We do not quote a rate before we see your mix.
A headline percentage is not a price. What you pay depends on your card mix, transaction count, endpoint count and fixed charges. This page explains how we work it out.
Effective cost is the only number worth comparing
Effective cost = total acquiring, processing, terminal, support and ancillary costs, divided by card turnover for the same period.
Add every cost
Transaction fees, authorisation fees, terminal rental, gateway and portal charges, PCI and account charges, minimum monthly charges and any support fees.
Use one period
Take the same month for costs and for card turnover. Mixing a good month's turnover with a quiet month's charges flatters the result.
Divide
Costs divided by card turnover gives effective cost as a percentage. Compare quotes on that figure, not on the rate printed on the front page.
Why two businesses on the same contract pay different rates
Interchange and scheme costs differ by card type. Your mix, not your contract alone, sets what you actually pay.
Consumer debit
Normally the lowest-cost card type. A business with a high consumer debit share sees an effective cost close to its quoted consumer debit rate.
Consumer credit
Carries higher interchange than debit. A rewards-heavy customer base raises effective cost even with no contract change.
Commercial cards
Company and purchasing cards cost materially more to accept. B2B and hotel trade tend to carry a higher share.
Non-EEA cards
Cards issued outside the EEA are not subject to EU interchange caps. Tourist-heavy locations feel this in summer.
What a headline rate leaves out
It applies to one card type
The advertised rate usually covers consumer debit only. Every other card type is priced separately, further down the schedule.
It ignores per-transaction fees
A flat authorisation fee per transaction dominates the bill for low-value sales. At a €2.50 average sale it can outweigh the percentage entirely.
It ignores fixed charges
Terminal rental, PCI charges, minimum monthly charges, portal and gateway fees all land on the same bill and all count in effective cost.
It may be introductory
Some rates step up after an introductory period. Ask what the rate becomes, and when.
It excludes exit costs
Term length, notice period, early termination charges and terminal return conditions all carry real money.
It is not the settled amount
Whether fees are deducted before settlement or billed separately changes your cash position and your reconciliation.
Three worked examples, assumptions stated
These are illustrative models built from stated assumptions, not quotes and not customer data. Your figures will differ.
Example A — single café
- — Card turnover €38,000 per month
- — 4,900 card transactions
- — Card mix: 82% consumer debit, 12% consumer credit, 4% commercial, 2% non-EEA
- — Headline quoted rate: 0.45% on consumer debit only
The 0.45% headline applied to roughly four fifths of turnover. Fixed and per-transaction charges did the rest.
Example B — three-site restaurant group
- — Card turnover €310,000 per month
- — 19,400 card transactions across 9 terminals
- — Card mix: 66% consumer debit, 22% consumer credit, 7% commercial, 5% non-EEA
- — Integrated terminals with pay at table
A higher commercial and non-EEA share pushed the transaction line up, while per-terminal costs spread across more turnover.
Example C — vending operator, 60 machines
- — Card turnover €54,000 per month
- — 22,000 card transactions, average value €2.45
- — Card mix: 91% consumer debit, 7% consumer credit, 2% other
- — Unattended readers with remote monitoring
Low average transaction value makes per-transaction and per-endpoint charges the dominant cost, not the percentage rate.
Get a payment review
Enter your fee lines and we model effective cost against your real card mix, then set out the gaps and a proposed configuration. Pricing and contract terms are confirmed in writing.