How to accept credit cards and avoid processing fees for B2B

Can you remember the last time you used cash or a check for a personal payment? 

Neither can we!

These days, most consumer transactions are done with a credit card. 

However, this is not the case for business-to-business (B2B) payments. Less than half of businesses use credit cards to pay their bills or accept payments from other businesses.

Why are credit cards less popular in the business world? After all, there are many advantages to using credit cards for business payments, including improved cash flow, and reward points or cashback on large transactions. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the differences of a B2C/B2B credit card charge, why small businesses should accept credit cards for B2B transactions, and how much it’ll cost you (spoiler alert: $0 if you do it through Melio).

What’s stopping B2B credit card payments?

The average US consumer has 3.9 credit cards. In the B2C industry, businesses have little choice but to accept credit cards or lose customers.

For B2B companies, payment methods such as direct deposits, wire transfers, and checks are still the most common and popular. Business owners may be less inclined to change their ways and make the move to accept credit cards.

They may be even more reluctant about the cost of credit card processing fees and how it could affect their business’s bottom line. 

On the upside, credit card transactions are processed on the spot, so businesses can get payment confirmation instantly. This eliminates the time spent waiting for checks in the mail and depositing them in the bank. Checks can also get lost or stolen, or simply bounce, further distancing you from the money at the end of the tunnel.

While avoiding credit card payments and their associated fees may be a short-term gain, it is probably not a good strategy in the long term. As credit cards become more popular, B2B customers who want to pay by card might decide to take their business elsewhere to find the flexibility they need. By not accepting credit cards, you might actually be costing your business potential customers and revenue.

How businesses pay businesses, and why they’re doing it wrong

B2C businesses are typically flexible with their payment methods. Even if they choose to avoid the high fees of traditional credit card processors, B2C companies have more payment alternatives to offer customers, such as mobile payment apps. 

Business transactions, on the other hand, can be complex and rigid, leaving just a few payment options, including cash, wire or bank transfers, and paper checks. 

Here’s why these are not always ideal for business payments:  

• Cash: Many B2B businesses work with high volume payments. They may be selling inventory in bulk, or dealing with expensive bills for equipment and services. Paying in cash is not a safe or realistic option. In many countries, caps have been placed on cash payments limiting the amount that can be paid in cash, making large cash payments impossible.
• Bank transfers: ACH bank transfers are a convenient, inexpensive way to pay business bills. However, they can take three or even up to five days to be processed in some cases. This makes them less appealing when a bill is due or there’s an early bird discount to collect. Wire transfers are faster, arriving within 24 hours, but they’re expensive, usually costing around $25 to $35 per transaction.
• Checks: This classic payment method is highly subject to fraud and theft. It’s also cumbersome, prone to error, and surprisingly expensive, costing businesses anywhere between $1 and $26 per check.

Different components of processing fees

There is no such thing as a free lunch, and there is no such thing as a free credit card payment either. 

There are many parts to the credit card transaction, with several fees along the way (many of which are hidden). Let’s take a look at the different types of processing fees that make up the overall cost of B2B credit card payments: 

• Interchange fees:  These are the fees paid by the merchant’s bank (acquiring bank) to the cardholder’s bank (issuing bank) whenever a credit card transaction is processed. It covers the risk involved for the issuing bank in approving and handling the payment. 

For example, Business A pays a bill for $10,000 worth of office supplies from Business B, using a Visa credit card. Let’s say that the interchange fee is 2.25% + $0.10. 

Visa forwards $9,774.90 to Business B’s bank account ($10,000 minus the interchange fee of $225.10). The $225.10 interchange fee is kept by the issuing bank as compensation for handling the transaction.

• Network fees: There is a complex network behind the scenes that facilitates credit card transactions. The network is made up of credit card companies, payment processors, banks, and financial institutions. Various activities in the network incur fees, including:

1. Batch fees go towards closing out and settling the batch of daily transactions.
2. Assessment fees are charged by the credit card networks (ie, Visa, American Express, etc) to the acquiring bank for each transaction.
3. Processor markup fees are additional fees that may be charged by the payment processor for handling the transaction.
4. PCI compliance fees ensure that a merchant complies with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), required for handling credit card data.
5. And more.

• International fees: Transactions involving international cards or currencies incur additional processing fees and currency exchange fees. This is a percentage of the transaction amount, typically higher than domestic charges.
• Chargeback fees:  When a customer disputes a credit card transaction and the issuing bank reverses the charge, the business pays a chargeback fee. Different card processors charge different amounts for chargeback fees. Maintaining comprehensive payment records is essential to avoid payment disputes and chargeback fees.

How to prepare for processing fees in B2B transactions

B2B credit card processing fees are simply a part of life for bookkeepers and business owners. Even so, there are ways to optimize interchange fees, reduce processing costs, and get the maximum return on your B2B transactions. Here are some ideas to try:

Why B2B businesses need to accept credit card payments

Better cash flow, card rewards, convenience, and habit are just a few of the reasons why your business customers may want to pay you with a card. 

Why should you accept? Mainly, because you just don’t want to leave money on the table and lose business. Flexibility can be a serious business advantage, attracting new customers and preserving your existing clientele. Better payment choices also mean better relationships with your customers, translating into more sales and referrals.

And, as already mentioned, credit card payments are fast, giving your cash flow a boost when you may need it.

How much does it cost to accept credit cards?

Credit card processing fees vary according to the type of card, your payment processor, and transaction volume. Online transactions are usually more expensive, as they pose a greater fraud risk to credit card companies. 

The average cost of accepting credit cards amounts to anything between 1.5% and 3.5% of the transaction. This can easily add up and cause a dent in net profit margins, especially for larger B2B payments.

Can I get that for free instead?

With Melio’s digital payment platform, absolutely!

Just use Melio to process incoming B2B payments and give your customers the choice to pay with a credit card. You’ll get the money directly to your bank account within a day. When setting up your account, you can choose whether you want to cover the credit card fee or pass it on to your customer as a full or partial surcharge. 

In other words, your business customers can choose to pay you with a credit card and it doesn’t have to cost you extra. They enjoy the added convenience and improved cash flow, while you get the full amount directly to your bank account.

More choice for your customers, zero cost to you

Give your customers all the options without affecting your workflow or costing you a penny. Sign up for Melio today to start accepting credit card payments from your B2B customers for free.