The verdict in three sentences
In 2026, setting up recurring B2B billing is a 5,000 to 20,000 EUR project (excl. VAT), depending on plan complexity, proration and VAT. The critical item isn't collection but failed-payment handling (dunning), which recovers up to 20% of involuntary churn. Budget 3 to 6 weeks of implementation, with SEPA and cards to maximize success rate.
What recurring billing covers
A solid subscription engine goes well beyond payment: it orchestrates cycles, proration, upgrades and tax compliance. Typical functional scope and 2026 indicative cost:
| Feature | Purpose | Indicative cost (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Plans + monthly/annual cycles | MRR base | Included 5,000 - 8,000 |
| Upgrade/downgrade proration | Fair billing | +1,000 - 2,000 |
| Dunning (retry on failures) | -20% involuntary churn | +1,500 - 3,000 |
| Intra-EU VAT | EU compliance | +1,500 - 3,500 |
| Self-service customer portal | Less support | +2,000 - 4,000 |
| Accounting/ERP connection | Reconciliation | +2,000 - 5,000 |
A complete base thus rises from 5,000 EUR (MVP) to 20,000 EUR (full B2B with VAT and ERP).
Dunning impact on MRR
Failed payments (expired card, limit) account for 5 to 12% of recurring attempts. Smart dunning (retry + follow-up) recovers most of them. 2026 order-of-magnitude estimate:
| Strategy | Residual failure rate | MRR recovered |
|---|---|---|
| No retry | 10% | 0% |
| Simple retry (3 attempts) | 6% | ~40% |
| Smart dunning | 3% | ~70% |
| Retry + email/SMS follow-up | 2% | ~80% |
| SEPA + backup card | 1.5% | ~85% |
Moving from "no retry" to "retry + follow-up" recovers about 80% of involuntary churn, a direct MRR gain.
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Mini case study
Thomas, CEO of a B2B SaaS vendor in Nantes, has 600 subscribers at 89 EUR/month, i.e. 53,400 EUR MRR. With a 10% failure rate and no dunning, he loses 5,340 EUR/month. Deploying smart dunning + SEPA (12,000 EUR project), he cuts residual failures to 1.5% and recovers ~4,540 EUR/month, i.e. 54,480 EUR/year. The project pays back in under 3 months and secures his growth.
FAQ
Card or SEPA direct debit for subscriptions? Both: cards convert fast, SEPA cuts failures (no expiry) and fees on large amounts. The card + backup SEPA combo maximizes recurring success rate.
How do I handle intra-EU VAT? You must collect and validate the VAT number (VIES), apply reverse charge for taxable EU clients and the local rate otherwise. An integrated tax engine avoids errors and costly corrections.
Is proration essential? For B2B with frequent upgrades, yes: prorated billing avoids disputes and improves experience. It's a standard module adding 1,000 to 2,000 EUR to the project.
How long to launch? Budget 3 to 6 weeks: a monthly MVP in 3 weeks, a full version with VAT, dunning and ERP in 5 to 6 weeks, webhook testing included.
Can I migrate an existing base? Yes, by importing mandates and payment tokens, but it requires a reconciliation phase and testing. Plan 1 to 2 extra weeks depending on subscriber volume.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your subscriber count, recurring basket and tax needs (EU VAT), and we'll price a complete subscription engine. 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.
