Self storage payment processing fees explained

Card payments at self storage facilities typically cost 2.5% to 3.5% of each transaction, according to Coastal Payment Systems, a company that sells storage software and payment processing. Bank transfers (ACH) cost far less, typically under 1% and often capped at a few dollars, per Cubby, which also sells storage software. A percentage model like the 0.3% platform fee we charge on rent processed is a software fee. It does not by itself tell you the full cost of taking a card, so get every rate in writing.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Fee and surcharge rules vary by state, so check the rules where you operate with a local attorney.

Quick version

• Card payments are the largest cost. Coastal puts typical card fees at 2.5% to 3.5% per transaction (checked October 30, 2026).
• ACH is much cheaper. StorageOwnerAdvisor says it usually costs $0.25 to $0.75 flat, or 0.5 to 1 percent capped at a few dollars.
• Vendors bill in three common ways: a flat rate per transaction, a percentage platform fee, or a surcharge or dual price passed to tenants.
• Hidden costs sit in monthly charges, setup fees, add-ons and old processing agreements.
• Compare vendors by total yearly cost, not by the headline software price.

What a card payment costs

A card fee is not one charge. It is a stack. Cubby's article, which comes from a vendor that sells integrated processing, describes a typical flat rate of 2.9% + $0.30 for a $120 rent paid with a rewards card. Here is the arithmetic: 2.9% of $120 is $3.48, and $3.48 plus $0.30 is $3.78. Cubby gives the same total fee of about $3.78.

The pieces underneath that flat rate are:

• Interchange. Cubby says premium rewards credit cards paid online run roughly 2.5% to 3%.
• Card network fees. Cubby puts these at around 0.13% to 0.14% plus small per-transaction fees. StorageOwnerAdvisor says assessment fees usually run around 0.13 to 0.15 percent and are not negotiable.
• Card-not-present premium. Rent is paid online, by phone or by stored card on autopay. Cubby says these payments cost roughly 0.3 to 0.5 points more in interchange than in-person payments.

The number that matters is your effective rate: total fees divided by total card volume. Cubby says a healthy effective rate for card-not-present businesses like storage generally lands around 2% to 3%. Inside Self Storage says small businesses typically pay an effective rate of 3% or higher.

ACH costs less, but it is slower

A direct bank withdrawal is the cheapest way to collect rent. StorageOwnerAdvisor says ACH usually costs $0.25 to $0.75 flat, or 0.5 to 1 percent capped at a few dollars. It compares that with 2.5 to 3.5 percent on a credit card for a $200 monthly rent payment.

On a $200 monthly rent, one industry guide puts card fees at 2.5 to 3.5 percent. That works out to $200 times 0.025, or $5.00, at the low end and $200 times 0.035, or $7.00, at the high end. The same guide says an ACH payment usually costs $0.25 to $0.75 flat, which is a fraction of that.

There are tradeoffs. StorageOwnerAdvisor says credit and debit cards make up 70 to 80% of payment methods at self-storage facilities, and ACH makes up 10 to 20%. Speed and disputes matter too. Stripe notes that ACH can take up to 4 business days to confirm success or failure, and a personal-account holder can dispute a debit through their bank for up to 60 days. That is a fact from our own online rentals page, which cites Stripe.

Our view: offer ACH at sign-up and on autopay, but do not expect every tenant to choose it. Plan your budget around cards.

Three ways software bills for processing

No model is free. Each one decides who pays and how the cost scales.

The 0.3% model versus per-transaction charges

Per-transaction pricing has a fixed part and a percentage part. The fixed part hurts more on small payments. Take the $0.30 in a 2.9% + $0.30 rate on a $120 rent. $0.30 divided by $120 is 0.0025, or 0.25%, before the percentage is added.

A percentage platform fee has no fixed part. Our pricing page says a 0.3% platform fee applies to rent processed through Stitch. Our online rentals page works one example: a single saved rental at $95 is $1,140 a year, and the 0.3% platform fee on that rent is $3.42 for the year. The check is $1,140 times 0.003, which is $3.42. Our page also says your plan price is separate: Starter $39 or Pro $99 a month.

Here is the honest limit of that comparison. The 0.3% is the software's share. It is not the whole cost of moving money from a tenant's card to your bank. Whichever vendor you pick, ask for the all-in cost on a card payment and on an ACH payment, in a written quote.

Our view: a percentage platform fee is easier to forecast than a stack of fixed fees, because it moves with your rent roll. Still, forecast the total, not the one line you were shown.

Hidden fees to look for

Use this checklist when you read a quote or a contract.

• Monthly and add-on charges. Inside Self Storage says flat-rate programs often add monthly charges and additional fees to the per-transaction rate.
• Billed apart from the plan. 6storage.com, which promotes its own storage software, says payment processing is almost always billed separately as a percentage fee. It also says cloud-based access control is usually billed as a separate add-on.
• Setup fees. SoftwareConnect says setup fees usually range from $250 to $5,000. 6storage.com says setup fees should not exceed one month of service.
• Migration and training costs. 6storage.com lists these as a step in comparing vendors. Our free migration in 48 hours is one way to take that cost out.
• Old processing agreements. StorageOwnerAdvisor says a poorly negotiated agreement can add $3,000 to $5,000 in annual fees without anyone noticing.
• Contract terms. 6storage.com says most contracts run month-to-month or annually, with month-to-month more common for smaller operators.

A worked example with real figures

Coastal Payment Systems, which sells storage software and processing, publishes a sample facility. The facility has 300 units at an average rent of $120 a month, which Coastal says generates about $36,000 in monthly revenue. In its example, software costs $200 a month and processing fees are $1,080 a month, for a total yearly cost of $15,360.

Here is the arithmetic. $200 plus $1,080 is $1,280 a month, and 12 times $1,280 is $15,360. Processing is $1,080 divided by $36,000, which is 0.03, or 3% of revenue. Processing is the bigger line, which is why it deserves most of your attention.

A second data point comes from StorageOwnerAdvisor. It says processing fees on a 500-unit facility doing $400,000 a year in card payments add up to $10,000 to $14,000 annually at typical rates. That works out to $10,000 divided by $400,000, or 2.5%, up to $14,000 divided by $400,000, or 3.5%.

Surcharges and dual pricing

Some owners move card costs to tenants. The rules are strict and change by place.

• Cubby says card-network rules permit credit-card surcharges up to 3% or your actual cost of acceptance, whichever is lower.
• Inside Self Storage says surcharge limits vary by state and can be 2%, 3% or prohibited altogether.
• Cubby says surcharging debit or prepaid cards is prohibited by network rules and federal law.
• Inside Self Storage says differential pricing, when implemented correctly, is allowed in every state. It cites the 2016 Supreme Court case Expressions Hair Design v. Schneiderman, in which the Court said businesses have a First Amendment right to display two prices.

These are summaries from industry sources, not legal advice. Confirm your state's rules and your wording with an attorney before you add a fee to a lease or a website.

How to compare quotes

Use the method 6storage.com recommends, and add the processing questions.

1. List every vendor's base monthly price.
2. Add payment processing fees. Ask for the rate on cards and on ACH, plus any monthly or per-batch charges.
3. Add access control or hardware sync fees.
4. Add training or migration costs.
5. Divide the total by your unit count.
6. Put the quote in writing, with the effective rate you should expect.

Then set a reminder. StorageOwnerAdvisor recommends calling your processor every 18 to 24 months to ask for a review. It also says a 50 basis point difference in your effective rate compounds into thousands of dollars a year. For more on weighing vendors, see our guide on how to choose self storage software.

Where we fit

We publish our prices: Starter is $39 a month for one facility and up to 50 units, Pro is $99 a month, and each additional facility is $59 a month. The 0.3% platform fee applies to rent processed. There are no contracts, and you can export your data anytime. Details on how rent collection and autopay work are on our payments and autopay page.

Our view: the best software price is the one that stays clear after you add processing, setup and add-ons. If a vendor will not put the all-in cost in writing, that tells you something.

If you want to see how our fee looks on your own rent roll, you can Start your free 30-day trial. It needs no card, and we do the data move for you in 48 hours.

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Check surcharge, dual pricing and fee rules with a local attorney.