Guide
Card machine fees in Brazil: how much to charge
Every card sale in Brazil loses a percentage to the card machine. Many sellers add that percentage to the price and still end up short. Here is why, and how to price a sale so the amount you want is exactly what reaches your account.
Steps
- Look up your machine's rate for each type of payment.
- Decide how much you need to receive from the sale.
- Divide that amount by (1 − rate), not add the rate on top.
- Round up to the cent and check the result in the calculator.
Why adding the percentage does not work
The fee is charged on the price the customer pays, not on the amount you wanted. If you want R$ 100 and the rate is 4.98%, adding 4.98% gives a price of R$ 104.98 — but the machine takes 4.98% of R$ 104.98, so R$ 99.75 reaches you.
The right price is R$ 100 ÷ (1 − 0.0498) = R$ 105.24. The machine keeps R$ 5.24 and exactly R$ 100 is left. The gap grows with the rate: to receive R$ 1,000 on a 12.5% instalment rate you need to charge R$ 1,142.86, while adding 12.5% gives R$ 1,125 and leaves you R$ 984.37.
Debit, credit, instalments and Pix cost different amounts
Debit is usually the cheapest card option and one-off credit costs more. Instalments cost the most: the machine pays you in advance and charges for it, so the rate climbs with the number of instalments.
"Interest-free instalments" (parcelado sem juros) means the seller pays that cost; "with interest" means the customer does. Pix through the machine is often cheap or free, and a Pix to your key directly costs nothing.
When you get paid changes the rate
Receiving credit card sales on the next business day usually costs more than waiting 30 days, because the payment company is advancing you the money. Compare machines using the payout time you actually use.
Look at the whole cost: the rate for each type of payment, the price or rent of the machine, and your own mix of sales. A machine with a slightly higher debit rate can still be cheaper if most of your sales are Pix.
Can I charge more on the card?
Yes. Since 2017 (Law 13,455), Brazilian sellers may charge different prices by payment method or offer a discount for cash and Pix, as long as the difference is shown clearly to the customer before the sale.
Frequently asked questions
What is the formula to pass the card fee on?
Price = amount you want ÷ (1 − rate). For R$ 100 at 4.98%: 100 ÷ 0.9502 = R$ 105.24.
Why is my payout lower than the price minus the rate I added?
Because the rate applies to the higher price. Adding 4.98% to R$ 100 gives R$ 104.98, and 4.98% of that leaves R$ 99.75.
Is it legal to charge more for card payments in Brazil?
Yes, since Law 13,455 of 2017, as long as the customer is clearly told the price for each payment method before paying.
Which rates does the calculator use?
Yours. Rates vary by machine, plan, revenue and payout time, so the calculator never assumes a table: you enter the rates from your own contract.
Use the tool
Apply these steps directly in the browser.
Card machine fee calculator →