The verdict in three sentences
For a European SME processing 1.2 million EUR a year online, the fee gap between payment providers reaches about 6,000 EUR a year, and it depends more on the card mix (standard, premium, non-EU) than on the headline rate. Stripe remains the easiest to integrate and the richest in features, Adyen and a negotiated Payplug deal become the cheapest options, and Mollie earns its place with European payment methods and a clear dashboard. The integration itself costs 3,000 to 8,000 EUR excl. VAT, quickly recovered if the choice is based on real fees rather than the public price list.
2026 price lists side by side
The rates below are 2026 orders of magnitude based on public price lists and commonly negotiated rates at this volume. Payplug, a French provider, is included because it is often the cheapest option for SMEs selling in France.
| Criterion | Stripe | Mollie | Payplug | Adyen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard EU card | 1.5% + 0.25 EUR | 1.8% + 0.25 EUR | 0.8 to 2.5% depending on plan | Interchange++ + 0.11 EUR + markup |
| Premium or business EU card | 1.9% + 0.25 EUR | 1.8% + 0.25 EUR | Per contract | Actual interchange, higher |
| Non-EU card | 3.25% + 0.25 EUR | 2.9% + 0.25 EUR | About 2.5% | Actual interchange + markup |
| Monthly fee | None | None | 0 to 100 EUR depending on plan | Minimum invoice common |
| Payout delay | D+2 to D+7 | D+1 to D+3 | D+1 to D+5 | D+1 to D+3 |
| Pay in 3 or 4 instalments | Via Klarna or Alma | Via Klarna or Alma | Oney built in | Klarna, Oney |
| 3-D Secure 2 and PSD2 exemptions | Yes, Radar included | Yes | Yes | Yes, advanced risk engine |
All these providers apply the strong customer authentication required by PSD2. The difference lies in how they use exemptions (low amounts, low-risk transactions), which reduce cart abandonment at the 3-D Secure step.
Real fees over 12 months
Take 1.2 million EUR processed, an average basket of 80 EUR, or 15,000 transactions a year, with a realistic mix: 70% standard EU cards, 20% premium or business cards, 10% non-EU cards.
| Provider | Simplified calculation | Estimated annual fees | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 15,225 + 5,310 + 4,275 EUR | 24,810 EUR | 2.07% |
| Mollie | 22,815 + 3,855 EUR | 26,670 EUR | 2.22% |
| Payplug (negotiated 1.1% + 0.15 EUR) | 13,905 + 3,225 + 1,200 EUR subscription | 18,330 EUR | 1.53% |
| Adyen (interchange++ estimate) | 9,540 + 7,200 + 1,650 EUR | 18,390 EUR | 1.53% |
The gap between Stripe and a negotiated Payplug deal reaches 6,480 EUR a year. It shrinks sharply if your customers mostly pay with premium or business cards, common in B2B, because interchange++ offers then pass through higher interbank fees. Conversely, a highly international customer base penalises fixed-rate offers.
Beyond fees: the criteria that matter
The first criterion is cash flow: a D+7 payout on 100,000 EUR a month permanently ties up about 23,000 EUR. The second is the ecosystem: Stripe offers recurring billing, terminals and marketplace payments (Connect) in one account, avoiding multiple contracts. The third is the commercial relationship: Payplug, part of the BPCE group, and Mollie provide French-speaking account contacts, while Stripe relies mostly on written support and Adyen assigns account managers only at higher volumes. Finally, instalment payments drive conversion on baskets above 300 EUR: Oney at Payplug or Alma at Stripe and Mollie charge the merchant 1.5 to 4% depending on the number of instalments.
On integration, a native module for PrestaShop, WooCommerce or Shopify costs 3,000 to 4,500 EUR excl. VAT including setup, testing and webhooks. A custom integration with several payment methods, refund handling and automatic accounting reconciliation sits between 5,000 and 8,000 EUR excl. VAT.
Mini case study
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Claire Fontaine, CFO of a garden equipment SME in Nantes, processes 1.2 million EUR online through Stripe and pays 24,810 EUR in fees a year. She negotiates a Payplug deal at 1.1% + 0.15 EUR and budgets a 5,500 EUR migration excl. VAT, including the Oney pay-in-3 module. Fees drop to 18,330 EUR, a saving of 6,480 EUR a year. The migration pays for itself in about 10 months, and pay-in-3 on 1,900 EUR ride-on mowers lets her target 4% extra conversion on that segment.
FAQ
Can Stripe rates be negotiated?
Yes, above roughly 80,000 to 100,000 EUR processed per month, Stripe will discuss custom pricing or an interchange++ plan. The typical gain is 0.2 to 0.5 points of effective rate.
Should we keep two payment providers?
For a 1.2M EUR SME, a backup provider costs an extra 1,500 to 3,000 EUR excl. VAT to integrate. It is justified if a one-day outage means more than 3,000 EUR in lost sales.
What is the impact of 3-D Secure on conversion?
Poorly configured authentication can lose 5 to 10% of payments. PSD2 exemptions for amounts under 30 EUR and low-risk transactions recover a good share of that loss.
How much does switching providers cost?
Allow 3,000 to 8,000 EUR excl. VAT and 3 to 6 weeks, including migrating stored cards for subscriptions, which requires coordination between both providers.
Is Adyen accessible to an SME?
Adyen mainly targets businesses processing several million euros a year and often applies a monthly minimum invoice. Below 3 to 5M EUR, Stripe or a negotiated Payplug deal are usually simpler.
Let's scope your project. Send us your annual volume, card mix and CMS: we will compare real fees, price the integration between 3,000 and 8,000 EUR excl. VAT and plan the migration over 3 to 6 weeks. 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.
