You pay 0.9% per card transaction? Your neighbor 0.5%? That can mean two things: you were ripped off — or your mix of debit and credit cards is simply different. This article explains what's actually in the fee.
Your fee has three components
- Interchange — goes to the card-issuing bank. EU-capped at 0.2% (debit) / 0.3% (credit) for consumer cards.
- Scheme fee — goes to Visa/Mastercard. About 0.05–0.15%.
- Acquirer margin — what the payment processor earns. The only negotiable part.
Interchange++ vs. blended pricing
Vendors calculate fees two ways. 'Interchange++' shows all three parts transparently — you know exactly where each euro flows. 'Blended' gives you one number (e.g. 0.9%) — simpler, but opaque. For small businesses, blended is fine. Otherwise demand Interchange++.
Hidden costs almost everyone misses
- Terminal rental — often €15–40/month, even though the hardware would be paid off in 6 months
- Payout fee — €0.20 per payout with some vendors
- Chargeback fee — €15–25 per chargeback, often even when you're right
- Minimum volume fees — 'free' often means 'free if you do €5,000, else €49'