Payment Processing Fees · By Zach Schleien · · · 9 min read
Payline Pricing: What Its Interchange-Plus Tiers Mean for Your Real Cost
Payline publishes the markup it adds on top of interchange. Here is how the five tiers work, what a month could cost, and which fees you still need in writing.
Part of our guide to Fees and processing costs. What each rate, dispute fee and payout charge actually costs you.
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Many processors give you one blended rate and keep the math to themselves. Payline does the opposite. It publishes the markup it adds on top of interchange, and that markup drops as your monthly volume grows.
That is useful. But a published markup is not your full bill. Interchange changes with every card, network fees sit on top, and Payline's account fees are not on its site, though it told us standard accounts have no monthly fee.
My verdict: Payline's pricing is easier to check than a quote-only merchant account, and it is worth a quote if you are a US or Canadian business with steady card volume. Just compare the whole agreement, not only the tier table.
Below are the five tiers, a plain explanation of interchange-plus, a worked example built only from Payline's published numbers, and the fees you still need to ask about.
What does Payline charge per transaction?
Payline charges interchange plus a processor markup. The markup has two parts: a percentage of each sale and a fixed amount per transaction. Both shrink as your monthly processing volume rises.
| Monthly card volume | Payline's markup on top of interchange |
|---|---|
| Under $50K | Interchange + 0.35% + $0.10 |
| $50K to $100K | Interchange + 0.30% + $0.10 |
| $100K to $500K | Interchange + 0.25% + $0.10 |
| $500K to $1M | Interchange + 0.20% + $0.08 |
| $1M and up | Interchange + 0.15% + $0.08 |
These tiers appear on Payline's pricing page and its homepage. Payline says actual costs vary with your card mix and business, and that its calculator gives estimates, not guaranteed costs. Its pricing page also notes that it compares interchange-plus and flat-rate models without claiming every Payline account offers both. So treat the table as Payline's published starting point and confirm your tier in the quote.
Payline's homepage calls its pricing the "Lowest Fees in the Industry." That is Payline's claim. We have not tested it against other processors' quotes.
How does interchange-plus pricing work?
Every card payment has three layers of cost:
- Interchange. Paid through the card system to the bank that issued your customer's card. It varies by card type, your business category and how the payment is taken, such as in person or online.
- Network assessments. Charges from the card networks themselves. Ask how they show up on your statement and whether a quoted rate includes them.
- Processor markup. What the processor keeps for its service. With Payline, this is the tier in the table above.
With interchange-plus, the first two pass through and the markup is listed separately. With flat-rate pricing, all three are bundled into one rate, so you cannot see what the processor itself is earning.
The trade-off: interchange-plus statements are longer, and your total cost moves month to month with your card mix. In return you can see the one number the processor sets. For a deeper side-by-side, see our guide to interchange-plus vs tiered pricing.
What could a month on Payline cost? A worked example
Illustrative, not a quote. This example uses Payline's published markups and the interchange assumptions in Payline's own homepage estimator: 1.85% for online payments and 1.40% for in-person payments. Those are Payline's assumptions, not real interchange rates. Your actual interchange depends on the cards your customers use. Network assessments and any monthly, PCI, gateway or equipment fees are not included.
Example 1: an online store doing $40,000 a month with a $100 average sale. That is 400 sales, which puts you in the under $50K tier.
| Line | Math | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Interchange (Payline's 1.85% online assumption) | $40,000 x 1.85% | $740.00 |
| Payline markup, percentage | $40,000 x 0.35% | $140.00 |
| Payline markup, per sale | 400 x $0.10 | $40.00 |
| Total before network fees and other fees | $740 + $140 + $40 | $920.00 |
| Effective rate | $920 / $40,000 | 2.30% |
Payline's own share in that example is $180, or 0.45% of sales. The rest is the assumed interchange.
Example 2: the same $40,000, taken in person at a $40 average sale. That is 1,000 sales. Interchange at Payline's 1.40% in-person assumption is $560. The markup is $140 (0.35%) plus $100 (1,000 x $0.10). The total is $800, an effective 2.00%. Notice the per-sale fee: smaller tickets mean more transactions, so the $0.10 counts for more.
Example 3: an online business doing $150,000 a month at a $100 average sale. That is 1,500 sales in the $100K to $500K tier. Interchange at 1.85% is $2,775. The markup is $375 (0.25%) plus $150 (1,500 x $0.10). The total is $3,300, an effective 2.20%, with Payline's share at $525, or 0.35%.
| Example | Monthly volume | Sales | Payline markup | Total before other fees | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Online | $40,000 | 400 | $180 | $920 | 2.30% |
| 2. In person | $40,000 | 1,000 | $240 | $800 | 2.00% |
| 3. Online | $150,000 | 1,500 | $525 | $3,300 | 2.20% |
The pattern: as volume rises, Payline's markup falls, but interchange stays the biggest line. The markup is the part a processor sets, which is why seeing it matters.
Which Payline fees are not published?
Payline's pricing page says other fees may apply, such as account minimums, gateway or software charges, hardware, PCI-related charges and dispute fees. It does not give amounts. For standard (low-risk) accounts, Payline told us in writing on November 9, 2026: no monthly account fee and no other fees beyond a $25 chargeback fee and a PCI non-compliance fee of $29.95 a month that is not charged if you are PCI compliant; no gateway fee, no contract and no early termination fee. High-risk terms depend on the account. On payouts, Payline told us most accounts get next-day funding, and some high-risk accounts may be on two-day funding based on their risk profile.
| Fee or term | What Payline publishes or told us |
|---|---|
| Monthly account fee | None (Payline told us, standard accounts) |
| Monthly minimum | None (Payline told us, standard accounts) |
| PCI fee | $29.95 a month only if you are not PCI compliant; no charge when compliant (Payline told us, standard accounts) |
| Gateway fee | None (Payline told us, standard accounts) |
| Chargeback or dispute fee | $25 (Payline told us, standard accounts) |
| Contract length and early termination fee | No contract and no early termination fee (Payline told us, standard accounts) |
| ACH pricing | Not published |
| High-risk pricing | Not published |
| Nonprofit pricing | Not published |
| Payout timing | Not on its site; Payline told us next day for most accounts, two days for some high-risk accounts |
Get the final terms in writing before you sign, especially if your business is placed in Payline's high-risk program, where pricing depends on the account.
What does Payline's hardware cost?
Payline lists monthly prices for its in-person devices, each over 24 months:
| Device (Payline's listing) | Listed price | Simple total if paid for all 24 months |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Terminal (countertop) | $10 a month, 24 months | $240 |
| Mobile tap-to-pay reader | $12 a month, 24 months | $288 |
| Smart Terminal (handheld) | $40 a month, 24 months | $960 |
| Mini POS | $45 a month, 24 months | $1,080 |
| Full POS and browser-based POS | Enquire for pricing | Not published |
Payline says hardware costs depend on the equipment and on whether it is a purchase, rental or another arrangement. Ask which one applies, and whether the device payments continue if you close the merchant account early.
Who is Payline's pricing a good fit for, and who should look elsewhere?
A good fit:
- US and Canadian businesses with steady monthly card volume that want to see the processor's markup.
- Businesses that take payments both in person and online and want one provider for both.
- Growing businesses close to a tier line, since the markup steps down at $50K, $100K, $500K and $1M a month.
Look elsewhere if:
- Your business is outside the US and Canada. Payline told us it onboards businesses located in the US or Canada only.
- You want one flat rate and no statement analysis. Interchange-plus bills move with your card mix.
- You want courses, communities or financing built into the platform. Commas (formerly FanBasis) puts checkout, courses, communities and financing in one account, and Whop fits paid communities.
Is Payline's pricing worth a quote?
Yes, if you are a US or Canadian business and you will compare the full agreement. Published markups make a quote easy to check: confirm which tier you land in, then ask for every fee in the table above.
Bring a recent processing statement. Work out your current effective rate (total fees divided by card volume) and compare it with what the same month would cost on Payline, using its markup and your real interchange.
Not sure Payline is the right kind of provider for you? Take our free matching quiz, or read our full Payline review.
Verified November 2026. Sources: Payline pricing page, homepage estimator and in-person payments page, checked November 7, 2026. Confirm current terms in your own agreement.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Payline charge?
Payline charges interchange plus a markup that depends on monthly card volume: 0.35% + $0.10 under $50K, 0.30% + $0.10 from $50K to $100K, 0.25% + $0.10 from $100K to $500K, 0.20% + $0.08 from $500K to $1M, and 0.15% + $0.08 at $1M and up.
Does Payline have a monthly fee?
Not on standard accounts. Payline told us its standard (low-risk) accounts have no monthly fee and no other fees beyond a $25 chargeback fee and a $29.95 monthly PCI non-compliance fee that you avoid by staying PCI compliant. Hardware is optional and priced separately, and high-risk accounts are priced case by case.
Does Payline charge an early termination fee?
Payline told us its standard (low-risk) accounts have no contract and no early termination fee. High-risk terms depend on the account, so read the agreement before you sign.
What effective rate should I expect on Payline?
It depends on your interchange. Using Payline's own estimator assumption of 1.85% online interchange, a $40,000 month at a $100 average sale works out to about 2.30% before network fees, chargebacks and any PCI non-compliance fee. That is an illustration, not a quote.
Is interchange-plus better than flat-rate pricing?
Interchange-plus shows the processor's markup separately, so you can compare providers on the part they set. Flat-rate pricing is simpler to read but bundles everything together. Which costs less depends on your card mix and volume.
Can businesses outside the US use Payline?
Canadian businesses can. Payline told us it onboards businesses located in the US or Canada. Owners who live abroad can apply for a US business with a US bank account and a physical US address; virtual addresses are not accepted, and an SSN or ITIN is not required.