What Is a Monthly Fee in Card Processing?

On a merchant statement, most fees move with your sales. Monthly fees don't. This page lists the four kinds you can find, with amounts taken from published fee schedules, and explains how a monthly minimum is billed.

What is a monthly fee?

A monthly fee is a flat charge billed once per month for keeping a service active: the merchant account, a payment gateway, a PCI program. It does not depend on how many sales you make. A store with zero sales in a month still pays it.

The name changes from one provider to the next. TD Merchant Solutions prints "Monthly Fee" on the statement for its "Monthly Service Fee," charged per merchant location.1TD Merchant Solutions, Fee Descriptions (PDF, July 2026, read October 14, 2026) Wells Fargo calls it a "merchant account fee" and bills it per merchant ID.2Wells Fargo, Merchant Services Fees (read October 14, 2026) PaySimple listed both a "Monthly Maintenance" fee and an "On File Fee," described as the "cost to keep the merchant account open and active."6PaySimple, Guide to Fees, Starter (PDF, June 2015, read October 14, 2026)

The monthly fees on a merchant statement

Sources: TD,1TD Merchant Solutions, Fee Descriptions (PDF, July 2026, read October 14, 2026) Wells Fargo,2Wells Fargo, Merchant Services Fees (read October 14, 2026) PayPal,3PayPal, Merchant Fees (last updated October 1, 2026, read October 14, 2026) Checkout.com,7Checkout.com Docs, PCI non-compliance fees (read October 14, 2026) Stripe.4Stripe, Pricing (read October 14, 2026)

A few details matter. TD's PCI fee is billed per quarter, $0 to $29.85 per location, and its paper statement fee is $5.00 plus taxes.1TD Merchant Solutions, Fee Descriptions (PDF, July 2026, read October 14, 2026) Checkout.com charges its non-compliance fee only after a 60-day grace period past your validation due date, and stops once your compliance is verified.7Checkout.com Docs, PCI non-compliance fees (read October 14, 2026) Wells Fargo's page notes that "PCI non-compliance fees apply," without listing an amount.2Wells Fargo, Merchant Services Fees (read October 14, 2026) For what PCI validation involves, see PCI compliance.

"No monthly fee" also needs reading closely. Stripe states it does "not charge setup fees, monthly fees, or any other hidden fees like closure fees."4Stripe, Pricing (read October 14, 2026) PayPal lists "No fee" for Advanced Credit and Debit Card Payments, but $5 a month for Payments Advanced and $30 for Payments Pro.3PayPal, Merchant Fees (last updated October 1, 2026, read October 14, 2026) Square charges $0, $49 or $149 per location per month for its Free, Plus and Premium plans, and the paid plans lower the online card rate from 3.3% + 30¢ to 2.9% + 30¢.5Square, Pricing (read October 14, 2026)

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How a monthly minimum is computed

A monthly minimum is a floor on the fees you pay, not a fixed charge. PaySimple's fee guide gives the rule for its ACH minimum of $5.00: "When not met or exceeded, the difference is billed."6PaySimple, Guide to Fees, Starter (PDF, June 2015, read October 14, 2026)

Which fees count toward the minimum is set by your contract. TD's line is called a minimum "discount" fee,1TD Merchant Solutions, Fee Descriptions (PDF, July 2026, read October 14, 2026) so read your agreement to see exactly what it compares against. Wells Fargo's pricing page says it has no monthly minimums.2Wells Fargo, Merchant Services Fees (read October 14, 2026)

What monthly fees change for a merchant

Fixed fees weigh more when sales are low. Divide your total monthly fees by your number of sales to see what they add to each order, and include them when you compute your effective rate. When comparing providers, set any monthly fee against the per-sale rate it buys, as with Square's plans.

Monthly fees can also be billed outside your payouts, so they don't always show in the deposit. For a line-by-line walkthrough, see how to read a merchant statement. For the paper statement charge itself, see statement fee.