Massive Downsides to Flat Rate Credit Card Processing Fees

TL;DR

• Flat-rate credit card processing seems straightforward but often results in higher fees.
• Debit transactions are generally cheaper, yet flat rates bundle them with costlier credit rates.
• Merchants miss out on debit routing savings and Level 2 and 3 data discounts under a flat-rate model.
• Lack of transparency in flat-rate pricing hides interchange rates, making it unclear where your money goes.
• Interchange-plus pricing can significantly reduce costs and offers clear, itemized statements.
• Growing businesses can negotiate better rates under interchange-plus, unlike static flat rates.

Accepting credit card payments can be complex, so switching to a flat rate credit card processing model may seem like the best option for your business. The flat-rate pricing model often bundles all fees — interchange, assessments and markups — into one rate, making it seem convenient because you know exactly what you’ll pay per transaction. However, the reality of flat rate credit card processing can be quite different, as hidden costs and missed savings are beneath its simplicity.

Let’s explore how your business may end up overpaying under a flat-rate model and outline some great alternatives.

Why Flat-Rate Pricing Seems Attractive

Flat-rate credit card processing sounds like a great option for various reasons, including:

• Predictable costs: Flat-rate credit card processing allows your business to pay the same fee for every transaction, making your costs highly predictable. This makes it appealing because you don’t have to deal with the complexity of variable rates as a busy business owner.
• Easy setup: Flat-rates processing providers often make it quick to sign up and start accepting credit cards and debit cards. This is especially appealing for startups and micro-merchants with limited resources.
• Quick implementation: Flat-fee solutions often bundle a payment gateway and processing under one account. This gives them the plug-and-play advantage, allowing your business to go live quickly without juggling multiple vendors.

Flat-rate pricing caters to simplicity, but that simplicity often hides how much you could save on certain transactions. A single rate may seem more transparent at first, but you’ll quickly understand that you’re missing out on potential benefits, such as lower debit interchange rates.

Who Offers Flat-Rate Pricing

Nearly every major payment facilitator (PayFac) has some sort of flat-rate model:

• Square: Uses its flat-rate model to market itself as the simplest option for small businesses.
• PayPal: Boasts a single rate across transactions and touts this setup as easier to use for busy business owners.
• Stripe: Offers developer-friendly integrations and a straightforward flat-rate structure.
• Shopify Payments: Provides a native flat-rate option for Shopify-based eCommerce stores.

These flat-rate processors can help small businesses quickly start accepting credit cards and debit cards. However, as your business and card sales grow or if you take a lot of debit cards, this all-in rate can become expensive.

The Cost Disparity: Debit Routing & Interchange Realities

Debit card interchange is often lower than credit card interchange. A debit card interchange might be around 0.05% + 21 cents per transaction, yet a single flat-rate plan may hover around 2.75 to 2.9%, plus a per-transaction fee.

This flat-fee structure allows the processor to almost blend debit and credit fees, resulting in you paying a much higher rate on debit cards than the standard interchange.

Effectively, a flat-fee setup subsidizes higher interchange cards by paying more on debit transactions. This trade-off eats into your profit margins, especially if most of your customers use debit cards.

Lost Opportunities With Debit Routing

Debit routing allows you to route transactions through different debit networks to get lower fees. Under most flat-rate setups, you can’t choose routing networks. Instead, you’re stuck with PayFac’s default fees, which are generally pricier.

Forfeiting cheaper debit routing can become a major cost burden, especially if you operate a high-volume business.

Level 2 & Level 3 Data: Untapped Savings Potential

For B2B or corporate purchases, providing Level 2 or Level 3 line-item data can reduce interchange costs. Detailed information like invoice numbers, tax details and product codes can qualify transactions for lower rates.

Most flat-rate providers don’t pass these savings along to merchants. So if you sell to businesses or government entities, you’re likely missing out on substantial cost reductions by not leveraging enhanced data. This is yet another hidden downside of flat-rate processing.

Flat-Rate Pricing & Lack of Transparency

Flat-rate pricing seems transparent because it’s simply one percentage plus a flat fee. Where it lacks transparency is you don’t get to see the fee breakdown, such as:

• Actual interchange: The fee you pay to the issuing banks.
• Assessment fees: The fees you pay to the card networks.
• Markup: The portion of the fee the credit card processor retains.

With a flat-rate model, you can’t see how different card types impact your processing bill or whether certain transactions cost you more. An interchange-plus pricing model, on the other hand, shows you the interchange and adds a fixed markup, making the costs transparent.

The Economic Reality of Flat Rate vs. Interchange-Plus Pricing

Transaction Type	Flat Rate (2.9% + $0.30)	Actual Interchange Cost	Overpayment
Debit Card ($25)	$1.03	$0.26	$0.77
Debit Card ($100)	$3.20	$0.50	$2.70
Low-Reward Credit ($100)	$3.20	$1.75	$1.45

The table above represents some of the overpayments you may experience using a flat-rate pricing model versus the actual interchange costs. While a few dollars and cents here and there may not look like much, even a modest-sized business could find itself overpaying by thousands of dollars each year.

You must also consider volume pricing as your business scales and grows. With an interchange-plus pricing model, you may be able to negotiate better markups as your volume increases. These lower markups can reduce your cost per transaction. Most flat rate providers don’t offer volume discounts, so your rate typically remains the same as you grow, costing you more money.

PayFac Dependency & Pricing Vulnerabilities

Going with a flat-rate card processor often forces you to rely on the PayFac for everything, such as the payment gateway, merchant account and risk management. As a new business, that all-in-one package may seem convenient. But as you grow, the inconveniences grow too, such as:

• Rate changes: Since the PayFac knows how inconvenient it is to change credit card processors when you’re wrapped up in an all-in-one package, they can raise their rates any time without much risk of you leaving.
• Limited features: You may be missing specialized transaction capabilities or advanced analytics. Because you have everything tied up in that one processor, it has no incentive to not evolve with your needs.
• Limited competition: With a flat-rate all-in-one processor, you lose the ability to shop for each service independently, leaving you stuck with what the processor offers.

The True Cost of Flat Rate Pricing: A Business Case

What does all this look like in actual practice? Let’s use an eCommerce store that processes $50,000 in monthly card sales with an average transaction size of $50:

• Flat rate (2.9% + $0.30): With the $50 average transaction, you’d pay $1.75 in fees per transaction. Since you’re processing over 1,000 transactions monthly, you’ll pay $1,750 per month.
• Interchange-plus (estimated at 1.8% + $0.10): This would have an average per-transaction cost of $1, totaling $1,000 per month.

In that quick comparison, you would save $750 monthly and about $9,000 annually just by switching away from a flat rate. Your exact numbers may vary based on your card mix, but the fact is you’re likely paying more than necessary under a flat-rate model.

Alternatives to Flat-Rate Pricing

Before deciding on a flat-rate model, consider some of your alternatives. Some great options include:

• Tiered pricing: Transaction categories (qualified, mid-qualified, non-qualified) each have a different rate. It’s simpler than interchange-plus, but can still hide markups like flat rate does.
• Interchange-plus pricing: This is one of the more transparent pricing models, as you see the actual interchange cost plus the processor markup. Additionally, debit card transactions have lower interchange rates. You may also qualify for Level 2 or 3 data savings.
• Subscription or membership pricing: Some processors charge a monthly fee and a small per-transaction cost at actual interchange rates. This is a good option for a growing business that needs a cost-effective pricing model.
• Enterprise agreements: If you’re a high-volume merchant, custom enterprise deals can lead to reduced per-transaction costs.

Upgrade Your Game Beyond Flat-Rate Credit Card Processing

Flat-rate credit card processing might look simple, but you’ll likely soon learn it leads to overpaying. Missed savings from debit routing, no Level 2 or 3 data discounts and no visibility into the interchange can all lead to losing hundreds or thousands of dollars monthly.

Opting for more transparent, data-driven pricing models, such as interchange-plus, you get a clearer breakdown of your costs and the flexibility to capitalize on lower rates where possible. Flat rate pricing can be a fit for micro-merchants or very new businesses, but once you hit a certain volume, the disadvantages become glaring. So do your homework, compare pricing models and pick a solution that’s right for your bottom line.

At VeriFee, we specialize in unveiling hidden costs and championing transparency​. Our AI-powered analysis and expert consultancy empower businesses to regain control of their payment processing fees without disrupting their operations​