FREE PROCESSING STATEMENT AUDIT
Credit card processing fees:only the markup is negotiable.We find it.
Processing statements are designed to be confusing. That's exactly what processors count on. True interchange is set by the card networks and isn't negotiable; the markup above it is — and it's where the bloat lives.
2.2–2.5% competitive · 3%+ usually padded
our working benchmarks · not a promise
THE ANATOMY
The statement, under the lamp.
One page of a processing statement, examined. Move the pointer (on a phone, scroll) and the audit layer surfaces: the effective rate against the band, non-qualified downgrades, a PCI fee billed past compliance, batch fees at four times benchmark.
4 FINDINGS · $5,400–$7,400/yr FLAGGED (THIS PAGE)
RECEIVED 06-19 10:04 · EXAMINED 06-20 · CASE NO. 0451 EXH-0051 · PAYMENTS · PG 2 OF 6
FINDING 1 OF 4 · EXH-0051 · ROW 2
Effective rate against the band
- billed:
- 3.40% effective
- benchmark:
- 2.3–2.6% at this volume/mix
confidence: medium
total fees ÷ total volume = 3.40%; the spread above the band is markup plus the fee stack below — the negotiable layer
FINDING 2 OF 4 · EXH-0051 · ROW 3
Non-qualified surcharge
- billed:
- $184.20/mo
- benchmark:
- properly-routed tickets clear at the signed rate
confidence: medium
keyed and mis-batched transactions downgraded to the non-qualified tier; most are routable at the signed rate
FINDING 3 OF 4 · EXH-0051 · ROW 4
PCI non-compliance fee
- billed:
- $49.95/mo
- benchmark:
- $0 — compliance on file
confidence: high
PCI compliance was current at billing; the fee kept running anyway
FINDING 4 OF 4 · EXH-0051 · ROW 5
Batch settlement fees
- billed:
- $0.40/batch
- benchmark:
- $0–$0.10/batch
confidence: high
31 daily batches billed at 4× the top of the benchmark band
- Finding 1: Effective rate against the band — billed 3.40% effective, benchmark 2.3–2.6% at this volume/mix, $5,400–$7,400/yr flagged, confidence medium. billed: 3.4% eff. benchmark: 2.3–2.6%.
- Finding 2: Non-qualified surcharge — billed $184.20/mo, benchmark properly-routed tickets clear at the signed rate, $1,500–$1,900/yr flagged, confidence medium. downgrade routing. avoidable on most tickets.
- Finding 3: PCI non-compliance fee — billed $49.95/mo, benchmark $0 — compliance on file, $599/yr flagged, confidence high. compliant since 2023 — still billed.
- Finding 4: Batch settlement fees — billed $0.40/batch, benchmark $0–$0.10/batch, $112–$149/yr flagged, confidence high. benchmark: $0–$0.10/batch.
THE INSTRUMENT
The Effective-Rate Instrument.
Two numbers off last month's statement — total card fees and total card volume. The instrument does the division your processor is counting on you to skip, and places the result on the band.
Your effective rate
—
THE EXAMINATION
What we examine on a processing statement.
- Your true effective rate — total fees ÷ total volume — against the rate you signed for
- The markup above interchange — interchange is fixed; only the markup is negotiable
- Tiered vs. interchange-plus pricing structure
- Keyed vs. card-present rates and non-qualified downgrade routing
- Tip-adjustment handling on restaurant and service accounts
- Monthly and annual junk fees — statement, batch, gateway, “membership”
- PCI compliance and non-compliance fee stacks
- Equipment leases still billing on paid-off terminals
- Compliant cash-discount / dual-pricing programs that legally pass the cost to card-paying customers. Optional, never forced.
ON THE RECORD
An example, not a promise.
PAYMENTS · BUNDLED / TIERED PROCESSOR · HISTORICAL EXAMPLE
A “2.6% flat rate” that examined out at 3.40% effective
A hardware store on a tiered plan was quoted 2.6% — but once the markup itself, the non-qualified surcharge, the PCI fee, and the batch fees were counted against actual volume, the effective rate landed at 3.40%, against a 2.3–2.6% band for that volume and mix.
Statement: $49.95/mo PCI non-compliance fee billed past compliance, $184.20 in non-qualified downgrades, batch fees at $0.40 against a $0–$0.10 benchmark.
found range
$5,400–$7,400/yrconfidence: medium
Next step (you approve): Re-price to interchange-plus with the current processor — or take a verified quote — only after you review and approve the options.
historical case · anonymized · ranges shown are what was found in this case — not a promise · reviewed by a human, decided by you
RECEIVED
You send one merchant statement — PDF, photo, or a bad scan. It gets a case number the moment it lands.
EXAMINED
A human does the math against benchmark data. Markup, downgrades, junk fees — flagged with evidence.
RETURNED
You get a case file back: findings, a range for each, and a confidence level — high, medium, or indicative.
If we find savings and you choose to act, we're compensated on the back end — never by you for the audit.
Questions on record.
Q.What's a good effective rate?
It depends on your card mix. Our working benchmark from the statements we read: competitive shops typically land near 2.2–2.5% all-in once every fee is counted against volume, and above 3% usually means padding — a benchmark, not a promise. We compute yours exactly, from the statement.
Q.What's the difference between interchange and markup?
Interchange goes to the card-issuing bank, is set by the card networks, and is non-negotiable. Assessments go to the networks and are fixed too. Everything above that is processor markup. Only the markup is negotiable — and it's where the bloat lives. We show you which is which on your own statement.
Q.Will you make me switch processors?
No — you decide. Many findings resolve as a re-price with your current processor. We surface the findings and the options with evidence; nothing on your merchant account changes without your sign-off.
Q.Does this work with my POS?
We audit the statement, not your stack. Toast, Square, Clover, terminal or gateway — the math is the same. If we can read the fee summary, we can examine it.
We do the math your processoris counting on you to skip.
Bloatweiler may be paid by partners or vendors in some categories — always disclosed before any change. No guaranteed savings.
Cross-references
- Merchant servicesProvider + account audit
- Zero-Fee / Dual PricingDual pricing & surcharge
- Vendor cost managementEvery recurring vendor bill, one pass