Guide · Fees
What a card payment on an invoice costs
When a client pays an invoice online, the tool takes a fee. Here is what the published rates come to.
Rates were checked on 2026-11-01 on each company’s own pages and are shown in US dollars. We have not tested these products hands-on. Your own rate can differ, so confirm it with the company.
What each payment costs the business
| Rate | Published as | On a $1,000 invoice | On a $5,000 invoice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave Starter, card (Visa/Mastercard) | 2.9% + $0.60 | $29.60 | $145.60 |
| Wave Starter, card (Amex) | 3.4% + $0.60 | $34.60 | $170.60 |
| Wave Starter, bank payment | 1%, $1 minimum | $10.00 | $50.00 |
| Square Invoices Free, card | 3.3% + $0.30 | $33.30 | $165.30 |
| Square Invoices Plus, card | 2.9% + $0.30 | $29.30 | $145.30 |
| Square Invoices Free, bank transfer | 1%, $1 minimum | $10.00 | $50.00 |
| Square Invoices Plus, bank transfer | 1%, $1 minimum, capped at $10 | $10.00 | $10.00 |
The other three
FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online and Zoho Invoice do not show card rates on the pricing pages we checked, so we cannot compare them here. Check each company’s own payment terms before you assume a rate.
Is Square Plus worth its monthly fee?
Square Plus costs $49 a month per location and lowers the card rate from 3.3% to 2.9%, a saving of 0.4 percentage points. On card fees alone, that saving equals the monthly fee at about $12,250 of card payments a month per location. Below that, the Free plan is cheaper on card fees. Plus also adds payment schedules, custom invoice templates and a $10 cap on bank-transfer fees, which can matter on large invoices on their own.
How the numbers are worked out
A card rate of “2.9% + $0.60” means 2.9% of the invoice plus $0.60. A bank rate of “1%, $1 minimum” means 1% of the invoice, but never less than $1. Square Plus caps bank-transfer fees at $10. Wave’s page says its Pro plan has different card terms during an offer period, so this guide shows the free Starter rates only.
Sources
- Wave: company page, checked 2026-11-01
- Square Invoices: company page, checked 2026-11-01
See the full comparison, or how we pick.