How to read your card statement
Updated 22 October 2026 · A guide for shop owners
Your card statement should help you understand what you paid to take payments. It can feel like a page of codes instead. You do not need to learn every abbreviation before asking a question. Start with the trading period, the card takings and the total charges, then work through the smaller lines. Keep the statement and your agreement beside each other.
Start with the whole month
Check that the statement belongs to the right shop and covers the month you want to review. Find the amount processed through the card machine, the fees charged and any refunds or adjustments. These are different things. The money arriving in your bank may not equal the card sales shown because settlement dates and deductions can differ.
Mark any entry you cannot explain. If you have several shops or machines, keep their paperwork separate until you know which account each charge belongs to. Ask: ‘Can you show me how this month’s total was worked out?’ Request the answer in writing so you can refer to it later.
Look beyond the transaction percentage
The transaction percentage is a charge based on the value of card payments. Your statement may show different rates for different card types or ways of paying. Compare the description and the rate together. A low rate on one type of card does not tell you the whole cost of the account.
An authorisation fee can be a separate charge for checking a payment. Ask what triggers it, whether it applies to attempted or completed transactions, and where the count is shown. For a shop with many small purchases, a charge per transaction deserves attention alongside the percentage. Providers do not all present charges in the same way.
Check the regular charges
Look for a PCI fee or a charge linked to card-security compliance. Ask what service the fee covers, what you need to complete, and whether a separate non-compliance charge applies. Paying a fee is not, by itself, confirmation that your shop has completed its security responsibilities.
Find terminal rental and any minimum monthly service charge. Rental may appear on a separate invoice or agreement, so check your records as well as this statement. A minimum monthly charge can apply when the relevant transaction charges fall below a minimum set in the contract. Ask which charges count towards it rather than adding every fee together yourself.
Compare like with like
Before comparing a new quote, write down what you use today: the number of terminals, how customers pay and whether you take payments away from the counter. Include the practical things that matter during a busy shift. Ask about settlement, support, contract length, notice and ending a separate rental agreement.
Request a written breakdown using your actual statement, not just a headline rate. Keep a copy of the quote and ask which fees are included, which are extra and which can change. A useful comparison should make it easier to decide; it should not require you to guess what an unexplained label means.
Let us check it with you
Send us a photo of your statement for a free check. Make sure the whole page is readable, including fee descriptions and totals. Cover full bank account details or anything unrelated before sharing it, and never send a cardholder’s card number. If there are several pages, tell us which month they belong to.
We can talk through the lines you have marked and explain what further paperwork would help. A check is a starting point, not a promise that switching will save money. Take time to read any proposal and ask questions before deciding what is right for your shop.
Questions shop owners ask
Why is the headline rate different from my total cost?
Your account may also have per-transaction, monthly or rental charges. Use the statement and agreement together to ask for a full explanation.
Should I send the terminal rental agreement too?
Yes, if you have it. A separate rental agreement helps us understand the paperwork alongside the card statement.
Do I have to change provider after a free check?
No. You can ask us to explain the statement and take time to consider your options without committing to a switch.