Most business owners know how much revenue they generate. Far fewer can explain exactly how much they pay to accept credit cards—or where those costs come from.
That is understandable.
Merchant processing statements are rarely designed for clarity. Interchange, card-brand assessments, processor markup, authorization fees, batch fees, regulatory charges, gateway expenses, and other costs are often grouped together in ways that make it difficult to understand what is necessary, what is negotiable, and what may be excessive.
At Mosaic Processing, we believe businesses deserve more than a rate quote. They deserve a clear comparison based on their actual processing activity.
That is why we created our Processing Cost Comparison.
More Than a Quote
Many processing proposals begin with an advertised rate. That rate may sound attractive, but it rarely tells the entire story.
A low percentage can be offset by higher transaction fees, monthly charges, equipment expenses, gateway fees, or other costs. In some cases, the proposal is based on assumptions that do not reflect how the business actually accepts payments.
Our comparison starts with the merchant’s real statement.
We review actual processing volume, transaction count, average ticket, card mix, current fees, and other relevant activity. We then organize that information into a straightforward side-by-side analysis of the current provider and the proposed Mosaic Processing solution.
Instead of asking a business owner to interpret pages of complicated statement data, we show the information in a format that answers the questions that matter:
- What are we paying today?
- Which costs are established by the card networks?
- How much is our processor charging?
- Are there unnecessary or inflated fees?
- What would our estimated monthly cost be with Mosaic?
- How would the change affect our effective rate?
- What could the estimated annual and three-year savings look like?
The result is a financial decision based on evidence—not a sales pitch.
We Separate the Costs That Cannot Be Changed From the Costs That Can
One of the most important parts of our comparison is separating interchange and card-brand costs from processor-controlled pricing.
Interchange and card-brand fees are generally established by networks such as Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Switching processors does not make those underlying costs disappear.
Processor markup is different.
The processor determines its markup, transaction fees, monthly charges, and many of the additional costs that appear on a merchant’s statement. Those are the areas where a better pricing structure may create meaningful savings.
Our analysis clearly separates these categories. We do not pretend that every dollar paid to the current provider is available as savings. We identify the specific areas where pricing can realistically improve.
That transparency makes the comparison more credible—and more useful.
The Effective Rate Tells a Bigger Story
One of the clearest measurements in payment processing is the effective rate.
Total processing costs ÷ total processing volume = effective rate
A merchant processing $100,000 in monthly card volume and paying $2,750 in total fees has an effective rate of 2.75%.
This number includes more than an advertised percentage. It reflects the combined impact of interchange, processor markup, transaction charges, monthly fees, and other statement costs.
Our comparison shows the merchant’s current effective rate alongside the estimated rate under Mosaic’s proposal. That allows the business to evaluate the full cost—not one attractive number selected from a much larger pricing structure.
We Show Where the Difference Comes From
Savings projections are only valuable when a merchant can see how they were calculated.
Our Processing Cost Comparison breaks expenses into recognizable categories, which may include:
- Interchange and card-brand pass-through costs
- Processor markup
- Authorization fees
- Batch fees
- Monthly or regulatory charges
- Per-item transaction fees
- Gateway or virtual-terminal costs
- Other recurring processing expenses
We then show the current cost, the Mosaic estimate, and the difference for each category.
If the comparison projects $200 in monthly savings, the merchant should be able to see exactly which pricing changes produced that number. We also translate the monthly estimate into annual and three-year projections to demonstrate the potential long-term impact.
These projections are based on the activity shown in the statements provided. Actual results may change as sales volume, average ticket, card mix, transaction methods, or network pricing changes—but the underlying analysis remains transparent.
Card Mix Matters
Not every transaction costs the same amount.
A rewards credit card, regulated debit card, corporate card, keyed transaction, and online payment may each carry different underlying costs. A generic rate quote can overlook those differences.
Our comparison considers the merchant’s actual processing profile and can show pricing by card brand. This helps the business understand:
- How processor markup applies across different card types
- Whether per-item fees remain consistent
- Where basis-point reductions may create savings
- How the business’s average ticket affects total cost
- Whether the proposed pricing structure fits the way customers actually pay
This is especially important for businesses with higher transaction counts, larger average tickets, seasonal volume, multiple locations, or a mix of in-person and online payments.
The Technology Matters Too
Price is important, but it is not the only part of a processing decision.
A business still needs tools that support its daily operations. Depending on the merchant’s needs, that may include a virtual terminal, online reporting, transaction search, refunds, recurring payments, invoicing, multiple users, or other payment capabilities.
Our comparison can include the tools being proposed so the merchant understands both the financial and operational sides of the decision.
Saving money is valuable. Saving money while gaining better visibility and functionality is even more valuable.
Why Our Comparison Is Different
A processor can always produce a quote. We want to provide something more useful: a document a business owner, CFO, controller, or finance team can independently review and understand.
Our comparison is different because it is:
Based on Actual Activity
We use recent processing statements instead of relying on broad estimates or hypothetical transaction patterns.
Transparent
We separate card-network costs from processor-controlled pricing, so the merchant can see what is—and is not—changing.
Easy to Verify
The important figures are displayed side by side. Merchants can trace the comparison back to their existing statement.
Focused on Total Cost
We evaluate the overall expense and effective rate rather than highlighting a single promotional percentage.
Specific to the Business
The analysis reflects actual volume, average ticket, transaction count, card mix, and processing needs.
Designed for Decision-Makers
The final document turns complicated statement data into a clear financial overview that can be shared with owners, partners, finance teams, boards, and other stakeholders.
A Useful Review—Even If You Do Not Switch
A processing cost comparison can provide value even when a business decides to remain with its current provider.
It may uncover fees that deserve clarification. It may help the merchant renegotiate its current agreement. It may reveal that the existing pricing is competitive. It may also identify technology, reporting, or service limitations that have nothing to do with rates.
The purpose is not to force a change. The purpose is to give the business the information required to make a confident decision.
Sometimes the analysis reveals substantial savings. Sometimes the opportunity is smaller. Either way, the merchant receives a clearer understanding of one of its recurring operating expenses.
Clarity Creates Better Decisions
Payment processing is often treated as a necessary cost that is too complicated to examine closely. But even modest monthly improvements can become meaningful over a year—or several years.
More importantly, businesses should understand where their money is going.
At Mosaic Processing, our goal is to explain processing in plain language, identify realistic opportunities, and build recommendations around each client’s actual operation.
No mystery. No carefully selected teaser rate. No estimate disconnected from the merchant’s real activity.
Just a clear comparison, transparent pricing, and the information needed to decide with confidence.
Request Your Processing Cost Comparison
If you want to understand what your business is actually paying, send us two to three recent processing statements.
We will review your current costs, calculate your effective rate, identify the processor-controlled fees, and prepare a side-by-side comparison based on your actual activity.
There is no cost, no commitment, and no obligation to switch.
A few minutes and a few statements may be all it takes to understand whether your current processing arrangement is truly working for your business.
Contact Mosaic Processing to start your complimentary Processing Cost Comparison.