Flat Rate Processing
One simple rate. Every card. Every transaction. No interchange tables to decode, no surprises on your statement.
Simple pricing for businesses that value predictability.
Flat rate processing applies a single fixed percentage — plus a small per-transaction fee — to every card payment you accept, regardless of card type, network, or rewards tier. Visa debit, Mastercard rewards, corporate Amex — they all cost the same.
It's the easiest model to understand and budget for. You know exactly what you'll pay before the month ends, making cash flow planning straightforward.
The tradeoff: you give up the savings that come from lower-cost card types. At high volumes, interchange-plus typically beats flat rate. For newer or lower-volume businesses, flat rate's simplicity often wins.
See If Flat Rate Fits You2.9% + $0.10
Standard rate for swiped, dipped, and tapped card-present transactions.
3.5% + $0.15
Rate for manually keyed card-not-present transactions (higher fraud risk).
Easy Statements
Your monthly statement is clean and simple — no line-by-line interchange detail to decode.
All Major Cards
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover all accepted at the same flat rate.
From swipe to settlement
Customer Pays
Customer presents any major credit or debit card — chip, tap, swipe, or online.
Flat Rate Applied
The same fixed rate applies regardless of card type, rewards tier, or issuing bank.
Transaction Settles
Funds are deposited to your account, typically next business day.
Simple Statement
Your statement shows total volume, total fees at your flat rate, and net deposits — nothing more.
Who benefits most from flat rate
✓ Good Fit
- New businesses getting started with card acceptance
- Low-volume merchants processing under $10,000/month
- Businesses that primarily accept debit cards
- Merchants who want the simplest possible billing
- Pop-up shops, seasonal businesses, events
— May Want to Consider Alternatives
- High-volume merchants ($15K+/month) — interchange-plus saves more
- Businesses with mostly low-interchange card types
- Merchants who want to see interchange detail on statements
- B2B businesses with large corporate card volumes
What governs flat rate processing
Even with a simple pricing model, card network rules and federal regulations still apply to every transaction.
Card Network Rules
All transactions must comply with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover operating regulations. These rules cover authorization procedures, chargeback rights, refund timelines, and dispute resolution — regardless of your pricing model.
Card network rules are updated periodically. GoPayhawk monitors these updates and ensures your account remains compliant at all times.
PCI DSS Compliance
All merchants are required to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), regardless of pricing model or transaction volume. PCI DSS sets requirements for how cardholder data is stored, transmitted, and protected.
GoPayhawk provides PCI compliance support and tools. An annual compliance fee covers your PCI assessment and breach protection program.
Durbin Amendment — Debit Card Regulations
The Durbin Amendment (Dodd-Frank Act, 2010) caps interchange fees on debit card transactions for large banks. Under a flat rate model, these savings are absorbed into your fixed rate rather than passed through separately. If your business processes a high volume of debit cards, interchange-plus pricing may deliver more savings.
Chargeback & Dispute Rules
Cardholders have the right to dispute transactions under card network rules. As a merchant, you are responsible for responding to disputes with transaction evidence within the timeframe specified by the card network (typically 20–30 days). Excessive chargebacks (above 1% of transactions) can result in additional fees or account review.
GoPayhawk provides dispute management support and alerts when chargebacks are filed.
Refund & Return Policy Requirements
Your refund policy must be clearly communicated to customers at the point of sale. For card transactions, refunds must be returned to the original card — cash refunds for card purchases are prohibited under card network rules. Processing fees on the original transaction are typically non-refundable.
Flat Rate FAQ
Yes. Under our flat rate program, American Express transactions are processed at the same rate as Visa and Mastercard. This is a meaningful benefit — Amex interchange rates are typically higher than other networks, so flat rate can be advantageous for merchants with significant Amex volume.
Manually keyed transactions (where the card number is typed in rather than swiped or dipped) carry a higher fraud risk because the card is not physically present for verification. Card networks charge higher interchange on these transactions, and that risk is reflected in the higher flat rate for keyed entries.
Yes. As your volume grows, we can re-evaluate your pricing model at any time. Many merchants start on flat rate and transition to interchange-plus once their monthly volume consistently exceeds $10,000–$15,000. There are no penalties for changing your pricing model.
Most accounts include a small monthly statement fee and an annual PCI compliance fee. These are disclosed upfront before you sign anything. There are no hidden fees, no batch fees, and no minimum processing requirements.
Ready for Simple, Predictable Processing?
Submit your current statement and we'll confirm whether flat rate is the right fit — and exactly how much you'd pay.
