction charge separately. Treat the output as a comparison estimate rather than a prediction of the exact amount on your next statement.

Look beyond the headline rate

Include the costs that change your complete bill

Before comparing two offers, ask each provider to list everything you would pay. A transaction rate is only one part of the decision. Some costs continue even when you make no sales, while others depend on equipment, locations or the services you choose.

• Processing rates: the percentages and fixed charges for the cards and payment channels your customers use.
• Monthly fees: account, gateway, software and service charges, including anything charged separately at each location.
• Equipment: purchase or rental costs for every terminal, plus printers, stands, connectivity and other required accessories.
• Minimum charges: the amount you must pay if your processing fees fall below a contractual minimum.
• Additional services: any authorisation, PCI, refund, dispute, faster payout or currency conversion charges relevant to your business.
• Starting and switching: setup, integration, installation and any cost of leaving your existing agreement.

In the own-offer calculator, enter each charge once and use amounts excluding VAT. The monthly processing minimum field tops up processing charges to the minimum you enter; it does not add that full minimum again on top. If your agreement applies separate minimums to locations or accounts, confirm the expected combined charge before entering it.

If you receive an interchange++ quote, the provider may show its margin separately from interchange and scheme fees. The own-offer calculator needs your expected complete blended rate for each channel. Entering just the provider margin would understate the cost. Ask for a worked estimate using your actual card mix if the full rate is unclear.

Use the finder at every stage of your business

Starting out or trading occasionally

Focus on the money you must commit before you know your sales pattern. Compare upfront equipment costs, continuing monthly fees and the flexibility to stop or change services. Think about whether you need a separate device, a printed receipt or a way to take payments away from reliable Wi-Fi.

Running an established business

Use a recent statement to build a realistic comparison. Include the services staff rely on today, then consider whether a different setup would improve daily operations. Check payout timing, support hours and replacement equipment alongside price. Our payment processing provider guide explains the broader options.

Operating across several locations

Check which fees apply once to the business and which apply to each location, account or terminal. Ask how sales reporting, refunds, staff permissions and settlement work across the whole operation. A small recurring charge per terminal becomes more significant when multiplied across a larger estate.

Managing a large or complex operation

Use published rates as reference points and request tailored commercial terms. Your specification should cover integration, resilience, support commitments, reporting, countries, currencies and rollout requirements. The calculator can compare entered costs at scale, but it does not model every pricing tier, contract structure or operational benefit. Use the downloaded checklist to make provider discussions more consistent.

What if your sales change through the year?

Enter the number of months you expect to trade and the sales from a representative trading month. The annual model applies processing costs to those months while keeping subscriptions, fixed fees and processing minimums running for all twelve months.

This matters for events businesses, seasonal venues and occasional sellers. A plan can look attractive during busy periods but cost more across the year if charges continue while you are closed. If your agreement lets you pause particular services, compare that separately using the confirmed terms. For substantial monthly variation, run several scenarios rather than relying on one average.

Card payment calculator questions