
Mistakes and FAQ
Chargebacks Explained: How They Work, What They Cost and How to Prevent Them
A merchant's guide to credit card chargebacks in the U.S., including the dispute process, deadlines, evidence, costs and prevention steps.
Estimate what a percentage-plus-fixed-fee pricing plan costs on your sales.
Use this calculator to see what a flat-rate or percentage-plus-fixed pricing plan costs on a typical sale. Enter your average ticket, the percentage fee, the fixed per-transaction fee, how many transactions you process in a month, and any recurring monthly fees such as a gateway subscription, PCI program fee or statement fee.
Formula. Fee per transaction = amount x percentage / 100 + fixed fee. Net per transaction = amount minus that fee. Monthly cost = fee per transaction x number of transactions + other monthly fees. Your effective rate is the monthly cost divided by monthly sales.
Worked example (illustrative numbers only). On an $85 sale at 2.9% + $0.30, the fee is 85 x 0.029 = $2.465 plus $0.30, or about $2.77, leaving about $82.23. Across 400 sales that is about $1,108 in per-transaction fees, plus $25 in monthly fees, for roughly $1,133 on $34,000 of sales, an effective rate near 3.33%.
Limits. The tool does not model interchange-plus pricing, chargeback fees, refunds, currency conversion or international card surcharges. Rates shown are examples, not quotes from any provider. Always compare against your own statements and a written quote.

Mistakes and FAQ
A merchant's guide to credit card chargebacks in the U.S., including the dispute process, deadlines, evidence, costs and prevention steps.

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