Pricing

Three pricing models. You pick.

Most processors decide for you and quietly pad whichever model pays them more. We do the opposite. We show you the math on all three — surcharge, interchange-plus, or flat rate — and you choose whichever puts more money back in your pocket.

Pick the one that wins for your business.

Each model wins in different situations. Here's how they work, who they're best for, and what the math looks like.

Surcharge
$0
in processing fees — customer covers 2.4% on credit cards

Pay zero. Customer covers it.

The customer pays a 2.4% surcharge on credit card transactions. You bank the full ticket. Set up correctly and legally — most processors won't bother showing you how.

  • You keep 100% of every sale
  • Surcharge clearly displayed on receipts and signage
  • Compliant with Canadian surcharging rules (since Oct 2022)
  • Debit cards still pay normal small fee — surcharge is credit only
  • Works with all Clover terminals
Best for
Brick-and-mortar businesses with higher tickets — auto repair, trades, home services, B2B, professional services. Customers expect to pay full price.
Interchange Plus
IC + 0.20%
transparent markup, no buckets

Lowest possible rate, no markup tricks.

You pay the wholesale interchange (set by Visa and Mastercard) plus a transparent 0.20% markup. No "non-qualified" or "mid-qualified" buckets. Just real cost plus a small spread.

  • Pure pass-through pricing — you pay what we pay, plus 0.20%
  • No "downgrade" surprises that inflate your statement
  • Plain-English statements that show interchange and markup separately
  • Locked rates for the full term of your agreement
  • Best fit for high-volume, professional merchants
Best for
Higher-volume merchants who want the absolute lowest effective rate but don't want to pass fees to customers. Retail, salons, restaurants, healthcare.

Markup may vary based on industry and risk profile. Final rate set in your merchant agreement.

Flat Rate
2.75% + 15¢
per transaction, every transaction

Beats Stripe, Square, and PayPal online.

Simple, predictable, lower than the big online platforms. Same rate for every card, every transaction. No statement headaches. Built for online and card-not-present businesses.

  • Lower than Stripe (2.9% + 30¢) and Square (2.9% + 30¢ online)
  • One predictable rate for every card type
  • Authorize.net gateway included
  • Recurring billing supported
  • Works with Shopify, WooCommerce, custom carts via API
Best for
E-commerce stores, online services, virtual terminals, invoicing, professional services billing remotely. Anywhere card-not-present.

Three models. One quick comparison.

Quick look at how the three models stack up across the things that actually matter.

What matters Surcharge Interchange Plus Flat Rate
Your effective cost $0 on credit ~1.8% blended 2.75% + 15¢
Who pays the fee Customer (credit only) You You
In-person ready
Online / e-commerce Best
Best for high tickets Best
Predictable monthly cost Most Varies w/ card mix Most
Hidden fees None None None
Boost Program eligible

← Scroll to see all columns →

What you'll never see on a Dough statement.

The "junk fees" that other processors slip in line by line. We don't charge them. Period.

"PCI compliance" fees

Some processors charge $20/mo to "stay PCI compliant." We don't.

Monthly minimums

If you don't process enough, some processors charge you the difference. We don't.

Statement fees

$10-15/mo just for sending you the bill. Wild. We don't.

Non-qualified surcharges

The shadiest fee in payments — extra cost on premium cards. We don't.

Setup or boarding fees

Pay to start? No thanks.

Annual fees

That mysterious $99 charge in January. Not a thing here.

What savings actually look like.

Three real merchants, three different models, three different savings stories. These are based on actual statement reviews — names changed where needed.

Auto Repair · Surcharge
Ron's Transmission
Monthly volume$45,000
Old processor~$1,200/mo
With Dough (surcharge)~$0/mo
Annual savings
~$14,400
Retail · Interchange Plus
Boutique Apparel Shop
Monthly volume$28,000
Old processor~$880/mo
With Dough (IC+)~$520/mo
Annual savings
~$4,320
Online · Flat Rate
Coaching Services
Monthly volume$15,000
Old (Stripe)~$485/mo
With Dough (flat)~$420/mo
Annual savings
~$780 + Boost

Examples are illustrative based on actual merchant statements. Your specific savings depend on your card mix, ticket sizes, current processor, and chosen pricing model. We'll run the math on your real statement before you commit to anything.

The questions everyone asks about pricing.

Yes. Since October 2022, Canadian merchants can surcharge credit card transactions up to 2.4%. There are specific rules about signage, disclosure, and how the surcharge appears on receipts. Dough sets you up to be fully compliant with all of them. Debit cards cannot be surcharged — only credit. Full surcharging guide at surcharging.ca →
Interchange plus (IC+) is the most transparent pricing model. You pay the wholesale interchange rate set by Visa and Mastercard, plus a fixed markup. With Dough, that markup is 0.20%. There are no inflated "non-qualified" or "mid-qualified" buckets — you pay the real cost plus our small spread. Most merchants doing $25K+/mo save the most on this model.
It depends on your industry, ticket sizes, and customer base. Surcharging works best for higher-ticket B2B and service businesses — auto, trades, professional services. IC+ is best for high-volume retail or hospitality merchants who don't want to pass fees to customers. Flat rate wins for online and card-not-present businesses. Send us your last statement and we'll run the math on all three so you can pick the one that saves you the most.
Yes. If your business changes — you start selling online, your tickets get bigger, your customer mix shifts — we can adjust your pricing model. We typically review every 6-12 months to make sure you're still on the optimal one. No fee to switch, no contract penalties.
Correct. We don't charge "PCI compliance" fees, monthly minimums, statement fees, non-qualified surcharges, or annual fees. The only fees are the rates listed in your merchant agreement plus any optional add-ons you choose (like a paid hosting tier). Statements are plain-English and itemized clearly. If you ever see a fee on your statement you don't understand, call us — we'll explain it.
Debit transactions are typically processed at flat fees (around $0.05-0.10 per transaction) under Interac. With surcharging, you cannot surcharge debit cards — only credit. With IC+ and flat rate, debit fees are baked into your overall pricing. We'll cover the specifics for your business when we run the math.
Your rates are locked for the term of your agreement (typically 4 years on terminal contracts). No surprise rate hikes, no quarterly "adjustments," no "we're updating our pricing structure." What you sign up for is what you pay.
Yes. The Boost Program (free website, social, AI tools, etc.) works with any of the three pricing models. Tier qualification is based on monthly card volume, not which model you pick. See the Boost Program details →

Not sure which model wins for you? Let's run the math.

Send us your last processing statement. We'll show you what you'd pay on all three models — surcharge, IC+, and flat rate — and recommend the one that puts the most money back in your pocket. Free, no obligation, no pushy follow-ups.