How much of every repair ticket disappears into card fees?
Brake jobs, timing belts and transmissions are often paid by card. The bigger the ticket, the bigger the fee. Upload one statement and see every fee, the junk fees, and what you’d pay on cash discount.
Upload a PDF or type in two numbers. No cost, no obligation.
- Early termination fee waived in writing
- $69/mo platform fee per terminal
Four places your shop loses money to card fees.
Your statement doesn’t show one total. The fees are split across rates, per-sale charges and monthly fees. That makes the real cost easy to miss.
Big repair tickets
Card fees are a percentage of the sale. So a four-figure repair carries a four-figure repair’s fee. You’ve already paid for the parts and the labor. The fee comes straight out of your profit on the job.
Fleet and business cards
Business, corporate and fleet cards usually cost more to accept than personal cards. Some of these sales can get lower rates when extra sale details are sent with them. This is called Level 2 or Level 3 data. Many shops aren’t set up to send it.
Repairs approved by phone
Say a customer OKs the work by phone and reads you a card number. That card is keyed in, not tapped. Keyed-in and online payments usually cost more than a card at the counter.
Fees that aren’t in your rate
Monthly minimums, statement fees, PCI (card security) fees, batch fees and terminal rentals sit outside your quoted rate. Together, they’re often the gap between your quote and your bill.
Your rate is not what you pay.
Your “effective rate” is what you really pay: every fee, divided by your card sales. Here it is on a real statement we checked. Different business, same kinds of junk fees you’ll find on a shop’s statement.
How to find your real rate
Add up every fee on your monthly statement. Divide by your card sales. That’s it.
That’s $2,698 in one month. Over a year, it’s about $32,380.
| Base processing fees | $1,756.47 |
| “Qualification” surcharges | $377.82 |
| Card network fees | $192.46 |
| Compliance fees | $156.00 |
| PCI non-compliance penalties | $123.44 |
| Other add-on fees | $59.75 |
| Per-sale, batch and AVS fees | $32.42 |
| Total for the month | $2,698.36 |
A Los Angeles pain-management practice. Real statement, name removed. $717 of the total was junk fees: charges worth questioning.
Your fees, minus what cash discount costs. That’s the savings.
On cash discount, the card price covers processing. You pay a $69/mo platform fee per terminal. So your savings are what you pay in fees today, minus what cash discount costs: about $89.75 a month with one terminal, including processor pass-through costs.
It’s the total fees line on your statement. Not sure? Use the helper below.
A guess works. The free analyzer finds the exact number from your statement.
Your percentage is your own math: your fees minus what cash discount costs with one terminal, $89.75 a month (the $69/mo platform fee plus processor pass-through costs). Each extra terminal adds $69 a month. Under $10,000 a month in card sales, you see the plain dollar math. Already on cash discount? We can lower your program rate instead. This is a simple estimate, not a quote. Your real numbers depend on your statement and program terms.
| Monthly card sales | $45,000 |
| From fleet and business cards | $9,000 |
| Keyed in after phone approvals | $4,500 |
| Example effective rate across all cards, all fees counted | 3.2% |
| Card fees in this example | $1,440 / mo |
| Over a year | $17,280 |
| On cash discount, one terminal (platform fee + processor pass-through) | $89.75 / mo |
| The difference in this example | $1,350 / mo |
| Over a year (93.8% of the fees) | $16,203 |
Made-up numbers to show the math. Not a quote, an estimate for your shop, or a promise of savings. Your results depend on your card mix, ticket sizes, how customers pay, state rules and program terms.
Prefer one price for everyone?
Traditional pricing is available too. You keep paying the card fee yourself, on a clear, itemized plan. The statement review can still find the junk fees. If a review found a rate 0.3 points lower on the example above, that would be $135 a month, or $1,620 a year.
Let the card price cover the card fee.
Drivers already know this from the cash and card prices at the gas pump. Three plain steps.
Your prices become card prices
Your prices are set as card prices. Customers who pay by card pay the posted price.
Cash gets a lower price
Customers who pay cash get a discount. The terminal applies it and prints it on the receipt.
Signs show both prices
A clear sign at the counter explains it before anyone pays. The rules require it. Before you go live, we set up your estimates and invoices to fit your state’s rules.
What will customers think?
It’s a fair question. The discount is for paying cash. A clear sign at the counter explains it before anyone pays, and the receipt shows it. We’ll go through the wording with you. It’s a discount for paying cash, not a surcharge.
See your own numbers in about a minute.
Upload a recent statement to the free analyzer. You see every fee, the junk fees, your effective rate and what you’d pay on cash discount. Nothing changes unless you decide to switch.
Rather we run the numbers for you?
Tell us your monthly card sales. We’ll email your numbers within one business day. No call needed.
Thanks, we’ve got it.
We’ll email your numbers within one business day. Want them faster? Run the free analyzer.
Your counter never stops taking cards.
Your old processor keeps running until the new terminal is set up and a test sale goes through. You also get payment links for phone approvals.
- 1 minute
Check your statement
Upload it to the free analyzer, or send it to us. You see every fee and your real rate.
- 15 minutes
A short phone call
Pick a time. We call you at your number, walk you through your numbers and answer your questions.
- 5–10 minutes
A quick application
Fill it out by phone or online. The agreement waives the early termination fee, in writing.
- About 3 days
Your terminal ships
We help you set up the signs. No downtime: you take cards the whole way through.
What shop owners ask before they switch.
Will we be without a card machine while we switch?
No. Your old processor keeps running until your new terminal is set up and a test sale goes through. There is never a day when you can’t take a card.
Why do fleet and business cards cost more to accept?
Business, corporate and fleet cards usually carry higher base fees than personal cards. The card brands set those fees. Some of these sales can get lower rates when extra sale details are sent with them. These details are called Level 2 or Level 3 data.
Can a customer approve and pay for a repair without coming back to the counter?
Yes. Once the customer approves the estimate, text or email them a payment link. These payments, and cards read over the phone, usually cost more than a tap at the counter. So it’s worth knowing how many of yours are paid this way.
How does a cash discount program work at a repair shop?
Customers who pay by card see the card price. Customers who pay cash get a discount, and the cash price is shown too. The terminal applies the discount and prints it on the receipt. A sign at the counter explains it, as the rules require. The card fee is paid from the card price, not from your profit. Before you go live, we set up your estimates and invoices to fit your state’s pricing rules. Traditional pricing is available too.
How do you work out my savings?
Your savings are your current monthly card fees minus what cash discount costs you: a $69/mo platform fee per terminal, plus processor pass-through costs. With one terminal that is about $89.75 a month. If you pay $1,440 a month in fees, that is $1,350 saved, or 93.8%. Each extra terminal adds $69 a month. Already on cash discount? We can lower your program rate, for example from 4% to 3.5%, quoted on the call. The free analyzer shows your own numbers.
What is an effective rate?
It’s all your card fees for the month added up, then divided by your card sales. It counts per-sale, monthly and PCI fees, plus the higher rates on keyed-in and business cards. So it’s usually higher than the rate you were quoted.
Is there a contract or a termination fee?
There is a merchant agreement. We use the version that waives the early termination fee. Your exact terms are written into the proposal you get after the statement review. You see them before you sign anything.
What do you need from us to get started?
Just one recent processing statement. Upload it to our free analyzer, or bring it to a 15-minute call. You’ll get a written side-by-side comparison. Nothing changes unless you decide to switch.
Find out what your shop really pays to take cards.
See every fee, the junk ones, and what cash discount would cost your shop: a $69/mo platform fee per terminal.