How Much Money Are You Really Losing to Payment Processing? 💰

Last month, I sat with Linh, a nail technician who'd been in business for five years. When we first met in 2020, Linh mentioned paying "a little over 2%" for credit card processing and thought that was reasonable. The idea for Round was born when we calculated her actual costs.

"Wait," she said, staring at my calculator. "That's almost half my rent."

It reminded me of my grandma, who ran our family plumbing company's books because someone had to. "Gramy", as we called her, didn't need a diploma to know every penny mattered because she'd lived the reality of thin margins. She would have been furious to discover that advertised "2.9% + $0.30" was actually costing upwards of 10% when you include hardware, software, and expedited payout fees.

The Real Math Behind "Competitive" Processing Fees

Here's what most beauty and wellness professionals don't realize: that advertised 2.9% is for domestic credit card transactions. Traditional payment processing has perfected death by a thousand cuts.

Linh's Monthly Reality using a beauty SaaS platform and a P2P app for her salon:

• Processing fees (4.4% on $10k): $440
• Hardware rental: $59
• "Expedited" payouts: $175
• Per transaction fees: $30

Total monthly cost: $704 

Annual cost: $8,448

"I could pay my car off quicker with that money," Linh said. "Or finally get the pedicure chairs I've been wanting."

What $700 Monthly Actually Buys

Linh switched to Round for our MVP and immediately started keeping that $704 monthly. She’s projecting the following upgrades to her business and quality of life:

• Month 2: Purchase a new UV gel system ($400) and host a team dinner ($200) 
• Month 4: Upgrade to premium pedicure chairs ($2,188)
• Month 6: Hire a part-time assistant for weekends and events

"Round didn't just save me money," she told me. "It gave me my business back."

There Has to Be a Better Way

Round uses transparent surcharging - your clients pay the estimated 4% cost of payment processing upfront, and you keep your service prices, plus tips.

Your costs with Round:

• Processing fees: $0 (when you activate surcharging)
• Hardware rental: $0 (use your phone)
• Software fees: $0 (business tools included)
• Expedited payouts: $0 (daily payouts standard)

Your monthly savings: $400-700+

Keep What You Earn

You earned that money. You should keep it.

Linh's story isn't unique - it's the reality for thousands of beauty and wellness professionals who've been told payment processing fees are "just the cost of doing business."

They're not. They're a choice.

Ready to see how much you could save?

Download Round and start keeping 100% of what you earn.