The Two Fee Types Every Merchant Must Understand
When evaluating crypto payment gateways, you will encounter two fundamentally different categories of fees:
- Gateway fees — what the payment processor charges you for their service
- Network fees — what the blockchain charges to process the transaction itself
These are completely separate. Confusing them is one of the most common mistakes merchants make when comparing options. A gateway might advertise "1% fee" — but that is on top of the blockchain network fee your customer pays.
Gateway Fees: What Each Provider Charges You
Per-Transaction Percentage
Most custodial gateways take a cut of every sale:
- BitPay: 1% per transaction
- Coinbase Commerce: 1% per transaction
- NOWPayments: 0.5–1% per transaction
- CoinPayments: 0.5% per transaction
- CryptoGate: 0% — flat monthly plan, no percentage taken
At 1%, a merchant processing $50,000/month pays $500 in gateway fees alone. At 0%, that is $6,000 saved per year — before you factor in the elimination of chargebacks.
Monthly Platform Fees
Some gateways charge a flat monthly fee on top of per-transaction fees. CryptoGate uses flat monthly plans only — no transaction percentage at any volume. The Starter plan is free.
Settlement and Conversion Fees
If you want to receive fiat currency (USD, EUR) instead of crypto, custodial gateways charge a conversion spread — typically 0.5–1% on top of the transaction fee. This is unavoidable with any gateway if you want automatic fiat conversion.
The cheapest route: receive crypto directly into your wallet and convert yourself through an exchange at the best available rate. You choose when and where to convert, and you keep the spread.
Withdrawal and Payout Fees
Custodial gateways often charge fees for withdrawing your funds to your bank account or wallet. CryptoGate has no withdrawal fee — because funds never enter CryptoGate's system in the first place.
Network Fees: What the Blockchain Charges
Network fees are paid by the customer sending the transaction, not by you. They go to blockchain miners or validators, not to any gateway. As of 2026:
| Cryptocurrency | Typical Network Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin (BTC) | $1–8 (varies with congestion) | Large transactions ($100+) |
| Ethereum (ETH) | $1–20 (gas fees fluctuate) | Medium transactions, DeFi users |
| Litecoin (LTC) | $0.01–0.05 | Small payments, frequent transactions |
| Dogecoin (DOGE) | ~$0.01 | Micro-payments, tips |
| Dash (DASH) | ~$0.01 | Instant payments (InstantSend) |
For merchants accepting small purchases under $20, Bitcoin and Ethereum can be poor choices because the network fee represents a significant percentage of the transaction. Litecoin or Dogecoin make more sense economically for low-value goods.
The Cost Nobody Talks About: Chargebacks
Card processors do not just charge 2–3% per transaction. They also expose you to chargebacks:
- Average chargeback fee: $20–100 per dispute
- You can lose both the payment and the goods/service already delivered
- High chargeback rates lead to account termination
- Industries like digital goods, travel, and subscription services have especially high chargeback exposure
Crypto payments are irreversible. Once confirmed on-chain, a transaction cannot be disputed or reversed. Chargeback risk is zero — permanently and by design.
Real Cost Comparison at $20,000/Month Volume
| Payment Method | Transaction Fee | Monthly Cost | Chargebacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 2.9% + 30¢ | ~$640 | Yes, $15+ per dispute |
| PayPal | 3.49% + 49¢ | ~$798 | Yes, $20+ per dispute |
| Square | 2.6% + 10¢ | ~$540 | Yes |
| BitPay | 1% | ~$200 | No |
| CryptoGate | 0% | Plan fee only (~$0–29) | No |
At $20,000/month, switching from Stripe to CryptoGate saves roughly $600/month — $7,200/year — before counting any chargeback costs avoided.
What Does CryptoGate's Pricing Actually Look Like?
CryptoGate uses flat monthly plans. The Starter plan is completely free. Business and Professional plans unlock features like webhooks, higher transaction limits, and priority support — at a flat monthly fee that does not scale with your revenue.
A merchant processing $5,000/month and one processing $500,000/month pay the same plan fee. Your fees do not grow with your success.
Summary: Choosing the Right Gateway on Fees Alone
If cost is your primary criterion:
- Zero transaction fees + no chargebacks: CryptoGate (non-custodial, direct to wallet)
- Low transaction fees + optional fiat: NOWPayments or CoinPayments
- Fiat conversion built in: BitPay or Coinbase Commerce (1% + spread)
- Card processing as fallback: Stripe or Square (2.6–2.9%, chargebacks included)