Hidden Fee Finder for Med Spas: Check Your Merchant Statement

How this works: the assumptions behind your numbers

Every number above comes from the totals you enter plus the assumptions below. Assumptions are estimates, not verified rates.

• Industry average effective rate by segment: retail 2.55%, restaurant 2.75%, ecommerce 3.15%, services 2.90%, healthcare 2.65%, b2b 2.80%, high_risk 4.25%. Source: TouchSuite pricing assumptions file (estimates only; replace with verified figures before launch).
• Comparison tolerance band: ±0.25 percentage points counts as 'close to average'. Source: Tool design assumption to avoid flagging trivial differences.
• Last month is representative: Monthly fee amounts are multiplied by 12 to annualize. Source: Tool design assumption; seasonal businesses should treat annual figures as rough.
• Annual fee frequency: Annual fee entered as a once-a-year amount, multiplied by 1. Source: Tool design assumption.
• Early termination fee: Treated as a one-time cost, not annualized. Source: Tool design assumption.
• Fee classification tags: Interchange and card brand fees tagged 'typically pass-through'; listed account-level fees tagged 'typically processor-set'. Source: General industry structure; actual billing varies by processor and contract, so tags read 'typically'.
• Sanity check bounds: Warn if effective rate is above 15% or below 0.5%. Source: Tool design assumption to catch data-entry mistakes.

Estimates are based on published industry averages and are not a quote. Actual rates depend on card mix, ticket size, industry, and underwriting.

How Card Payments Actually Move Through a Med Spa

A med spa statement looks different from a typical retail statement. Tickets are large: an injectable appointment, a laser package, or a body contouring series can run hundreds or thousands of dollars per swipe. Many clients pay with premium rewards or business cards, which usually carry higher interchange than basic debit. When you read your statement, the percentage you pay matters far more than a flat per-transaction charge.

Your mix of card-present and card-not-present sales also shifts the math. Treatments paid at the front desk with a chip or tap are card-present. Booking deposits taken over the phone, no-show and late-cancel fees charged to a card on file, online gift card sales, and recurring membership drafts are usually card-not-present, which typically costs more and can push transactions into higher pricing tiers on some statements.

Tips add another wrinkle. If injectors or aestheticians accept gratuities on card, the final amount often differs from the pre-authorized amount, and some processors handle those adjustments in ways that trigger extra charges. Refunds on unused package sessions are also common in this business, and they can make one month's fees look odd next to that month's net volume.

Worked Example: A Hypothetical Med Spa Statement

These numbers are made up to show how the tool reads a statement. Say a med spa processed $60,000 in card volume last month across 150 transactions and paid $2,100 in total fees. The owner selects Healthcare as the business type and Tiered as the pricing model.

The free results would show: effective rate 3.50% ($2,100 / $60,000), cost per transaction $14.00, and average ticket $400.00. Against the Healthcare industry average assumption of 2.65%, the gap is 0.85 percentage points, so the status reads 'Above the industry average.' The gated breakdown would estimate the annual cost above that average at $6,120 (0.85% x $60,000 x 12) and annual total fees at $25,200, assuming last month is representative.

Suppose this owner ticked non-qualified surcharges, a PCI non-compliance fee, a statement fee, and an equipment lease. Three of those are tagged 'Typically processor-set' and the lease is a contract term, so the tool counts four fees worth a question. On a tiered statement with large tickets, the non-qualified line is usually where to start, because keyed deposits and rewards cards are commonly pushed into those buckets.

Estimates are based on published industry averages and are not a quote. Actual rates depend on card mix, ticket size, industry, and underwriting.

Med Spa Fees That Deserve a Closer Look

Non-qualified and mid-qualified surcharges: on tiered pricing, phone deposits, card-on-file cancellation fees, and rewards cards can land in the costly buckets. With $400+ tickets, an extra percentage point on those lines adds up quickly.

Gateway fees: many med spas take deposits and memberships through booking or practice software that connects to a payment gateway. Check whether you pay a monthly gateway fee and a per-transaction gateway fee, and whether you are paying for a gateway you no longer use since switching booking platforms.

PCI non-compliance and PCI program fees: a med spa storing cards on file for memberships and no-show policies has a reason to stay current on its annual PCI questionnaire. A non-compliance fee often just means the paperwork lapsed. Equipment leases and monthly minimums are also worth checking: a long lease on a basic terminal, or a minimum fee that kicks in during slow months, is money spent on nothing that helps your clients.

Chargeback and retrieval fees: disputes over package results or unused sessions do happen. The fee itself is processor-set, so ask what you are charged per dispute, and keep signed consent forms, treatment records, and a clear written refund policy to respond when one arrives.

What a Good Result Looks Like for a Med Spa

Most med spas have uneven months. Many owners see bigger volume ahead of holidays, wedding season, and summer, plus gift card spikes in December. Run the tool on a typical month rather than your biggest or slowest, and make sure volume and fees come from the same statement period. A month with heavy package refunds or a big gift card promotion can distort the rate.

A healthy result is an effective rate close to or below the industry average assumption for your business type, few or no 'Typically processor-set' fees beyond what your contract clearly lists, and no surprise lease or termination terms. Because your average ticket is high, your cost per transaction will look large in dollars; judge the percentage, not the dollar figure.

If you are on interchange-plus pricing, enter your interchange and card brand totals so the gated report can split pass-through cost from markup. If your statement is tiered or you are not sure which model you have, use the questions in the full report when you call your processor, or talk to a payments specialist who can walk through your statement with you.

Frequently asked questions