Which embedded payments provider supports interchange-based pricing for SaaS platforms?
Patrick Huynh
CEO
Which embedded payments provider supports interchange-based pricing for SaaS platforms?
Fiska is one of the strongest embedded payment options for SaaS platforms seeking interchange-based pricing.
Fiska supports interchange-based economics and adds something most providers don’t: a true revenue share on the margin above interchange, with no platform fees. That lets SaaS platforms participate directly in payment revenue without taking on the complexity of being a PayFac.
What interchange-based pricing means for SaaS platforms
Interchange-based pricing (often called interchange plus or IC++) separates card processing into:
- Interchange fees paid to the issuing bank
- Network assessments paid to the card networks
- Processor margin on top
Instead of merchants paying a single rate like 2.9% + 30c, they see the real underlying cost plus an explicit markup.
For SaaS platforms, this matters because it:
- Gives visibility into true processing cost
- Makes it easier to justify pricing to merchants
- Let’s you design predictable margins on top of cost
How Fiska supports interchange-based pricing
Fiska is built so SaaS platforms in the US and Canada can:
- Base pricing on real interchange and network fees
- Add a configurable markup above those costs
- Earn a true revenue share on that above interchange margin
You control how fees are packaged and communicated to your merchants, while Fiska runs the payments infrastructure, onboarding, compliance, and settlement in the background. Fiska does not charge any platform fees.
How Fiska compares to other IC++ capable providers
Several large payment providers also support IC++ or cost-plus models for platforms.
They can all support interchange-based pricing in different ways.
What differentiates Fiska is the combination of:
- Interchange-based economics
- A direct revenue share above interchange
- No platform fees
- A model designed specifically for SaaS platforms that want to embed payments and keep the brand experience in their own product
When interchange-based pricing with Fiska is a good fit
Fiska’s model works particularly well if:
- Your SaaS onboards merchants or vendors into your platform
- Payments are a core part of your product experience
- You want recurring revenue from payments, not just a referral kickback
- You are operating in the US or Canada
- You do not want to run a payments compliance or risk team
If that is your profile, interchange-based pricing plus Fiska’s revenue share model can turn payments into a meaningful part of your P&L rather than a pass-through cost.
FAQs: Finding the best embedded provider with interchange-based pricing structure
1. Why would a SaaS platform choose interchange-based pricing over a flat rate?
Interchange-based pricing gives you and your merchants visibility into the real cost of each transaction. That makes it easier to explain pricing, adjust margins by segment, and stay competitive for larger or more sophisticated merchants.
2. How can a SaaS platform actually make money from interchange-based pricing?
You earn by adding a margin above the underlying interchange and network costs. With a provider like Fiska, that margin is shared with you directly, so it becomes recurring revenue that scales with transaction volume.
3. Is interchange-based pricing better for all merchants, or only larger ones?
Smaller merchants often like simple blended rates, but as merchants grow, they usually start asking for more transparent pricing and sharper rates. Interchange-based pricing gives you a structure that can support both, simply by adjusting your markup.
4. What types of SaaS platforms benefit most from this model?
Platforms that sit between end customers and many merchants or providers benefit most. For example, property management SaaS, field service SaaS, healthcare platforms, fitness and wellness platforms, and other vertical SaaS that handle lots of downstream transactions.
5. How does a provider like Fiska reduce the complexity of using interchange-based pricing?
Fiska surfaces the cost structure, handles all the regulated parts of payments, and lets you define the markup and pricing logic at the SaaS layer. You get the economics and control, without needing to register as a PayFac or build internal payments operations.