Source: https://bluefinchadvisors.com/blog/manual-statement-decoder-no-upload-review Payment resources for owner-run local businesses # Review processing costs without uploading a statement Use typed statement figures in the manual decoder, verify the source values and prepare focused questions. Keep the upload and manual workflows distinct. Updated 2026-10-24 | 3 minute read | By [BlueFinch Advisors]() ## Manual statement-input checklist Provide a private-record-preserving manual input workflow without misrepresenting Quick Quote data handling. No signup. Enter reference codes, add records and download a CSV. Entries stay in the browser tab. Filled fields do not establish completion, approval or compliance. | Statement period | Settled card sales | Distinct assessed fees | Transaction count if needed | Unclear label | Next question | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | October | $50,000 illustrative | $1,650 illustrative | Verify source count | Gateway amount already included? | Ask provider before final total | - Use one row for each item described in the article. - Record the source, unresolved difference and next action before marking an item complete. - Review the actual business records separately. This worksheet does not connect to accounts or change your records. [Download the fictional example (CSV)]() ![Smartphone calculator beside a tax form, pen and coffee cup.]() [Photo by Kelly Sikkema]() on [Unsplash](). Stock photography. [Photo license](). You can start figuring out the cost without uploading a statement. The manual decoder works with figures you enter yourself. Keep the original in your approved records, check each value, and flag any label you can’t explain. It’s useful for a first-pass calculation before you decide what to share for a review. But careful inputs still matter, and a rough estimate isn’t an approved processing offer. ## Use with this guide ### [merchant statement analyzer]() Review the scope of merchant statement analyzer. ### [BlueFinch advisor service]() Review the scope of BlueFinch advisor service. ### [Window Tint Shop Effective Processing Rate Audit]() Use the statement to compare the advertised processing rate with everything you paid. Check your own costs: [calculate your effective processing rate]() or [upload a merchant statement for analysis](). ## Choose the manual route deliberately The [merchant statement analyzer]() gives you a manual decoder alongside the Quick Quote statement-reading workflow. They work differently. Quick Quote’s disclosed follow-up sends BlueFinch a copy of added statements and the quote, even though reading happens in your browser. So browser-based reading doesn’t mean an uploaded file stays on your device. Read the actual page disclosure before you submit anything. The manual approach is useful for entering aggregate figures without adding the source file. Still, check what happens when you submit or take a follow-up action. Keep passwords, bank identifiers, and customer payment details out of a public planning worksheet. The FTC recommends limiting sensitive information to what the business purpose needs. Sources for this section: [FTC: protecting personal information]() ## Find the matching volume and fee period Use a complete statement for one merchant account and reporting period. Count settled card sales, then separate out the fees the processor assessed. Don't use all shop revenue if some payments came by check or ACH. And don't use net bank deposits until you check whether fees or other adjustments already cut that amount. The denominator has to match the question. For example, $1,650 in verified fees divided by $50,000 in settled card sales comes to 3.3%. Write down the original values before you enter them. That helps catch a transposition. If the result looks surprising, check the source fields first. A decimal or period mismatch can matter more than the calculation itself. ## Keep uncertain labels out of a false total A fee summary may repeat detailed charges, and a separate gateway bill may add a real cost missing from the statement. Mark every unresolved item and ask whether it belongs in the defined assessed-fee total or a broader comparison. Don’t cover up uncertainty by splitting the difference between two plausible totals. Keep the question open for the reviewer. Stripe’s payout docs show how refunds, fees, and other balance changes affect deposits. Check your provider’s equivalent source so you can tell those categories apart. A refund isn’t automatically a fee, and an unexplained deduction isn’t automatically a permanent loss. Manual entry gives you control over what you enter, not a pass on checking the source. Sources for this section: [Stripe: payout reconciliation report]() ## Use the result to prepare a focused conversation Bring the checked figures and unresolved labels to the [BlueFinch advisor service]() if you want a proposed comparison. Ask for complete written terms, including remaining debit, monthly, gateway, and account-specific charges. Evaluate a 0% eligible merchant credit-card rate as part of the whole arrangement, not as a claim that every operating cost disappears. Keep the estimate’s source period and calculation method. If you later provide statements, check that the extracted figures match the manual review. Dig into any difference. The owner should come away understanding the current bill better and knowing what information a fair proposal needs, even if that first manual calculation shows some charges still need explaining. Keep a note of any value you corrected during manual entry. That helps reconcile a later uploaded reading and prevents the same misleading statement label from producing a different estimate each time. ## Primary sources BlueFinch last reviewed these sources on October 23, 2026. Check the linked sources for current requirements and product details. - [FTC: protecting personal information]() - [Stripe: payout reconciliation report]() Use this page for general business information. It is not legal, tax, or accounting advice. ## Related resources - [Check these figures after uploading a processing statement]() - [Three processing statements: average dollars before percentages]() [AI site overview](https://bluefinchadvisors.com/llms.txt) · [Full Toolbox details](https://bluefinchadvisors.com/llms-full.txt)