Square fees for auto repair shops, next to Payzium's published rate.
Three monthly card volumes, priced at $550 average ticket and 90 percent card-present, on Square's published rate and on Payzium's.
What the month costs, side by side.
- Monthly card volume
- Low $25,000
- Square
- $675
- Payzium
- $396
- You keep
- $279
- Difference per year
- $3,350
- Monthly card volume
- Typical $60,000
- Square
- $1,620
- Payzium
- $943
- You keep
- $677
- Difference per year
- $8,123
- Monthly card volume
- High $120,000
- Square
- $3,240
- Payzium
- $1,845
- You keep
- $1,395
- Difference per year
- $16,738
| Monthly card volume | Average ticket | Card-present | Square | Payzium | Difference per month | Difference per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low $25,000 | $550 | 90% | $675 | $396 | $279 | $3,350 |
| Typical $60,000 | $550 | 90% | $1,620 | $943 | $677 | $8,123 |
| High $120,000 | $550 | 90% | $3,240 | $1,845 | $1,395 | $16,738 |
Square column: its published in-person card (tap, insert, swipe), free plan at 2.6% + $0.15 [1]; online and invoice, free plan at 3.3% + $0.30 [2]. Payzium column: interchange and network assessments at cost, the published margin at the tier for that volume, the per-transaction fee and the monthly account fee. A positive difference means Square costs more.
Average ticket sets the per-transaction count on both sides: the competitor's per-transaction fees and Payzium's per-transaction line are counted at $550.
The Payzium column is the calculator's engine, so the calculator's disclosure applies here as written:
Calculator output is an estimate. Final pricing depends on your actual card mix, current network rates effective on the date of your transactions, and any optional add-ons. The model assumes an average transaction value of $50. Visa and Mastercard revise their US interchange schedules twice a year; this calculator reflects schedules effective April 2026.
Auto repair and card fees.
Auto repair shops have the largest tickets of the six trades compared here, and large tickets change which fees matter. A fixed per-transaction fee is almost invisible on a repair bill; the percentage is everything. That makes the gap between a flat rate and a published margin easy to see in dollars, because a tenth of a point on a large invoice is real money and a shop closes many invoices a month.
The card mix is the second factor. Repair bills are often put on consumer credit, and rewards and premium cards are common on the larger tickets, which pushes interchange up. Some shops also accept fleet and commercial cards from business customers, and commercial interchange is priced differently again. A flat rate hides all of this behind one number; interchange-plus shows the commercial and consumer lines separately, and the margin on top does not change with the card.
Third, financing and deposits. Shops that take a deposit on parts before the work begins and settle the balance on pickup run two transactions per job, sometimes with the first one keyed over the phone. Keyed transactions carry higher interchange, and on tiered plans they are the classic trigger for a downgrade to the non-qualified rate.
The table above uses a typical repair ticket and assumes most payments are made in person at pickup, with a smaller keyed share for deposits taken by phone. A shop that sells parts online or runs a fleet account program should expect a higher keyed and commercial share and a wider gap between the two columns than the table shows.
Square: what the fees page publishes.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly account fee | $0 [5] |
| Setup fee | $0 [7] |
| Chargeback fee | $0 (dispute management included) [7] |
Square Reader (magstripe). First reader free; additional Square hardware sold outright (Reader $59, Stand $149, Terminal $299, Register $899 at time of verification). [6]
Sources.
- In-person card Free plan 2.6% plus $0.15. Verified 2026-10-27. https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees
- Online and invoice Free plan 3.3% plus $0.30. Verified 2026-10-27. https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees
- Manually keyed 3.5% plus $0.15. Verified 2026-10-27. https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees
- Custom pricing above $250,000 per year. Verified 2026-10-27. https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees
- Square Free plan $0 per month per location. Verified 2026-10-27. https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees
- Hardware prices (Reader, Stand, Terminal, Register 2nd generation); first magstripe reader free. Verified 2026-10-27. https://squareup.com/us/en/hardware
- No activation fee, no chargeback or dispute-management fee, no early-termination fee. Verified 2026-10-27. https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5068-what-are-square-s-fees
Honest Rate Promise
Eligible Payzium-controlled processing cost only. Interchange and network fees excluded.Payzium's written commitment to merchants in the United States that interchange and card-network fees pass through at cost and every Payzium fee is on the pricing schedule. The instrument covers Payzium-controlled fees; it does not modify the merchant processing agreement.
Questions.
How does Square compare with Payzium for a shop at $60,000 a month?
At $60,000 a month, $550 average ticket and 90 percent card-present, Square's published rate comes to about $1,620 a month and Payzium's published rate to about $943: a difference of $677 a month, or $8,123 a year, in Payzium's favor. Estimates from published rates, not a quote.
What does the Payzium estimate for auto repair shops include?
Interchange and card-network assessments passed through at cost, Payzium's Tier 1 margin for $60,000 a month in card volume, the $0.05 per-transaction fee and the $5 monthly account fee, computed for a blended card mix at 90 percent card-present. The per-transaction line is counted at the $550 average ticket the competitor estimate uses.
Is this table a quote?
No. The Payzium column is the calculator's engine, so the calculator's disclosure applies here as written: Calculator output is an estimate. Final pricing depends on your actual card mix, current network rates effective on the date of your transactions, and any optional add-ons. The model assumes an average transaction value of $50. Visa and Mastercard revise their US interchange schedules twice a year; this calculator reflects schedules effective April 2026.
Related pages.
Other processors for auto repair shops
Square for other trades
Statement lines to check
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