Three pricing models. One honest read on which fits you.
Trailhead does not publish a rate card, because the right price depends on your card mix, average ticket, and volume. What we can do is explain the three models you'll see quoted — in plain English — so you can spot a bad deal before you sign.
Flat rate
One posted rate on every card.
- Very low volume
- Simple ticket mix
- Startups & pop-ups
- Debit and rewards cards priced the same
- Instant-funding fees can be steep
- Not competitive above ~$20k/mo
Interchange-plus
Wholesale cost + a disclosed markup.
- $15k+/mo processing
- Businesses with a mix of card types
- Owners who want transparency
- Statements look intimidating at first
- Markup should be clearly disclosed
- Confirm no downgrade padding
Dual pricing / cash discount
Card-paying customer covers the processing fee.
- High card-mix service businesses
- Owners comfortable posting the model at checkout
- Simple retail & food-service
- Compliance rules differ by state and card brand
- Not a fit for every ticket size
- Customer experience matters — done well or not at all
Estimate your interchange-plus rate.
Slide your monthly card volume. We'll show a directional interchange-plus quote — the same shape of pricing we'd recommend after a statement review.
The only number that actually matters.
Ignore the headline rate. Divide your total fees by your total volume — that's your effective rate. It quietly rolls up every markup, downgrade, monthly fee, PCI charge, and add-on into a single honest number.
Ranges are directional. Card mix, average ticket, and channel materially change what "good" looks like.
Want to know your effective rate?
Upload one recent statement. We'll compute it, break down where the leaks are, and tell you whether the model you're on is the right one.