The verdict in three sentences
Below EUR 50,000 collected per month, Stripe remains the most rational choice: fast integration, no subscription, payouts at T+2 to T+7 and fees of 1.5% + EUR 0.25 on standard European cards. Between EUR 50,000 and 500,000 a month, Adyen on interchange++ or a negotiated bank acquiring contract at 0.4 to 0.9% can halve the bill, at the cost of more integration and paperwork. The right call depends less on the headline rate than on your average ticket, the share of non-EU cards and the cost of disputes.
Real fees of the three options in 2026
The headline rate does not tell the whole story: fixed per-transaction fees, subscriptions, refund and dispute costs change the bill sharply for a small-basket SME.
| 2026 criterion | Stripe | Adyen | Bank acquiring (card contract + gateway) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard EU card fee | 1.5% + EUR 0.25 | Interchange++ (about 0.6 to 1.1% effective) + EUR 0.11 | 0.4 to 0.9% + EUR 0.05 to 0.15 |
| Non-EU cards and Amex | About 3.25% + EUR 0.25 | Interchange++ (2 to 3% effective) | 1.5 to 2.5% by contract |
| Monthly fee or minimum | EUR 0 | Monthly minimum invoice, often around EUR 1,000 | EUR 20 to 50 (gateway) + contract fees |
| Dispute (chargeback) fee | About EUR 15 | EUR 10 to 15 | EUR 10 to 20 |
| Payout delay | T+2 to T+7 | T+1 to T+3 | T+1 to T+3 |
| Account opening | 1 to 3 days | 2 to 4 weeks (volume review) | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Technical integration | EUR 1,500 to 3,000 | EUR 2,500 to 5,000 | EUR 2,500 to 5,000 |
These rates are 2026 orders of magnitude seen with SME clients. Bank grids (AIB Merchant Services, Bank of Ireland via Elavon, Fiserv) are negotiated case by case, especially above EUR 1M collected a year. Adyen generally targets businesses already processing several hundred thousand euros a month.
What each option costs at your volume
Annual simulation for an average ticket of EUR 80, 95% European cards, excluding integration.
| Monthly volume | Transactions per month | Stripe per year | Adyen at 0.8% + EUR 0.11 per year | Bank at 0.6% + EUR 0.10 + EUR 35/month per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EUR 50,000 | 625 | EUR 10,900 | EUR 12,000 (minimum invoice applies) | EUR 4,770 |
| EUR 100,000 | 1,250 | EUR 21,750 | EUR 12,000 (minimum invoice applies) | EUR 9,120 |
| EUR 200,000 | 2,500 | EUR 43,500 | EUR 22,500 | EUR 17,820 |
| EUR 350,000 | 4,375 | EUR 76,100 | EUR 39,380 | EUR 30,870 |
| EUR 500,000 | 6,250 | EUR 108,750 | EUR 56,250 | EUR 43,920 |
At EUR 50,000 a month, the gap between Stripe and bank acquiring (about EUR 6,000 a year) barely covers integration effort and negotiation time. At EUR 500,000, it exceeds EUR 60,000 a year.
3-D Secure, disputes and cash flow: the hidden criteria
Under PSD2, strong customer authentication (3-D Secure 2) is the rule for European online payments. A well-configured gateway applies exemptions (low value, trusted beneficiaries, risk analysis) and limits cart abandonment, which can reach 5 to 15% on mobile when every payment triggers a challenge.
| Criterion | Stripe | Adyen | Bank acquiring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-D Secure 2 and exemptions | Automatic (Radar) | Automatic (RevenueProtect) | Depends on gateway |
| Built-in fraud tool | Yes (Radar, paid options) | Yes | Variable, often optional |
| Buy now, pay later | Via partners (Klarna) | Native (Klarna and others) | Rarely |
| SEPA Direct Debit B2B | Yes, about EUR 0.35 | Yes | Separate contract |
| Dashboard and reconciliation | Very complete | Very complete | Basic, CSV exports |
For a B2B SME, SEPA Direct Debit and bank transfer are often cheaper than cards for large tickets: above a EUR 500 basket, offering both cuts collection costs by 50 to 80%.
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Mini case study
Aoife, CFO of an office supplies SME in Dublin, collects EUR 200,000 a month online with an average ticket of EUR 80, i.e. 2,500 transactions. With Stripe she pays EUR 3,000 in percentage fees (1.5%) plus EUR 625 in fixed fees: EUR 3,625 a month, EUR 43,500 a year. With a bank contract negotiated at 0.6% + EUR 0.10 and a EUR 35 gateway, the bill drops to EUR 1,485 a month, EUR 17,820 a year. The EUR 25,680 annual saving pays back a EUR 4,000 integration in under 2 months, keeping Stripe as a fallback for non-EU cards.
FAQ
Can we run two gateways at once?
Yes, it is even advisable above EUR 100,000 a month: bank acquiring or Adyen for domestic cards, Stripe for international cards and wallets such as Apple Pay. Routing adds EUR 1,000 to 2,500 of development.
Does Stripe negotiate its rates?
Yes, from roughly EUR 80,000 to 100,000 a month, Stripe offers custom pricing, sometimes close to 1 to 1.2%. Request it with your last 6 months of volumes.
How long does Adyen onboarding take?
Allow 2 to 4 weeks for the commercial review, KYC and test credentials. Adyen may decline accounts below its volume threshold, so prepare 12 months of processing history.
Does payout delay affect cash flow?
Yes: moving from T+7 to T+2 on EUR 200,000 a month frees about EUR 33,000 of working capital permanently. Weigh that against a slightly lower rate.
Who handles PCI DSS compliance?
With a hosted payment page or secure fields, the gateway carries most of the compliance burden and you complete an SAQ A questionnaire in 1 to 2 hours a year.
Let's scope your project. Send us your monthly volumes and average ticket: we will price the integration of the most cost-effective gateway at EUR 1,500 to 5,000, delivered in 1 to 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.
