{"id":25920,"date":"2024-05-10T07:34:15","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T15:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/?p=25920"},"modified":"2024-05-10T07:35:30","modified_gmt":"2024-05-10T15:35:30","slug":"an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/","title":{"rendered":"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"25920\" class=\"elementor elementor-25920\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4be1018 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4be1018\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f917591 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f917591\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 26-05-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>I hate hidden fees. I hate a lack of transparency in any business dealings. However, hidden fees exist, especially in payment processing. These fees sneak into contracts or billing statements, catching merchants off guard.\u00a0<\/p><p>We&#8217;re here to explain how hidden fees work, provide some statistics, and give some guidance on how to avoid hidden fees in your <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/how-merchant-services-contracts-work-in-payment-processing\/\">payment processing contracts<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b8bda37 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b8bda37\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 26-05-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Definition of Hidden Fees in Payments<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cc7eaf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6cc7eaf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In merchant account contracts, they can have what has been known as hidden fees. Hidden fees can be a sneaky way for payment processors to increase their profits at the merchant&#8217;s expense.\u00a0<span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align);\">In the context of merchant accounts, h<\/span><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align);\">idden fees are additional costs that are not clearly disclosed or explained when a business first signs<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cb0f672 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cb0f672\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How Hidden Fees Happen in Payments<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a882d97 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a882d97\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-sourcepos=\"1:1-1:28\">Hidden fees can be an accident, but generally they are purposeful. Unfortunately it is more common than we&#8217;d like. Hidden fees generally happen in one of three ways:<\/p><p><b>1) <\/b>The merchant account sales person verbally explains the fees, however the contract will actually be different than what was said. In this scenario, the payment processor expects that the merchant will not fully review the merchant account contract.<\/p><p data-sourcepos=\"1:1-1:28\"><b>2) <\/b>The contract is written in a complex and convoluted way where it is very difficult to understand what the fees are.\u00a0<span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align);\">These fees can also be buried in the fine print of the contract.<\/span><\/p><p data-sourcepos=\"1:1-1:28\"><b>3) <\/b>New fees are added on without them being in the contract in the first place. This is definitely the most untruthful way to conduct business and if you have a processor like this, you should switch.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-51314bb elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"51314bb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Statistics on Hidden Fees in Payments<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bf0253e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bf0253e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>It is very difficult to determine exact statistics on hidden fees in payment processing because payments is not a fully regulated industry and there is not a single organization overlooking payment processing contracts. TRC-Parus has worked with thousands of merchants and have determined statistics of the problems of hidden fees.<\/p><ul><li>42% of merchants have been affected by hidden fees in merchant accounts.<\/li><li><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align);\">50% of hidden fees are from the contract differing from what was verbally told.<\/span><\/li><li>40% of hidden fees are from the contract being convoluted or written in the fine print.<\/li><li>10% of hidden fees are from new fees arising later after the merchants starts processing.<\/li><li>20% is the average additional cost to merchants due to hidden fees.<\/li><li style=\"font-size: 16px;\">65% of merchants using aggregators (PayPal, Square, etc) experience funding delays.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-64d2a7f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"64d2a7f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>These statistics are based on working with merchants and we will continue to study, survey, and analyze the problem of hidden fees.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3a81dc1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3a81dc1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Most Common Types of Hidden Fees in Payments<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-097ba5e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"097ba5e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Many of the below fees are standard fees, however many times, these fees are not verbally mentioned or they are buried in the merchant account contracts. In the end, these are the most common hidden fees that catch merchants by surprise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">Monthly Minimum Fees:&nbsp;<\/strong><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">This fee is charged if a merchant does not meet a certain threshold of transaction processing fees during the month. This can catch merchants off guard because there will be a fee even if there are no transactions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">Statement Fees:&nbsp;<\/strong><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">These are fees charged for the delivery of paper or electronic statements. While it seems straightforward, some merchants are unaware of these fees until they see them on their first bill.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"font-size: 17px; background-color: transparent; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; text-align: var(--text-align);\">PCI Compliance Fees:&nbsp;<\/strong><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align);\"><a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/a-complete-overview-of-pci-in-payments\/\">Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance<\/a> is mandatory for businesses processing credit card transactions. Some processors charge for the annual PCI compliance review. These fees are sometimes hidden or not fully disclosed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"font-size: 17px; background-color: transparent; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; text-align: var(--text-align);\">PCI Non-Compliance Fees: <\/strong><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align);\">If a merchant fails to maintain PCI compliance, they may be subjected to monthly non-compliance fees, which can be substantial. For a typical merchant to stay PCI compliant, they need to complete the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-the-self-assessment-questionnaire-saq-for-pci-in-payments\/\">PCI self assessment questionaire&nbsp;(SAQ)<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">Early Termination Fees:&nbsp;<\/strong><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">This is a big one. These are charged if a merchant decides to end their contract before the agreed-upon period. The terms for termination can be complex and the fees for early exit steep which can be hundreds to thousands of dollars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">Chargeback Fees:&nbsp;<\/strong><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">While not entirely hidden, the specifics of <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/what-is-a-chargeback-in-payment-processing\/\">chargeback<\/a> fees are often not discussed in detail. Each chargeback a merchant receives can incur a substantial fee, beyond the cost of the refunded transaction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">Annual Fees:&nbsp;<\/strong><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">Some processors charge an annual fee for using their services. This fee can be billed for account maintenance, software updates, or overall service upkeep.<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">&nbsp;Sometimes the annual fee is not discussed when a merchant signs up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bolder; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">Funding Delays: <\/span><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent;\">Although funding delays are not exactly hidden fees, it impacts your cash flow. Funding delays occur when a payment processor holds payments to merchants because of concern of risk or fraud<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">. This can catch merchants by surprise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin-block: 0px 0.9rem; font-size: 17px; color: #333333; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;\"><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; text-align: var(--text-align); background-color: transparent; font-size: 17px;\">Tiered Pricing Fees:&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align);\">Tiered pricing is a <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/how-fees-work-in-credit-card-processing\/\">type of pricing method in payments<\/a>. Tiered pricing often results in higher fees because it groups types of transactions into categories, which might overcharge for certain transactions. Tiered pricing lacks transparency, making it difficult to discern the fees associated with different transaction types. It is recommended to move to <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/interchange-plus-pricing\/\">interchange plus pricing<\/a> for more transparent fees.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-19b56c7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"19b56c7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Is There Regulation in Payment Processing?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f710749 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f710749\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Payment regulation exists for ensuring the integrity and stability within the payment industry. Its primary objective is to safeguard consumers, maintaining financial stability,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/fraud-detection-in-payment-processing\/\">preventing fraud<\/a>\u00a0and security breaches, and ensuring legal compliance. Both <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-payment-regulation-in-the-usa\/\">USA<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/canadas-payment-regulations-and-compliance-in-2024\/\">Canada<\/a> have payment processing regulation.<\/p><p>There is not much, if any, regulation for payment processing fees and pricing between payent processors and merchants. Each payment processor can choose the way they price, conduct marketing, and structure their merchant contracts. The only regulation related to fees are in <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/interchange-fees-by-country\/\">interchange rates which differ by country<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24aabfa elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"24aabfa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How to Avoid Hidden Fees in Payments<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5884237 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5884237\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>For merchants to avoid hidden fees in payment processing, they can use the following strategies below. No merchant should be surprised by their fees so move to a payment processor that will be transparent like <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/\">TRC-Parus<\/a>.<\/p><ol><li><p><strong>Choose Transparent Pricing Models<\/strong>: Make sure you sign up for<a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/pricing\/cost-plus\/\"> interchange-plus pricing<\/a>\u00a0or <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/pricing\/membership\/\">subscription-based pricing<\/a> models, which offer more transparency than tiered pricing, allowing merchants to see exactly what they&#8217;re being charged for each transaction.<\/p><\/li><li><p><strong>Read the Fine Print<\/strong>: Carefully review contracts and service agreements for any undisclosed fees or penalties. Be aware of termination fees, monthly minimums, and setup fees. <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/payments-consulting-services\/\">We help merchants review their contracts<\/a>.<\/p><\/li><li><p><strong>Negotiate Terms<\/strong>: Don&#8217;t hesitate to negotiate with payment processors. Many fees are not set in stone and can be reduced or waived entirely, especially for businesses with significant transaction volumes.<\/p><\/li><li><p><strong style=\"background-color: transparent; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; text-align: var(--text-align);\">Regularly Review Statements<\/strong><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); text-align: var(--text-align);\">: Regularly check your payment processing statements for unexpected fees or increases in rates, and ask about any charges that aren&#8217;t clear. Most regulations require payment processors to give merchants 90 days notice before increasing fees and you&#8217;re able to terminate your contract for free during this time.<\/span><\/p><\/li><li><p><strong>Consult with an Expert<\/strong>: If possible, consult with a payment processing expert or advisor who can help you understand the fees and suggest the best providers and plans for your business needs. You can work with <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/payments-consulting-services\/\">TRC-Parus Consulting<\/a>.<\/p><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c8a1f0b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c8a1f0b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The most effective thing merchants can do to avoid hidden fees is to choose a pricing model with high transparency, specifically the <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/pricing\/cost-plus\/\">interchange-plus pricing model<\/a>. This model separates the <a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/what-is-interchange\/\">interchange fees<\/a> (set by the<a href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/what-are-credit-card-networks\/\"> credit card networks<\/a>) from the processor&#8217;s markup, allowing merchants to see exactly what they&#8217;re being charged for each transaction. This transparency helps in understanding and forecasting costs more accurately, reducing the risk of unexpected fees.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8ea0e97 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8ea0e97\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">How TRC-Parus Avoids Hidden Fees<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-94179a8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"94179a8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>TRC-Parus is dedicated to ensuring transparency in payment processing, helping merchants avoid the pitfalls of hidden fees. With a commitment to honest pricing, TRC-Parus adopts a clear-cut interchange-plus pricing model. This model breaks down each transaction fee to its core components: the interchange rate set by the credit card networks and a straightforward markup by TRC-Parus. This approach not only makes it easier for merchants to understand what they are being charged for each transaction but also helps in anticipating monthly costs more accurately.<\/p><p>Moreover, TRC-Parus supports its transparency promise by providing detailed monthly statements that itemize every charge. Merchants can see exactly how fees are calculated, ensuring there are no surprises. The customer service team at TRC-Parus is also committed to guiding merchants through any questions they might have about their billing, fostering a relationship based on trust and clarity.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I hate hidden fees. I hate a lack of transparency in any business dealings. However, hidden fees exist, especially in payment processing. These fees sneak into contracts or billing statements, catching merchants off guard.\u00a0 We&#8217;re here to explain how hidden fees work, provide some statistics, and give some guidance on how to avoid hidden fees [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":26031,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A full overview for merchants on how hidden fees work in credit card payment processing including statistics and ways to avoid them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A full overview for merchants on how hidden fees work in credit card payment processing including statistics and ways to avoid them.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Credit Card Processing and Merchant Account\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/clearlypayments\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-10T15:34:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-05-10T15:35:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/payments-hidden-fees.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kalle Radage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@kalleradage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@clearlypayments\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kalle Radage\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kalle Radage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/608d627233ee548e9312ce67fe0b72d0\"},\"headline\":\"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-10T15:34:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-05-10T15:35:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/\"},\"wordCount\":1405,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/payments-hidden-fees.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"How Payments Work\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/\",\"name\":\"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/payments-hidden-fees.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-10T15:34:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-05-10T15:35:30+00:00\",\"description\":\"A full overview for merchants on how hidden fees work in credit card payment processing including statistics and ways to avoid them.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/payments-hidden-fees.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/payments-hidden-fees.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1280,\"caption\":\"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/\",\"name\":\"Credit Card Processing and Merchant Account\",\"description\":\"Friendliest Payment Processor on Earth\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#organization\",\"name\":\"TRC-Parus\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Asset-1@3x.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Asset-1@3x.png\",\"width\":2913,\"height\":902,\"caption\":\"TRC-Parus\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/clearlypayments\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/clearlypayments\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/clearlypayments\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCUCzQokVSCniiISETs-R6mg\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/608d627233ee548e9312ce67fe0b72d0\",\"name\":\"Kalle Radage\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-CA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d359bc79497b225799d34b9d24421b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d359bc79497b225799d34b9d24421b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kalle Radage\"},\"description\":\"Kalle Radage is a tech entrepreneur and business leader. Kalle is the Co-founder and Chairman of TRC-Parus and Co-founder and COO of Neptune Digital Assets. He has scaled technology companies from the ground up and held leadership roles at global enterprises. Previously, he was a venture capitalist, investing in and helping grow innovative companies. He strives to build teams and products that people love. He has lived and worked in Silicon Valley, Europe, Boston, and Vancouver. He received a computer science degree from UBC in Canada and an MBA from IESE in Spain. Kalle works to be an active tech community member as an advisor, investor, and board member. He enjoys skiing, biking, climbing, and surfing.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kalleradage\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/kalleradage\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing","description":"A full overview for merchants on how hidden fees work in credit card payment processing including statistics and ways to avoid them.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing","og_description":"A full overview for merchants on how hidden fees work in credit card payment processing including statistics and ways to avoid them.","og_url":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/","og_site_name":"Credit Card Processing and Merchant Account","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/clearlypayments","article_published_time":"2024-05-10T15:34:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-05-10T15:35:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1280,"url":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/payments-hidden-fees.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kalle Radage","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@kalleradage","twitter_site":"@clearlypayments","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kalle Radage","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/"},"author":{"name":"Kalle Radage","@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/608d627233ee548e9312ce67fe0b72d0"},"headline":"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing","datePublished":"2024-05-10T15:34:15+00:00","dateModified":"2024-05-10T15:35:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/"},"wordCount":1405,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/payments-hidden-fees.jpg","articleSection":["How Payments Work"],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/","url":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/","name":"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/payments-hidden-fees.jpg","datePublished":"2024-05-10T15:34:15+00:00","dateModified":"2024-05-10T15:35:30+00:00","description":"A full overview for merchants on how hidden fees work in credit card payment processing including statistics and ways to avoid them.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-CA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/payments-hidden-fees.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/payments-hidden-fees.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"caption":"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/blog\/an-overview-of-hidden-fees-in-payment-processing\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"An Overview of Hidden Fees in Payment Processing"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#website","url":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/","name":"Credit Card Processing and Merchant Account","description":"Friendliest Payment Processor on Earth","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-CA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#organization","name":"TRC-Parus","url":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Asset-1@3x.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Asset-1@3x.png","width":2913,"height":902,"caption":"TRC-Parus"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/clearlypayments","https:\/\/x.com\/clearlypayments","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/clearlypayments","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCUCzQokVSCniiISETs-R6mg"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/608d627233ee548e9312ce67fe0b72d0","name":"Kalle Radage","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-CA","@id":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d359bc79497b225799d34b9d24421b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/65d359bc79497b225799d34b9d24421b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kalle Radage"},"description":"Kalle Radage is a tech entrepreneur and business leader. Kalle is the Co-founder and Chairman of TRC-Parus and Co-founder and COO of Neptune Digital Assets. He has scaled technology companies from the ground up and held leadership roles at global enterprises. Previously, he was a venture capitalist, investing in and helping grow innovative companies. He strives to build teams and products that people love. He has lived and worked in Silicon Valley, Europe, Boston, and Vancouver. He received a computer science degree from UBC in Canada and an MBA from IESE in Spain. Kalle works to be an active tech community member as an advisor, investor, and board member. He enjoys skiing, biking, climbing, and surfing.","sameAs":["https:\/\/trc-parus.ru","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kalleradage\/","https:\/\/x.com\/kalleradage"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25920"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25920"}],"version-history":[{"count":98,"href":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25920\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26037,"href":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25920\/revisions\/26037"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trc-parus.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}