Machining quiet-month account-cost worksheet
Separate eligible fees, written minimum shortfall and other account costs.
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| Statement period | Reviewed processing volume | Eligible fee amount | Written minimum rule reference | Reviewed shortfall charge | Other fixed account costs | Office owner role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fictional quiet month | 1000, illustrative | 18, illustrative | 25 less eligible fees, example only | 7, illustrative | 10, illustrative |
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A quiet card-processing month exposes costs a headline rate does not explain. Retrieve the actual merchant agreement and statement, then identify how the monthly minimum is calculated. A minimum charge, fixed account fee and percentage processing cost are different components. Compare them over the same month before deciding whether another account or payment workflow changes the shop’s whole cost.
Use with this guide
machining whole-statement fee audit
Start with the machining whole-statement fee audit before isolating a monthly minimum.
ACH and card invoice cost comparison
The ACH and card invoice cost comparison uses account-specific inputs for another supported collection route.
Browse the complete machine shop guides and worksheets.
Read the written minimum calculation
Identify the minimum charge and how it is calculated (eg a sum of eligible processing charges such as credit card transactions). Identify any Shortfall Charge(s) and how they are calculated (eg shortfall after certain processing fees have been applied). Get these points clarified in writing with reference to the relevant statement line(s) and retain the clarification with the agreement reference number.
Separate monthly account, equipment, software and other charges from the minimum review. Confirm whether each belongs to the period and cost population you are comparing. A statement debit smaller than the billed amount might reflect a credit rather than a lower ongoing price. Use the complete statement evidence, not only one bank withdrawal or the advertised transaction rate. Start with the machining whole-statement fee audit before isolating a monthly minimum.
Compare the same quiet-month payment population
Record the reviewed card volume, collection count and actual processing channels. Large machining invoices collected infrequently might produce a different fixed-cost share from frequent small counter payments. Keep refunds, reserves and returned funds separate from fees. Do not label withheld settlement a processing expense without evidence. A zero-volume month still needs its actual account charges reviewed.
The quiet-month worksheet records the statement period, reviewed processing volume, eligible fee amount, written minimum rule, shortfall charge, other fixed account costs and owner. Use aggregate figures and internal references. It is an editable review sheet, not a contract interpreter or automated provider quote. The underlying statement and supported calculation determine the actual total.
Apply a clearly fictional minimum rule
Suppose a fictional contract sets a $25 minimum satisfied by $18 of eligible processing charges. Under that stated example rule, the shortfall is $7. If a separate reviewed account fee is $10, those components total $35: $18 processing, $7 shortfall and $10 account cost. Adding another full $25 would count the minimum incorrectly. Real contracts require their own written logic.
For an illustrative $1,000 processing population, the $35 total represents 3.5% of that entered volume. At zero volume, a percentage is undefined, even if fixed charges remain. The example is not BlueFinch pricing or a national benchmark. BlueFinch’s 3.54% figure describes its stated first-party pre-conversion client average across card types, not this fictional minimum calculation or every machine shop.
Review an alternative as a whole account
Ask BlueFinch to review the actual statement and supported collection workflow. A 0% merchant credit-card processing program does not mean every account, debit, software or monthly charge disappears. Confirm the current quote, program requirements and integration with your actual invoicing system. Do not choose a provider solely because its headline rate looks lower than the example’s effective percentage.
Compare the documented quiet-month and ordinary-month scenarios with the same definitions. Include supported refunds, payment methods and equipment terms in the commercial review. Preserve the provider’s written answers before changing the account. The owner needs to understand which cost changes, which remains and whether the invoicing workflow works, without a universal savings promise or a fictional fee presented as an actual BlueFinch offer. The ACH and card invoice cost comparison uses account-specific inputs for another supported collection route.
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