Payments

What it costs to take a card payment

Published 21 July 2026 · Prices last checked 21 July 2026

On a $4,800 furnace job, the difference between payment methods can be enough to notice. Tap a card, enter its number, or arrange a bank payment and the fee changes. Here is how the rates in this comparison work on the same example invoice.

The math on a $4,800 furnace job

Using an illustrative $4,800 invoice and the July rates:

• Square (Free plan, tap/dip/swipe): 2.6% + 15¢ → $124.95 in fees
• Stripe (card-present): 2.7% + 5¢ → $129.65
• Jobber Payments (Tap to Pay): 2.7% + 30¢ → $129.90
• Helcim (card-present, $0–$50K/mo tier): interchange + 0.40% + 8¢. Interchange itself is typically about 1.5–1.8% on a consumer credit card, plus roughly $19.28 in Helcim's own markup, so total fees land somewhere in the $91–$106 range depending on the card network and card type
• PayPal Zettle / PayPal Point of Sale (card-present): 2.29% + $0.09 → $110.01

Now run the same $4,800 through ACH instead of a card, using Square's published invoice rate: 1%, $1 minimum, capped at $10 on the Plus and Premium plans. That's a $10.00 fee instead of roughly $90–$130 on a tap (more if keyed). On the Free plan the cap disappears and it's a flat 1% with no ceiling, so $48.00, still well under any card rate above. Jobber's ACH/bank payment rate is a flat 1% with no cap published on its pricing page, which on this same ticket is $48.00.

Bank payments are worth considering for larger invoices. Check the settlement time and the payment options your customer prefers; a lower fee is only one part of the choice.

Card-present vs. keyed-in: the gap that adds up

Every processor here charges more when the card number is typed instead of tapped, dipped, or swiped. Keyed transactions carry more fraud risk and cost the processor more in chargebacks. The published gaps:

• Square: 2.6% + 15¢ present vs. 3.5% + 15¢ keyed (a 0.9-point gap). On the $4,800 job, that's $43.20 more just for typing the number.
• PayPal Zettle: 2.29% + $0.09 present vs. 3.49% + $0.09 keyed (a 1.2-point gap, or $57.60 more on the same ticket).
• Stripe: the base online rate is already 2.9% + 30¢, and Stripe adds a further 0.5% surcharge for manually entered cards, so a keyed card through Stripe runs roughly 3.4% + 30¢.
• Helcim: the keyed/online tier at $0–$50K/mo is interchange + 0.50% + 25¢, versus interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ for card-present. Smaller published spread than the flat-rate processors, because interchange-plus passes the real network cost through either way.

If you regularly enter card numbers manually, compare the fees with a working reader or a payment link. For larger scheduled jobs, a bank payment may also be worth offering.

Interchange-plus vs. flat rate: when the switch pays

Square, Stripe, Jobber, and PayPal Zettle all charge flat-rate pricing: one number, easy to predict, and it doesn't move whether the card is a basic debit or a rewards credit card that costs the processor more to run. Helcim runs interchange-plus: you pay the actual interchange fee set by the card networks, plus a small transparent markup on top (0.40% + 8¢ at the card-present tier under $50K/month, dropping to 0.15% + 6¢ once you're processing $1M–$5M a month).

The math only favors interchange-plus once your average card mix leans toward lower-interchange debit and basic credit rather than heavy rewards cards, and once your volume is big enough that a few basis points of markup difference is worth tracking instead of just accepting a flat number. Helcim's own lowest tier starts at $0, so a solo operator can access interchange-plus without hitting any volume minimum. The tradeoff is a statement that requires reading interchange categories instead of one flat percentage. Real friction for a one-person shop already buried in paperwork.

For a 2-truck operation doing a mix of small service calls and a few big-ticket jobs a month, the flat-rate simplicity of Square or Stripe is often worth the few extra basis points. Interchange-plus starts paying off once you're processing enough monthly volume (and enough of it on lower-cost debit cards) that the spread is bigger than the mental overhead of not knowing your exact rate until the statement arrives.

Chargeback exposure on big-ticket work

A disputed $4,800 payment can affect cash flow as well as create admin work. The July Stripe pricing used for this article listed a $15 dispute fee. Check the current dispute and refund terms for your processor.

Keep the accepted estimate, customer authorization, completion records, and relevant photos together. These can help document what was agreed and delivered if a payment is questioned.

Bank payments have their own authorization and return rules. Review those with the provider alongside card dispute terms.

Paying through your field service app

Compare the same transaction type when reviewing rates. In this comparison, Jobber lists 2.7% + 30¢ for Tap to Pay and 2.9% + 30¢ for other card payments. Square lists lower in-person percentages on its paid plans, but the subscription cost belongs in the calculation too.

A built-in processor can connect payments directly to the invoice and customer record. That can save time on reconciliation. Compare the convenience with any fee difference using your own transactions.

Take a month of transactions and compare what they would cost under the plans you are considering. Also check whether an outside processor connects to your invoicing app or would require manual updates.

QuickBooks Payments

If you use QuickBooks Online, include QuickBooks Payments in your comparison. See Intuit for its current rates; they are not priced in this article.

The rates, side by side

Card-present and keyed rates as published on each processor's own pricing page. Helcim's figures are its lowest published tier ($0–$50K/month), which covers effectively every business this article is written for.

Comparing your own transactions

Square and PayPal offer straightforward flat-rate options. Helcim is worth comparing when you want interchange-plus pricing, while Jobber Payments may be convenient if you already manage invoices there. Work out the total on your usual mix of payments, including any monthly subscription, before switching.

Payment processing rarely stands alone. See how it fits into the broader all-in-one vs. best-of-breed decision, and the total cost of the stack you're already committed to.