The headline rate
Most gateways quote a percentage, sometimes plus a fixed amount per transaction. In India the standard published rate for domestic payments is about 2% at both Razorpay and Cashfree; Stripe in the US charges 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic cards, and PayPal Checkout in the US is 3.49% plus a fixed fee.
GST on the fee (India)
Indian gateways add 18% GST on their fee — not on your sale. A 2% fee therefore costs 2.36% of the transaction. On ₹10,000 that is ₹200 fee + ₹36 GST = ₹236, so you receive ₹9,764. Registered businesses can usually claim that GST back as input tax credit.
What the headline leaves out
- International cards cost more (typically 3–4.5%), and currency conversion adds more.
- Premium methods — Amex, Diners, EMI and corporate cards — are often priced higher.
- Refunds and chargebacks may carry their own fees, and the original fee is not always returned.
- Promotions (such as zero-fee periods for new merchants) end; plan for the standard rate.
Pricing to receive an exact amount
To net a target amount, gross up instead of adding the percentage: charge = (target + fixed fee) ÷ (1 − rate), with GST folded into the rate in India. Every fee calculator on this site shows this “charge to receive” figure.
Negotiating
Above a few lakh rupees (or a few thousand dollars) in monthly volume, gateways routinely offer custom pricing. Use the comparison calculators to know your numbers before you ask.
> Rates change. Every calculator shows when its rates were last checked and links to the provider’s official pricing page — confirm there before quoting customers.