Such options are provided by the myriad of Authorize.net resellers -- each trying to successfully compete for the merchant's contract.  Many full-service merchant account providers, in particular, will discount their Authorize.net fees in order to win an account.  Although it may seem counter-intuitive to obtain Authorize.net from a reseller (we're always taught to go directly to the source), you can find lower Authorize.net fees than the ones listed on the company's website.

Obviously, to make an accurate comparison, you should be aware of the following individual rates.

Authorize.net Fees

Gateway setup fee - This is the cost of obtaining the license, if you will, to use the Authorize.net gateway.  Auth.net posts that their setup fee is $99.  You can find processors who will waive any initial startup cost.

Monthly gateway fee - As the name suggests, this is the fee that you will pay per month to access the gateway.  Auth.net posts a $20 monthly fee but there are processors who will slash that cost in half, or perhaps lower that expense even more.

Gateway transaction fee - This is a flat fee that you will pay per transaction and distinguished from the discount percentage and transaction fee set by the processor.  Auth.net lists a gateway transaction fee of 20 cents, but again, you can easily reduce this charge by finding the best Authorize.net reseller.

Batch fee - Assuming you have at least one transaction for a given day, Authorize.net automatically batches it out to settle funds.  Auth.net touts that their batch fee is 25 cents.  Many processors waive any batch fee, a seemingly modest savings at first; however over time, such savings can be significant.  Please note that you will pay some cost for the batch in that Auth.net considers a batch a transaction.  At the very least, therefore, the batch will entail the gateway transaction fee, listed above.

The aforementioned list of rates is not exhaustive as Authorize.net offers other services (recurring billing, customer service manager, advanced fraud detection suite, etc.),  But Auth.net generally governs these rates so you should not find any difference among processors to obtain these value added services should you choose to do so.

All in all, while it seems very convenient and quick to go directly to Authorize.net to obtain the gateway, please note that you will still have to obtain a merchant account if this is your selected route.  In the long run, however, it will be cheaper and more time-efficient to contract with a discount, full-service merchant account provider -- one that offers the lowest Authorize.net fees / Authorize.net pricing.

Of course, you have to look at the processor's TOTAL costs but paying less for Authorize.net is a promising start.