A monthly fee for access to a payment gateway — the software that routes card transactions from a checkout form or terminal to the processor for authorization. Some processors include gateway access at no additional charge; others charge a separate monthly fee and sometimes an additional per-transaction gateway fee. For online-heavy merchants, the gateway fee can be a meaningful component of total monthly processing cost. Verify whether your processor includes gateway access or requires a separate provider.
See common payment processing fees — including gateway and monthly account fees
A payment gateway is the technology layer that connects your checkout form or terminal to the payment processor for authorization. The gateway fee is the charge for accessing that technology — separate from the per-transaction processing fees. Some processors build gateway functionality into their offering and charge no separate fee; others require merchants to connect a third-party gateway (such as Authorize.net or NMI) that carries its own monthly charge and sometimes an additional per-transaction gateway fee. For in-person retailers using a processor-provided terminal, there may be no separate gateway charge. For online and card-not-present merchants, the gateway is a required component and its cost should be part of the total processing cost comparison.
No. A gateway fee typically covers your access to the gateway software itself — usually as a monthly charge for the service. Transaction or processing fees cover the per-event cost of each payment. Some setups include both as separate line items; others bundle them. Ask your processor for a line-by-line breakdown of all gateway-related charges.
Not always. Some processors provide an integrated gateway as part of their service at no additional cost. Others require you to connect a third-party gateway that has its own pricing. In-person merchants using a processor-supplied terminal may not pay a separate gateway fee. Ask explicitly whether gateway access is included or requires a separate agreement.
Look at the full monthly picture: any monthly gateway fee plus any per-transaction gateway fee, added to your processing rate. A processor with a lower transaction rate may have a higher total cost when gateway fees are included. The ProcessorFit fee guide covers gateway fees in the context of a complete monthly fee schedule.
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