Cutting card processing fees for an SMB in Dublin (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

At EUR 600,000 collected a year, an SMB typically pays 1.8 to 2.2% in effective fees, or EUR 11,000 to 13,000, without ever renegotiating its contract. Three levers are enough: negotiate the European card rate towards 1.2% + EUR 0.25, move recurring B2B customers to SEPA Direct Debit at EUR 0.35, and cut disputes at EUR 15 each. Realistic savings sit between EUR 3,000 and 6,000 a year, for a few days of work.

What you really pay per transaction

A payment provider's headline rate is only part of the bill. Add non-EU cards, commercial cards, currency conversion, disputes and sometimes monthly fees.

These are 2026 orders of magnitude to check against public price lists, which change. The key point: from EUR 300,000 to 500,000 a year, most providers are willing to talk, and some offer interchange++ pricing that passes through each card's real cost.

The three levers, quantified

Savings do not come from switching provider alone. They come from matching the payment method to each customer type.

SEPA is often the most underrated lever: a EUR 1,200 B2B invoice paid by card costs EUR 18.25, against EUR 0.35 by direct debit. For subscriptions and recurring business customers, the difference is huge.

Switching provider: what to plan for

Migrating payment provider takes 2 to 6 weeks depending on your site: a new payment module on Shopify, WooCommerce or a custom site, migration of stored cards for subscriptions (possible between Stripe and most competitors via a PCI transfer), webhook updates and testing. Integration costs EUR 1,500 to 5,000. Before migrating, simply ask your current provider for a counter-offer: it often delivers half the gain with no development at all.

Mini case study

Mark, managing director of a professional equipment SMB in Dublin, collects EUR 600,000 a year, including EUR 420,000 on European cards, EUR 90,000 on non-EU cards and EUR 90,000 from B2B customers paying by card. On standard pricing with 20 disputes a year, he pays about EUR 12,100, or 2% of revenue. After renegotiation (1.2% EU, 2.5% non-EU), moving 750 B2B invoices to SEPA and targeted 3D Secure, the bill drops to EUR 8,700. The saving is EUR 3,400 a year, rising towards EUR 5,000 to 6,000 with interchange++ pricing.

FAQ

From what volume can you negotiate fees?

In practice from EUR 250,000 to 300,000 a year collected online. At EUR 600,000, a 0.2 to 0.4 point cut on European cards is a realistic target.

Is SEPA Direct Debit risky for the seller?

Customers can dispute an authorised debit for 8 weeks. For known B2B customers the risk is low, and the SEPA B2B mandate removes that refund right.

Do we need to leave Stripe to save?

Not necessarily. Stripe offers custom pricing above a certain volume; request an offer with your volume and card mix before considering a EUR 1,500 to 5,000 migration.

How do you cut disputes without losing customers?

Trigger 3D Secure only on risky transactions and show a recognisable trading name on bank statements. Disputes often fall by 40 to 60%.

Are payment fees tax-deductible?

Yes, they are operating expenses. They remain a direct margin loss though: 1 point on EUR 600,000 is EUR 6,000 of profit.

Let's scope your project. Send us your latest payment provider statement and customer mix, and we will calculate your effective rate, the possible saving and, if needed, the integration cost of a new provider or SEPA on your site. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.