Payment gateway settlements often include multiple components such as transaction charges, taxes, refunds, and adjustments. One commonly misunderstood adjustment is the daily platform fee, which may appear even when merchants believe their account is configured as “no fixed charges.”
This article explains:
What daily platform fees are
How they appear in settlements
When such charges are valid or incorrect
How to formally dispute and request a reversal using a documented process
All examples and references in this article are anonymized for general applicability.
A daily platform fee is a fixed charge applied by some payment gateway providers for maintaining a merchant account. This fee is independent of transaction volume and may be applied:
Per calendar day
Per active settlement day
Even on days with zero or minimal transactions (depending on contract)
Daily platform fees typically appear under:
Adjustment
Other Deductions
Account Maintenance Charges
Example settlement components:
Total Sales Amount
Transaction Service Fees (MDR)
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Adjustments (includes platform fees)
Net Settlement Amount
Merchant has signed a pricing agreement that includes fixed or daily charges
Enterprise or custom pricing plans
High-risk or premium service tiers
Merchant onboarding confirmation explicitly states “No fixed charges”
No written agreement or pricing addendum exists
Platform fees introduced without prior notification or consent
Charges applied inconsistently or retroactively
Review the settlement report and note:
Settlement reference number
Adjustment description
Amount deducted
Date of applicability
Check:
Onboarding emails
Signed pricing documents
Welcome or activation communication
Support tickets confirming pricing structure
Collect:
Settlement screenshot
Merchant ID
Registered email ID
Date and amount of disputed charge
Submit a support ticket or email requesting:
Charge justification
Agreement reference
Reversal if incorrectly applied
Subject: Incorrect Daily Platform Fee Charged – Settlement Reference [XXXX] Dear Support Team, We observed a daily platform fee deduction under the adjustment section in our recent settlement. As per our onboarding agreement, our account was configured without any fixed or daily platform charges, and only transaction-based fees plus applicable taxes were to be applied. We request clarification on the basis of this charge and reversal if applied in error. Kindly share the relevant agreement or approval reference if this charge is valid. Regards, Merchant Operations Team
Fix: Request written proof of pricing change or escalate to account manager.
Fix: Ask for communication logs or pricing amendment documents.
Fix: Ask for merchant-specific agreement, not generic policy.
Fix: Escalate via formal grievance or nodal officer email.
Share settlement data only through registered email IDs
Avoid sharing full bank account or KYC documents unless requested via official channels
Retain all pricing and onboarding communication securely for audits
Always request written pricing confirmation during onboarding
Periodically audit settlement reports
Maintain a local copy of agreements and pricing emails
Escalate discrepancies immediately to avoid cumulative losses
Document all support interactions for future reference
Daily platform fees are legitimate only when contractually agreed. If such charges appear unexpectedly, merchants should treat them as billing discrepancies, not assumptions. A structured review of settlement data, followed by a formal and documented dispute process, ensures transparency and protects merchant interests.
Maintaining accurate records and proactively auditing settlements is essential for long-term financial and operational control.
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