At $600K/month in revenue, 3% card fees + 3% tech stack = $36,000/month gone.
That’s $432,000 per year in margin you’re eating.
You have a choice:
Pass through transparently, or raise price and package it.
But stop subsidizing it.
Most agency founders wouldn’t dream of handing a client a $432,000 invoice for free.
But that’s exactly what’s happening when you absorb card processing fees and tech stack costs.
Here’s how to recover it—cleanly, confidently, and with minimal pushback.
Credit Card Fees: Stop Eating Them
If you accept payments by credit card and don’t charge a fee:
- $600,000 × 3% = $18,000/month lost
- Annualized = $216,000
Rollout Plan:
- Start with new clients now
- Roll out to existing clients at renewal or Quarterly Business Review — don’t mid-contract surprise
- Offer ACH as no-fee option, or card with 3% fee
- Update your proposal templates and SOWs:
- Add one line to pricing summary
- One line in Terms section
Use This Script in Proposals:
“We support ACH at no cost. Card payments include a 3% processing fee. Most clients choose ACH.”
This keeps control in the client’s hands and protects your margin.
Technology Fees: Recover the Cost of Your Delivery Stack
Your stack powers the results your clients rely on:
- Automations
- Dashboards
- Reporting portals
- Communication tools
- Integration infrastructure
All of it creates real value. But most agencies never charge for it.
If your delivery tools cost around $18K/month, you’re likely:
- Delivering better, faster work
- Improving retention and speed
- And silently eroding profit if you’re not charging for it
Fix: Add a 3% “Technology & Infrastructure Fee”
This isn’t fluff. It’s tied directly to performance and outcomes.
Proposal Script:
“To deliver the reporting, automation, and collaboration tools you rely on, we include a 3% technology & infrastructure fee. It covers integrations, dashboards, and systems that ensure speed and performance.”
Renewal/QBR Script:
“We’re aligning billing with how we deliver and invest. You’ll see a 3% tech fee and, if you choose card, a 3% processing fee. ACH remains no cost.”
Total Profit Potential
Let’s recap the math for an agency billing $600,000/month:
| Lever | Monthly | Annual |
| Card fee recovery | $18,000 | $216,000 |
| Tech fee recovery | $18,000 | $216,000 |
| Total Lift | $36,000 | $432,000 |
Even if only half your clients adopt one or both, you’ve still unlocked six figures in annual profit—without more clients or added scope.
What to Measure After Rollout
Track these metrics for the next 90 days:
- Percent of revenue via ACH vs. card
- Tech fee adoption rate
- Monthly profit lift
- Churn or NPS movement
- Collections speed (ACH typically improves this)
If you get consistent pushback on the tech fee:
- Bundle it into your pricing floor
- Keep the ACH/card fee as a separate lever
- You’re still protecting margin while maintaining flexibility
Not Sure Where to Start?
At Argento CPA, we help $2M–$10M agencies tighten pricing, clean up billing, and unlock hidden profit.
We act as your fractional CFO to:
- Audit your proposals, fees, and terms
- Implement pass-through billing without pushback
- Forecast the profit impact of minor changes
- Build systems that scale profit with clarity
Your Next Step
Get Your Agency Profit Benchmark.
We’ll quantify your margin leaks (fees, terms, pricing), show you the dollar upside, and build a 30-day plan.
Next page: Book your 45-minute Diagnostic—you’ll walk away with a pricing and billing roadmap built for scale and sustainability.