The verdict in three sentences
A B2B subscription commerce platform is not just a checkout: the real work sits in recurring billing, failed-payment recovery (dunning) and EU VAT. In Dublin in 2026, a solid build costs between 25,000 and 55,000 EUR over 4 to 6 months. The key decision is simple: Stripe Billing to move fast, or a custom build to control usage tiers and complex commercial logic.
What drives the budget
Price depends mostly on the billing model. A fixed monthly plan is trivial; usage-based (metered) pricing with tiers, annual commitments and negotiated discounts requires a genuine business layer.
| Item | 2026 range (EUR) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery & billing model | 3,000 - 6,000 | Tiers, commitment, proration |
| Catalogue & B2B plan pages | 4,000 - 8,000 | Plans, comparison, free trial |
| Subscription & recurrence engine | 7,000 - 16,000 | Cycle, upgrade/downgrade, prorata |
| Dunning & automated recovery | 3,000 - 7,000 | Card retry, emails, suspension |
| EU VAT & invoicing compliance | 3,000 - 6,000 | Reverse charge, VAT numbers, PDF |
| Customer portal & self-service | 4,000 - 9,000 | History, payment methods |
| Accounting/CRM integration | 1,000 - 3,000 | Export, webhooks |
Proration (charging to the day when a plan changes) and failed-payment handling are the two most underestimated items. A B2B customer often pays by SEPA transfer or corporate card: dunning must be gradual, not abrupt.
Stripe Billing or a custom build?
| Criterion | Stripe Billing | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 25,000 - 35,000 EUR | 40,000 - 55,000 EUR |
| Timeline | 4 months | 5 - 6 months |
| Transaction fees | ~1.5% + 0.25 EUR / invoice | Per negotiated PSP |
| Dunning | Native (Smart Retries) | Build it, fully controllable |
| Complex usage tiers | Limited | Full control |
| EU VAT | Stripe Tax (paid module) | Custom internal rules |
| Vendor lock-in | High | Low |
For 80% of Dublin editors, Stripe Billing covers the need at lower cost and shortens the timeline. Custom pays off when pricing logic becomes a competitive edge: framework contracts, volume discounts, consolidated multi-entity billing.
Mini case study
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Thomas runs a hardware/SaaS SME in Dublin renting IoT sensors on subscription. He bills 180 B2B customers, average basket 240 EUR/month, for 43,200 EUR of MRR. Previously, manual spreadsheet billing took an accountant 2 days/month (loaded cost ~350 EUR/day) and produced 6% unpaid invoices due to unstructured follow-up.
With a Stripe Billing platform at 31,000 EUR, automated dunning cuts unpaid to 2%, recovering 1,728 EUR/month (4% of 43,200). Added to 700 EUR/month of accounting time saved, the monthly gain reaches ~2,400 EUR. Payback in about 13 months, excluding fleet growth.
FAQ
Is Stripe Billing really enough for B2B? Yes for most cases: plans, trials, upgrades and Smart Retries are native. It shows limits on multi-entity framework contracts and complex negotiated discounts, where a 10,000 to 20,000 EUR custom add-on becomes worthwhile.
How do I handle VAT on European business customers? Reverse charge applies to business customers in another EU country with a valid VAT number (checked via VIES). Stripe Tax automates this for ~0.5% of taxed volume; custom builds embed the rule with no recurring fee.
What happens on a failed payment? A dunning sequence attempts 3 to 4 card retries over 7 to 15 days, paired with emails, before suspending service. A well-tuned dunning flow typically recovers 60 to 70% of initially failed payments.
Can I bill on usage (metered)? Yes, by reporting consumption via API. Add 3,000 to 8,000 EUR for usage aggregation, tiers and end-of-cycle billing.
What is a realistic time to first invoice? Budget 4 to 6 months: 1 month discovery, 2 to 3 months development, 1 month testing and migration of existing subscriptions.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your pricing model (fixed, usage, commitment), subscriber volume and target payment methods; indicative budget 25,000 to 55,000 EUR. 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.
