Use the table below to estimate your stack. Pick one option per row (Low / Mid / Premium) and add them up. Processing fees are shown separately because they scale with volume.
| Line item | Low | Mid | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| POS & inventory | $0–69 | $79–119 | $119–299+ |
| High-risk payment gateway | $10–15 | $15–25 | $25–50 |
| Age verification | $0–30 | $30–80 | $80–150 |
| Ecommerce platform | $0–29 | $29–99 | $99–200 |
| Compliance & tax software | $0–49 | $49–150 | $150–300 |
| Shipping (per package) | $8–12 | $10–15 | $12–20 |
| Hardware (amortized) | $0 | $15–30 | $30–80 |
Formula: Monthly stack = (sum of your software line items) + (processing fees: 1.0–2.0% of average monthly card volume) + (per-package shipping × average monthly packages). Example 1 — single store: POS $79 + gateway $20 + age verify $15 + compliance $49 + hardware $20 = $183/month + 1.3% of $40,000 volume = $520 → $703/month all-in. Example 2 — online-only: ecommerce $49 + gateway $20 + age verify $80 + compliance $150 = $299/month + 1.5% of $30,000 = $450 + 400 packages × $12 = $4,800 → ~$5,549/month all-in. Shipping is your biggest line item; negotiate carrier volume pricing early.
