Check your card processing costs in around two minutes with Card Fee Check. No sign-up, no personal details and no sales call, just enter the figures from your merchant statement to see what you're really paying.
Most businesses know how much they take in card payments. Fewer know what those payments really cost.
A provider may advertise a simple transaction rate. Your statement may then include terminal rental, PCI charges, gateway fees, minimum charges and other monthly costs. These fixed fees can make a significant difference to your real cost.
That is why Card Fee Check was created.
Card Fee Check is a free UK card processing fee calculator. It turns a merchant bill, card machine quote or single payment into a clear estimate in pounds and pence.
There is:
No sign-in
No account
No contact form
No personal information required
No payment functionality
No provider recommendation
The figures are calculated in your browser, on your own device. They are not transmitted to or stored on a server. No cookies are currently set, and the calculator does not use storage to retain your figures after the page session ends.
It is designed to give you a useful first answer before you decide whether a full review is worthwhile.
Why the headline rate is not the full cost
A quoted rate might look competitive. That does not necessarily mean your overall card processing fees are low.
For example, a provider could charge:
A percentage rate on each transaction
A fixed charge in pence per transaction
Monthly terminal rental
PCI compliance fees
Gateway or minimum charges
Statement or service fees
Additional charges for certain card types
If you only compare the advertised percentage, you may miss the cost of the other charges.
The figure that matters is your effective overall rate:
Effective overall rate = all fees ÷ card turnover × 100
This includes fixed charges.
For example, if your business processes £15,000 in card payments during a month and pays £225 in total card processing charges, your effective rate is:
£225 ÷ £15,000 × 100 = 1.5%
That 1.5% is more useful than looking at one headline transaction rate in isolation. It shows what actually left your business in relation to your card turnover.
This is the first number to establish if you want to understand your card processing fees in the UK or investigate whether you could reduce credit card processing fees.
Three ways to use Card Fee Check
Card Fee Check has three practical modes. You can choose the one that matches the information available to you.
1. Work backwards from your bill
This is the quickest option if you have a recent merchant statement.
Enter:
Your card turnover for the statement period
Your provider’s total charges
The number of transactions, if available
Any fixed charges already included in the bill
The number of months covered by the statement
The calculator then estimates your effective rate.
This is useful if your statement is difficult to read or separates charges across several sections. You do not need to identify every fee to get an initial result.
If the bill is quarterly, enter the total charges and turnover for the same three-month period. The figures must use the same time period.
You can also choose whether to include VAT in the fees. Include it only if you want a VAT-inclusive comparison. Use the same basis when checking an alternative provider.
2. Build a detailed merchant fee estimate
The advanced calculator is useful when you have a more complete breakdown of your pricing.
Enter:
Monthly card turnover
Monthly transaction count
Debit card share by sales value
Credit card share by sales value
Commercial card share by sales value
The rate for each card category
The per-transaction charge
Terminal rental
PCI fees
Gateway or minimum charges
Other monthly fees
Leave unused fees at zero. The card category shares should add up to 100%.
The calculator estimates the fee for each card category based on its share of turnover. It then adds transaction charges and monthly fixed fees.
This gives you a more detailed view of how your merchant services costs are built.
It can be particularly useful for retailers, garages, cafés, pubs, salons, tradespeople and other local businesses with a consistent card payment history.
3. Compare another provider
You can also compare your current arrangement with an alternative quote.
For a fair comparison, use identical:
Card turnover
Transaction count
Debit, credit and commercial card mix
Time period
VAT treatment
Then enter the alternative provider’s rates and charges.
The calculator estimates the monthly and annual cost of both options. This helps you compare the likely total cost rather than one attractive figure from a sales proposal.
If an alternative provider has a lower percentage rate but higher fixed fees, the saving may be smaller than expected. If the percentage rate is slightly higher but the fixed charges are lower, the overall result may be different.
That is why the complete calculation matters.
How the maths works
The basic calculation is straightforward:
All fees ÷ card turnover × 100 = effective overall rate
The advanced mode applies the calculation in stages.
First, it estimates the fee for each card category:
Card category share of turnover × card category rate
It then adds:
Per-transaction charges
Terminal rental
PCI fees
Gateway or minimum charges
Other monthly fees
The alternative provider is calculated using the same turnover and transaction count. This keeps the comparison consistent.
The result is an estimate of your likely monthly cost, annual cost and effective overall rate.
A useful starting point, not a final answer
A calculation is not advice.
Card Fee Check does not know:
How your business trades
Whether your card mix has changed
Which charges are legitimate under your contract
Whether your statement includes refunds or chargebacks
Whether your provider is applying minimum charges
Whether your agreement is approaching auto-renewal
Whether a different terminal would improve reliability or settlement times
The calculator also has practical limitations.
Card type by sales value may differ from card type by transaction count. A business might take a small number of high-value commercial card payments, for example. That can affect the result.
Actual statements can also be affected by:
International cards
Refunds
Chargebacks
Tiered pricing
Interchange-plus structures
Different VAT treatments
Billing dates
Minimum monthly charges
Fees applied outside the period you are reviewing
The figures from Card Fee Check are estimates. They are not a quote and do not constitute financial, legal or commercial advice.
Check your contract and statement before making any decision about changing provider.
When a human merchant statement analysis is worthwhile
The calculator helps you see the first number. A human review helps explain what that number means.
Ben Buey at That Card Machine Guy reviews complete merchant statements for businesses across Ely, Cambridgeshire, East Anglia and the wider UK.
He can:
Explain each charge in plain English
Check whether fixed fees have been included correctly
Review your actual card mix
Identify charges that may need clarification
Compare your current arrangement with relevant alternatives
Consider your turnover, average transaction value and business type
Check whether your equipment is slow, unreliable or expensive
Provide face-to-face local support around Ely and Cambridgeshire
Ben has 20 years of experience in the motor trade and reads complex financial breakdowns as part of his work. That experience is useful for motor dealers, garages and automotive businesses, but the same practical approach applies to retailers, hospitality venues, service businesses, charities and sports clubs.
The process is consultative. There is no unnecessary pressure.
If your existing deal is already competitive, Ben will tell you to stay put. There is no obligation to switch provider or take a new card machine.
You can also read more about the approach in this guide to merchant statement analysis in Ely and Cambridgeshire.
Try the calculator, then check the result
Start with the free tool at cardfeecheck.co.uk.
Use a recent statement if you have one. Enter your card turnover and total fees for the same period. In two minutes, you should have an estimated effective rate in pounds and pence.
Then ask:
Does the result look reasonable?
Have all fixed charges been included?
Is your card mix still accurate?
Has your pricing changed recently?
Are you approaching a contract renewal?
Is your card machine performing reliably?
If the answer is unclear, send a recent statement to Ben for a free, no-obligation review.
Visit That Card Machine Guy or telephone 01223 230365.
Frequently asked questions
Is Card Fee Check free?
Yes. Card Fee Check is a free UK card processing fee calculator. There is no payment required to use it, and it does not require you to sign up.
Do I need to give my details?
No. You do not need to enter your name, email address, telephone number or other personal information.
The calculator runs in your browser. The figures entered are used to produce estimates on your device and are not transmitted to or stored on a server.
What is an effective rate?
Your effective rate is the total cost of accepting card payments expressed as a percentage of your card turnover.
The calculation is:
Total card fees ÷ card turnover × 100
It includes fixed charges, not just the advertised transaction percentage.
How accurate is the result?
The result is an estimate based on the figures you enter. It can be useful for an initial comparison, but it may not exactly match your statement.
Refunds, chargebacks, international cards, billing dates, VAT, minimum charges and different pricing structures can affect the final amount.
Why is a human review still worthwhile?
A calculator can identify a rate. It cannot interpret your contract, spot unusual charges or understand how your business operates.
A merchant statement analysis can put the figures into context and help you decide whether any change is genuinely worthwhile.
What do I need to use Card Fee Check?
For the quickest check, you need your card turnover and total card charges for the same period.
For a detailed estimate, you may also need your card mix, transaction count, percentage rates, per-transaction charges and monthly fees. You can leave unused fee categories at zero.
Start with the simple version. You can always carry out a more detailed comparison later.