Payment Processing Fee Benchmarks (2026)
What card acceptance typically costs by business type — and why a surcharge or cash discount can recover it. These are planning ranges, not quotes.
Effective rate by business type
| Business type | Channel | Effective rate | Per-transaction fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail store | Card-present (swiped / tap) | 1.5% – 2.5% | $0.10 – $0.25 |
| Restaurant / cafe | Card-present + tips | 1.6% – 2.7% | $0.10 – $0.25 |
| Grocery / convenience | Card-present | 1.4% – 2.3% | $0.08 – $0.20 |
| E-commerce | Card-not-present (online) | 2.3% – 3.5% | $0.20 – $0.30 |
| Service / professional | Keyed-in / invoice | 2.5% – 3.6% | $0.20 – $0.35 |
| B2B / high-ticket | Keyed / purchasing cards | 1.8% – 3% | $0.20 – $0.40 |
Typical ranges compiled from published Visa/Mastercard interchange schedules and the Federal Reserve payments study; not a quote. Last verified: 2026-08. Actual rates vary by card mix, volume, and processor contract — obtain a written quote from your processor.
What makes up “the fee”
Interchange
Paid to: Card-issuing bank
Largest piece (~1.4%–2.5% typical). Set by Visa/Mastercard; passes through to your processor.
Network assessment
Paid to: Visa / Mastercard / Amex
Small fixed % (often ~0.1%–0.15%) paid to the card network.
Processor markup
Paid to: Your payment processor
The only negotiable piece — flat % + per-transaction fee, or a subscription model.
Why this matters for surcharging
- A 2.5% effective rate on a $40 average ticket is about $1.00 per sale — recovered fully by a compliant cash-discount or surcharge program.
- Card-not-present (e-commerce) rates run ~0.8–1.0 point higher than card-present, so online surcharging rules matter even more.
- The processor markup is the only negotiable piece — compare quotes before you accept a contract.
- Whatever you recover by surcharge is capped at your actual cost; you cannot profit from the fee.
See if you can surcharge in your state →
Educational content, not legal advice. Cashbizly is an independent educational resource. Nothing here is personalized legal advice and it does not replace a licensed attorney or your state’s Attorney General.
Our state-by-state status reflects the consensus of published 2025–2026 compliance guides (card-network rules, LawPay, Stax, NCSL) as of the “last verified” date on each page. Surcharge law changes frequently and is actively litigated — always confirm current figures with your state Attorney General or a professional. Read our full disclaimer.