Flat rate, bespoke or Interchange++: what changes?

Read the pricing structure

Flat or blended: one quoted percentage for the stated scope, sometimes plus a per-item fee. Check exclusions rather than assuming every card and channel has that price. Bespoke/category pricing: debit, credit, business cards, Amex or remote payments can carry different prices.

Interchange-plus usually passes through interchange plus a provider charge; ask how scheme fees are treated. Interchange++ explicitly separates interchange, scheme fees and markup. Terminology varies, so the written schedule and invoice control the calculation.

Card categories are not interchangeable

Consumer debit and consumer credit are distinct from commercial debit and commercial credit. Amex should be accounted for where accepted, including any separate bill. International cards and remote channels can affect charges. A fee rate alone does not prove a card category.

Do not apply a domestic consumer interchange rate to every card. Published interchange is not the complete merchant price. The Payment Check lets unknown categories remain unknown rather than assigning a convenient mix.

A worked full-cost example

Suppose all £10,000 of card sales attracted an illustrative 0.65% processing rate: the percentage cost is £65. Add 1,000 billable items at 3p (£30), £20 rental and £10 other recurring fees. The total is £125, or 1.25% all-in. No minimum top-up applies in this invented example.

If only debit gets 0.65%, applying it to all sales would understate costs whenever other categories have different rates. Enter each category separately or use your complete actual recurring total.

Compare like with like

Use the same month, turnover, card mix, channels and VAT basis. A quieter month can produce a higher effective rate even with unchanged pricing because fixed costs are spread over fewer sales. An exceptional fee belongs in a separate line, not twelve times in an annual estimate.

Your comparison checklist

Common questions