How a Free Payment Processing Audit Could Save Your Business Thousands

Many businesses know how much money they take through card payments each month, but far fewer know exactly how much of that revenue is being lost to processing fees.

Small differences in percentage rates can appear insignificant. However, once those percentages are applied to tens of thousands of euros in monthly card turnover, the cost can become substantial.

A recent payment-processing comparison for a busy Dublin café demonstrated just how large that difference could be.

The business we reviewed

The café was processing approximately:

€80,000 per month in card payments

For the comparison, its existing payment provider was calculated using a flat processing rate of:

2.5%

That resulted in estimated monthly processing charges of:

€80,000 × 2.5% = €2,000 per month

Over a full year, that would amount to approximately:

€24,000 in processing fees

The business was generating strong card turnover, but its payment rate meant a considerable portion of that revenue was being paid directly to its provider.

How the CostaPay comparison worked

To create a realistic comparison, the card turnover was divided into an estimated transaction mix of:

80% debit-card transactions
20% credit-card transactions

The CostaPay rates used were:

0.45% for debit cards
0.85% for credit cards

Debit-card transactions

Eighty per cent of the café’s €80,000 monthly turnover equals:

€64,000

At a debit-card rate of 0.45%:

€64,000 × 0.45% = €288

Credit-card transactions

Twenty per cent of the monthly turnover equals:

€16,000

At a credit-card rate of 0.85%:

€16,000 × 0.85% = €136

Estimated CostaPay monthly cost

The combined estimated processing cost would therefore be:

€288 + €136 = €424 per month

The potential difference

The comparison produced the following estimated monthly figures:

Provider	Estimated monthly cost
Existing flat-rate provider	€2,000
CostaPay	€424
Potential monthly difference	€1,576

Over 12 months, that represents potential savings of:

€1,576 × 12 = €18,912 per year

That is money the business could potentially reinvest into staffing, equipment, stock, marketing or future expansion.

Why payment fees often go unnoticed

Card-processing charges are normally deducted automatically or presented across detailed monthly statements.

Because of this, many business owners focus on the total amount received rather than calculating their actual processing rate.

A quoted rate may also fail to show the full picture. Businesses should examine:

Percentage processing rates
Debit and credit-card rates
Commercial and international card charges
Fixed transaction charges
Terminal rental
Monthly account fees
PCI compliance charges
Contract terms
Additional service fees

Even businesses that negotiated competitive rates several years ago may now be paying more than the current market requires.

What is included in a free payment-processing audit?

Costa Systems offers businesses a free, no-obligation payment-processing audit.

The purpose is to establish what the business is currently paying and whether a more competitive arrangement may be available.

The audit generally involves reviewing a recent merchant statement and examining:

Monthly card turnover
Current processing rates
Debit and credit transaction volumes
Additional charges or fixed fees
The estimated annual cost of the existing agreement

The results are then presented clearly, allowing the business owner to make an informed decision.

There is no pressure to change provider. The audit simply provides greater transparency around an expense that many businesses rarely review.

Could your business be overpaying?

For businesses processing large volumes of card payments, even a small rate reduction can produce meaningful savings.

Hospitality and retail businesses are particularly exposed because they often process hundreds or thousands of transactions every month.

A free audit can help determine whether your current pricing remains competitive and identify costs that may not be immediately obvious from your statements.