Wholesale & Export Payment Costs
Understand what it costs to collect money from trade customers. Separate payment fees, currency costs and settlement timing before comparing services.
How should wholesalers and exporters compare payment costs?
Separate card receipts, invoice settlements, bank transfers and foreign-currency collections. Compare the amount received after identifiable charges for the same transaction, then assess payment timing, commercial risk and the software needed to reconcile it. Equipment supply is covered separately in our EPOS wholesale and export enquiry page.
In this guide
A trade invoice is not automatically a card payment
A wholesaler may take a card payment at the counter, receive a bank transfer against an account invoice or collect a deposit online. An exporter might receive a foreign-currency transfer for goods sold abroad. Each route has its own costs and settlement records.
UK government export guidance identifies international bank transfers and merchant card services among the available collection methods. Suitability depends on the transaction and market. An inexpensive payment route is not automatically the right answer for an unfamiliar buyer or a large order.
| Route | Cost questions |
|---|---|
| Trade-counter card sales | Which consumer, business, corporate and overseas card rates apply? What are the terminal and per-payment charges? |
| Invoice paid by card or payment link | Which remote-payment tariff applies? Are gateway, platform or collection charges added? |
| Bank transfer | What does the sending, receiving or intermediary service charge, and who bears each charge? |
| Foreign-currency collection | Which currency is collected, held and paid out? What exchange rate and conversion charges apply? |
| Account or instalment settlement | When is money due, how many payments are expected, and what reconciliation or finance costs sit alongside collection? |
Do not treat a UK merchant account or terminal as permission to operate in another country. Ask the provider to confirm the merchant entity, operating location, customer markets, currencies and delivery model it supports.
A fictional wholesale comparison
A wholesaler receives £100,000 during a month: £25,000 through the card service under review and £75,000 by bank transfer against account invoices.
If a fictional card quotation reduces the percentage charge by 0.2 percentage points, that part of the difference is:
£25,000 × 0.2% = £50 per month
Applying the reduction to all £100,000 would suggest £200. The additional £150 is not a card-processing saving because those bank receipts never passed through the processor.
Ask for the actual mix of business, corporate and overseas cards to be priced. A blended assumption can hide differences between those categories. Include payment counts, any minimum processing charge, terminal costs and your necessary trade software.
Invented figures, not provider prices or customer results. The example uses one VAT basis and excludes fixed fees, refunds, currency conversion and other costs.
Compare the final amount received, not just the transfer fee
Record the invoice currency, currency paid by the buyer and currency reaching your account. Ask whether conversion happens at checkout, on receipt or on withdrawal. A visible transfer fee may be only one element of the cost.
Request quotations for the same amount, currency pair and time. Record the quoted exchange rate, explicit conversion fee, transfer fees and expected net receipt. If you use a reference exchange rate to assess the difference, record its source and timestamp. Do not count a rate margin twice by adding it again to a net-receipt comparison that already includes it.
A simple receipt comparison
Two fictional services quote for the same foreign-currency receipt at the same time. After conversion but before their stated final fee, A would pay £8,500 and B £8,480. A charges £25 and B charges £5.
Both produce £8,475 net. B’s lower visible fee does not produce a better receipt in this example.
Assumes no other charges and identical timing. This is arithmetic, not a live exchange-rate quote or a recommendation to convert at a particular time.
The government’s exchange-rate guidance explains why invoice currency and the time between agreement and payment affect the commercial outcome. Discuss currency-risk arrangements with a suitably qualified provider; this calculator does not forecast rates.
A lower collection fee does not resolve payment risk
Payment in advance, deposits and later account settlement affect both the buyer and seller. Agree the due dates, currency and settlement responsibilities clearly. The government’s export guidance explains payment terms and bank-supported arrangements such as letters of credit and documentary collections.
For a particular order, ask your bank or trade adviser which arrangement fits the buyer, country, goods and contract. Consider the cost of preparing documents, checking compliance with the agreed requirements and obtaining specialist help, as well as bank charges.
Keep three issues separate in the comparison: the price of collecting money, the time before you can use it, and the risk of not receiving it. A fee calculator cannot establish the safety of a buyer or the enforceability of a contract.
Make the trade counter and accounts work together
Ask an EPOS or software supplier to demonstrate your trade workflow: customer-specific prices, account limits, deposits, part-payments, invoice references, returns and credit notes. Check that branch receipts can be matched to the right customer account.
List connections to stock, warehouse, ecommerce and accounting systems. Establish who supplies and supports each connection, what data moves between systems and which tasks still need manual work.
For a quotation, provide the current software, branches, payment channels, transaction values, currencies and required settlement reports. Add installation, migration, training and support to the cost comparison. Our integration-cost guide helps organise those questions.
Wholesale and export questions
Can I use the calculator for all export payment costs?
Use it for the entered card and EPOS costs it supports. It does not calculate exchange rates, bank trade-finance charges, duties, credit risk or legal costs. Keep those items in a separate transaction budget.
Does invoicing a buyer in pounds remove all currency issues?
It specifies the invoice currency but does not answer every question about the buyer’s conversion costs, payment route or deductions. Confirm the amount your business must receive and the fees borne by each party.
Where do I ask about buying EPOS equipment for export?
Use our equipment wholesale, distributor and export enquiry page. This guide concerns collecting payments for your own trade sales.
Sources and scope
Public sources checked 17 October 2026. Provider and scheme examples explain specific arrangements; they do not indicate a partnership with EPOS Savings.
- Business.gov.uk: payment methods for exporters
- Business.gov.uk: managing exchange rates
- Business.gov.uk: payment terms for export orders
Worked examples are fictional. Confirm your own contract, charges and required functions before deciding.
Compare the complete cost for your business
Organise your figures, identify missing charges and compare another offer on the same basis.
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