# Four monthly US invoices: fee and payment-method comparison

The live PaidRouter responses identify bank-payment routes with lower processing fees than PayPal Checkout. First confirm that customers can pay by bank and that the relevant account and plan are available. Keep card payment as a separately priced option. No payment was initiated and no account was changed.

## PayPal Checkout receipt checks

| Gross USD | Formula | Fee | Net receipt |
|---|---|---:|---:|
| $100.00 | 3.49% + $0.49 | $3.98 | $96.02 |
| $1000.00 | 3.49% + $0.49 | $35.39 | $964.61 |
| $75.50 | 3.49% + $0.49 | $3.12 | $72.38 |

The three API amounts were independently recalculated with decimal arithmetic. Four $1,000 invoices cost $141.56 per month and leave $3,858.44 before other business costs. At the same volume for 12 months, processing fees total $1,698.72. These are domestic USD examples; international, conversion and dispute charges are not included. PayPal source checked November 4, 2026: [PayPal business fees](https://www.paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees).

## Compare processing fees separately from fixed charges

| Route | Processing per $1,000 | Processing per month (4) | Fixed cost / qualification | Source checked |
|---|---:|---:|---|---|
| [PayPal Checkout](https://www.paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees) | $35.39 | $141.56 | Current route | 2026-11-04 |
| [Helcim, card](https://www.helcim.com/pricing/) | $25.35 estimated | $101.40 | Interchange estimate; actual card mix changes cost | 2026-10-29 |
| [Stripe, card](https://stripe.com/pricing) | $29.30 | $117.20 | Standard rate in returned entry; extra products can add fees | 2026-11-04 |
| [Melio, bank transfer request](https://melio.com/pricing) | $0.00 | $0.00 | Response mentions Core $25/month after 90 days; verify which plan is required | 2026-11-04 |
| [Wise Business, USD account ($31 once)](https://wise.com/us/pricing/receive) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $31 one-time account setup; domestic ACH receipt, not wires | 2026-11-04 |
| [Stripe, ACH bank debit](https://stripe.com/pricing) | $5.00 | $20.00 | ACH debit; requires customer authorization and account eligibility | 2026-11-04 |
| [BILL (Bill.com) Accounts Receivable, invoice paid by bank (Essentials)](https://www.bill.com/pricing) | $0.59 | $2.36 | Essentials $49/user/month; assumes one user | 2026-11-04 |
| [Shopify Payments, Basic plan ($39/mo)](https://www.shopify.com/pricing) | $29.30 | $117.20 | Basic $39/month in response; account cost is additional if newly required | 2026-11-04 |

Helcim is the lowest card estimate returned: $25.35 per invoice, assuming interchange of 2% + $0.10 plus its quoted markup. That gives modeled processing savings of $40.16/month or $481.92/year versus PayPal Checkout; it is not a guaranteed rate. PaidRouter marks the underlying source as last confirmed October 29 because its November 4 automated check was refused. Stripe card is $29.30 per invoice at the returned standard formula, saving $24.36/month or $292.32/year before any additional services.

## Bank-transfer decision

Melio is ranked first at $0 processing per incoming bank-transfer request. Its note also mentions a Core subscription. Do not treat the API ranking as a complete zero-cost account quote: if $25/month applies, steady-state savings become $116.56/month or $1,398.72/year, excluding any initial free period. Confirm the plan requirement before choosing it.

Wise domestic ACH receipt is also $0 in the response, with $31 setup. Under those returned assumptions, first-year modeled savings are $1,667.72; USD wires are a different priced route. Stripe ACH is $5 per invoice, or $20/month, yielding $121.56/month and $1,458.72/year processing savings. Customer authorization, settlement timing, failed-payment fees and dispute handling still matter operationally.

For comparison, BILL processing is $2.36/month, plus the stated one-user $49 subscription: $51.36 total, giving $90.20/month savings. Shopify card processing is $117.20/month plus $39 if a new Basic subscription is required: $156.20, which exceeds the $141.56 PayPal baseline by $14.64. Existing subscriptions should be treated as sunk or incremental costs consistently, not charged twice.

## Practical next steps

Ask the four customers whether bank payment is acceptable. The finance owner should verify account-specific terms, recurring plan charges, authorization and settlement needs, then trial one invoice only after approval. Reconcile the received amount and bank statement before changing the remaining invoices. This run only researched and calculated; it did not create a key, subscribe to a plan, send an invoice or move money.

The ZIP contains all five actual API JSON responses plus the independent calculation file. Each route carries its own source and checked date; the response-level oldest checked date is October 29 and must not overwrite fresher row dates. The fee schedule can change, so retain this as a dated comparison, not a permanent quote.