What is 3.5 processing fee?

Asked by: Linnea Erdman  |  Last update: February 10, 2026
Score: 4.7/5 (40 votes)

Credit card processing fees typically cost a business 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction's total. For example, you'd pay $1.50 to $3.50 in credit card fees for a sale of $100. How much you're actually charged depends on factors like the card type and whether the transaction was made in person or online.

Why am I being charged a processing fee?

Credit card processing fees are the fees a merchant pays for each credit or debit card sale. This fee is predetermined by your merchant services provider and can include fees such as interchange fees, assessment or service fees, chargeback fees, and more.

What is a normal processing fee?

The average credit card processing fees range from 1.5 percent to 3.5 percent of each transaction, according to industry analysts, although the final percentage depends on a host of factors.

How do I get rid of processing fees?

How to eliminate credit card transaction fees
  1. Capture complete customer data.
  2. Offer multiple payment options.
  3. Offer dual-pricing with the Edge.
  4. Watch for fee increases.
  5. Make sure you are PCI DSS compliant.
  6. Batch process transactions.

Is it legal to charge 3% for use of a credit card?

These fees are typically a percentage of the sale plus a fixed dollar amount. Fees vary with the credit card provider. For instance, American Express has different rates than Discover. Important to note: surcharges cannot be charged to make a profit and may not exceed 4 percent of the transaction total.

Should Retailers Charge Customers Credit Card Fees?

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Why is there a 3% credit card fee?

Convenience fees usually range between two and three percent of the purchase price. Both of these fees are meant to help a business make up for any processing fees it may have to pay when you make a payment. For this reason, fees should not exceed the processing fee amount.

How much is a 3 surcharge?

For example, you may see a sign that says there's a 3% charge for credit card purchases. That translates to paying $25.75 instead of $25 when using a credit card. A credit card surcharge is generally calculated as a percentage of the transaction amount and can be as high as 4% of the transaction.

Why are card processing fees so high?

The card issuer.

These are banks that supply the consumer with the card itself, such as Capital One or Chase. By charging an interchange fee, these banks cover their operating costs and fraud protection which is between 1.7%-2% and is also non-negotiable.

How can I avoid processing fees?

8 ways to minimize payment processing fees
  1. Review your statement regularly. Your statement shouldn't have any surprises. ...
  2. Switch processors. ...
  3. Try surcharging. ...
  4. Set a credit card minimum. ...
  5. Accept cards in person. ...
  6. Chargeback policies and fraud prevention. ...
  7. Offer cash discounts. ...
  8. Partner with Sekure.

What is the purpose of the processing fee?

A processing fee, in the context of financial services, refers to a charge imposed by a lender or financial institution to cover the costs associated with processing a loan application or any other financial transaction.

What is a reasonable credit card processing fee?

In most cases, credit card processing fees will run between 1.5% to 4% of the total value of a transaction. A $1,000 transaction, therefore, could have fees ranging from $15 up to $40. The overall impact depends on your margins.

Are processing fees negotiable?

Some credit card processing fees are negotiable, and some aren't. If you're looking to lower credit card processing fee, put the spreadsheet aside for a moment and read this article before you call another processor to ask the fateful question, “What's your rate?”

Why do banks charge processing fee?

Reasons to Impose Loan Processing Fee

Lending institutions charge loan processing fees to cover various costs they must incur to approve the loan. These include the following: Document verification charges. Pre-sanction inspection charges.

Is a processing fee legal?

The answer is: yes, if your business operates in states where it is legal to do so. As of the time of publishing this, the practice of imposing additional fees on credit card transactions (i.e., credit card surcharges) is prohibited in only three U.S. locations: Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico.

Why have I been charged a transaction fee?

Transaction fees are the expenses that businesses need to pay to their payment service provider every time the provider processes an electronic payment for a Card Present or Card Not Present transaction. Transaction fees can vary slightly, depending on the payment service provider.

Do processing fees get refunded?

Do processors return fees when I give a customer a refund? Some do, some don't. In the open market, there's no requirement that processors return the processing fees on refund transactions.

Why do I have to pay a processing fee?

Payment processing fees refer to fees charged to merchants for processing credit card payments and online payments from customers. The amount of payment processing fees depends on the pricing model preferred by the payment processor, as well as the level of risk of the transaction.

How do I cancel a processing charge?

A pending transaction will affect the amount of credit or funds you have available, effectively deducting money from your account. Canceling a pending transaction usually requires contacting the merchant who made the charge. Once a pending transaction has posted, contact your bank or card issuer to dispute it.

How do I not pay transaction fees?

The most effective way of minimising fees is to avoid paper-based and over-the-counter transactions. If you are writing cheques to pay for regular payments, check to see if alternatives are available - these generally have lower fees: Direct Debit.

How do I avoid payment processing fees?

Strategies to lower credit card processing fees include buying your payment terminals instead of leasing, staying PCI compliant, finding the best merchant services provider for your business, considering surcharging or cash discounts, and avoiding cancellation fees.

What is the 3 percent transaction fee on a credit card?

In order to calculate a 3% processing fee, you will have to multiply the whole transaction value by 0.03. For instance, the processing fee would be $3 (100 x 0.03 = 3) if the transaction value was $100. The customer would be billed a total of $103, including the processing fee.

What is the average processing fee?

The quick answer: the average credit card processing fee cost for card-present transactions ranges from 1.70% – 2.05% for Visa, Mastercard and Discover. Amex fees are slightly higher. The average credit card fee cost for card-not-present transactions ranges from 2.25% – 2.50%.

Why do companies charge 3 for credit cards?

These surcharges are added to credit card transactions to cover processing fees. The surcharge amount is typically a percentage of the transaction. Businesses must inform customers about the surcharge before the transaction. Credit card networks (such as Visa and Mastercard) have guidelines on surcharges.

In what states is it illegal to charge credit card fees?

Surcharging is widely accepted in the US except in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Puerto Rico. Illinois, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Texas, Nevada, New York, South Dakota, New Jersey, Minnesota, California, Florida, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Montana allow surcharging with certain contingencies.

How to calculate a 3% fee?

A 3% processing fee is calculated by multiplying the transaction amount by 0.03. A $100 transaction incurs a $3 fee, totaling $103.