Businesses in certain industries (luxury goods, travel, or high-volume e-commerce) are often flagged as high-risk . This designation significantly impacts costs: : Processing fees can jump to 3.5%–5.5% .
: Charged to ensure your business meets security standards for handling card data. merchant account cost
: Banks may hold 5%–10% of your revenue for 90–180 days to cover potential chargebacks. Businesses in certain industries (luxury goods, travel, or
: The most transparent model. You pay the direct cost from card networks (interchange) plus a fixed markup from the processor. : Banks may hold 5%–10% of your revenue
: A fixed percentage for every transaction, often around 1.7% to 3.5% plus a small per-transaction fee (e.g., $0.25).
Understanding requires looking past the single headline rate. It is an ecosystem of layered expenses that vary based on your business model, transaction volume, and risk profile. The Core Pricing Structures