Updated June 2024

If you review your merchant bank statements regularly, you may be curious about a recurring fee you've noticed on your statement that's identified as “MTOT Disc.” MTOT Disc is a shortened version of the phrase “merchant account total discount fee,” referring to the monthly fee your bank deducts as a direct charge for its services. To break MTOT DISC further, the MTOT refers to "merchant total" and the DISC for "Discount."

Discount in this case refers to a discount rate, or percentage-based charges. This doesn't mean there is an MTOT 'discount' that takes a percentage off the price.

Many banks choose to keep the MTOT Disc bankcard fee hidden from monthly statements, so you may not be able to access the costs until you're looking back at your yearly expenses. This type of system can make things more complicated as you're trying to determine your business's monthly expenses.

Read on to learn more about the MTOT Disc fee and why some banks charge it.

Why Is MTOT Disc on Your Bank Statement?

Many financial institutions automatically deduct Bankcard MTOT Disc charges from your bank account. Confusion typically arises due to how the bank reports the charges to you. While some banks hide the MTOT fee for merchant accounts on monthly statements, others want to be transparent about monthly payments and include the MTOT on all invoices. It simply depends on the financial institution.

If your bank chooses to disclose MTOT costs every month, you may see a Bankcard MTOT Disc charge directly on your merchant account statement. Certain banks choose to deduct this charge as an annual fee. With this system, instead of seeing consistent, monthly deductions of $10, you may see one $120 fee taken out at the end of the year.

Regardless of how your bank handles MTOT Disc fees, you should be able to find the fee in the terms of service clause from your bank.

How Much Will MTOT Disc Cost?

The MTOT Disc fee will vary depending on your bank, the type of business you own and your business's size. The exact cost of your MTOT discount rate will be unique to your situation, as merchant account providers consider many factors before determining an appropriate fee.

Generally, MTOT charges will range between $40 and $150 per month. Ask your provider directly if you have questions about what MTOT covers and how your bank determines your specific business's fee. They should be able to give you more information about the charge's details.

Additionally, consider asking about these charges at the onset of your account. The bank must inform you of all fees when you open an account. Ask specifically for an estimate of your business's MTOT Disc fee to get a better idea of how much you'll have to pay right away.

How to Respond When You Identify Unjustified Merchant Processing Fees

Many banks try to communicate regular deductions and fees, either when you open your merchant account or directly on your statement. However, it can be easy to miss key details, get wrapped up in miscommunications or even forget about certain fees. Here's what you should do when you spot an unjustified charge.

Contact Your Bank

Contact your bank as soon as possible when you see a questionable fee taken from your account on your monthly statement. If you notice a charge that seems unusual or much higher than previous deductions, you should dispute the charge in 60 days or less from the date it appeared on your bank statement. This time frame is usually the window banks give you to report potential errors and get your money back.

Consistent ambiguous charges may be cause enough to reexamine your merchant account provider and consider opting for a more transparent organization. It's crucial to work with a financial institution that values honesty. After all, you're trusting them with a significant part of your business — your money.

Are Processing Fees Transparent?

While no one enjoys seeing extra fees taken out of their account, clarity in processing fees can help you understand where your money is going and why.

Many providers understand the need to identify and explain processing fees to increase your comfort level and trust in their services. When you open a new account, ensure your provider is straightforward about regular fees and is willing to discuss standard deductions openly. The bank should be clear and honest with you right from the start, so you can feel respected and secure in your finances.

The best approach is to be direct and politely ask about regular fees if your provider doesn't bring up the subject first.

How to Estimate Monthly Fees

While no one enjoys seeing extra fees taken out of their account, clarity in processing fees can help you understand where your money is going and why.

Many providers understand the need to identify and explain processing fees to increase your comfort level and trust in their services. When you open a new account, ensure your provider is straightforward about regular fees and is willing to discuss standard deductions openly. The bank should be clear and honest with you right from the start, so you can feel respected and secure in your finances.

The best approach is to be direct and politely ask about regular fees if your provider doesn't bring up the subject first.

How to Estimate Monthly Fees

When you first register for your bank account, you should expect your provider to disclose any regular fees upfront. If you're still unsure of monthly charges or deductions, ask the bank directly for clarification. Doing so at the onset of your merchant account can give you a better understanding of how much it'll cost you to keep your account open while clearing up any future misunderstandings.

The MTOT charge is usually listed in the terms of agreement you sign when you register for a new account. If you know to look for it in advance, you may be able to pinpoint how much you'll pay in monthly fees.

Typical Monthly Processing Fees

An MTOT fee is a common cause for confusion among users, as it isn't explicitly defined and you may never have heard of the term before. Unless you thoroughly pour over your terms of agreement, you may not be aware of it until you see it listed on your bank statement — if the bank chooses to include it.

Besides the MTOT Disc charge, there are other types of process fees your bank may list. Make sure you're familiar with the basic terms for regular account charges so you can factor the costs into your monthly budgets. Listed below are a few of the most common categories and phrases banks use to identify regular deductions:

• Processing Fees and Authorization fees: Authorization fees, also calledtransaction fees, reflect what your bank charges each time you authorize a credit or debit card payment. You should expect to pay a fee for processing transactions. This fee depends on your payment processing volume. This charge is different from an electronic authorization fee, which refers to the amount charged for credit card payments for online purchases.
  • To calculate this processing fee, simply divide the total bankcard mtot disc by your total processed volume each month. Typically, it averages about 2%-4% to process transactions.
• Monthly fees: The phrase “monthly fee” usually relates to costs associated with accepting credit cards as payment via your merchant account.
• Annual fees: These costs are deducted once per year as a lump sum. Many banks let you change your account settings to indicate yearly fees on each of your invoices. This process can help you adjust each month to prepare for these deductions.
• Statement fees: Some banks charge a statement fee, typically for a paper statement mailed to your house. You can usually eliminate this small fee by switching to online statements. This means the financial institution sees a cost savings because they don't have to pay for paper or stamps, and they pass that on to you. Switching to online statements is probably the easiest way to save money on your charged monthly services.
• MTOT Disc and BTOT fees: These terms may appear on your statement to cover any of the costs listed above. MTOT Disc is a shortened form of your “monthly total,” and BTOT is your bank's total.

MTOT vs. BTOT

Understanding an MTOT Disc and other related fees is essential so you can recognize what you're paying for and where your money is going.

Along with MTOT fees and bankcard deductions, you may occasionally see the word “BTOT” on your bank statement. While a BTOT isn't quite the same as an MTOT, the two are very similar. This word is another term banks use to describe the fees they take out of your account to cover basic processes.

BTOT is a shortened version of the phrase “banker's total” and refers to the total amount deducted in exchange for the bank's services. When you see “MTOT” on your statement, you can assume it's a monthly fee. On the other hand, a BTOT could be an annual fee that reflects the total costs associated with your provider's services.

If you're unsure of any of the charges you see on your statement, you should contact your provider right away to ensure you're not being overcharged.

Are Rates and Fees Different?

Frequently, banks use the terms “rate” and “fee” to describe charges taken from your account. While many people think of them as the same thing, rates and fees have distinct meanings. When you open a merchant account, you'll likely have to pay two types of costs, and rates and fees are how your provider categorizes your expenses.

The rates are what you pay each time one of your customers pays using a credit card. A fee is an amount you pay your provider to keep your account open — fees include monthly and annual expenses, along with the MTOT Disc and BTOT fee.

Additionally, credit card processing fees are typically set by card networks, which determine interchange rates and assessment fees. While all providers pay the same card rates and fees, your provider will set their markup prices so they can make a profit.

What Is MTOT Disc's Relation to BankCard?

Occasionally, the MTOT Disc line on your statement may include the word “bankcard.” When you don't understand the context of this word, you may wonder if your account was charged with an unnecessary or false deduction. This specific word can confuse some users, as they may assume that the company BankCard USA charged them at random.

In most cases, when banks deduct a bankcard MTOT Disc fee, it refers to the fact that your business accepts credit and debit cards. The term “bankcard” is an easy way for banks to identify merchant accounts that accept card payments at their business. Bankcard MTOT Disc feeshave no direct correlation with BankCard USA.

Can You Remove MTOT Disc Fees?

If you're unprepared to pay the MTOT fee listed on your statement or weren't informed about MTOT Disc fees in advance, you may wonder whether you can have the cost removed. While you can dispute individual charges when they appear unusually large or irregular in another way, you'll typically have to adhere to your provider's general guidelines regarding regular payments.

Each bank and account provider has an individual policy to cover the costs it pays so you can maintain an active merchant account. Since your provider pays the associated fees for you to keep your merchant account open, you can expect to reimburse the provider with some form of regular account deduction.

A bank may not identify its monthly fees as MTOT Disc fees, but you'll probably have to pay the same charges under a different name. Ask your account holder how it structures its regular fees, so you know what to expect and how to organize your budget based on these added expenses.

Can You Avoid Hidden Fees on Your Merchant Account?

Sometimes, like with a paper statement fee, you can remove a hidden fee once you find out about it. However, in many cases, hidden fees will stay in place even after you learn about them. That's the case with common fees like the MTOT DISC Bankcard, authorization fees, and annual fees. The real key to avoiding hidden fees is to find payment processors that are transparent through the account setup process.

Hopefully, your payment processor disclosed any hidden fees at the onset of your merchant account. Regardless, it's common for some costs to catch you off guard. Whether you missed seeing them in your terms of agreement or simply forgot about them, hidden fees can sneak up on you and be an unexpected expense.

The best way to avoid hidden fees is to choose a payment processor that offers complete clarity in their payment processes. If the provider refuses to discuss its fees or system for deducting clients' charges, consider looking elsewhere for merchant account services.

Make Zen Payments your Merchant Services Provider

Zen Payments offers complete openness and flexibility in the merchant services industry. We offer a reliable, committed merchant account solution for industries deemed high-risk and give all businesses access to convenient, fast and secure payment methods such as debit and credit cards.

At Zen Payments, we're a merchant services provider that's invested in helping your company succeed for the long haul. We can help you put a long-term strategy in place to keep your merchant account open for as long as your business requires it. Count on us to give you the support you need for your business to succeed anywhere in the nation.

Complete our contact form today and get in touch with one of our experts to find your zen.