The verdict in three sentences
For a B2B wholesaler, offering net-30 terms online is now a baseline expectation for restaurants, not a bonus. A B2B BNPL provider such as Mondu, Billie or Defacto costs roughly 1.5 to 4% per transaction, but pays you quickly and carries the default risk. With an average basket of EUR 650 net, the fee pays for itself once conversion rises a few points, provided the option is cleanly built into checkout.
Why restaurants abandon the cart
The typical case: a 15-person fine food wholesaler in Berlin (oils, preserves, aged cheeses, charcuterie, spices) supplying restaurants, caterers and delis. Its site requires card or prepayment. Yet a restaurant takes cash daily and pays suppliers at 30 days, which is standard practice and well within German and EU late payment rules (60 days maximum between businesses unless expressly agreed and not grossly unfair). So the restaurant orders by phone from a competitor who extends credit.
Extending that credit yourself has a cost: credit checks, dunning, late payments and bad debt. For a small team, running 300 accounts on deferred terms quickly means building a collections department.
| Option (2026 estimate) | Cost to wholesaler | Default risk | Cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card or prepayment | 0.2 to 1.5% (card) | none | immediate |
| In-house net-30 credit | 1 to 3% (bad debt + dunning + time) | yours | at 30 days or later |
| B2B BNPL (Mondu, Billie, Defacto) | 1.5 to 4% per transaction | transferred to provider | immediate or D+1 to D+3 |
| Traditional factoring | 0.5 to 2% + setup fees | per contract | on assignment |
| Trade credit insurance | 0.1 to 0.5% of insured revenue | partly covered | at 30 days or later |
Mondu, Billie, Defacto: what sets them apart
They share the principle: the buyer chooses to pay at 30, 60 or 90 days at checkout, the provider checks creditworthiness in seconds, you get paid fast and the provider collects from the buyer at maturity. Differences lie in integration, coverage and pricing, which is negotiated on volume.
| Criterion | Mondu | Billie | Defacto | In-house credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Berlin | Berlin | Paris | your company |
| Integration | API, ecommerce plugins | API, ecommerce plugins | API, ecommerce plugins | internal build |
| Credit decision | automated, seconds | automated, seconds | automated, seconds | manual |
| Terms offered | 30 to 90 days | 30 to 120 days | 30 to 90 days | per your terms |
| Default protection | yes, with conditions | yes, with conditions | yes, with conditions | no |
| Indicative fee | 1.5 to 4% | 1.5 to 4% | 1.5 to 4% | hidden cost |
Always ask for three numbers before signing: the expected acceptance rate on your customers (often 75 to 90% for registered restaurants), the payout delay and the cases excluded from protection.
Integration makes the difference
A badly integrated payment option does not convert. The restaurant should see Pay in 30 days on the product page and in the cart, its company registration details should prefill from its customer account, the approved limit should appear before confirmation, and orders over the limit should switch to a deposit. In the back office, payment status flows into your ERP or order management tool.
At Kolonell, this integration fits a custom project: simple from 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 FCFA (3,810 to 6,100 EUR) to plug B2B BNPL into an existing site, medium from 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR) for a full B2B site with accounts and customer pricing, complex from 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (10,670 to 22,870+ EUR) with several deferred payment methods and ERP sync. Anything else is priced in the quote.
Mini case study
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Lukas, founder of a fine food wholesaler in Berlin, does EUR 1.2 million net online with an average basket of EUR 650, about 1,850 orders a year. Providers claim 12 to 25% higher conversion; Lukas uses a cautious 10%.
- Extra orders: 185 per year x EUR 650 = EUR 120,250 of additional revenue.
- Gross margin at 30%: EUR 36,075.
- Fee: assuming 40% of all orders, old and new, use net-30, 814 orders x EUR 650 x 2.5% = EUR 13,230.
- Estimated net gain: about EUR 22,800 per year, before the drop in bad debt on his old in-house credit accounts.
FAQ
Are B2B BNPL fees negotiable?
Yes. From a few hundred thousand euros of annual volume, the gap can reach 0.5 to 1 point. Compare at least two offers on the same 30-day term.
What if the buyer does not pay?
If the transaction was approved and delivered as agreed, the provider carries the loss. Disputes over goods (non-conforming product, partial delivery) usually suspend protection until resolved.
Can we keep in-house credit for our best customers?
Yes, many wholesalers keep their 20 to 30 long-standing accounts on invoice at 30 days and reserve BNPL for new customers.
Is deferred payment compatible with German e-invoicing?
Yes. You still issue the invoice in the buyer's name, following the phased B2B e-invoicing obligations in Germany.
How long does integration take?
Allow 3 to 5 weeks on an existing site, 10 to 14 weeks for a full B2B site.
Let's scope your project. Share your average basket, online volume and order management tool, and we will scope net-30 payment in your checkout. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
