The cost of processing payments represents 1.5% to 3% of your turnover – equivalent to your net profit margin on some dishes. Yet, many restaurateurs suffer under default conditions without optimizing. Here’s how to navigate the PSP (Payment Service Providers) market in 2025.
Understanding Payment Fees
Here's a breakdown of the fees associated with payments:
- Transaction Fee: A small fee charged for each transaction processed. This fee varies depending on the payment method and the amount transacted.
- Processing Fee: This fee covers the cost of handling the payment, including security and fraud prevention.
- Currency Conversion Fee: If you're paying in a different currency than the recipient's, a conversion fee will apply.
- ACH Fee: (Automated Clearing House) A fee charged for electronic bank transfers.
For a detailed breakdown of specific fees, please refer to our fee schedule.
When a customer pays €30 per credit card, you don't receive €30. Several parties deduct their share:
Fees apply
Enabled for networks (Visa, Mastercard) and the issuing bank. This is the main part, generally 0.3% to 1.5% depending on the card type (Classic CB, Premium, AmEx).
Network fees
Visa, Mastercard charge a commission. ~0.1-0.2%.
Your PSP fees (yours)
Your payment provider (Sumup, Stripe, Adyen…) takes its commission. It’s the only lever you can truly negotiate.
Fixed costs
Often a fixed amount per transaction (0.15-0.30 €) in addition to the percentage.
The main players in the restaurant market
Voici un résumé des points clés :
- L'importance de la communication claire : Une communication claire et concise est essentielle pour garantir que les messages sont compris correctement. Évitez le jargon et les termes techniques que votre public pourrait ne pas connaître.
- Connaître votre public : Adaptez votre communication à votre public cible. Tenez compte de leurs connaissances, de leurs intérêts et de leurs besoins.
- Utiliser des supports visuels : Les images, les graphiques et les vidéos peuvent rendre votre communication plus engageante et plus facile à comprendre.
- Être concis : Allez droit au but. Évitez les informations inutiles et concentrez-vous sur les points les plus importants.
- Relire et éditer : Avant de diffuser votre communication, relisez-la attentivement pour corriger les erreurs et vous assurer que le message est clair et précis.
En résumé, une communication efficace est une communication réfléchie, adaptée et claire.
Accessible solution, popular with freelancers. Integrated offer (terminal + interface).
Advantages: simple pricing, no commitment, robust terminal. Limitations: less flexible for complex configurations. Typical Fees: 1.75% per transaction, terminal 30-100 €.
Stripe
Flexible, dominant in e-commerce, integrable to POS.
Advantages: very flexible, good for multi-channel (in-store + online). Limitations: no standard physical terminal (must be paired with Stripe Terminal). Typical Fees: 1.4% + €0.25 per European CB transaction.
Adyen
Solution enterprise, present at major chains.
Advantages: very optimized pricing at high volume, multi-country, multi-currency. Limitations: minimum commitment and complexity, not for small volumes. Typical Fees: negotiated according to volume.
Payplug
Good solution, good value for freelancers.
Advantages: French support, simple integration with French POS. Typical fees: 1.2-1.8% depending on volume.
Lightspeed Payments
Integrated solution for Lightspeed POS.
Advantages: perfect native integration if you are on Lightspeed. Limitations: lock-in with Lightspeed. Typical fees: ~1.75% in the Eurozone.
Integrated POS solutions
Many POS systems (Cashpad, Zelty, Innovorder, Popina) have privileged partnerships with a PSP. Often advantageous conditions.
Here's a breakdown of the costs to compare:
- Electricity: €0.25/kWh
- Gas: €0.12/kWh
- Water: €25/month
- Internet: €30/month
- Phone: €15/month
- TV: €20/month
It's important to compare these costs to determine the most affordable option.
When comparing offers:
Visible expenses
- % per European card transaction
- % per international card transaction (often 2x more expensive)
- Fixed fees per transaction
- Monthly subscription fees (if applicable)
- Terminal cost (purchase or rental)
Hidden fees
Fees for transferring to your account (often 0) Chargeback fees (customer dispute: 15-30 € per incident) Refund fees (sometimes charged) “Non-compliance” fees (PCI, etc.)
Ask for the actual total cost over 1 year with your estimated volume.
Negotiating your expenses
Negotiation is possible and often profitable.
Negotiation Tactics
Volume : the more you transact, the more leverage you have Competition : having a quote from a competitor Age : a loyal client often gets better terms Annual renegotiation : don't sign for 5 years without review
Negotiation Approach
- Écoute active: Comprendre les besoins et les préoccupations de l'autre partie.
- Identification des intérêts: Déterminer les motivations sous-jacentes de chaque partie.
- Créativité: Explorer des solutions mutuellement bénéfiques.
- Flexibilité: Être prêt à faire des compromis.
- Persévérance: Ne pas abandonner facilement.
Request a comprehensive quote with your current and estimated volume. Request quotes from 2-3 competitors simultaneously. Present the other quotes to your preferred PSP. Negotiate a commission of 0.1 to 0.3 points.
On a turnover of €500,000 per year, 0.2 points represents a savings of €1,000.
The payment methods to support:
- Carte de crédit (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Virements bancaires (SEPA)
- Cryptomonnaies (Bitcoin, Ethereum) - En cours de validation
Nous nous engageons à étendre notre offre de moyens de paiement au fur et à mesure de l'évolution du marché et des besoins de nos clients.
Beyond the classic CB, integrate:
Restaurant tickets
If you are in a tertiary zone, restaurant tickets represent a significant portion. Check compatibility with Edenred, Up, Sodexo Pass, Bimpli (Apetiz, Chèque Déjeuner).
Apple Pay and Google Pay
Standardized, expected by urban clients. Integrated in most modern security companies.
Contactless payment > €50
Previously limited, now possible with authentication (PIN). Significant customer comfort.
Payment in installments
In certain cases (B2B orders, events): Klarna, Alma, Pledg enable installment payments.
Delivery Checkout
Particularity: Regarding orders through platforms (Uber Eats, Deliveroo), the customer pays the platform directly. You receive your share via a periodic bank transfer.
No direct payment fees on the restaurant side The platform commission includes everything Payment deadline: typically weekly
Regarding orders via your direct channel (click & collect, direct delivery via Stuart), your PSP applies. It’s important to optimize this part as well.
Security and Compliance
PCI DSS
- What is it? A set of security standards designed to protect cardholder data.
- Who does it apply to? Any organization that processes, stores, or transmits cardholder data.
- Key Requirements:
- Build and Maintain a Secure Network
- Protect Cardholder Data
- Regularly Monitor and Test Networks
- Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program
- Implement Strong Access Control Measures
- Regularly Update Software and Systems
Payment card security standard. Your PSP ensures you comply. Critique: Never store card numbers yourself.
GDPR
Client data is sensitive. Your PSP and POS must be GDPR compliant.
3D Secure
Enhanced authentication for online transactions. Reduces fraud but can frustrate the customer if too intrusive. Find the right balance according to your profile.
Reporting and reconciliation
Your PSP provides detailed reports. To be used for:
Accounting reconciliation: verify that all transactions have been properly credited Anomaly detection: failed transactions, chargebacks, fraud Optimization: identify VIP clients, most profitable hours
Integrating your PSP with your accounting (via your POS or via a direct integration) automates this task.
Traps to Avoid
Here are some common pitfalls to watch out for:
- Over-reliance on keywords: Simply stuffing your content with keywords won't magically improve your search ranking. Google prioritizes quality content that genuinely addresses user intent.
- Ignoring user intent: Understand why someone is searching for a particular term. Tailor your content to answer their question or solve their problem, not just to include the keyword.
- Poor readability: Long, complex sentences and jargon can confuse readers. Write in clear, concise language that's easy to understand. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up large blocks of text.
- Lack of value: Your content needs to offer something valuable to the reader – whether it's information, entertainment, or a solution to a problem.
- Neglecting mobile optimization: A significant portion of internet traffic comes from mobile devices. Ensure your website and content are responsive and display correctly on smartphones and tablets.
- Ignoring SEO best practices: While keyword stuffing is bad, neglecting SEO altogether is also detrimental. Research relevant keywords, optimize your meta descriptions and title tags, and build high-quality backlinks.
- Not tracking your results: Use analytics tools to monitor your website traffic and identify what's working and what's not. Adjust your strategy based on the data.
Enticing rates… subject to €50,000/month and a 36-month commitment. Read the fine print.
Long engagement without a termination clause. Bad service or price increase and you're stuck for 3 years.
Hidden costs of a rental: A rental of €30/month over 5 years = €1800. Often cheaper to buy.
Compatibility not verified with your POS. A PSP not integrated with your POS = double entry, errors, time loss.
Voici la conclusion :
Il est important de noter que la recherche sur l'impact des réseaux sociaux sur la santé mentale est encore en cours. Cependant, les études actuelles suggèrent un lien entre une utilisation excessive des réseaux sociaux et une augmentation des symptômes de dépression, d'anxiété et d'isolement social.
Il est crucial de trouver un équilibre sain entre l'utilisation des réseaux sociaux et d'autres activités importantes dans la vie, telles que les relations sociales en personne, l'exercice physique et les loisirs.
Si vous ou quelqu'un que vous connaissez luttez contre des problèmes de santé mentale, n'hésitez pas à demander de l'aide. Voici quelques ressources utiles :
- SAMHSA National Helpline
- Crisis Text Line - Text HOME to 741741
- The Trevor Project - 1-866-488-7386
N'oubliez pas que vous n'êtes pas seul(e) et que de l'aide est disponible.
Payment is often a neglected topic, yet it represents a significant recurring cost. An optimization of 0.5 percentage point on commission can represent several thousand euros per year.
Combined with a well-chosen POS system and a delivery aggregator like Pepprio, an optimized payment strategy is part of the technical infrastructure of a modern restaurant.