Card payments for
retail businesses
Running an independent shop? Small differences in transaction charges and fixed fees can have a significant effect on tight retail margins.
Real convenience-store example
From statement to clearer comparison
£34,000
Monthly card turnover
£476
Previous monthly cost
Statement
Reviewed like for like
£289
New monthly cost
£2,244
Potential annual saving
Based on one merchant’s circumstances. Savings are not guaranteed and depend on card mix, turnover, existing pricing and provider.
Where retailers get stung on payments
Retail margins are tight — payment fees that look small on paper add up to thousands a year.
Business card surcharges
Trade accounts and corporate buyers often pay on business credit cards. These attract higher rates — if yours aren't negotiated correctly, it hits hard.
High transaction volumes
Retail typically runs high transaction counts. A poor auth fee even at 3–4p per transaction becomes thousands across a year.
Multi-terminal setups
More tills mean more rental fees. We find providers who offer competitive multi-terminal pricing that doesn't scale badly.
EPOS integration
Standalone card machines that don't talk to your till cause reconciliation headaches. We match you with integrated solutions.
What PurePay does for retailers
How retailers can compare card payment costs
Retail payment costs are shaped by transaction count, card type, the number of tills and any EPOS integration. A like-for-like comparison should account for every recurring and per-transaction charge.
Include every till and terminal
Compare terminal rental, replacement charges and multi-site pricing—not only the first device or a promotional hardware price.
Separate rates from fixed fees
High transaction counts can make authorisation fees important. Check them alongside debit, credit and commercial-card rates.
Protect your reconciliation process
If your team uses stock control or a till system, ask how payments integrate and what the implementation involves before changing provider.
Learn about EPOS systems for retailers, calculate your current cost with the savings calculator, or read our broker disclosure.
Free review for your shop
Send us a recent statement and we’ll compare the full cost.