What a per-transaction fee is
A per-transaction fee is a flat amount charged on each card sale. It is the same whether the sale is $3 or $3,000. Some providers call it a “per-item” or “per-sale” fee.
Many published prices have two parts: a percentage of the sale, plus a per-transaction amount in cents. In “2.6% + 15¢”, the 15¢ is the per-transaction part.
Per-sale amounts can come from three places:
- Your processor’s price. For example, Helcim’s markup or Square’s rate.
- The card networks. For example, Mastercard’s NABU fee.
- Interchange. The fee that goes to your customer’s bank. Some interchange rates include cents, and some are cents only.
Published examples
Canada:
| Provider | Type of sale | Published rate | Cents part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helcim (markup, Tier 1) | In person | Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ | 8¢ |
| Helcim (markup, Tier 1) | Keyed or online | Interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ | 25¢ |
| Square Canada | Credit, in person | 2.5% | None |
| Square Canada | Debit, in person | 0.75% + 7¢ | 7¢ |
| Square Canada | Online | 2.8% + 30¢ | 30¢ |
| Square Canada | Keyed in or card on file | 3.3% + 15¢ | 15¢ |
| Stripe Canada | In person, most cards | 2.7% + CA$0.05 | 5¢ |
| Stripe Canada | Interac debit, in person | CA$0.15 per transaction | 15¢ |
| Stripe Canada | Online, domestic cards | 2.9% + CA$0.30 | 30¢ |
United States:
| Provider | Type of sale | Published rate | Cents part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square US (Free plan) | In person | 2.6% + 15¢ | 15¢ |
| Square US (Free plan) | Online | 3.3% + 30¢ | 30¢ |
| Square US | Keyed in or card on file | 3.5% + 15¢ | 15¢ |
| Stripe US | In person, domestic cards | 2.7% + 5¢ | 5¢ |
| Stripe US | Online, domestic cards | 2.9% + 30¢ | 30¢ |
Square US lists lower in-person and online rates on its paid plans: 2.5% + 15¢ and 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus ($49 a month per location), and 2.4% + 15¢ in person on Premium ($149 a month per location).
Helcim’s cents get smaller at higher volume tiers, down to 6¢ in person and 15¢ keyed at Tier 5 (over $1 million a month in card sales).
Why average ticket changes everything
Your average ticket is your average sale: total card sales divided by the number of card sales. The smaller it is, the bigger the share the cents take.
Card network and interchange cents
Some per-sale amounts come from the card networks and banks, not your processor.
- Mastercard NABU fee (Canada). TD’s Fee Change Summary lists $0.0315 per domestic Mastercard sale and $0.0476 per foreign one, from October 19, 2026. See Mastercard’s New NABU Fee in Canada.
- Interac tap (Canada). Interac lists flat interchange amounts per tap sale: $0.020 for businesses on its Tier 1 list, $0.035 for most others on sales up to $100, and $0.055 on sales from $100.01 to $250. See Interac Debit: How It Is Priced.
- US credit interchange. Visa’s US sheet lists most credit rates as a percentage plus cents. For example, 1.65% + $0.10 for a Visa Traditional Rewards card in person, in the row Visa calls “Product 2”.
- US regulated debit. Visa’s US sheet lists in-person “Regulated” Visa debit at 0.05% + $0.21, plus $0.01 for issuers that meet Visa’s fraud-prevention standards. That matches the Regulation II cap. The rule is being challenged in court, and the cap stays in force while an appeal is pending. See US Debit Fees: Regulation II (Durbin).
Authorizations, declines and batch fees
Not every per-item fee is tied to a completed sale.
- Batch close fee. TD’s fee list shows $0.35 “Per first batch closed per terminal per day.” A batch is the group of sales a terminal sends for payment at the end of the day.
- Amex/JCB transaction fee. TD lists a $0.10 “Non-TDMS Credit Card Transaction Fee” on all Amex and JCB transactions. See American Express in Canada.
- Card verification. TD lists a Visa “Card Verification Fee” of $0.0452 for an account verification message.
- Retrying declined cards. TD lists network fees for retrying a declined card, such as $0.15 from Visa in Canada. See PCI Fees and Non-Compliance Fees.
- Tap to Pay. Stripe Canada lists CA$0.15 “per authorisation for Tap to Pay”, on top of its in-person rate.
Working out what they cost you
The share the cents take is a short sum, using figures from a monthly statement:
- The number of card sales in the month.
- Every fee listed “per transaction”, “per item” or with a cents amount.
- Each cents amount times the number of sales it applies to.
- The total of those, divided by total card sales. That is the share the cents take.
The card fee calculator does the arithmetic with your own numbers. The effective rate calculator shows everything as one rate.
Where to go from here
Average ticket is total card sales divided by the number of sales, both shown on a monthly statement. The cents amounts are listed with the fees. How to Read Your Merchant Statement shows where they sit, and Processor Markup covers the processor’s own part. Square’s full US price list is on Square (United States).
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