If you’re just getting started in a new home business, online, or small business you’re going to need a merchant account in order to accept credit cards. But do you know what to look for when it comes to fees? Let’s take a look at some of the different fees you’ll see so you know what to watch for.

Setup Fees: This is the first fee you’ll run into when dealing with a merchant account company. I’ve seen these fees range anywhere from $50-$700, so you really need to pay attention to how much a company is going to charge you.

Per Transaction Fees: Every merchant account charges some sort of per transaction fee. They usually break these fees up into two different ones. One is a flat rate such as $0.30, and the other will be a percentage such as 2.5%. As you process more and more with a merchant company the rate will usually go down. Or at least you can renegotiate it.

Monthly Fees: This is another common thing that you’ll see, and like the other fees this one tends to range all over the place. I’ve seen some companies charge as much as $40, and I’ve seen some charge only $10 a month. Some companies don’t charge monthly but instead charge yearly, so that’s another thing to watch for.

Processing Limits: Another problem you run into from time to time is a low processing limit. If you have a limit on your account and need to process more in a given month you’ll usually have to renegotiate with the merchant company. Look for companies that either just grow with you or have a realistic limit that you can work with.

There are usually other fees that you’ll run into from time to time, but if you use these fees as a baseline to do your comparisons you should be able to find a really good deal on your next merchant account.

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