The short version
- Total repair revenue is different from the card volume processed through the merchant account.
- A supplement may change what the carrier pays, what the customer owes, both amounts or neither.
- Base the payment request on the most recent approved breakdown of who pays what.
- Label all assumptions so a worked example can be understood correctly.
Only part of a large body-shop repair order may be paid by card, so generic processing examples can misrepresent collision work. Use settled card volume: the deductibles, customer-pay repairs, deposits, excluded work and other balances actually processed through the merchant account.
Follow the payments from the first estimate to the final supplement. Record who owes each amount, how they pay and what changes, rather than assuming the payer from the total repair price.
Use with this guide
ADAS calibration sublets: match the work, invoice and payments
A calibration invoice shows what the vendor billed, not whether the work passed review or the payer paid. Match all three records to the repair order.
Job cash flow planner
See how deposits, material bills, labor costs and payment delays affect a job's cash gap. Try four sample jobs, download a CSV or print to PDF.
Auto glass split payments: check customer and insurer balances
The deductible doesn't explain the whole payment file. Reconcile confirmed payer amounts with the final invoice and distinguish balances from receipts.
A supplement after payment: calculate only the new customer balance
Check who owes the increase before sending the customer a payment link for a supplement.
Browse the complete auto body guides and worksheets.
Check your own costs: calculate your effective processing rate or upload a merchant statement for analysis.
Separate collections by payer and payment method
Calculate the effective rate with settled card volume as the denominator. Dividing fees by all repair sales understates the rate. Assuming all repair revenue will be paid by card overstates the potential dollar saving.
Match repair-order collections to the total on the merchant statement. This often reveals duplicate entries, deposits recorded in another month, refunds or payment links that were not properly connected to the final invoice.
- Insurer payments received by check or electronic transfer.
- Deductibles the customer pays by card.
- Deductibles paid with cash, check or another non-card method.
- Customer-paid repairs, betterment, excluded operations or upgrades.
- Uncollected balances, account billing, financing and other receivables.
Check what the supplement changes for each payer
Extra damage may increase the insurer's payment without changing the deductible. An excluded repair or upgrade may add to the customer's balance, while a previous deposit may reduce the amount still due. The supplement total alone cannot tell you which happened.
Update the repair order and customer approval before asking for payment. Show the amount due now and how you applied previous deposits. If you offer two prices, display the current card and cash amounts before the customer decides.
A worked example of card volume versus repair revenue
In this example, monthly repair revenue is $120,000. The insurer pays $66,000 by check or electronic payment; customers pay $48,000 by card and $6,000 in cash or checks. A 3.5% effective rate on the card payments costs $1,680 for the month.
Applying 3.5% to all $120,000 gives $4,200, not this shop's example processing bill. Most of the revenue did not pass through the card account. These are illustrative figures, not an industry benchmark; they show which volume to use.
Match deposits and refunds across billing periods
A deposit, completed repair and later refund or partial reversal may fall in three different months. Compare several complete months when substantial work is in progress. Don't count an earlier deposit again in the final card payment.
Retain the original transaction reference, refund amount, date and reason, customer messages and revised invoice. Those records help accounting and let you explain the charge if the customer asks later.
Compare offers using the payment mix you found
Use the same twelve-month volume and actual card mix to compare flat rate, interchange plus and an approved dual-pricing offer. Include monthly and transaction charges, gateways, debit treatment, equipment terms, chargebacks and costs for remote payments.
Choose an arrangement you can explain to customers, operate and reconcile, and leave without a penalty if it doesn't fit. An impressive headline alone cannot establish that.
Questions business owners ask
Will a larger supplement increase card-processing fees?
Not necessarily. It depends on who pays the extra amount and which payment method they use. An insurer check does not incur a card-processing cost.
Do I include a deductible paid by check in card volume?
No. Include it in customer collections and the payer reconciliation, so the invoice balances, but not in merchant-account card volume.
How much statement history should we use?
Start with three complete recent statements. Consider more months if card volume, insurer mix, refunds or substantial work in progress changes significantly.
Primary sources
BlueFinch last reviewed these sources on August 11, 2026. Payment rules and state requirements can change.
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners: Auto Insurance Shopping Tool
- Federal Trade Commission: Auto Repair Basics
- Visa: Resolve a Dispute
Use this page for general business information. It is not legal, tax, or accounting advice.