For businesses with regular transactions such as cafés, bakeries, hair salons, restaurants etc., Axepta BNP Paribas offers an interesting and cost-effective package for the acceptance of card payments, including a monthly subscription for Bancontact transactions.  

What does a Bancontact transaction cost?

Each transaction comes with a small fee, like a service charge. What if you could lower these individual fees by opting for a fixed monthly subscription, thereby reducing the cost per transaction? That’s the idea behind the Bancontact monthly subscription included in the Classic package of Axepta BNP Paribas. It’s a cost-effective solution, especially for businesses processing an important volume of Bancontact transactions. 

How does the monthly subscription work?

Here’s how it works: instead of paying the standard €0.14 per debit card transaction, businesses must opt for the monthly subscription in the Classic package, choosing between Option 1 or Option 2, which lowers the per-transaction cost, much like a mobile phone plan. Just as a fixed monthly fee reduces the cost of individual calls, this subscription model cuts the fee for each Bancontact payment. The more transactions a business processes, the greater the savings compared to paying the standard rate per transaction. It’s a straightforward way to reduce costs while keeping payments seamless for customers. 

Option 1 or Option 2: which one suits your transaction volume?

The subscription offers two options tailored to different transaction volumes. For businesses processing fewer than 300 Bancontact payments per month, the €12/month plan (Option 1) reduces the per-transaction fee to €0.115, delivering modest savings over the standard rate. For those with higher transaction volumes, over 300 Bancontact payments monthly, we recommend the €21/month plan (Option 2) which further lowers the fee to €0.085 per transaction, resulting in significant savings as payment activity increases.

Calculation example: a flower shop with 500 transactions

The advantage becomes clear when considering a flower shop processing 500 Bancontact payments per month. While a non-Bancontact debit card transaction costs €0.14, the Classic package’s €21/month subscription reduces fees to €0.085 meaning at 500 Bancontact transactions per month, it saves €6.50 per month (€21 + 500 × €0.085 = €63,5 vs. 500 × €0.14 = €70) compared to the standard rate. As transaction numbers rise, the advantage grows, much like bulk purchasing: higher volumes lead to greater cost efficiency. 

What about Visa and Mastercard?

This subscription only applies to Bancontact. Other card payments (like Visa or Mastercard) keep their usual fees within the Classic package, so you’re not paying extra for transactions outside Bancontact. In short, this is a simple way for businesses to cut costs on everyday payments. Whether you’re a cozy bookstore or a bustling restaurant, choosing the right plan could mean keeping more of your hard-earned revenue without changing how your customers pay. Choosing the right subscription level aligns with transaction volumes by turning small fees into meaningful savings.

No subscription? (Axepta BNP Paribas Soft)

For merchants preferring no fixed monthly costs, Axepta BNP Paribas also offers alternatives like the Axepta BNP Paribas Soft solution, where fees are transaction-based with no monthly subscription.