What your processing actually costs
Headline rates hide two things: the per-transaction fee, which punishes low average order values, and the rolling reserve, which is not a fee at all but is often the bigger problem. This models both.
5.02%
All-in cost as a percentage of volume, including per-transaction and monthly fees.
- Transactions per month
- 1,875
- Discount rate cost
- $6,750
- Per-transaction cost
- $563
- Fixed monthly fees
- $100
- Chargeback fees
- $169
- Total monthly cost
- $7,582
- Annual cost
- $90,981
$90,000
At steady state, roughly 0.6 months of revenue sits with your acquirer. This is not a fee and it does return to you, but you cannot spend it.
A model, not a quote. Satora is an introducer and does not set pricing — your actual rate and reserve are decided by the provider after underwriting. Nothing you enter here is transmitted or stored.
How to read these numbers
What is an effective rate?
Your total processing cost divided by your total card volume, expressed as a percentage. It is the only number worth comparing between providers, because a headline rate of 3.9 percent with a 50 cent per-transaction fee is far more expensive than 4.5 percent flat if your average order value is low.
Why does the reserve matter so much?
A rolling reserve withholds a percentage of every settlement for a fixed period. It is not a fee — the money comes back — but at steady state it means a fixed amount of your revenue is permanently sitting with your acquirer. For a business on thin margins that working-capital cost is often more painful than the rate.
Are these figures a quote?
No. This is a model built from numbers you enter. Satora is an introducer and does not set pricing; your actual rate and reserve are decided by the provider after they underwrite your business. Use this to compare offers you have received and to sanity-check what you are being charged now.
What is a typical effective rate in a high-risk category?
Broadly 3.5 to 9 percent all-in, depending on the category, your dispute history and your volume. Categories with a small provider pool, such as kratom or adult, sit at the top of that range because there is little competition rather than because the disputes are worse.
Compare this against a real offer
Tell us your category, volume and jurisdiction and a specialist will tell you honestly what range is realistic before you sign anything.