Switching Providers Payback Calculator

Switching payment providers can lower your effective rate, but it also costs time and sometimes money: developer hours to rewire checkout, early termination fees on the old contract, new terminals, and a short period where two systems run side by side. This calculator tests whether the savings justify the move.

Enter the total one-time cost of switching, the savings you expect over a year (take your last twelve months of processing fees and subtract what the new pricing would have cost on the same volume), the percentage by which those savings may grow each year if your sales grow, and the number of years you want to evaluate.

Worked example (illustrative). If switching costs $1,500 and saves $1,800 in the first year, payback is about 10 months. Over three years with savings growing 5% annually, the totals are roughly $1,800 + $1,890 + $1,985 = $5,675, so net of the switching cost you keep about $4,175.

Limits. The estimate assumes your volume, average ticket and card mix stay stable. It ignores risk, such as a new provider holding funds during onboarding, and non-fee benefits like better reporting or fraud tools. Verify savings on a real quote before committing.