What the result includes
- Monthly processing and platform cost
- Effective cost as a percentage of sales
- Three-year planning total
- One normalized result for comparing vendor quotes
Business buying worksheet
Estimate one POS offer using your sales.
Translate a rate sheet into monthly cost, effective percentage, and a three-year planning total.
← All decision toolsBusiness decision tool
POS true-cost calculator
Combine processing, transaction fees, software, add-ons, and hardware into one effective cost.
Estimated transactions715
Monthly true cost$873
Three-year cost$31,417
Effective cost on sales3.49%
Processing alone is about $722 per month. Compare written quotes using the same sales and ticket inputs.
Already have two proposals?
Normalize both written quotes.
Use one payment mix and contract term across processing, software, add-ons, hardware, setup, annual fees, and exit costs.
When not to use this sheet
When this calculator is the wrong tool
Use this page when you have one written offer. If two sellers already sent proposals, do not run them one at a time here. Put both through the quote comparison with the same payment mix. A low card-present rate is not a decision if most of your volume is keyed, invoiced, or online.
Return to the workflow-first POS shortlist
How the calculator works
POS System Cost Calculator: method and assumptions
Estimate monthly and three-year point-of-sale cost from processing rates, per-transaction fees, software, hardware, and add-ons.
Planning formulaMonthly POS cost = card sales × processing rate + transactions × per-transaction fee + software + add-ons + allocated hardware cost.
Use your own sales mix
Enter realistic card volume and transaction count. Average ticket size changes how much per-transaction fees matter.
Include the complete stack
Add software tiers, extra registers, payroll, loyalty, online ordering, support, hardware, and required payment services.
Run every quote the same way
Keep sales and transaction assumptions fixed while changing only the vendor terms. That makes the comparison useful.
Questions before you decide
Calculator FAQ
How much does a POS system cost?
The useful total combines payment processing, monthly software, hardware, add-ons, and contract costs. Processing usually changes with sales volume and transaction count.
Why calculate the effective rate?
Dividing all POS costs by card sales exposes the combined burden of percentage fees, fixed transaction fees, software, and add-ons.
Should I use this if I already have two quotes?
No. Use the POS quote comparison so both offers share the same sales, payment mix, and contract term.