Payments
Understanding Fees & Processing
Last updated 15 April 2026
Understanding Fees & Processing
Know exactly what you pay on every card transaction, fee rates by plan and country, how in-person and online fees differ, what happens with international cards, and how to control who pays the processing fee.
Where to find it. Web: Sidebar → Payouts (fee absorption settings are in the Transaction fees card). Fee rates are applied automatically at checkout.
TL;DR
- Processing fees are deducted automatically from each transaction. PRO plan rates are significantly lower than FREE.
- In-person payments (card terminal and Tap to Pay) have no fixed fee component; only the percentage rate applies.
- An additional 1.8% international card surcharge applies when the customer's card was issued in a different country from your venue.
- UK venues cannot pass fees to customers (prohibited by law); Australian venues will lose surcharging on domestic cards from 1 October 2026.
Overview
OpenChair charges a processing fee on each card transaction to cover payment processing costs. The fee depends on:
- Your subscription plan: PRO venues pay lower rates than FREE venues
- Your country: rates vary between Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom
- The payment channel: online payments have a small fixed fee component; in-person payments (card terminal and Tap to Pay) do not
- Whether the customer's card is international: an additional surcharge applies for cross-border transactions
Fees are deducted automatically from each transaction before the funds reach your available balance. You can choose whether to absorb fees or pass them on to your customers.
Note
Processing fees apply on both FREE and PRO plans. PRO venues benefit from significantly lower rates. Fee rates are all-inclusive, there are no additional payment processor fees on top of the rates shown below.
Fee rates by plan and country
Processing fees vary by plan (FREE vs PRO) and country. PRO rates are significantly lower on every transaction.
Online payments
Online payments include customer bookings paid via your booking page, saved card charges, and walk-out charges.
| Country | FREE plan | PRO plan |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 3.0% + $0.50 AUD | 1.8% + $0.30 AUD |
| New Zealand | 3.5% + $0.50 NZD | 2.5% + $0.30 NZD |
| United Kingdom | 2.5% + £0.30 | 2.0% + £0.20 |
Each online transaction has two fee components: a percentage of the transaction amount plus a fixed fee per transaction.
In-person payments
In-person payments include card terminal (Stripe Terminal reader) and Tap to Pay transactions processed at your venue.
| Country | FREE plan | PRO plan |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 3.0% | 1.8% |
| New Zealand | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| United Kingdom | 2.5% | 2.0% |
In-person payments have no fixed fee component: only the percentage rate applies. This means small transactions cost proportionally less when processed in person.
How fees are calculated
The processing fee is calculated as:
Fee = (transaction amount × percentage rate) + fixed fee
For example, a $100 AUD online payment on a PRO plan:
- Fee = ($100 × 1.8%) + $0.30 = $1.80 + $0.30 = $2.10
The same $100 payment via card terminal on a PRO plan:
- Fee = ($100 × 1.8%) + $0 = $1.80
Fees are rounded to the nearest cent.
Tip
Processing in-person payments via your card terminal or Tap to Pay saves the fixed fee on every transaction. For a busy venue processing many small transactions, this adds up.
International card surcharge
An additional 1.8% surcharge applies when the customer's card was issued in a different country from your venue. This reflects the higher cost of processing cross-border transactions.
The international surcharge is added on top of the standard processing fee.
Example: A $100 AUD online payment from an international card on a PRO plan:
- Base fee = ($100 × 1.8%) + $0.30 = $2.10
- International surcharge = $100 × 1.8% = $1.80
- Total fee = $3.90
How international cards are detected
When a customer enters their card details during online booking, OpenChair checks the card's issuing country against your venue's country. If they differ, the card is flagged as international and the surcharge is applied.
For in-person payments, the card country is detected during the authorisation process.
Who pays the fee
You can choose who bears the processing fee. This setting is found on the Payouts page on web, in the Transaction fees card.
| Option | What it means | Available to |
|---|---|---|
| Absorb all fees (default) | Customers pay the service price only. Processing fees are deducted from your revenue. | All venues |
| Pass all fees to customer | A processing fee is added to each transaction. The customer pays the service price plus the fee. | AU and NZ only (see note below). Not available after 1 October 2026 for AU venues. |
| Pass international card fees only | Domestic card fees are absorbed by your business. International cards attract an additional 1.8% surcharge that the customer pays. | All venues except UK |
Changing the fee absorption setting
- Go to Payouts on web.
- Scroll to the Transaction fees card.
- Select your preferred option.
- The change saves automatically.
Warning
United Kingdom venues are required to absorb all processing fees. Surcharging on consumer payments is prohibited under the Payment Services Regulations 2017. The fee absorption setting is locked to "Absorb all fees" for UK venues and cannot be changed.
Note
Australian venues. RBA reform effective 1 October 2026. From that date, surcharging domestic card transactions (Visa, Mastercard, eftpos) is prohibited under the Reserve Bank of Australia's retail payments reform. The "Pass all fees to customer" option will be automatically disabled for Australian venues on 1 October 2026. If you are currently using this setting, OpenChair will display a notice in your Transaction fees card now, we recommend switching to "Absorb all fees" or "Pass international card fees only" before October. The "Pass international card fees only" option remains available for Australian venues; international card surcharging is exempt from the domestic ban until 1 April 2027.
How passed fees appear to customers
When fees are passed to the customer (either all fees or international only), the customer sees a fee breakdown during the booking payment step. The breakdown shows the original amount, the surcharge, and the total they will be charged.
Fee comparison: FREE vs PRO
Upgrading to PRO reduces your processing fees on every transaction. Here is the saving per $100 transaction:
| Country | FREE fee (online) | PRO fee (online) | Saving per $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $3.50 | $2.10 | $1.40 |
| New Zealand | $4.00 | $2.80 | $1.20 |
| United Kingdom | £2.80 | £2.20 | £0.60 |
For a venue processing $5,000 in card payments per month on the Australian FREE plan, upgrading to PRO would save approximately $70/month in processing fees alone, before accounting for the other PRO features.
When fees are deducted
Processing fees are deducted from each transaction before the funds are added to your available balance. You never receive a separate fee invoice, the fees are netted automatically.
When viewing your Payouts page:
- Available balance reflects funds after fees have been deducted
- Pending balance reflects funds still being processed by Stripe (fees already deducted)
- Transactions list shows the gross amount the customer paid
Troubleshooting
Common fee and processing issues are listed below.
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Fee absorption setting is greyed out or locked | Two regulations apply. UK venues: surcharging is prohibited under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, the setting is permanently locked to "Absorb all fees". Australian venues from 1 October 2026: the "Pass all fees to customer" option is automatically disabled by the RBA domestic surcharge ban. The other two options remain available for Australian venues. |
| Customer says they were charged more than the service price | Check your fee absorption setting on the Payouts page. If set to "Pass all fees to customer" or "Pass international card fees only", the processing fee is added to the customer's total. |
| Cannot find fee settings on mobile | Fee absorption settings are only available on the web Payouts page. Open the web app, go to Payouts, and scroll to the Transaction fees card. |
| Payout amount is less than expected | Processing fees are deducted from each transaction before funds reach your available balance. Check the Transactions section on the Payouts page to see gross amounts and compare with your available balance. |
| International surcharge appearing unexpectedly | The 1.8% international surcharge applies when the customer's card was issued in a different country from your venue. This is common with tourists or customers using cards issued overseas. If your fee absorption is set to "Absorb all fees", the surcharge is absorbed by your business and the customer is not charged extra. |
FAQ
Are there any hidden fees?
No. The rates shown are all-inclusive, no setup fees, monthly processing fees, or additional Stripe surcharges beyond what is shown. The only additional charge is the 1.8% international card surcharge when applicable.
Do I pay fees on cash payments?
No. Processing fees only apply to card transactions (online payments, card terminal, and Tap to Pay). Cash payments have no processing fee.
Do I pay fees on deposits?
Yes. Deposits collected via card are subject to the same processing fees as any other card transaction. The fee is calculated on the deposit amount, not the full service price.
Do fees apply to gift card purchases?
Yes. When a customer purchases a gift card online, the standard processing fee applies to the payment. When a gift card is redeemed at checkout, no additional fee applies, the fee was already charged at the time of purchase.
Do fees apply to package purchases?
Yes. Online package purchases incur the standard processing fee on the payment amount. When a package is redeemed at checkout, no additional fee applies.
Can I change my fee absorption setting on mobile?
No. The fee absorption setting is only available on the web Payouts page. It cannot be changed from the mobile app.
Why are New Zealand fees higher than Australia?
Payment processing base costs vary by country. New Zealand has higher underlying Stripe processing costs, which are reflected in the rates. PRO venues in New Zealand still benefit from a significant reduction compared to FREE.
What happens if a payment is refunded?
When you refund a payment, the processing fee is not returned. Stripe retains the original processing fee even when a refund is issued. This is standard across all payment processors.