A FIELD GUIDE TO THE WAY MONEY MOVES LOCAL RESEARCH EDITION
THE WORKBENCH / MAKE THE ASSUMPTIONS VISIBLE

Put the numbers
on the same page.

Two small worksheets for two easy-to-miss comparisons. Use the same sales basket for processor quotes and the same sender budget for transfer quotes.

Compare processing costs ↓Compare transfer outcomes ↓Single-plan fee worksheet ↗
WORKSHEET 01 / USD

Two quotes. One sales basket.

Enter identical transaction volume and average sale size for both offers. For an interchange-plus quote, enter an estimated all-in percentage and fixed cost—not just the provider markup.

Defaults are invented examples, not current provider pricing. This simplified model excludes tax, refunds, chargebacks, FX, card-mix variation, hardware, minimums, tiers and other charges unless you deliberately include a fixed monthly charge.

Read the full quote-normalization guide →

Formula and limitations

Gross sales = count × average sale. Cost = gross sales × percentage ÷ 100 + count × fixed fee + monthly fee. Effective rate = cost ÷ gross sales × 100; undefined at zero sales. Identical sales and a linear fee schedule are assumed. Display rounds to cents after calculation; real per-transaction rounding can differ.

Educational arithmetic, not a recommendation or live quote. No values leave this browser. There is no account connection or saving of inputs.

HYPOTHETICAL MONTHLY INPUTS
Quote A
Quote B
QUOTE A
QUOTE B

WORKSHEET 02 / FIXED SENDER BUDGET

The fee is not the whole transfer.

Hold the total sender budget constant in USD. Enter how many units of the same receiving currency each dollar buys. Then include a known receiving-side deduction in that receiving currency.

This compares arithmetic, not service quality, delivery speed or legal rights. Rates are user-entered, not market data. Unknown fees and taxes are not silently estimated. Both quotes must use the same receiving currency and observation time.

Learn to read the disclosure first →

Formula and limitations

Principal converted = sender budget − sender fee. Recipient amount = principal × exchange rate − receiving deduction. Sender fees are assumed to come out of the fixed budget; receiving deductions are assumed fixed. The worksheet rejects a fee above the budget or a deduction above the converted amount.

Educational arithmetic, not a recommendation or live quote. No values leave this browser. There is no account connection or saving of inputs.

SAME BUDGET / SAME CURRENCY
Quote A
Quote B
QUOTE A
QUOTE B