7 Hidden Fees in Your Credit Card Processing Statement (And How to Eliminate Them)
Your credit card processing statement looks like it was designed to confuse you. And honestly? It probably was. Here are the 7 most common hidden fees we find, and how to eliminate them.
1. PCI Non-Compliance Fee
$50-$200/month ($600-$2,400/year)
A monthly charge for not completing your annual PCI compliance questionnaire.
How to eliminate it: Complete your annual PCI questionnaire (takes 10 minutes). We provide PCI Level 1 compliance at no extra charge.
2. Monthly Minimum Fee
$25-$50/month ($300-$600/year)
If your processing fees don't reach a certain threshold, you pay the difference.
How to eliminate it: Negotiate to remove it or switch to a processor with no monthly minimums. We don't charge monthly minimums—ever.
3. Statement Fee
$10-$25/month ($120-$300/year)
A charge for receiving your monthly processing statement. Yes, they charge you to tell you how much they charged you.
How to eliminate it: Switch to electronic statements or work with a processor that doesn't charge statement fees.
4. Batch Fee
$0.10-$0.25 per batch ($36-$91/year)
A fee charged every time you "batch out" (settle) your credit card transactions at the end of the day.
How to eliminate it: Negotiate to include batch fees in your base rate or switch processors.
5. AVS (Address Verification) Fee
$0.05-$0.10 per transaction ($300-$1,200/year)
A fee for verifying the billing address on card-not-present transactions.
How to eliminate it: Negotiate to include AVS in your base rate. We include AVS at no extra charge.
6. Chargeback Fee
$15-$100 per chargeback
A fee charged when a customer disputes a transaction, even if you win the dispute.
How to eliminate it: Implement chargeback prevention and work with a processor that offers chargeback protection.
7. Early Termination Fee
$295-$500+
A penalty for canceling your contract before the term ends (usually 3-4 years).
How to eliminate it: Read contracts carefully, negotiate month-to-month agreements. We offer month-to-month with no cancellation fees.
Real Example: How Hidden Fees Add Up
📊 Case Study: Miami Restaurant ($40,000/month)
Before (Hidden Fees)
- • Processing: $1,400/mo (3.5%)
- • PCI Fee: $79/mo
- • Monthly Minimum: $50/mo
- • Statement Fee: $15/mo
- • Batch Fee: $6/mo
- • AVS Fee: $30/mo
- • Chargeback Fees: $50/mo
- Total: $1,630/mo ($19,560/yr)
After (Processing Bros)
- • Cash discount program: $50/mo
- • No hidden fees: $0
- Total: $50/mo ($600/yr)
- Annual savings: $18,960
Red Flags: When to Switch Processors
- Charges PCI fees after you're compliant
- Refuses to explain fees clearly
- Locks you into multi-year contracts
- Adds new fees without notice
- Makes it difficult to cancel
- Doesn't respond to support requests