Think you have your card processing statement figured out?
Think again.

You may think you understand your card processing statement and what you pay for these services. Chances are, you probably don't know the whole story. Deciphering your monthly card processing statements is not an easy task. They're complicated — which makes it hard to determine the real rates and fees you pay.

If you don't know what you're paying, you may be paying too much ... and not even know it. For example, it's not uncommon for processors to promise a low introductory rate that increases without warning. What you don't know can hurt your restaurant — and your bottom line.


If you need help locating the required figures on your statement, select your processor
from the drop-down list, and you'll see exactly where to find this information

Your Current Processor's Statement
Restaurant Type
Total Fees Paid:
$
1
The sum of all fees paid for Visa/MasterCard interchange, dues and assessments, surcharges, card fees, transaction/authorization/per item fees, network/access fees, PCI/security fees, batch fees, annual fees, membership fees, statement fees, processing fees and more ― on all Visa/MasterCard credit and debit transactions.
Total Visa/MasterCard Sales:
$
2
The sum of your sales from Visa/MasterCard credit and debit transactions.
Discover, AMEX, PIN Debit Fees:
$
3
The sum of interchange and surcharges for Discover transactions, authorization fees/per item fees for Discover and American Express transactions and authorization and network fees for PIN debit transactions (i.e. Star, Maetro, Interlink, etc.).
Average Ticket:
$
4
Your average transaction amount for Visa/MasterCard transactions as determined by your total sales volume divided by your number of credit and debit card transactions.
Effective Rate:

Your apparent rate for Visa/MasterCard transactions, including processor fees.

If the Effective Rate you are paying does not match the rate promised on your current merchant agreement, contact Heartland now to find out why.

Estimated Visa/MasterCard Interchange and Fees:
The restaurant industry average processors pay to Visa/MasterCard and issuing banks.
90% Range:
The range of Visa/MasterCard interchange fees for 90% of restaurateurs with your average ticket.
Standard Deviation:

The standard deviation of 1 means that 68% of the data is within it, assuming the data has a nice bell shaped curve, like below (from Wikipedia). At 2, it is 95%.

A plot of a normal distribution (or bell curve). Each colored band has a width of one standard deviation.

Estimated Processor Fees:
The estimated rate you pay your processor per dollar of sales.
Estimated Fees Paid to Issuing Banks and Visa/MasterCard per Month:
$
Estimated amounts paid to issuing banks for interchange and fees to Visa/MasterCard.
Estimated Fees Paid to Processor per Month:
$
The estimated amount you pay your processor per month.
Estimated Annual Processor Fees:
$
The estimated amount you pay your processor per year.

THIS CALCULATION PROVIDED BY THIS TOOL IS AN ESTIMATE ONLY. THE ACCURACY OF THIS ESTIMATE IS DEPENDENT ON THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION ENTERED INTO THE CALCULATOR. THE MERCHANT'S ACTUAL RATE MAY BE DEPENDENT ON FACTORS NOT CAPTURED BY THIS ANALYSIS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE CALCULATION IS BASED ON ONE MONTH'S STATEMENT AND FEES MAY VARY MONTH TO MONTH. THE NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION ("NRA") MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND RELATING TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THIS ESTIMATE. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE NRA BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THE USE OR RELIANCE ON THIS ESTIMATE.

Use this calculator to determine
what you're really paying.

Just enter four key pieces of data from your most recent card processing statement. The calculator will estimate how much you're really paying for each transaction based upon industry averages — as well as how much of that money goes to Visa/MasterCard and your processor. The results may be surprising, and you may find you're paying more than necessary. Knowing your true costs is the first step to controlling them and protecting your bottom line.

Be informed. Know your rights.
Keep every penny you deserve.

Follow these simple tips to begin lowering your costs:

  • Swipe cards rather than key-enter card numbers whenever possible
  • Adjust tips within every batch
  • Settle daily

To help you navigate the tricky waters of card processing, we've put together the "8 Essential Elements of Payment Card Processing Costs." Download the flyer now and learn card processing details every restaurateur must know.

We're also partnering with Heartland Payment Systems®, one of the nation's largest payments processors, to help restaurateurs nationwide like you increase your profits by reducing your card processing expenses with fair pricing, full disclosure and best-in-class technology. Check out this industry-altering offering at GoFullCourse.com.

To learn more about what you're really paying and how you can save money, contact Heartland today at 866.941.1HPS (1477) or contact us.