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Interchange-plus vs flat rate: break-even calculator

Interchange-plus pricing passes real card costs through and adds a markup. Whether it beats a flat rate depends on your volume, ticket size and card mix. Model yours.

Last updated By Gil Levy

Card mix, % of volume (should add up to 100)
Flat 2.9% + 30¢ (+1.5% international)
$335,000
Yearly saving on interchange-plus
$122,013
Interchange-plus, all in
$212,988
of which interchange + network fees
$191,988
of which markup + monthly fees
$21,000
Break-even annual volume
$239,976

Interchange is modeled from typical US online rates by card type; debit is assumed 75% regulated big-bank debit. These are assumptions, not quotes. Real interchange depends on the exact cards, data and network rules.

Stripe fees verified on against stripe.com/pricing. How we check

Short answer

Interchange-plus beats a flat rate once the saving on each payment covers the account's fixed monthly fees. With a typical consumer card mix that happens at a few hundred thousand dollars a year; for a large saving, think millions. Debit-heavy and large-ticket businesses gain most; businesses taking mostly premium or business cards gain least.

How this calculator works

  • Flat rate: 2.9% + 30¢ per payment, plus 1.5% on international cards, on Stripe's published US pricing.
  • Interchange-plus: interchange for each card type in your mix (typical US online rates, as a percentage plus a per-payment fee), card network fees, an assumed markup and assumed monthly account fees.
  • Break-even volume: the annual volume where the per-dollar saving covers the monthly fees, keeping your ticket size and card mix the same.

Change the card mix to see why it matters: every point of volume that moves from debit to premium or business cards narrows the gap. The full explanation, with a worked $25M example, is in interchange-plus pricing explained. For your exact numbers, the free savings analysis uses your real statements.