Payments cost glossary
This glossary defines the fees that make up a card processing bill and the terms FeeVerify uses when it checks them. Each entry explains how the fee is calculated, where it tends to go wrong on an invoice, how to check it yourself, and gives a worked example with synthetic figures.
How to use this glossary
A card payment carries at least three layers of cost: interchange paid to the issuer, scheme fees paid to the network, and the acquirer's markup (Ryft, 2026). Start with those three entries if you are new to the bill, then read interchange++ to see how they appear on a statement.
Each entry is written for someone who has to check the invoice, so it covers the calculation and the usual errors as well as the definition. The regulatory figures link to their sources. The confidence grade entry explains how FeeVerify rates each fee rule it builds from your contracts, and why some findings go to a person before anyone acts on them.
Terms
Terms coming later
These entries are being written and will follow the same format.
- Blended pricing
- Merchant discount rate
- Cross-border fee
- Chargeback fee
- BIN
- Fee schedule
- Variance
- Non-transactional scheme fee
- Behavioural fee
Sources: Ryft, European payment fees guide, 2026.
Start with one month of your own data.
A pilot begins with the agreements that protect both sides, then your contracts and one month of settlement data, scoped with a payments specialist on the first call. The 30-day diagnostic re-costs every transaction against them and shows each variance with its clause, before any recurring fee.