The verdict in three sentences
A Montpellier coffee roaster delivering every month to 250 offices and restaurants has every reason to turn repeat orders into B2B subscriptions paid by recurring SEPA direct debit. There are two routes: a SaaS subscription module at 50 to 300 EUR per month bolted onto an existing store, or a custom site at 15,000 to 40,000 EUR excl. VAT (about 16,000 to 43,000 USD) delivered in 8 to 12 weeks. The real success metric is not the price of the site but the monthly churn rate, to be kept under 3% thanks to pause and quantity change management.
For a Miami roaster, the mechanics are the same, with ACH debit replacing SEPA.
Why subscriptions change the economics of a B2B supplier
Without a subscription, each delivery depends on a call, an email or a customer forgetting. With a subscription, revenue becomes predictable, roasting can be planned and collection happens on its own.
| Indicator | One-off orders (2026 order of magnitude) | Subscription with SEPA |
|---|---|---|
| Average monthly basket per customer | 180 to 260 EUR excl. VAT | 220 to 300 EUR excl. VAT |
| Customers ordering every month | 60 to 75% | 92 to 97% |
| Average payment delay | 30 to 45 days | 0 to 5 days after debit |
| Bad debt rate | 3 to 6% | 0.5 to 1.5% |
| Admin time per customer per month | 15 to 25 minutes | 2 to 5 minutes |
| Predictability of roasting volumes | low | high, 4 weeks ahead |
For 250 customers at 250 EUR excl. VAT per month, i.e. 62,500 EUR of monthly revenue, moving from 70% to 95% of customers active each month adds about 15,600 EUR of monthly sales without any new customer.
SaaS module or custom site: costed comparison
Subscription modules for Shopify, WooCommerce or PrestaShop cover most B2C needs. In B2B, needs get more complex: per-account pricing, invoices with 5.5% or 20% VAT depending on products, several delivery sites per customer, internal purchase orders.
| Criterion | SaaS module on existing store | Custom B2B e-commerce site |
|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | 0 to 3,000 EUR excl. VAT of configuration | 15,000 to 40,000 EUR excl. VAT |
| Recurring cost | 50 to 300 EUR per month, sometimes plus 0.5 to 1.5% commission | 200 to 600 EUR per month for maintenance and hosting |
| Timeline | 2 to 4 weeks | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Negotiated prices per customer | limited or via paid add-on | native |
| Multiple delivery addresses | rare | native |
| Pause, skip, quantity change | yes, standard interface | yes, tailored rules (notice, minimum) |
| B2B invoicing with legal mentions and company ID | partial | complete, accounting export |
The rule of thumb: under 80 customers and a short catalogue, the module is enough. Beyond 150 B2B customers with negotiated prices and several delivery points, custom becomes cheaper than stacked add-ons.
SEPA debit, pauses and churn: the mechanics that retain customers
SEPA Core or B2B direct debit is the natural payment method for business-to-business subscriptions in France. SEPA B2B removes the 8-week refund right but requires the customer's bank to register the mandate, which slows activation.
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| Lever | Effect on churn | Indicative 2026 cost |
|---|---|---|
| SEPA debit via payment provider | reduces passive cancellations from expired cards | about 0.25 to 0.50 EUR per debit |
| One to two month pause (holidays, closure) | avoids 20 to 40% of seasonal cancellations | included in the site |
| Self-service quantity change | cuts customer service calls by 30 to 50% | included |
| Automatic retry on rejection | recovers 50 to 70% of rejected debits | included or 20 to 50 EUR per month |
| Exit survey and retention offer | saves 10 to 25% of cancellation requests | included |
| MRR and churn dashboard | weekly steering | included |
Montpellier restaurants often close for two to three weeks in August: without a pause button, some cancel and never come back.
Mini case study
Mathilde, manager of a coffee roastery in Montpellier supplying 250 offices and restaurants (illustrative persona), invoices 62,500 EUR excl. VAT per month. Her monthly churn is 5%, i.e. 12 to 13 customers lost each month. She invests 28,000 EUR excl. VAT in a custom site with SEPA, pauses and quantity changes, plus 400 EUR per month of maintenance.
If churn drops from 5% to 2.5%, she keeps about 6 more customers each month, i.e. 1,500 EUR of extra recurring monthly revenue added each month, which compounds. After 12 months, the gap reaches about 18,000 EUR per month. With a 55% gross margin, the site pays back in 10 to 12 months, not counting admin time saved.
FAQ
How much does a B2B e-commerce site with subscriptions cost in Montpellier? A SaaS module on an existing store costs 50 to 300 EUR per month, a custom site 15,000 to 40,000 EUR excl. VAT. The latter is justified beyond 150 B2B customers with negotiated prices.
SEPA Core or SEPA B2B for business customers? SEPA B2B removes the 8-week refund right and secures collection. SEPA Core remains simpler to activate, as it does not require mandate registration by the customer's bank.
What churn rate should a B2B coffee subscription target? A target under 3% per month is realistic with good pause management. Above 5%, the business loses more than half its base in a year.
How long does launch take? Allow 8 to 12 weeks for a custom site, including 1 to 2 weeks for SEPA activation with the payment provider. A SaaS module can be live in 2 to 4 weeks.
Can a customer have several delivery addresses? Yes, with a custom build a customer can have several sites with different quantities and frequencies. A consolidated monthly invoice avoids multiplying debits.
Let's scope your project. Give us your number of customers, average basket and current tool: we will tell you whether a module is enough or custom pays off, with budget and timeline. 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.
