BlueFinch 2026 processing cost report: reuse notes
Prepared October 4, 2026. Research cut-off remains October 2, 2026.

Report and methodology:
https://bluefinchadvisors.com/research/credit-card-processing-cost-report

Source table (one row per published figure):
https://bluefinchadvisors.com/downloads/bluefinch-2026-processing-cost-source-data.csv

CITATION
BlueFinch Advisors. (2026). 2026 Credit Card Processing Cost Report for Small Businesses (version 2, updated October 2, 2026). https://bluefinchadvisors.com/research/credit-card-processing-cost-report
Add your access date.

THE BLUEFINCH FIGURE, WITH ITS DEFINITION
3.54% is the unweighted average of about 300 BlueFinch client merchants' all-in rates on their previous processors' statements, as of August 2026. It is not a national average, a random sample or a guaranteed result. BlueFinch is compensated when merchants switch. Underlying statements are private and are not in the downloadable dataset.

USING OTHER FIGURES
Retain each figure's period, scope note, evidence label and original publisher. Cite the original source when using its finding. A published processor rate is a list price, not a measured all-in cost. Government category receipts do not measure card volume or profit.

ILLUSTRATIVE ARITHMETIC YOU MAY REUSE
$85,000 in settled card sales × 3.50% = $2,975 monthly fees.
$2,975 × 12 = $35,700 annualized fees, assuming twelve equal months.
At $100,000 monthly revenue and an entered 8% net margin, entered profit is $8,000. $2,975 ÷ $8,000 × 100 = 37.1875%, rounded to 37.2%.
These inputs are fictional examples. This comparison does not establish a change in accounting profit and is not a quote or savings forecast.

DEMONSTRATIONS
https://bluefinchadvisors.com/watch/calculate-effective-processing-rate
https://bluefinchadvisors.com/watch/processing-fees-and-profit-margin
Both are captioned screen recordings with transcripts and illustrative inputs.

REUSE TERMS
You may quote, copy, and adapt the downloadable BlueFinch source table and BlueFinch original calculations with clear attribution to BlueFinch Advisors and a link to the report. This permission does not cover third-party source pages, names, trademarks, or underlying materials, which remain subject to their publishers' terms. Do not present the 3.54% BlueFinch client benchmark as a national average or a guaranteed result.
https://bluefinchadvisors.com/research/credit-card-processing-cost-report#data-license