What card payments actually cost your business
A single headline percentage tells you nothing. The real cost depends on four things at once: where you take the payment, which card is used, how large one transaction is, and what arrives as a monthly fee. Put your own numbers in.
Your numbers
Transaction size mix
- Small payments%
- Medium payments%
- Large payments%
- Small payments20 €
- Medium payments80 €
- Large payments300 €
Where you take payment
- Countertop terminal%
- On a phone%
- Online%
Card type mix
- EEA debit%
- EEA credit%
- EEA business%
- Non-EEA%
- Amex%
This mix gives 222 transactions.
What it costs
| Acquirer | Total fee % | € total | of which fixed | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nets (via Coop Pank)ASSUMPTION The 1.70 % interchange for EEA commercial cards is an assumption (LHV's table says “up to 2.00 %”).Android device (SoftPOS). Does not take Amex. Terminal rental/licence is not public → 0.SoftPOS on an Android phone. iPhone is not supported.Nets gave no online payment price, publicly or in the offer. | 1.50 % | 95.23 | 0.00 | 64 %covers 64 % of turnover |
| SumUpSolo Lite card terminal €44, one rate for every card type.Tap to Pay on iPhone — no hardware needed.Payment Links / online store. | 2.13 % | 213.00 | 44.00 | 100 % |
| Revolut BusinessRevolut Reader €69.Tap to Pay: same percentage, per-transaction fee €0.02 + €0.08 = €0.10. | 3.48 % | 348.28 | 189.00 | 100 % |
| SwedbankSmart terminal, purchase €140 + VAT = €170.80. The rental terminal's rate is negotiated → type your own.“Terminal in your phone”, Android only.Swedbank quotes online payments on request; there is no public number. | 3.93 % | 250.07 | 170.80 | 64 %covers 64 % of turnover |
| LHV PankASSUMPTION LHV's terminal rate is negotiated case by case; this uses the blended 1.49 % from the same bank's ONLINE contract (3 February 2026).Terminal rental LAN €12.50 + VAT = €15.25/month. LHV does not take Amex. | 4.37 % | 277.84 | 183.00 | 64 %covers 64 % of turnover |
| Freepay + ElavonFreepay only quotes its POS pricing on request.Gateway fee €13.50/month. Does not take Amex. | 7.12 % | 223.22 | 162.00 | 31 %covers 31 % of turnover |
Edit the prices
Defaults are as of 4 September 2026: public price lists, plus the actual offer made to a small merchant in the case of Nets, LHV and Freepay. Your own contract may differ — type it in here.
Nets (via Coop Pank)
Countertop terminal
On a phone
Online
Nets gave no online payment price, publicly or in the offer.
As of 2026-09-04
Sources: Nets offer to Heikki, 3 September 2026 (not public): 0.95 % margin + €0.02 per transaction · Nets Estonia scheme fee PDF, March 2026 (~0.03 % + €0.01; inter-regional ~0.6 % + €0.11) · LHV interchange table (EEA debit 0.20 %, EEA credit 0.30 %, non-EEA 0.30 %)
SumUp
Countertop terminal
On a phone
Online
As of 2026-09-04
Sources: sumup.com/et-ee/hinnad (Solo Lite)
Revolut Business
Countertop terminal
On a phone
Online
As of 2026-09-04
Sources: revolut.com/legal/business-basic-fees (Business Basic €10/month, Reader €69) · revolut.com/business/accept-payments-pricing (online payments)
LHV Pank
Countertop terminal
On a phone
Online
As of 2026-09-04
Sources: LHV online payments contract, 3 February 2026 (blended 1.49 %) · LHV price list: terminal LAN rental €12.50 + VAT · LHV by phone, 4 September 2026: no phone payment solution exists
Swedbank
Countertop terminal
On a phone
Online
Swedbank quotes online payments on request; there is no public number.
As of 2026-09-04
Sources: Swedbank price list, 11 April 2025: smart terminal purchase €140 + VAT, 1.45 % service fee · Swedbank “Terminal in your phone” (Android): 0.99 % + €0.02
Freepay + Elavon
Countertop terminal
Freepay only quotes its POS pricing on request.
On a phone
Freepay only quotes its POS pricing on request.
Online
As of 2026-09-04
Sources: Heikki's Freepay contract, 12 August 2026
How this is calculated
- One-off hardware cost lands in full in the first period — so you see the real first-season cost, not an amortised figure.
- An account fee (e.g. Revolut Business) is charged once, even when you use several channels. Terminal rental and gateway fees are per channel.
- For a seasonal business the monthly fee is the sore point: €10 a month is €120 a year even if you sell for three. One-off hardware likewise spreads over the season's turnover alone.
- A card type the acquirer does not serve drops out of both the cost and the coverage. That way Amex never looks free.
- Refunds, chargebacks, currency conversion and VAT on the fees are out of scope.
- Nets is priced IC++: interchange and scheme fees are added on top of the margin. That is why the 0.95 % margin is not what you pay.
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