Guide
Two ways of charging for card processing. One is simple to read; the other shows you the real cost of each card. Which is cheaper depends on your sales.
✓ Installed by our team and supported by phone. Rates and equipment are quoted to your business.
Short answer: Flat-rate pricing charges one blended rate on every card, simple to read but often more expensive for businesses with many debit or basic-card sales. Interchange-plus passes through the card networks' interchange cost and adds a disclosed markup, so the statement is longer but you can see what the processor actually earns.
Key facts
Related: Comparisons and pricing models · Get a Clover quote · Clover devices · Clover overview
Merchant Fund Express explains payments in plain English so owners can make better decisions about equipment and processing.
Two ways of charging for card processing. One is simple to read; the other shows you the real cost of each card. Which is cheaper depends on your sales.
With flat-rate pricing, every card sale costs the same percentage, sometimes plus a small fixed amount, regardless of the card type. It is easy to understand and easy to forecast.
With interchange-plus pricing, you pay the actual network cost of each card, which changes with the card type and how it was accepted, plus a fixed markup from the processor. It is more detailed to read but shows exactly what each part costs. For many established businesses with steady volume it can work out lower, while for very small or irregular sellers flat-rate is often simpler.
New businesses, low volume and owners who want one predictable number.
Businesses with steady volume who want to see each cost and negotiate the markup.
Lots of debit and card-present sales tend to favor interchange-plus; many keyed or premium rewards cards change the math.
Divide total fees by total sales for each option to compare like with like.
| Flat-rate | Interchange-plus | |
|---|---|---|
| How the cost is set | One rate for most cards | Network cost plus a fixed markup |
| Easy to read? | Yes | Takes a little practice |
| Shows the true network cost? | No | Yes |
| Typical fit | Small or irregular volume | Steady, growing volume |
A coffee shop with mostly small tap transactions compares three months of statements under both models. It calculates an effective rate for each by dividing total fees by total card sales, then compares those effective rates rather than the advertised headline numbers, and asks about the markup and monthly fees before deciding.
A device or pricing decision looks bigger on paper than it is in practice. Most owners are well served by choosing for their busiest ten minutes, keeping the first setup simple and adding pieces as volume proves the need.
Call (305) 384-8391 and tell us how you sell. We will explain the options in plain English, give you a personal quote and review your current statement for free. There is no price list to compare against, because the right setup depends on your business.
As explained by Merchant Fund Express. Updated 2026.
Reviewed by the Merchant Fund Express team on October 12, 2026. Official pages checked as of that date.
It depends on your volume and card mix. A statement review shows the answer for your business.
Often, yes. Ask what notice or terms apply before you sign.
No. Pricing is quoted to your business after a free rate review.
It is the fee set by the card networks and paid to the card-issuing bank on each sale.
From approval to live is typically 24 to 48 hours in the DFW metro and 5 to 7 business days nationwide, depending on your location and the readiness of your menu.
Clover can accept payments in offline mode for a limited time and sends the stored transactions when the connection returns; ask us how the limits apply to your account.
Call Merchant Fund Express. We install it, train your staff and stay on the line after launch. Ask for a free rate review while you are at it.
