# Reviewing IC+ fees: Stripe fees and Network Costs When reviewing fees related to IC+, it's important to understand that they fall into two categories: Stripe fees (set by Stripe) and Network Costs (set by the payment network). Knowing which report to reference and its steps are key to understanding how each fee was triggered. Some links in this article require you to be logged into your Stripe account on IC+ pricing. --- ## Before you begin Both sections below use the [Transaction-level report from the Payments fees report.](https://docs.stripe.com/reports/fees-reporting#transaction-level-report) To get started: 1. Navigate to the [Payments fees report](https://dashboard.stripe.com/reports/payments-fees) and select the date range you'd like to review 1. Download the Transaction-level report. We recommend selecting, at a minimum, the **Default** data columns, but you may add any others if desired 1. Once downloaded, open the report in Excel or a similar data analytics application Card networks can bill fees for a given payment [up to two months after it was processed.](https://docs.stripe.com/reports/fees-reporting#monthly-fees) For example, a charge processed in May could incur network costs as late as July. --- ## Review your Stripe fees in detail Using the report downloaded above, filter `fee_category` = `stripe_fee`. The remaining rows will fall into one of two `fee_name`s: `volume_fee` and `per_auth_fee`. The `volume_fee` is the percentage component of your IC+ pricing, while the `per_auth_fee` is the fixed component. In other words, if your card payments pricing was IC+ 0.45% & 0.20 USD, the `volume_fee` would show as `0.0045` (0.45% expressed as an integer), and the `per_auth_fee` would show as `0.2`. ### See the amount assessed for the `volume_fee` Review the `variable_rate` column. This rate will then be applied to the value in the `variable_volume_amount` column to yield the `subtotal`. Using the example pricing structure above, the `subtotal` for a 60.00 USD card payment would be 0.27 USD (60 x 0.0045). ### See the amount assessed for the `per_auth_fee` Review the `fixed_per_item_amount` column. Since this is a fixed fee, it's assessed according to the value in the `fixed_per_item_count` column. Using the example pricing structure above, for a single card payment of 60.00 USD (that is, `fixed_per_item_count` = 1), the `subtotal` would be 0.20 USD (0.2 x 1). --- ## Review your network costs Using the report downloaded above, filter `fee_category` = `network_cost`. The remaining rows will fall into one of four `fee_names`: `card_scheme`, `non_transactional_card_scheme`, `interchange`, or `discount`. Logged in IC+ can [learn more about these fees](https://stripe.com/docs/reports/fees-reporting). There are several data columns that can help you better analyze network costs. [View our docs](https://docs.stripe.com/reports/fees-reporting#schema-card-payments-fees-transaction-level-2) for the complete list of columns in the Transaction report and their descriptions. * `plan_name`: The name of the assessed interchange/discount plan or card scheme fee * `charge_id`: If populated, the ID of the charge that resulted in the payments fee * `event_type`: The type of event that incurred this fee (e.g. charge_authorized, refund, customer_created, etc.) --- ## FAQ ### When is the `per_auth_fee` charged multiple times? Per-auth fees are incurred for each instance you direct Stripe to submit a request to a payment method, including for authorization (successful and declined), void, charge, reversal, or to validate a card (for example, attaching a card to a Customer). These are often referred to as "gateway conversations" — meaning the fee applies to any such interaction, not just a successful charge. Each per-auth fee assessed will be the same amount, regardless of the type of gateway conversation. ### How can I review the payments fees for a single charge? To review the payments fees for a specific charge, perform the following steps: 1. Download the Transaction-level report, ensuring that you select a date range that includes the charge in question 1. Filter the `charge_id` column to only rows that contain the charge ID in question You can now review and sum the payments fees incurred for this charge. ### Reconciling across reports The Activity Report and Payment Fees Report share the same timing logic (fees attributed to originating transaction date), so they can be reconciled directly against each other. The [Fees report](https://docs.stripe.com/reports/all-fees) can also be reconciled against these reports when its date filter is configured to `incurred_at`. Across all [report options for financial reconciliation](https://docs.stripe.com/reports/select-a-report), one consistent reference point is the [Balance Transaction ID](https://docs.stripe.com/api/balance_transactions), which tracks the flow of funds within your Stripe account. If you're building a custom reconciliation workflow, the Balance Transaction ID can serve as a common key to join data across reports. --- ## Additional information on Network Costs ### Where can I find public sources of Interchange fees for the U.S.? * [Visa](https://usa.visa.com/content/dam/VCOM/download/merchants/visa-usa-interchange-reimbursement-fees.pdf) * [Mastercard](https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/business/overview/support/merchant-interchange-rates.html) ### Where can I find public sources of interchange fees for the EEA (European Economic Area)? * [Visa](https://www.visa.co.uk/about-visa/visa-in-europe/fees-and-interchange.html) * [Mastercard](https://www.mastercard.com/europe/en/regulatory/european-interchange.html) ### Where can I find public sources of interchange fees for Canada? * [Visa](https://www.visa.ca/en_CA/support/small-business/interchange.html) * [Mastercard](https://www.mastercard.ca/en-ca/business/overview/interchange/merchant-interchange-rates.html) ### Where can I find public sources of interchange fees for Australia? * [Visa](https://www.visa.com.au/about-visa/interchange.html) * [Mastercard](https://www.mastercard.com.au/en-au/about-mastercard/what-we-do/interchange.html) ### Where can I find public sources of interchange fees for other countries? If the card networks have published their rates, you can generally find them by performing a web search for, as an example, "Visa Interchange Rates [Country Name]". ### Where can I find public sources of scheme fees? Card networks do not generally publish scheme fees. ### Why can't I find Visa's refund interchange rates on their website? Visa refers to refunds/returns as "Credit Vouchers" in their public interchange documentation. --- ## Related links Fee refunds and reassessment when backdating a switch to IC+