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How much does a PIX payment gateway cost? How to compare fees
Published on by Astron Pay
Comparing PIX payment gateways by the advertised fee alone is misleading. The real cost depends on how the fee is composed, on volume tiers and on what is — or isn't — included. Here's how to compare fairly.
Fixed fee + percentage
Most gateways charge a combination of a fixed fee per transaction (in reais) plus a percentage of the amount. For small tickets, the fixed fee weighs more; for large tickets, the percentage dominates.
So there is no single "best" fee: the effective cost depends on your average ticket. Simulate with your own values before deciding.
Volume tiers
Serious gateways adjust the fee by transacted-volume tier: the more you move, the lower the percentage. A single table for everyone usually hides a high margin for high-volume merchants.
When comparing, ask for the per-tier table and project your monthly volume — the gap between tiers can exceed the gap between providers.
Watch for hidden fees
The advertised price rarely tells the whole story. Check: is there a cost per webhook, per query, per payout (cash-out), per refund? Is there a monthly fee or setup? Does a sandbox cost extra?
Add all of that to the per-transaction cost to reach the real cost of the operation.
What's included matters
Two offers with the same fee can have very different value. Reliable webhooks, per-order reconciliation and an unlimited sandbox lower your integration and operating cost — even if they don't show up on the price sheet.
How Astron prices it
Astron Pay's fee is set by volume tier, from R$ 0.15 per PIX plus a percentage — no single table, no surprises. Webhooks, reconciliation and an unlimited sandbox are already included.
Astron Pay
The Astron Pay Team builds the PIX and stablecoin infrastructure companies use to receive, convert and pay in Brazil. We write about what we learn running payments in production.