Payment Surcharge Calculator
Recovering a fee costs more than the fee.
Surcharging is restricted or banned in many places — several US states, the whole of the UK and EU for consumer cards, and on debit cards in most jurisdictions. Card scheme rules cap it separately and require disclosure. Check what applies before switching it on.
Surcharge to break even
3.14%
$6.28 on a $200.00 order
A 3% cap leaves $0.28 unrecovered per order, because the surcharge is itself processed and the fixed fee does not scale. Full recovery needs 3.14%, which exceeds what the schemes permit here.
How the Payment Surcharge Calculator works
Recovering a 2.9% fee needs more than 2.9% of surcharge, because the processor takes its cut of the surcharge too. That is the same division that governs reverse fees — and once a legal cap applies, full recovery often becomes impossible.
Not financial advice. Marketplace fees change, and they vary by country, plan and seller status. Every rate here is an editable default, not a quoted price — check the platform's current fee schedule before you price a product against it. This is not tax or business advice.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the surcharge more than the fee rate?
Because the surcharge is itself part of the amount charged, so it is processed at the same rate. The correct figure comes from dividing by one minus the rate, not from applying the rate directly.
Is surcharging legal?
It varies enormously. Several US states restrict or ban it, the UK and EU ban it on consumer cards outright, and it is generally not permitted on debit cards. Card scheme rules cap it separately and require clear disclosure.
What is the usual cap?
Where surcharging is permitted in the US, card network rules cap it at around 3% and it may not exceed your actual cost of acceptance. Applying a flat percentage above your real cost breaches the rules.
Does surcharging hurt conversion?
Yes, and often more than the fee it recovers — a charge appearing at the final step is one of the strongest abandonment triggers there is. Many merchants who try it revert to building the cost into prices.