Merchant Fee Analyzer

Editorial Policy and Calculator Methodology

Last reviewed August 15, 2026

Merchant Fee Analyzer publishes free calculators, worksheets, and explanatory guides for U.S. small-business owners reviewing card-processing costs. This page explains how the site separates calculations from commentary, selects sources, labels examples, and handles corrections.

Purpose and intended audience

The site is designed to help a merchant organize numbers already available on a processing statement or written quote. It is not a payment processor, card network, accounting firm, law firm, or financial adviser. Content is educational and does not replace a merchant agreement, network rule, current law, or advice from a qualified professional.

How calculator results are produced

The calculators use deterministic arithmetic shown on the relevant page. The main effective-rate formula is total processing fees divided by settled card sales, multiplied by 100. Quote comparisons apply the percentage, per-transaction, recurring, and one-time inputs entered by the visitor. Trend tools combine matching sales and fees before calculating a weighted rate.

Calculator functions are tested against worked examples and edge cases such as blank values, zero sales, negative inputs, and fees billed separately. Calculator inputs stay in the visitor’s browser and are not submitted to a website database.

Research hierarchy

For claims about interchange, card-network rules, data security, or regulated debit transactions, we prefer primary sources. Common reference points include:

Processor marketing pages may help explain a provider’s own offer, but they are not treated as neutral evidence for a universal market rate. Current card-network schedules and a merchant’s signed agreement control over simplified examples on this site.

Examples, estimates, and benchmarks

Worked examples are deliberately labeled as illustrations. They show how a formula behaves; they are not quotes, promises, or claims about what a particular business should pay. We avoid presenting a single “good rate” as universal because card mix, payment channel, average ticket, industry, monthly volume, risk, and contract terms differ.

Authorship and software assistance

Pages are published and maintained under the Merchant Fee Analyzer name. Research, drafting, arithmetic checks, and formatting may use software-assisted tools. Before publication, material is checked for internal consistency, clear separation of examples from factual claims, working primary-source links, and agreement between formulas and displayed results. Software assistance is not treated as a source.

Updates and corrections

Payment-network schedules, security standards, and laws can change. Pages with time-sensitive claims link to the relevant primary source and display a review date where appropriate. If a material error is identified, we correct the page and update its review date rather than silently preserving a known mistake.

Commercial relationships

The site may receive advertising revenue or enter commercial relationships in the future. Any active material relationship will be disclosed clearly. Compensation does not change calculator arithmetic, worked examples, or the source-selection policy described above.

Send a correction

To report a broken source, arithmetic issue, or unclear statement, use the Contact page. Include the page URL and the specific passage or result that needs review. Do not send cardholder data, bank information, credentials, or an unredacted statement.