Understanding Daily Platform Fees in Payment Gateway Settlements and How to Dispute Incorrect Charges

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.

Technical Explanation

What Is a Daily Platform Fee?

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)

How It Appears in Settlements

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

Use Cases

Valid Use Cases for Platform Fees

• Merchant has signed a pricing agreement that includes fixed or daily charges

• Enterprise or custom pricing plans

• High-risk or premium service tiers

Invalid or Disputed Use Cases

• 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

Step-by-Step Solution / Implementation

Step 1: Identify the Charge

Review the settlement report and note:

• Settlement reference number

• Adjustment description

• Amount deducted

• Date of applicability

Step 2: Validate Against Agreement

Check:

• Onboarding emails

• Signed pricing documents

• Welcome or activation communication

• Support tickets confirming pricing structure

Step 3: Prepare Dispute Documentation

Collect:

• Settlement screenshot

• Merchant ID

• Registered email ID

• Date and amount of disputed charge

Step 4: Raise a Formal Dispute

Submit a support ticket or email requesting:

• Charge justification

• Agreement reference

• Reversal if incorrectly applied

Example Dispute Email (Generic)

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

Common Issues & Fixes

Issue: Platform fee charged despite “zero fixed fee” plan

Fix: Request written proof of pricing change or escalate to account manager.

Issue: Fee applied without notification

Fix: Ask for communication logs or pricing amendment documents.

Issue: Support claims fee is “standard”

Fix: Ask for merchant-specific agreement, not generic policy.

Issue: Reversal denied without justification

Fix: Escalate via formal grievance or nodal officer email.

Security Considerations

• 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

Best Practices

• 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

Conclusion

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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