POS & Payment Fee Comparison
Card fees hit every sale and compound on gross revenue. Compare swipe, online, and monthly costs across the major providers so processing does not quietly erode your margin. Every range is cited and dated.
This calculator provides estimates for educational use only. It is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures are based on current IRS rules — verify against IRS.gov or consult a licensed professional. See our full disclaimer.
Major POS & Payment Providers
Indicative ranges retrieved 2026-08-13. Verify live quotes for your volume.
| Provider | In-person swipe | Online / keyed | Typical monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square | ~2.6% + $0.10 | ~2.9% + $0.30 | $0 (pay-as-you-go) |
| Stripe | ~2.7% + $0.05 (terminal) | ~2.9% + $0.30 | $0 |
| Shopify Payments | ~2.4% – 2.9% + $0.30 | ~2.4% – 2.9% + $0.30 | Plan-dependent |
| Toast (restaurants) | ~2.49% + $0.15 | ~2.99% + $0.49 | Plan + hardware |
| Clover | ~2.69% + $0.10 | ~3.5% + $0.10 | Plan-dependent |
| Lightspeed | ~2.6% + $0.10 | ~2.9% + $0.30 | Plan + hardware |
These are indicative published ranges, not live quotes. Rates vary by processing volume, plan, and hardware bundle; some providers add PCI, chargeback, and app fees. Always confirm the current quote for your expected volume before committing.
POS Fee FAQs
Card processing is charged on GROSS revenue, not profit, and compounds on every transaction. A 0.3% difference on $500k annual sales is $1,500 straight out of margin. For thin-margin stores, POS fees are a real line item, not an afterthought.
In-person (card-present) swipe rates are lower because fraud risk is lower. Online, keyed, and manually-entered transactions are "card-not-present" and cost more. If you sell online or take phone orders, model the higher rate on that share.
Usually a per-transaction cent fee (e.g. $0.10–$0.30) plus optional monthly software fees, hardware costs, and add-on app charges. Toast and Shopify especially layer monthly plans on top of processing.
Aggregated from each provider’s published pricing, retrieved 2026-08-13. Rates change and vary by volume and plan — verify the live quote for your processing volume before signing.
Pick a provider, take its swipe + online rates, and enter them as the payment-processing % (or a blended rate) in the Startup Viability and Sales Forecast tools. That is the variable cost that hits every sale.
Authoritative References
- Square — Pricing — published in-person and online rates.
- Stripe — Pricing — published processing rates.
- Shopify — Payments — published processing rates.
- Toast — POS Pricing — restaurant-specific processing.
Educational reference only. Provider rates retrieved 2026-08-13 change frequently and vary by volume and plan. Not a recommendation — compare live quotes for your business.