10 Ways to Lower Your Card Processing Fees

Proven strategies to save £500-£2,000/year on card payment costs. Most businesses overpay by 30-40% - here's how to fix it.

Free Fee Analysis: 0333 041 3933

10 Proven Strategies to Cut Costs

1

Switch to Interchange++ Pricing

Potential Savings: £200-£800/year

Most providers offer "blended" rates (e.g., flat 1.75% for everything). This means you overpay on debit cards.

Example:
Debit card actual cost: 0.2-0.3% interchange + 0.05% scheme fee
Your blended rate: 1.75% (you pay 1.4-1.5% extra!)
On £20k turnover: You overpay £280-£300/month

✓ Action: Ask for interchange++ pricing. Dojo offers this at 1.2% + interchange. You'll save 0.5-0.6% on most transactions.

2

Compare Providers Every 12 Months

Potential Savings: £500-£1,500/year

Providers increase rates annually (usually 0.1-0.3%), hoping you won't notice. New providers offer better rates to win your business.

Set a calendar reminder for your contract anniversary
Get 3-5 quotes to compare against current rate
Use quotes to negotiate with current provider OR switch

✓ We'll do this for free: Call 0333 041 3933 for instant comparison

3

Eliminate Hidden Fees

Potential Savings: £100-£400/year

Check your statement for these common hidden fees:

  • PCI compliance fee: £5-15/month (often negotiable or unnecessary)
  • Minimum monthly fee: Charged if you don't hit a turnover threshold
  • Authorization fee: £0.01-0.05 per transaction (negotiate to remove)
  • Statement fee: £5-10/month for paper statements (go digital)
  • Terminal rental: £10-30/month (buy outright or switch to no-rental provider)
  • Early settlement: Extra fee for next-day funding (should be standard)

✓ Action: Review last 3 months of statements. Highlight any fees beyond transaction %. Call provider to negotiate removal.

4

Increase Average Transaction Value

Potential Savings: £50-£200/year

Many providers charge authorization fees (£0.01-0.05 per transaction). Fewer transactions = lower fees.

Offer bundle deals to increase basket size
Set minimum card payment threshold (£5-£10) for small purchases
Train staff to upsell/cross-sell
Example:
Before: 100 transactions × £20 = £2,000 turnover, £5 in auth fees
After: 80 transactions × £25 = £2,000 turnover, £4 in auth fees
Saved: £1/day = £365/year on auth fees alone
5

Reduce Chargebacks

Potential Savings: £200-£1,000/year

Each chargeback costs £15-25 in fees, plus you lose the transaction amount. High chargeback rates (>1%) can trigger account reviews or termination.

Clear refund policy: Display prominently to reduce disputes
Descriptive billing: Use clear business name on statements
Proof of delivery: Keep records for disputed transactions
Fast customer service: Resolve issues before they become chargebacks
6

Negotiate With Your Current Provider

Potential Savings: £300-£600/year

Providers would rather give you a discount than lose you. Here's how to negotiate:

Script to use:

"Hi, I've been with you for [X] years and my business has grown to [£Y/month] turnover. I've received quotes from [Dojo/Square/etc] at [Z%] which is [0.X%] lower than my current rate. Can you match this rate to keep my business?"

Success rate: 60-70% get at least 0.2-0.3% reduction

Call retention department, not general support
Have competitive quotes ready to reference
Be willing to walk away if they won't budge

4 More Quick Wins

7

Batch Settlements

Process all transactions at once instead of individually. Saves on authorization fees.

8

Go Paperless

Digital statements are free. Paper statements cost £5-10/month. Save £60-120/year.

9

Encourage Debit Over Credit

Debit cards cost 0.2% vs credit cards at 0.3-1.5%. Train staff to ask "debit or credit?"

10

Bundle Services

Some providers offer discounts if you use multiple services (card machine + online gateway + EPOS).

Combined Savings Potential

£1,200-£3,500
Total Annual Savings Potential
For £10k/month Turnover:
  • • Switch to interchange++: £400/year
  • • Eliminate hidden fees: £200/year
  • • Negotiate rate down 0.2%: £240/year
  • • Reduce chargebacks: £150/year
  • Total: £990/year saved
For £30k/month Turnover:
  • • Switch to interchange++: £1,200/year
  • • Eliminate hidden fees: £300/year
  • • Negotiate rate down 0.3%: £1,080/year
  • • Reduce chargebacks: £400/year
  • Total: £2,980/year saved

Get Your Free Fee Analysis

Send us your last statement and we'll show you exactly where you're overpaying and how to fix it.

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