Invoicing and accounting
Wave Payments fees in 2026: what you actually pay
Updated · Checked against primary sources
The short answer
Wave charges 2.9% + 60 cents per Visa, Mastercard or Discover payment and 3.4% + 60 cents for Amex on its free Starter plan. Pro plan users ($19 USD or $25 CAD a month) pay no 60 cent fee on their first 10 card transactions each month. Bank payments (ACH/EFT) are 1% with a $1 minimum, and Instant Payout costs 1%.
Freelancers and small service businesses in the US and Canada that invoice from Wave's free or Pro accounting plan.
Wave Payments rates
| Payment type | Published rate |
|---|---|
| In person (tap, dip, swipe) | Not published |
| Online or invoice link | 2.9% + 60¢ |
| American Express | 3.4% + 60¢ |
| ACH / bank transfer | 1%, no published cap |
| Instant payout | 1% of the amount withdrawn (minimum $1), $25 minimum withdrawal |
What Wave Payments costs on your volume
Fee calculator
On Wave Payments: $1,213 a month, $14,560 a year (3.03% effective on cards).
| Same volume on | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Payments | $1,000 | $12,000 |
| Wave Payments | $1,213 | $14,560 |
Uses each provider's published headline card rate and ACH terms only. Monthly software, hardware and per-feature fees are listed separately below and are not included.
Monthly and other fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Starter | $0 |
| Pro | $19 USD or $25 CAD per month, or $190 USD / $250 CAD per year, per business |
| Payments | Pay per use, no monthly fee |
Wave Payments fee traps to check
- The 60 cent fixed fee is double the common 30 cents: a $50 invoice paid by card costs $2.05, or 4.1%.
- The Pro plan's fee-free fixed charge covers only the first 10 card transactions each month; after that it is 2.9% + 60 cents again.
- Bank payments are 1% with no published cap, so a $10,000 invoice costs $100.
- Instant Payout adds 1% (minimum $1) on top of processing fees.
- All payments are subject to risk review, and Wave says it may hold funds and request more information.
How to lower your Wave Payments fees
- Bill fewer, larger invoices by card, since the 60 cent fixed fee weighs most on small amounts.
- If you send more than a handful of card invoices a month, compare the $19 Pro plan: 10 waived fixed fees save $6 a month, so Pro needs its other features to pay off.
- Use bank payments for large invoices, and a capped ACH option elsewhere for the very largest.
- Wait 1 to 2 business days for standard card payouts instead of paying 1% for Instant Payout.
Can you pass the fee to customers?
Unclear. Wave's pricing and payments pages do not describe a surcharge or convenience-fee feature.
Contract and cancellation
Subscriptions auto-renew and can be cancelled up to one day before renewal; payments are pay per use.
Wave Payments vs other invoicing and accounting options
| Provider | In person | Online | ACH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave Payments | Not published | 2.9% + 60¢ | 1%, no published cap |
| QuickBooks Payments | 2.5% | 2.99% | 1%, no published cap |
Compare fees
Frequently asked questions
- What are Wave's payment processing fees?
- 2.9% + $0.60 for Visa, Mastercard and Discover and 3.4% + $0.60 for Amex on the Starter plan. Bank payments are 1% with a $1 minimum. Pro subscribers skip the $0.60 on their first 10 card transactions each month.
- Is Wave free?
- The Starter plan has no subscription fee, and payments are pay per use with no monthly fee. Pro costs $19 USD or $25 CAD a month per business.
- How long do Wave payouts take?
- Wave says card payments pay out in 1 to 2 business days and bank payments in 1 to 7 business days. Instant Payout to a debit card arrives in up to 30 minutes for a 1% fee.
- Does Wave charge a fee for bank payments?
- Yes, 1% per transaction with a $1.00 minimum fee. Wave does not publish a cap, so the fee grows with the invoice.
Where Pavado comes in
How Pavado finds the money your business is leaking
Want Wave Payments's charges checked against your own agreement? Pavado reviews statement and contract exports, then returns a written list of potential overpayments and questions for your provider. No account logins needed.
Send us the statements, contracts and bills you already have. We read the lines nobody reads and come back with a written list of what you are overpaying, what is about to renew and what you are owed.
- Fees you are overpaying. Processor, bank and platform charges checked line by line against what you agreed to.
- Contracts before they renew. Every renewal date and notice window we can see, so you can leave or renegotiate in time.
- Bills worth disputing. Insurance audit bills and lead charges with a dispute or credit window still open.
- Money you are owed. Unpaid invoices and holdback sorted by age and by the deadline that protects them.
- 1.Tell us what you pay for and send exports, not logins.
- 2.A person replies within one business day with what we need.
- 3.You get a written list: each item, what it looks to be worth and who acts on it.
The first conversation and a scoped proposal are free, and we will tell you early if we are not the right fit.
Go deeper
- GuideBest Payment Processing for Contractors: 8 ComparedCompare 8 contractor payment processors on large-invoice fees, ACH caps and workflow. Check the full cost before switching, or request a free fee review.
- GuideCancel QuickBooks: Will You Lose Everything? 2026Not right away: you keep read-only access to your QuickBooks data for one year after cancelling, then it is gone. How to cancel and what to export first.
- GuideShould I Accept Credit Cards as a Contractor?At a 10% net margin, a 3% card fee eats roughly 30% of the profit on the job. Here is the math, the rules in Canada and the US, and when to say no.
Sources
Cite this page
Pavado, “Wave Payments Fees 2026: Rates and Hidden Costs”, https://www.pavadotech.com/fees/wave-payments, updated 2026-09-24.