SaaS Pricing Simulator

Why net profit after fees matters

Every SaaS pricing model looks great until payment processing takes its cut. Stripe, PayPal, and merchant-of-record platforms charge a percentage plus a fixed fee on every transaction — and that fixed fee hits low-priced monthly plans surprisingly hard. This simulator shows what you actually keep after fees, so you price with eyes open.

How it's calculated

• Paid customers = Free-tier users × Conversion rate
• Gross MRR = Paid customers × Price × Seats
• Processing fees = Gross MRR × processor % + (monthly charges × fixed fee)
• Net MRR = Gross MRR − Processing fees, and Net ARR = Net MRR × 12

Annual billing reduces fees because an annual plan is charged once a year instead of twelve times — so the fixed per-transaction fee is paid 1× instead of 12×.

Typical payment processor fees

• Stripe / PayPal: ~2.9–3.5% + a fixed per-transaction fee.
• Merchant of record (Paddle, Lemon Squeezy): ~5% + fixed — higher, but they handle global sales tax/VAT for you.
• Exact rates vary by country, card type, and currency — treat these as planning estimates and confirm with your provider.

How to keep more of every dollar

• Push annual billing — fewer transactions means less fixed-fee drag and better cash flow.
• Raise low price points — the fixed fee is a big % of a $5 plan but tiny on a $50 plan.
• Reduce failed payments with smart retries (involuntary churn quietly erodes net revenue).