Work out your effective rate
Divide total fees for the month by total card volume. That one number lets you compare months and processors regardless of how the statement is laid out. A sudden rise with no change in your card mix points to a pricing change.
Separate pass-through from markup
Interchange and network fees are set by the card networks and passed through. Everything else is the processor's margin. On interchange-plus pricing the markup is visible; on tiered or bundled pricing it is hidden inside qualified, mid-qualified and non-qualified rates.
Line items to question
- Non-qualified or downgrade surcharges on transactions that should qualify, often from missing address verification or late batch settlement.
- PCI non-compliance fees charged after you completed the questionnaire.
- Monthly minimums, statement fees, regulatory or compliance fees that are not in the contract.
- Markup increases announced in a statement message rather than agreed in writing.
- Chargeback and retrieval fees above the contract rate.
Getting it back
Send the processor the contract rate, the billed rate and the months affected. Ask for a credit and for the rate to be corrected going forward. If the contract allows it, a competing quote on interchange-plus pricing is the strongest lever.
Updated November 5, 2026