How card pricing usually works
Most processors charge a per-transaction fee — commonly in the ballpark of 2.9% + $0.30 for online card payments — and then layer on extras: monthly software fees, statement fees, terminal or reader costs, or higher rates for keyed-in and premium cards. The headline rate is rarely the whole story; the monthly and hardware add-ons are where small businesses get nickel-and-dimed.
What Holdings charges
- Per payment: 3% + $0.30, whether the customer pays by card or ACH bank transfer.
- Monthly fee: none — payment links, QR codes, and invoicing are free on the $0/mo plan.
- Hardware: none required; customers pay from a link or QR on their own phone.
So a $100 sale costs $3.30, and a month with no sales costs nothing. The trade-off is a slightly higher percentage in exchange for no fixed monthly cost — which favors businesses with uneven or lower volume.
The cost most processors don't mention
There's a cost beyond the fee: getting the payment *into your books*. With a standard processor, card sales flow into a separate account, then into accounting software, then get reconciled at month-end — your time, every month. With Holdings the payment and the journal entry are one event, so the sale is recorded as it clears. You're not paying a processor *and* paying with your evenings to reconcile — there's nothing to reconcile.
25 write-offs most freelancers miss
Grab the free tax deduction cheat sheet — deductions, estimated savings, and records to keep.
Free PDF — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently asked questions
What's a typical fee to accept a credit card payment?
Online card payments commonly run around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, though many processors add monthly, statement, or hardware fees. Holdings charges a flat 3% + $0.30 per payment with no monthly fee.
Is there a monthly fee to accept card payments with Holdings?
No. Payment links, QR codes, and invoicing are free on the $0/mo plan. You pay 3% + $0.30 only when a customer actually pays by card or ACH — a month with no sales costs nothing.
Do I need a card reader or terminal?
Not with Holdings. Customers pay from a payment link or QR code on their own phone, so there's no terminal or reader to buy. The same 3% + $0.30 applies to card and ACH payments.