The verdict in three sentences
For an Amsterdam training provider collecting 200,000 EUR a year in open course enrolments, the choice of payment provider weighs between 1,000 and 3,000 EUR in annual fees. Stripe wins on speed of integration and SEPA Direct Debit, Mollie on local payment methods and simple pricing, Adyen on blended cost at high volume. The real lever remains the enrolment flow: instalments, employer quote and training agreement generated automatically, live in 3 weeks.
Real fees on 200,000 EUR collected a year
Assumption: 167 enrolments a year, average ticket 1,200 EUR, 60 % paid by iDEAL (transitioning to Wero in 2026), 30 % by card, the rest by invoice. Rates below are 2026 orders of magnitude seen on the Dutch market, to be checked with each provider for your volume.
| Provider | Typical rates (2026 estimate) | Subscription | Annual cost on 200,000 EUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | cards 1.5 % + 0.25 EUR, iDEAL about 0.29 EUR | none | about 950 EUR |
| Mollie | cards 1.8 % + 0.25 EUR, iDEAL about 0.32 EUR | none | about 1,130 EUR |
| Adyen | processing 0.11 EUR + interchange++ (about 0.6 to 0.9 % on cards) | minimum invoice often 1,000 EUR a month | 1,000 EUR a month minimum, suited to high volumes |
| SEPA Direct Debit via Stripe | 0.35 EUR per debit | none | under 60 EUR |
| Bank transfer on invoice | 0 EUR | none | 0 EUR, but manual chasing |
Adyen's raw rates are attractive, yet its monthly minimum makes it oversized below a few million euros a year. At 200,000 EUR, Stripe and Mollie are close: Mollie offers a Dutch-language dashboard and support, Stripe a richer API for instalments and subscriptions.
Instalments and employer funding: what changes for the provider
Career changers funding part of their course hesitate in front of a 1,200 to 3,500 EUR payment. Paying in 3 or 4 instalments removes that barrier, provided the cost is controlled.
| Instalment option | Merchant fee (2026 estimate) | Default risk for the provider | Integration |
|---|---|---|---|
| in3 via Mollie (3 instalments) | 2.5 to 3.5 % | carried by in3 | native Mollie |
| Klarna via Stripe or Mollie | 2.5 to 3.5 % + 0.30 EUR | carried by Klarna | native |
| Riverty (Afterpay) | 2.5 to 4 % | carried by Riverty | plugin or API |
| In-house schedule by SEPA Direct Debit | 0.35 EUR per instalment | carried by the provider | custom |
Two points specific to professional training. First, many learners use the STAP successor schemes or employer budgets, which pay on invoice rather than at checkout. Second, corporate clients expect a quote, a training agreement and an invoice (often VAT exempt for CRKBO registered providers) without manual re-keying.
Budget and timeline. Amsterdam agencies commonly charge 1,500 to 4,000 EUR excl. VAT to integrate a payment module into an existing site (2026 market estimate). On the Kolonell grid, a Growth site with session catalogue, enrolment flow, online payment and agreement generation sits between 1,200,000 and 2,000,000 FCFA, i.e. 1,830 to 3,050 EUR excl. VAT. Time to go live: 3 weeks to integrate payment into an existing catalogue.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Lotte, director of a training provider in Amsterdam, 167 enrolments a year, 200,000 EUR collected, today everything by bank transfer after an invoice.
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- Current admin time: 25 minutes per enrolment (invoice, chaser, bank reconciliation), about 70 hours a year.
- Average collection delay: 38 days. With iDEAL, card and direct debit at enrolment, it drops under 5 days for 80 % of volume.
- Instalments on courses aimed at individuals: assumption of 15 extra enrolments a year x 1,200 EUR = 18,000 EUR of additional revenue.
- Costs: integration 2,400 EUR excl. VAT once, Mollie fees about 1,130 EUR a year, in3 fee 3 % on 30,000 EUR paid in instalments = 900 EUR. The project pays for itself in year one, before counting the 70 hours freed.
FAQ
Stripe, Adyen or Mollie for a training provider in 2026?
Below 1 million EUR a year, Stripe or Mollie: no subscription, iDEAL around 0.29 to 0.32 EUR. Adyen becomes relevant at high volume, as its monthly minimum often starts around 1,000 EUR.
Is online payment compatible with CRKBO or NRTO quality requirements?
Yes. They mainly require clear information on prices, terms and cancellation conditions before enrolment. The flow displays these and keeps proof of acceptance of the terms.
Can we collect enrolments funded by an employer?
Not at checkout: the employer pays on invoice after the session. The flow then records the enrolment as employer funded and generates the agreement, with no immediate payment.
How much does integrating a payment module cost?
In Amsterdam, budget 1,500 to 4,000 EUR excl. VAT. On the Kolonell grid, a full Growth site with enrolments and payment sits between 1,830 and 3,050 EUR excl. VAT.
How long until we are live?
Allow 3 weeks to integrate into an existing site, plus 2 to 5 days to open the merchant account with the provider.
Let's scope your project. Send us your annual enrolment volume, average ticket and current site, and we will price your enrolment and payment flow within the Growth grid of 1,200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA (1,830 to 3,050 EUR excl. VAT), live in 3 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.
