Processor fee comparison for this transaction
What you would take home on this amount at each provider's standard US rate for online card payments, as listed on their own pricing pages on 30 September 2026 (Stripe, PayPal, Square). Rates are different in other countries, for international cards, for currency conversion and for in-person payments, and providers can change them at any time. Always check your own provider's pricing page.
| Gateway | Fee | You Receive | Invoice to Net Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enter your transaction amount above to see this table. | |||
How the "Gross-up" fee calculation works
If you quote a client $100 and they pay by card through a provider charging 2.9% + $0.30, you receive $96.80. If you simply add $3.20 to the bill ($103.20), the provider takes its percentage of the larger total, so you still end up a little short.
The true gross-up formula calculates the exact amount to invoice so that after the processor takes their cut, you are left with 100% of your target earnings.
How it's calculated
Worked example
A web developer bills a client $1,000.00 through Stripe (2.9% + $0.30). The processing fee is $29.00 (percentage) + $0.30 (fixed) = $29.30, giving a net payout of $970.70.
If the contract specifies that the client covers transaction fees so the developer nets exactly $1,000.00, the invoice amount should be $1,030.18: ($1,000 + $0.30) ÷ (1 − 0.029) = $1,030.18. Stripe takes $30.18 in total fees, leaving exactly $1,000.00 in the developer's bank.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pass card processing fees on to my clients?
It depends on where you and your client are, and on the kind of card. Card surcharges are restricted or banned in some countries and US states, and card networks have their own rules. Many freelancers avoid the question by building fees into their prices, or by offering a cheaper payment method such as a bank transfer. Check the current rules for your country, and your payment provider's terms, before adding a card fee to an invoice.
Why do small transactions have a much higher effective rate?
Because the fixed part of the fee takes a bigger share of a small sale. On a $5 payment, a $0.30 fixed fee alone is 6%, so with a 2.9% rate the total fee is 8.9% of the sale.
How can I lower my transaction fees?
Offer a bank transfer option (such as ACH in the US, Faster Payments in the UK, Interac e-Transfer in Canada or PayID in Australia). Bank transfers are often much cheaper than card payments, but costs depend on your bank and provider, so compare their fee pages.