What would you keep?

Put in three numbers from your statement. We show what each program would save, including the part most calculators leave out: debit cards can't be surcharged.

Program

Card sales per month

On your statement as "total sales," "gross volume" or "amount submitted."

Average card sale

What you pay now

"What you pay now" is total fees ÷ card sales. How to find it. Not sure? 3.2% is typical for small-ticket retail.

Card price is above cash price by 3.5%

2%4%

Credit card surcharge 3%

1%3% cap

Colorado and Oklahoma cap it at 2%. Not allowed in CA, CT, ME, MA or PR.

Share of card sales on debit 40%

0%90%

Debit can never be surcharged, so these sales keep costing you today's rate.

One hour of paid staff time

Estimated savings

$0Card fees you pay today

$0Left for you to pay with the program

$0Kept over three years

Today, per month

With program

Your average sale

$0Card

$0Cash

0Staff hours a year the savings pay for

How we figure this

Today's fees = card sales × what you pay now. With a cash discount or dual pricing, the card price carries the program percent, so card buyers cover up to (program ÷ (1 + program)) of their sale, capped at your current cost. With surcharging, only credit sales are surcharged, at the lower of the surcharge and your current rate. Estimates leave out any monthly program fee and assume your tag prices carry the program and customers keep paying the way they do now. Your real numbers come from your statement review.

Get the exact number from my statement

Reading the result

Three things the big number doesn't tell you.

Debit is the dividing line

Thrift shoppers use a lot of debit. Cash discount and dual pricing cover debit sales; surcharging never can. If half your card sales are debit, a surcharge recovers roughly half as much.

Small tickets carry fixed cents

A percent program covers a percent of each sale. On a $3 item, a per-swipe fee can be more than that. Your statement review looks at the per-item pieces, not just the rate.

Prices and habits move a little

Some card buyers switch to cash once they see the discount, which costs you nothing. Stores that fold the program into their price guide see the full number; stores that leave every tag alone see less.