Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total monthly processing cost
$1,820
Effective rate on sales
3.31%
Base processing cost
$1,430
Per-transaction fees
$240
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How to use this
- 1Enter monthly card sales ($).
- 2Enter processing rate (%).
- 3Enter per-transaction fee ($).
- 4Enter transactions per month.
- 5Enter pos software/hardware fee ($/mo).
- 6Read your total monthly processing cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Card processing typically costs restaurants 2.3-3.5% of transaction value once you include interchange, assessment fees, and the payment processor's markup, plus many POS systems layer on a monthly software fee, per-terminal hardware cost, or a percentage-based software fee on top of straight processing. This calculator takes your monthly card sales volume, blended processing rate, and any flat POS software/hardware fees, and shows total monthly cost plus the effective rate as a percentage of total sales, which is usually higher than the quoted processing rate once flat fees are included, especially for lower-volume operations where fixed costs matter more relative to sales. Comparing this effective rate across providers, not just the headline processing percentage, is the only fair way to compare POS systems since a 'free' POS with a higher processing rate often costs more overall than a low-rate processor with a modest software fee.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Monthly card sales: 55000 $
- Processing rate: 2.6 %
- Per-transaction fee: 0.1 $
- Transactions per month: 2400
- POS software/hardware fee: 150 $/mo
Results
- Total monthly processing cost: $1,820
- Effective rate on sales: 3.31%
- Base processing cost: $1,430
- Per-transaction fees: $240
What each field means
Inputs
- Monthly card sales ($)
- The monthly card sales used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 55000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Processing rate (%)
- The processing rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 2.6 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–5 %.
- Per-transaction fee ($)
- The per-transaction fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0.1 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Transactions per month
- The transactions per month used in the calculation. Starts at 2400 so you have a working example on load.
- POS software/hardware fee ($/mo)
- The pos software/hardware fee used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 150 $/mo so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Total monthly processing cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Effective rate on sales
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Base processing cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Per-transaction fees
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What's a normal card processing rate for restaurants?
2.3-3.5% all-in is typical, with the lower end for larger operations that can negotiate interchange-plus pricing and the higher end for smaller operations on flat-rate processors bundled with a POS system.
Should I pass processing fees to customers as a surcharge?
It's legal in most states with proper disclosure, but rules vary — some states cap the surcharge or ban it entirely, and card network rules require specific signage and receipt disclosure. A cash discount structure is legal everywhere and achieves a similar effect without technically surcharging.
Why do 'free' POS systems still cost money?
They typically recoup the hardware and software cost through a higher processing rate, often 0.3-0.6 percentage points above a standalone processor, which on $50,000+ monthly card volume adds up to more than a modest flat software fee would have cost.
How do I actually compare two POS/processing quotes?
Run both through this calculator with your real monthly card volume and transaction count, then compare the effective rate output, not the headline processing percentage — flat fees matter more at lower volume and less at higher volume, which flips which option is cheaper depending on your sales level.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). POS & Payment Processing Fee Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pos-fee-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pos-fee-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POS & Payment Processing Fee Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [POS & Payment Processing Fee Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pos-fee-calculator) (2026).