How CardConnect pricing works (and why quotes vary)
Few questions about CardConnect generate more confusion than 'what does it cost?' — and that confusion is baked into how the company distributes its service.
Why there's no single CardConnect price
CardConnect is sold through a large network of independent sales organizations, sales agents, and direct channels, and pricing isn't standardized across them. Two businesses with nearly identical transaction profiles can end up on meaningfully different rate structures depending on which reseller wrote the contract. That's normal for the ISO-distribution model generally, but it means a rate you see mentioned online — including anywhere on this site — should be treated as illustrative, not a quote.
The fee types you're likely to see
| Fee type | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Interchange | The fee set by card networks and issuing banks, passed through by any processor. |
| Processor markup | The margin CardConnect or its reseller adds on top of interchange — this is the negotiable part. |
| Statement / platform fee | A recurring fee tied to using the CardPointe platform, sometimes itemized separately on statements. |
| Gateway fee | A monthly or per-transaction charge for gateway access, common for e-commerce and recurring billing. |
| PCI compliance fee | An annual or monthly charge tied to maintaining PCI DSS compliance documentation. |
| Equipment | Purchase or lease cost for terminals or card readers, which varies by hardware and contract length. |
Interchange-plus vs. tiered pricing
Like most processors, CardConnect resellers can offer either interchange-plus pricing (a transparent markup on top of the actual interchange cost) or tiered pricing (transactions bucketed into categories like 'qualified' and 'non-qualified' with different rates). Interchange-plus is generally easier to audit because you can see the true cost and the markup separately; tiered pricing can be harder to evaluate because the bucketing rules aren't always disclosed clearly.
Questions worth asking before you sign
- Is this interchange-plus or tiered pricing, and what's the exact markup or tier structure?
- What is the monthly platform or statement fee, and has it changed recently?
- Is there an early termination fee, and how is it calculated if you switch processors later?
- Is equipment purchased outright or leased, and what happens to it if you cancel?
- Does the quote include gateway and PCI compliance fees, or are those billed separately?
A sanity check on your statement
Once you're live, the best way to judge whether pricing is fair is to look at your effective rate — total fees paid divided by total volume processed — rather than any single line item. Comparing that percentage across a few months, and against quotes from at least one other processor, tells you more than debating any individual fee name.
This article reflects independent research and general industry knowledge as of September 2026, not an official CardConnect publication. Pricing, features and terms change — confirm current details directly with CardConnect or your sales representative at cardconnect.com.