A product from AiPaymentsLab

Keep Your Credit Card Processor. Slash Your Fees.

RatesNegotiator is a team of payment processing consultants who analyze your merchant statement, uncover hidden fees, and hand you everything you need to negotiate lower rates — or we will do it for you. Upload your statement now and see how much you can save.

No switching processors. No disruption to your business. No upfront cost. 100% secure.

Where your money goes

Why are you paying so much for merchant processing?

Processing statements are built to be hard to read. We separate every line, price it, and show you which parts can actually move.

"Processors profit from confusion."

Sample statement · $50,000/mo · 3.24% effective rate

Interchange (Fixed): 1.80% — $900 per month

Assessments (Fixed): 0.14% — $70 per month

Processor markup (Negotiable): 1.30% — $650 per month

Only the red band is negotiable. The networks set the rest.

Keep your processor

Nothing about your setup changes. Same bank, same hardware, same software, no new contract.

No re-boarding, no new merchant account, no downtime.

See every fee, priced

Interchange, assessments and processor markup separated line by line, each one named and costed.

Including the fees buried inside a single bundled discount line.

Know what can actually move

The networks set interchange and assessments. Only your processor's markup is negotiable — we size it.

Interchange goes to the card-issuing bank, not to your processor.

Only pay if you save

Our negotiation fee is a share of your first-year savings, agreed on a call first.

We agree that number with you before any work starts.

Get My Free Analysis

Free, in minutes. No credit card required.

How It Works

Three simple steps to lower your processing fees.

Step 1: Upload Your Statement

Upload a recent processing statement. Completely free and secure.

• 100% free, no credit card required
• Expert analysis in minutes
• Bank-level encryption for your data

Step 2: Choose Your Plan

Pick the level of support that fits your needs.

• Free Analysis — Free
• Playbook + Coaching — $299 (Popular)
• Negotiate For You — Contact Us

Step 3: Start Saving

Negotiate lower rates with your current processor using your personalized analysis.

• No switching processors
• No disruption to your business
• Lower rates on your next statement

What we look for on your statement

Interchange and card-brand assessments are pass-through and fixed. Nearly everything else on your statement is negotiable.

Pass-through, fixed, not touched: Interchange · Card-brand assessments

• Processor markup — The margin layered over interchange. Invisible on tiered and flat-rate pricing, where we routinely see 3–5x competitive. (Negotiable)
• Per-transaction and auth fees — Auth, per-item, batch and AVS. On high-count, low-ticket accounts these beat the rate markup in total dollars. (Negotiable)
• Monthly recurring fees — Statement, monthly minimum, PCI, regulatory — often waivable, and filing the SAQ can claw back recent PCI charges. (Often waivable)
• Gateway and software fees — Gateway, tokenization, vault, per-user licensing. Often duplicated: a gateway fee and a per-auth fee on one transaction. (Negotiable)
• Equipment and terminal fees — Terminal rental and POS subscription lines are negotiable. A true lease is a separate contract — buyout math, not negotiation. (Case by case)
• Exception and risk fees — Chargebacks commonly bill at $15–35. On a clean, low-dispute account we often get that number reduced. (Negotiable)

Two levers usually move more money than negotiation alone:

• Interchange optimization — Level 2 and Level 3 data, correct AVS and descriptor submission, and eliminating downgrades — often the biggest savings line on B2B and card-not-present accounts.
• Amex handling — OptBlue covers roughly the first $1M a year of Amex volume, and its markup is negotiable. Above that you are usually billed direct, where it is not.

Contract terms decide whether any of it holds: term length, auto-renew, and the clause letting fees change on 30 days notice.

Processing Tips & Insights

Learn how to identify hidden fees, understand your statements, and keep more of your revenue.

• Surcharging vs Cash Discounting: Which Is Right for Your Business? — Passing card fees to customers can wipe out your processing costs entirely — but the rules matter. Here is how surcharging and cash discounting really differ.
• Level 2 and Level 3 Data: How B2B Merchants Cut Interchange Costs — If you sell to businesses or the government, passing richer transaction data can drop your interchange rate dramatically. Here is how Level 2 and Level 3 processing works.
• American Express OptBlue vs Direct (ESA): What Every Merchant Should Know — Not all American Express acceptance is the same. Whether you are on OptBlue or billed directly changes your statement, your rates, and what is actually negotiable.

View all articles

Estimate your costs with our processing fee calculator, or read our industry guides for restaurants, retail, and e-commerce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about our services and how we help you save.

What is the free statement analysis?

Our Free Analysis lets you upload your most recent merchant processing statement (PDF) and our system will analyze it to identify every fee you are being charged. You will receive a preliminary analysis showing your effective rate, the specific fees found on your statement, and areas where you may be overpaying. The analysis is completely free with no obligation.

Do I have to switch my processor or bank?

It is not necessary to change your payment provider or bank. RatesNegotiator provides you with the tools to negotiate lower rates yourself through our Playbook + Coaching, or we will handle the entire negotiation on your behalf through our Negotiate For You service. You keep your existing setup, with the same bank, equipment, and software. Nothing will change except your fees being reduced.

What service options do you offer?

We offer three tiers of service:

• Free Analysis: Upload your statement and get a preliminary breakdown of your fees at no cost.
• Playbook + Coaching: A comprehensive DIY negotiation package with scripts, templates, fee comparisons, and a 15-minute coaching call.
• Negotiate For You: We negotiate with your payment provider on your behalf. Contact us for pricing, which is discussed on a quick call.

Visit our Pricing page for details.

How does the Negotiate For You service work?

With Negotiate For You, our expert team handles the entire negotiation with your payment provider on your behalf, so you do not have to make a single call. Our fee is success-based and tied to your estimated annual savings, so you only pay when we deliver results. To get started, simply contact us, upload your statement, and we will call you to discuss pricing and next steps. No upfront commitment required. Visit our Pricing page for more details.

What is included in the Playbook + Coaching?

The Playbook + Coaching package includes everything you need to negotiate lower rates on your own:

• Step-by-step negotiation guide
• Phone scripts that work
• Email templates for your payment provider
• Complete fee glossary with negotiability ratings
• Industry fee comparison spreadsheet
• 15-minute expert coaching call to review your fee structure and prepare your negotiation approach

How much can I expect my business to save?

Most businesses are significantly overpaying on processing fees. The exact savings depend on your current rates, monthly volume, and fee structure. Our Free Analysis will show you your specific savings potential at no cost. For businesses that want to negotiate themselves, the Playbook + Coaching provides the tools and guidance you need. For businesses that prefer a hands-off approach, our Negotiate For You service handles everything. There is no obligation to commit until you are ready to move forward.

Is my data secure?

Your data security is our top priority. All uploads are protected with bank-level encryption, and your information is never shared with third parties. Your statement is used solely to analyze your rates and is stored on secure, encrypted servers. RatesNegotiator will never sell your data. You can trust that your business information is handled with the highest level of care and confidentiality.

I'm an agent or ISO — can I use this for my merchants?

Honestly, RatesNegotiator is built for the merchant — we sit on the merchant's side of the table and work to lower their fees. If you are an agent or ISO working the sell side, the right tool is MerchantScope. A statement goes in and a sales plan comes out: what to sell, at what price, and how to defend it, before the call. Each ISO loads its own catalog — POS, gateways, invoicing, security, value-add — with its own sell pricing, so recommendations only ever come from products you actually carry. The output is a call-ready play: a primary recommendation with alternates, three proposal tiers, and talking points with objection handling. It also works on your existing book — re-run statements already on file for upsells and to flag mis-qualified or junk fees.