Repair processing-fee change log
Trace price changes to actual notices and matching statement lines.
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| Provider fee code or label | Old written term | New written term | Notice reference and date | Confirmed effective date | Matching statement evidence | Unresolved provider question |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly-service-example | 25, illustrative | 40, illustrative | Notice-example | Confirm actual date | Statement-line-example |
- Starting records are fictional examples, not merchant evidence.
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When your processing bill rises, compare the specific fee lines and written notices before deciding the processor raised every rate. A new account charge, changed channel pricing or a different payment mix requires a different explanation. Keep a fee-change log with the old term, new term, notice date and effective date. Then compare matching statements against the actual written arrangement.
Use with this guide
effective-rate audit guide
Use the effective-rate audit guide to check the complete statement alongside the individual fee changes.
whole-account cost planner
Carry the documented charges into the whole-account cost planner when comparing a new offer.
Browse the complete auto repair guides and worksheets.
Check your own costs: calculate your effective processing rate or upload a merchant statement for analysis.
Choose comparable records before comparing totals
Collect the full statements, current pricing agreement and any change notices for the period under review. Include fees deducted from settlement and separate account debits without counting the same fee twice. Comparing one bank payout with one gross sales total is not enough. Refunds, withheld funds and payment timing also affect the deposit, and none automatically proves a higher processing price.
Group charges by their provider labels. Keep percentage charges, per-payment charges, monthly services and one-time items distinct. If a label is unclear, request a written explanation and reference the statement line in the log. Do not rename a fee as a penalty or a hidden charge without evidence. The office needs a usable answer, not a stronger accusation. Use the effective-rate audit guide to check the complete statement alongside the individual fee changes.
Record the exact term and its effective date
The log should include information such as the code for the change, old written term, new written term, reference to written notice, effective date, matching statement(s), and any issues that remain unresolved. This information should be cross-referenced within your internal documents only. Do not include complete copies of merchant statements or account numbers on the public tool.
For an illustrative change, a required monthly service moves from $25 to $40. That specific line adds $15 per month, or $180 over twelve months if unchanged throughout the year. The example does not establish your provider’s prices or notice requirements. It demonstrates why a recurring flat charge deserves its own line rather than being hidden inside an aggregate effective-rate comparison.
Separate price changes from payment-mix changes
Compare the same transaction groups under the old and new written terms where the evidence permits. More remote invoices, smaller average payments or a different card mix might affect costs even when an advertised percentage stays unchanged. Do not conclude there was no price change merely because the headline percentage matches. Fixed and channel-specific charges still belong in the comparison.
If the log shows a new per-payment charge, count actual captured payments in the relevant group. A hypothetical increase of $0.05 across 600 matching payments adds $30 for that group. Do not apply the charge to every attempted, voided or refunded record unless the written terms say those events incur the fee. Keep the population definition beside the arithmetic so another person can reproduce the result.
Use the evidence in a provider conversation
Ask the provider to confirm the specific charge, effective date and relevant transactions for any identified fees. Also ask for a corrected version of the statements, or confirmation of the new terms and conditions in writing. Record the response reference and assign a follow-up review. Verbal assurances that fees will decrease next month are not evidence and will not be sufficient to establish the new fees of a new processor.
When comparing another processor, carry the same payment groups and required services into the proposed account model. A merchant-rate offer described as zero percent does not remove every monthly, debit or other account charge. Review actual written costs. The log gives you a grounded discussion of changes without pretending an isolated statement establishes industry averages or guarantees the savings available from switching. Carry the documented charges into the whole-account cost planner when comparing a new offer.
Primary sources
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