# Settlement Fees Here’s the page rendered for readability. Settlement fees apply to settlement funding activity, not to individual payment tender types. Use this FAQ to understand when a settlement fee applies, how it differs from payment or tender fees, and how to interpret settlement fee fields during onboarding. #### Are settlement fees charged per tender type? No. Settlement fees are not charged per tender type. A settlement fee applies when Bead moves settled funds from the Bead FBO account to the merchant’s bank account or another configured destination account. That movement is independent of whether the underlying payments were made with PayPal, Venmo, Klarna, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Lightning, USDC, or another supported tender. For example, if a merchant has PayPal and Bitcoin payments included in the same ACH settlement movement, the settlement fee is tied to the ACH settlement movement. It is not calculated once for PayPal and again for Bitcoin. #### When does a settlement fee apply? A settlement fee applies only when there are eligible funds to settle and a settlement movement is created. If there are no eligible transactions or funds to settle, Bead does not create a settlement movement for those funds, and a settlement fee is not generated for that settlement activity. Settlement fees are activity-based. They do not recur on their own simply because a merchant is enabled, a terminal is active, or a tender type is configured. #### What can affect the settlement fee? The applicable settlement fee may depend on the settlement method or program configuration. Common examples include: * ACH settlement fee * Wire settlement fee * Settlement return fee, if a settlement transfer is returned These fees are separate from tender-specific transaction fees. The settlement method may affect the settlement fee, but the tender type used by the consumer does not. #### How are settlement fees different from payment fees? Payment fees are tied to payment activity. Depending on the program and tender, these may include crypto processing fees, digital wallet fees, per-item fees, refund fees, or chargeback fees. Settlement fees are tied to the movement of settled funds to a merchant account or configured destination account. The distinction is: * Payment fees relate to the transaction or tender used by the consumer. * Settlement fees relate to the funding movement after transactions are ready to settle. For crypto payments, wallet or network fees are also separate from Bead settlement fees. Network fees are associated with blockchain payment movement and are not the same as a settlement fee charged when settled funds are transferred to a merchant or destination account. #### How should integrators model settlement fees? Integrators should model settlement fees separately from tender-specific payment fees. Do not calculate settlement fees once per tender type. Instead, treat settlement fees as fees associated with the settlement event, settlement transfer, or funding method, depending on the merchant’s program configuration. A practical model is: * Use payment and reporting data to understand which transactions occurred and which tender types were used. * Use settlement data to understand how those transactions were grouped, funded, and reconciled. * Display settlement fees with the settlement record or funding movement, not as part of each tender’s payment fee. #### Examples A merchant accepts PayPal and Bitcoin during the day. Both are included in a single ACH settlement movement. The settlement fee is based on the ACH settlement movement, not on the number of tender types in the settlement. A merchant has no eligible settled transactions for a settlement cycle. No settlement movement is created for those funds, so no settlement fee applies for that activity. A merchant is settled by wire instead of ACH. The applicable wire settlement fee may apply based on the merchant’s program configuration. A settlement transfer is returned. A settlement return fee may apply if configured for the merchant’s program. #### Related topics For general settlement concepts, see [Settlement](/settlement.md). For fee fields used during onboarding, see the [Fee Information Reference](/onboarding/fee-configuration-for-onboarding-applications.md) in the onboarding sample payload. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. 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