Card fees · Worked example
Flatpay vs The Payments Expert
Flatpay's "one flat rate" pitch sounds simple — but 1.49% on every card, every time, adds up fast once your turnover grows. Here is the real comparison at their advertised rate.
What "flat" is doing in that sentence
Flatpay’s 1.49% is flat in the sense that it does not vary by card type — debit, credit, commercial and international all cost the same. That is a real simplification and worth something. It is not flat in the sense of every merchant paying the same: the advertised rate applies below roughly £200,000 a year in card turnover, and larger merchants are moved onto a custom negotiated rate.
The trade-off in any single-rate model is that you overpay on cheap cards to subsidise expensive ones. If most of your takings are ordinary domestic debit — as they are for most UK businesses — that subsidy is money you are handing over for a simplification you may not need.
What changes when you switch
You stop subsidising the expensive cards
Interchange-plus charges the real scheme cost per card plus a disclosed margin. Cheap debit stays cheap instead of being averaged up into a single blended number.
A rate fixed for the term
No mid-contract re-price and no turnover threshold that changes the deal. Interchange changes pass through; our margin does not move.
A full Clover EPOS
Stock, staff logins, reporting and table service on the terminal itself, at £1 a month for the first six months.
Why merchants switch
Why merchants move off single-rate pricing
20–40%
Typical saving on card processing
depending on card mix and volume
Same day
Statement comparison turnaround
in writing, free, no obligation
£1/month
Clover Flex for the first 6 months
terminal rental on switching
Flatpay vs us, on the same numbers
£16,000 a month in card turnover at a £50 average transaction — 320 transactions. That sits just under Flatpay’s £200,000-a-year threshold, so this compares against their advertised rate rather than a tier where it no longer applies.
| Provider | Rate structure | Monthly fee | Total monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flatpay | 1.49% flat (under £200k/yr turnover) | £0 (free hardware) | £238.40 |
| The Payments ExpertBest value | 0.45% + 1p/txn | £20/mo terminal | £95.20 |
You could save
Save ~£143 a month — £1,718 a year
Flatpay's flat rate looks generous with no monthly fee — but at this volume our blended rate plus a small terminal fee still comes out well ahead, and the gap only widens as you grow.
Flatpay's 1.49% flat rate only applies below £200k/year turnover. Above that, pricing becomes negotiated — ask what rate you will be moved to before you commit.
Indicative example — your actual rate depends on your card mix. We will calculate your exact numbers free from a statement.
Rate calculator
Run your own numbers
Put your monthly card turnover and average transaction in and see the gap on your figures rather than ours.
Adjust the sliders for your card turnover and Clover Flex monthly terminal price
Indicative interchange+ rates for a Clover Flex on our standard merchant plan. Final pricing is confirmed on your signed agreement.
Free same-day estimate
Send us your last Flatpay statement
We will rebuild your cost on interchange-plus and come back the same business day with the two numbers side by side. If Flatpay is genuinely cheaper for you, we will tell you that.
Leave your details and we’ll come back the same day. Add last month’s statement too if it’s handy and we’ll make the comparison exact — it’s not required.
Office
+44 1442 899 544Email
hello@thepaymentsexpert.com
Questions from Flatpay merchants
- Is a single flat rate not simpler to budget for?
- It is, and that has real value — you know what a £100 sale costs you regardless of the card. The question is what the simplicity costs. On a typical UK card mix that premium is substantial, and a disclosed interchange-plus statement is not actually hard to read once someone walks you through it.
- What happens above £200,000 a year?
- You move onto a custom negotiated rate — often quoted around 0.99% — rather than the advertised 1.49%. Worth getting that number in writing before you assume the published rate is what you will keep paying.
- Is there a contract?
- Yes — a fixed term, which is what lets us price below a published flat rate. The rate is locked for the term; interchange changes pass through but our margin does not move.
- Do I have to replace my terminal?
- You move onto Clover hardware, which is a full EPOS rather than a card terminal. Rental is £1 a month for the first six months. Flatpay terminals are Flatpay-only, so they cannot come with you.
- What do you need from me to quote?
- One recent Flatpay statement showing your monthly volume and card mix. That is enough to build an exact comparison — no site visit needed.
Not sure what you're really paying?
Send us your current statement and we will show you exactly where the markup is hiding — free, no obligation. If Flatpay is genuinely cheaper for you, we will tell you that.