Why is ACH so much cheaper than a card payment?

Card networks charge a percentage of the transaction plus a fixed fee because they are underwriting fraud risk on every swipe. ACH is a bank-to-bank transfer with a much lower, capped percentage cost, since the risk profile is different. On a typical $300 dues payment, the difference is usually tens of dollars.

Does Formtabulous take a percentage of dues payments?

No. Formtabulous adds a flat $1.00 on top of whatever Stripe's own processing cost is, regardless of payment amount or method. There is no percentage layered on top of Stripe's percentage.

What is the Stripe Radar fee shown in the calculator?

Radar is Stripe's automated fraud-screening tool. It is currently included at no extra cost, and Stripe has announced a $0.05 per-transaction fee for it starting January 2027. The calculator shows both figures so associations can plan ahead.

Who pays these processing fees — the HOA or the homeowner?

That is a decision each association makes in its own dues collection setup — some absorb the fee, others pass it through to the paying homeowner. This calculator shows the raw cost either way, before that decision is applied.

HOA Dues Fee Calculator

Enter a dues amount and see exactly what Stripe and Formtabulous take, and how much actually lands in your HOA's bank account — card vs. ACH, side by side.

Illustration of a dollar bill splitting into processing fee and net deposit

Dues amount charged $300

Credit / Debit Card

Stripe processing fee—

Formtabulous fee (flat)—

Net to your HOA today—

Bank Transfer (ACH)

Stripe processing fee—

Formtabulous fee (flat)—

Net to your HOA today—

ACH keeps — more per payment than card on this amount.

Both methods include Stripe's real processing cost, currently included at no extra charge. Stripe has announced a $0.05 per-transaction Radar (fraud screening) fee starting Jan 2027 — on this amount that would bring the net to card: —, ACH: —.

Figures are estimates based on Stripe's published processing rates and Formtabulous's flat $1.00 platform fee. Your actual statement is the source of truth. This tool does not constitute financial advice.

Also see:

Why the gap between card and ACH is so large

Card networks price in fraud risk on every swipe: a percentage of the amount plus a fixed fee, because a stolen card number costs them money the same as a legitimate one. A bank transfer draws directly from a checking account with a slower, more traceable settlement path, so the risk — and the price — is much lower. On small HOAs collecting a few hundred dollars a month per unit, that gap adds up fast across a full community.

How the math works →

Card

Stripe's processing cost is 2.9% of the amount plus $0.30. Formtabulous adds a flat $1.00 on top, regardless of the amount.

ACH

Stripe's processing cost is 0.8% of the amount, capped at $5.00 — so on larger dues payments, ACH's advantage over card gets even bigger. Formtabulous still adds the same flat $1.00.

No percentage on percentage

Formtabulous never charges a percentage of your dues. The only fee beyond Stripe's own cost is the flat $1.00 — verifiable against your own Stripe statement.

Encouraging ACH pays for itself fast

Even a one-time signup incentive — $5 off a homeowner's first payment for choosing ACH — is usually recovered within the second or third dues cycle from the fee savings alone, and every payment after that is pure upside.

See HOA Dues & Payments →