The verdict in three sentences
At EUR 1.2M of online revenue, payment fees become your third-largest e-commerce cost after marketing and logistics, between 0.8% and 1.8% of revenue. Stripe remains unbeatable for speed of integration, but above EUR 1M an interchange++ provider (Adyen, born in Amsterdam) or a negotiated offer (Mollie, also Amsterdam-based, or PayPlug) saves EUR 6,000 to 12,000 a year. The hidden lever is the 3D Secure success rate: 2 points of conversion are worth more than 0.2 points of fees.
2026 price grids side by side
The public rates below apply to consumer cards issued in the European Economic Area. Non-EU, business and premium cards cost more everywhere (often +1 to +2 points).
| Provider | Standard EU card fee | Subscription | Payout | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 1.5% + EUR 0.25 | EUR 0 | D+2 to D+7 depending on account age | Integration, API, ecosystem |
| Mollie | from 1.2% + EUR 0.25 | EUR 0 | D+1 to D+3 business days | European payment methods (iDEAL) |
| PayPlug | about 0.8% to 1.2% + EUR 0.25 (estimate) | EUR 0 to 49/month | D+2 to D+3 | French support, instalments |
| Adyen | interchange++ + EUR 0.11 processing | Minimum invoice possible | D+1 to D+3 | Lowest real cost at volume |
| Traditional bank acquiring | 0.5% to 0.9% + EUR 0.10 to 0.20 | EUR 20 to 40/month + module | D+1 to D+2 | Low rates, heavy integration |
| PayPal | 2.9% + EUR 0.35 | EUR 0 | Instant to PayPal balance | Buyer trust, brand |
Interchange++ breaks the price into three parts: the interchange fee capped by the European Union (0.2% for debit cards, 0.3% for consumer credit cards), Visa or Mastercard scheme fees (about 0.1% to 0.2%), then the provider's margin.
Total cost for 15,000 transactions and EUR 1.2M
Assumptions: average basket EUR 80, 85% standard European cards, 15% premium or non-EU cards. 2026 estimates, excluding development cost.
| Provider | Standard card cost | Premium card surcharge | Annual subscription | Estimated annual cost | % of revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | EUR 18,490 | EUR 3,600 | EUR 0 | EUR 22,090 | 1.84% |
| Mollie | EUR 15,430 | EUR 3,200 | EUR 0 | EUR 18,630 | 1.55% |
| PayPlug (negotiated) | EUR 11,350 | EUR 2,700 | EUR 590 | EUR 14,640 | 1.22% |
| Adyen (interchange++) | EUR 8,600 | EUR 2,400 | EUR 0 | EUR 11,000 | 0.92% |
| Bank acquiring | EUR 8,200 | EUR 2,200 | EUR 2,400 (with 3DS module) | EUR 12,800 | 1.07% |
Add disputes (EUR 15 to 20 per chargeback depending on provider) and refunds, on which the original fee is not always returned.
3D Secure, abandonment and payouts: what the grid hides
Since PSD2, strong customer authentication applies to card payments in Europe. A poorly handled 3D Secure flow loses 5% to 12% of initiated payments. Providers differ widely on exemptions (amounts under EUR 30, provider risk analysis, trusted beneficiaries).
| Criterion | Stripe | Mollie | PayPlug | Adyen | Bank acquiring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frictionless payment rate (estimate) | 70 to 80% | 60 to 70% | 65 to 75% | 75 to 85% | 40 to 60% |
| Average authorisation rate | 92 to 95% | 90 to 93% | 91 to 94% | 93 to 96% | 85 to 90% |
| Integration time | 3 to 8 days | 3 to 6 days | 2 to 5 days | 15 to 30 days | 10 to 25 days |
| Ideal average basket | under EUR 150 | under EUR 100 | EUR 50 to 500 | volumes above EUR 3M | above EUR 200 |
Quick selection rule: with an average basket under EUR 40, favour a low fixed fee per transaction (Adyen or bank) because EUR 0.25 weighs up to 0.6 points. Above EUR 300, negotiate the percentage and offer pay in 3 or 4 instalments, which adds 10% to 20% revenue on those baskets.
Mini case study
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Sophie, CFO of a natural cosmetics SMB in Lyon, takes EUR 1.2M online across 15,000 orders a year through Stripe, at a cost of EUR 22,090. She tests PayPlug on a negotiated offer at EUR 14,640 and enables 3D Secure exemptions on baskets under EUR 30.
Direct saving: 22,090 - 14,640 = EUR 7,450 a year. The successful payment rate rises from 91% to 93%, about 330 extra orders x EUR 80 = EUR 26,400 of recovered revenue, roughly EUR 10,500 of gross margin at 40%. The switching cost (development, testing, one month of parallel run) is about EUR 6,000: paid back in under 4 months.
FAQ
Is Stripe too expensive for an SMB?
Below EUR 300,000 of online revenue, no: the gap with competitors stays under EUR 1,500 a year and fast integration makes up for it. Above EUR 1M, ask for custom pricing, Stripe often grants 0.2 to 0.4 points off.
Should we use several payment providers?
From EUR 3M to 5M, a backup provider limits outage risk, since each hour of downtime costs about 0.03% of annual revenue. Below that, the accounting complexity is not worth it.
What payout delay should we aim for?
D+2 is the norm for an established account. A new account may be held at D+7 for 30 to 90 days, which ties up about one week of revenue, EUR 23,000 for our SMB.
Is 3D Secure mandatory on every payment?
No. Exemptions cover amounts under EUR 30 (up to 5 payments or EUR 100 cumulated) and transactions rated low-risk, allowing 70% to 85% frictionless payments.
How much does integrating a new provider cost?
On a Shopify or WooCommerce store, EUR 500 to 2,000. On a custom site with subscriptions and refunds, allow EUR 4,000 to 10,000 and 2 to 4 weeks.
Let's scope your project. Send us your volume, average basket and current stack: we will cost each provider and the migration, with a plan that never interrupts payments. 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.
