Transaction fee - What is a transaction fee? | SumUp Invoices (2024)

A transaction fee is a charge that a business has to pay every time it processes a customer’s payment. The cost of the transaction fee will vary depending on the service used.

Create and send professional invoices with SumUp Invoices.

Depending on the payment processor your business uses, a transaction fee can be charged as a percentage of the transfer amount or with an additional fixed amount.

For example, if you accept payment of £50, the transaction fee may be between 0.5% - 5% (£0.25 - £2.50), or as a percentage with an additional charge, e.g. 2.5% + £0.30.

Transaction fees for merchants

When a customer pays for something using a credit card, the business is charged a transaction fee. It’s a somewhat complex process, and several parties make money on each transaction the business processes. Understood simply, the business taking the payment has to pay two sets of fees.

Firstly, there is an interchange fee. This is the fee that the credit card company charges for each transaction. The interchange fee is a small percentage of the transaction, plus an additional per-transaction charge.

Exactly what percentage is charged will vary according to a number of factors including, the type of credit card that’s used, who has issued the card, what’s being bought, and how much the transaction is.

Secondly, there’s an additional charge which comes from the merchant service provider. In some cases, this is the merchant bank, i.e. the bank that provides the merchant account and allows credit cards to be accepted by the business, or it may be an authorised independent sales organisation of the merchant bank. The additional fee that’s charged here is also a percentage of the transaction and it can also include a fixed, per-transaction amount.

Foreign transaction fees

It’s common to incur internal transaction fees when you buy something on your credit card in a foreign currency. If your card is going to charge you a foreign transaction fee, this will be explained in the card’s terms and conditions. Sometimes, a card will not charge any foreign transactions fees.

Most commonly, foreign transaction fees are charged to travellers who are abroad and use their cards in another country. However, at times, they can also be added to your credit card bill when you buy something online from a foreign vendor.

Essentially, whenever you use a credit card to make a purchase that’s not in your local currency, you’ll be charged a foreign transaction fee.

Accept payments with SumUp

SumUp is a one-stop shop for all of your business needs. We offer a variety of different payment options, including card readers, QR codes and payment links. You can also create invoices with SumUp Invoices.

All of our products include easy to understand transaction fees. For invoice payments, the fee is just a small percentage of the invoice total. You can find more information about our products and fees on sumup.co.uk.

Transaction fee - What is a transaction fee? | SumUp Invoices (2024)

FAQs

Transaction fee - What is a transaction fee? | SumUp Invoices? ›

A transaction fee is a charge that a business has to pay every time it processes a customer's payment. The cost of the transaction fee will vary depending on the service used. Create and send professional invoices with SumUp

SumUp
SumUp is a global financial technology company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. SumUp supports more than 3.5 million merchants in over 30 markets worldwide, and operates business tools created specifically for the micro and nano segment. SumUp Payments Limited. Company type. Private.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › SumUp
Invoices.

What is the transaction fee for an invoice? ›

Transaction fees are typically a percentage of the total transaction amount, plus a fixed fee. For example, a processor may charge 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

What is a transaction fee? ›

Transaction fees are charges incurred when you make financial transactions, such as buying products online or transferring money. They're the costs associated with processing and securing these transactions and they're normally collected by payment processors or merchant banks.

What are transaction cost fees? ›

Transaction costs are expenses incurred when buying or selling a good or service, outside the cost of the good or service itself. Transaction costs represent the labor required to bring a good or service to market or to connect a buyer with a seller.

Why did I get charged a transaction fee? ›

They're basically the cost that your payment processor charges you in order to facilitate the transaction. When it comes to transaction fees, most payment processors charge a percentage of the transaction, but other times they charge a flat rate.

What is a fee invoice? ›

A student's fee invoice will show all tuition and fee charges, payments, and deferments associated with the term and courses in which the student is currently enrolled.

Who charges transaction fees? ›

When a customer pays for something using a credit card, the business is charged a transaction fee. It's a somewhat complex process, and several parties make money on each transaction the business processes. Understood simply, the business taking the payment has to pay two sets of fees.

How do I avoid paying a transaction fee? ›

3 tips to avoid foreign transaction fees
  1. Get a no-foreign-transaction-fee credit card. Though most credit cards do charge foreign transaction fees, there are a number that don't. ...
  2. Use a debit/checking account with no foreign transaction fees. ...
  3. Pay in the local currency.
Mar 10, 2024

Are transaction fees illegal? ›

While adding surcharges to the cost of a purchase is now legal in nearly all states, businesses and merchants must follow rules regarding how such fees are implemented.

What is the difference between a processing fee and a transaction fee? ›

The "Processing Fee" is the total cost charged per online transaction. It consists of two fees: Percentage Fee - Charged once, based on the order amount. Transaction Fee - A flat dollar amount charged based on the number of transactions.

What is an example of a transaction cost? ›

Examples of common transaction costs are labor, transportation, broker fees, bank charges, commissions, etc. The nature and magnitude of transaction costs vary in different business scenarios. Nevertheless, these costs play a huge role in business management and economic growth.

What type of expense is transaction fee? ›

For example, if you are charged a monthly service fee by your bank, you may want to categorize this fee as an administrative expense. However, if you are charged a fee for each transaction you make, you may want to categorize this fee as an operating expense.

What is meant by transaction cost? ›

Transaction costs are the total costs of making a transaction, including the cost of planning, deciding, changing plans, resolving disputes, and after-sales. Therefore, the transaction cost is one of the most significant factors in business operation and management.

What is a transaction fee example? ›

Let's say your business processes a $100 transaction from a customer. This is what you could end up paying: The lowest fee in this scenario would amount to 0.5% of $100 plus $0.20 $100, resulting in a total fee of $0.70.

Why have I been charged a cash transaction fee? ›

Cash transaction fees

Buying foreign currency. Sending money orders or wire transfers (other than balance transfers or money transfers). Buying coins, banknotes or digital currency. Paying government or court fines, enforcement penalties, fees or costs.

Are transaction fees refundable? ›

Transaction Fee:

Similar to the authorization fee, the transaction fee associated with the initial sale is not reversed during a refund. Merchants typically absorb this cost.

What is the service fee on an invoice? ›

In other words, a service charge is an additional charge for the service provided with the purchase of a product or service. For example, a service charge is typically added to your bill in a restaurant to pay for the waiter or waitress who comes and services your table.

How much should you charge for an invoice? ›

How much does it cost to process an invoice? Nothing in business is free, and that includes processing invoices. Learn what impacts the cost of invoice processing to help reduce expenses. The cost of invoice processing varies, but most businesses find it's somewhere between $15 and $40 per invoice.

What is the average payment transaction fee? ›

Credit card processing fees typically cost a business 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction's total. For example, you'd pay $1.50 to $3.50 in credit card fees for a sale of $100.

What is the standard processing fee for invoices square? ›

For online payments or payments via invoice, Square charges a fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. (If you're signed up for the Premium plan, the percentage fee is lower at 2.6%.)

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