How Do I Compare WooCommerce Gateway Fees Properly?
What the Headline Rate Doesn't Show
Every gateway advertises a primary rate (something like 2.9% + a fixed fee per transaction), and for a store processing only domestic, single-currency card payments, that's often close to the full picture. Once international customers, currency conversion, disputes, or specific payment methods (some cost more to process than standard cards) enter the picture, the actual effective rate can diverge meaningfully from the headline number.
What to Compare for a WooCommerce Store
- Currency conversion markup on international card transactions, which some gateways build into their exchange rate rather than charging as a separate visible fee — worth asking directly rather than assuming it's included in the headline rate.
- Chargeback and dispute fees, charged regardless of whether the dispute is ultimately won, which can matter significantly for a store in a higher-chargeback-risk category.
- Payout speed and any rolling reserve — some providers hold a percentage of funds for a period as a risk buffer, which affects cash flow even though it isn't technically a "fee."
- Monthly minimums or account fees that apply regardless of transaction volume, which matter more for a smaller store than a high-volume one.
- Fees for specific payment methods (some local payment methods, or premium/rewards cards) that can differ from the standard advertised rate.
How to Compare Properly
- Get the full fee schedule in writing from each provider, not just the marketing page's headline rate.
- Model the actual cost against a representative sample of past orders, including any international or higher-risk transactions the store regularly processes.
- Ask directly about currency conversion handling, payout timing, and any reserve requirements, since these are the areas most likely to be under-disclosed upfront.
Need help evaluating gateway options for a specific store's transaction profile? See WooCommerce fixes.