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 312710 Proven Strategies to Cut Costs
Switch to Interchange++ Pricing
Most providers offer "blended" rates (e.g., flat 1.75% for everything). This means you overpay on debit cards.
✓ Action: Ask for interchange++ pricing. Dojo offers bespoke interchange++ rates through CapExpand. You could save significantly on most transactions.
Compare Providers Every 12 Months
Providers increase rates periodically, hoping you won't notice. New providers offer competitive rates to win your business.
✓ We'll do this for free: Call 0333 041 3127 for an instant rate check
Eliminate Hidden Fees
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.
Increase Average Transaction Value
Many providers charge authorization fees (£0.01-0.05 per transaction). Fewer transactions = lower fees.
Reduce Chargebacks
Each chargeback costs £15-25 in fees, plus you lose the transaction amount. High chargeback rates (>1%) can trigger account reviews or termination.
Negotiate With Your Current Provider
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: Most businesses can negotiate better rates through our consultant review
4 More Quick Wins
Batch Settlements
Process all transactions at once instead of individually. Saves on authorization fees.
Go Paperless
Digital statements are free. Paper statements cost £5-10/month. Save £60-120/year.
Encourage Debit Over Credit
Debit cards cost 0.2% vs credit cards at 0.3-1.5%. Train staff to ask "debit or credit?"
Bundle Services
Some providers offer discounts if you use multiple services (card machine + online gateway + EPOS).
Combined Savings Potential
- • 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
- • 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.