The Honest Rate Promise
If we ever charge you a junk fee, we refund it at twice the amount.
In writing. Within 14 days. No questions asked. Backed by our Merchant Agreement.
The promise, in writing
We charge for the rate. That is the entire list. If we ever charge for anything else, we will refund it at twice the amount, within 14 days, no questions asked.
What “the rate” includes.
Your rate card at signup lists three things, in writing, before you process a transaction.
Per-transaction margin
0.30% + 5¢ card-present
0.40% + 5¢ card-not-present
On credit at Tier 1. Both drop automatically at $100K, $500K, and $1M monthly volume.
Interac debit
5¢ flat
Per transaction. No percentage.
Merchant account fee
$5 per month
Flat. Never variable, never hidden, never adjusted.
Plus interchange and network passthroughs at cost (set by Visa, Mastercard, Interac, American Express; not Payzium).
Anything else Payzium ever bills you is what the Promise covers.
Why we made it a contractual promise.
Most processors say they don't charge junk fees. By the time you notice the ones they do charge, you've paid for a year.
The Honest Rate Promise is the version of that commitment that doesn't depend on you trusting our word. It's in the Merchant Agreement you sign at signup. If we ever break it, you can hold us to it. With a refund at twice the amount.
What the Promise covers, what it doesn't.
Covered
The Promise applies to fees Payzium sets and Payzium charges. Anything labeled, billed, or originated by Payzium that isn't part of the published rate card current at the time of your signup is covered.
Not covered
Fees originated by upstream networks and card brands are not within Payzium's control and are not subject to the Promise. That means interchange (set by Visa and Mastercard), card network assessments (set by Visa, Mastercard, Interac, American Express), and currency conversion fees on international cards. These pass through to you at cost. We don't mark them up. We don't pretend we control them.
What we don't charge.
Each item below is a fee Payzium does not charge, on any account, ever. The four featured fees show the industry-typical price you would otherwise pay.
Statement fee
A.K.A. Paper statement
Industry typical: $9.95/mo
A monthly charge for sending you a record of fees you've already paid. We email yours at no charge.
Compliance fee
A.K.A. PCI assessment
Industry typical: $19.95/mo
A monthly fee for 'ensuring' you meet card-network security standards. PCI certification is on the processor, not the merchant. We carry ours; you don't pay for it.
Annual fee
A.K.A. Membership
Industry typical: $149/yr
A once-a-year charge with no service attached. Most processors collect it on the anniversary of your signup, hoping you've forgotten.
Monthly minimum
A.K.A. Processing min
Industry typical: $35/mo
A penalty for processing too little volume. We charge by transaction; if you don't process, you don't pay.
+ 4 more we don't charge for
Batch fee
$0A per-batch charge for closing out the day's transactions. The batch is automatic; the fee is added because it can be.
Gateway access
$0A monthly fee for the software that routes your transactions. We don't charge for the road we ask you to drive on.
Non-qualified surcharge
$0An extra percentage applied when transactions don't fit the processor's 'qualified' tier. Tiered pricing was designed to make this fee inevitable. We use interchange-plus; this doesn't exist on our bill.
Regulatory recovery fee
$0A monthly fee labeled to sound like a tax. It isn't. It's revenue.
How to claim the 2x refund.
If you ever see a fee on your statement that isn't on your rate card, email maurice@payzium.com with your account ID and the statement showing the disputed fee.
5
Business days to first response
14
Days to refund, at twice the amount
No retention call. No friction.
common questions
Questions merchants ask about the Promise
What counts as a junk fee under this promise?
Any fee Payzium charges that isn't on your rate card at signup. The rate card lists per-transaction margin (0.30% + 5¢ on credit at Tier 1, lower at higher tiers), 5¢ flat on Interac debit, the $5/month merchant account, and interchange and network passthroughs at cost. Anything else billed by Payzium falls under the Promise.
What fees aren't covered?
Interchange rate changes set by Visa or Mastercard. Card network assessment fees. Currency conversion on international cards. Chargeback fees set by the issuing network. These pass through to you at cost. Payzium adds no chargeback handling fee on top. We don't mark up the issuer's fee. They're not Payzium fees and they're not within Payzium's control.
Why "double" instead of just a refund?
Because a single refund doesn't change incentives. Doubling does. The Promise costs us twice as much when we break it as it gained us. That makes the cost of breaking it real, not theoretical.
Has the rate card ever changed?
We update the published rate card occasionally. Any change applies only to merchants who sign up on or after the change date. Your rate card at signup stays in place as long as you process with us. Interchange and network passthroughs reflect the current rates set by Visa, Mastercard, Interac, and American Express; those are outside Payzium's control.
from page to contract
The Promise is in your contract, not on our website.
The Honest Rate Promise lands in your Merchant Agreement at signup. Apply online; live in 24 to 48 hours.