Every 90 days, automatic

Quarterly rate reviews

As your UK card volume grows, your rate should drop. Most merchants forget to ask. AcceptCard checks your effective blended rate against the 80+ UK acquirer panel every 90 days and renegotiates on your behalf when a better deal exists. Typical UK merchant on a legacy acquirer saves 15 to 40 basis points on the first review; that is £180 to £480 a year at £10k monthly volume.

The 4-step quarterly cycle

  1. 01

    Pull last 90 days of card volume

    We extract trailing-quarter volume, average transaction size, card-mix (consumer-debit vs consumer-credit vs commercial), refund rate and chargeback ratio from your acquirer statements. Effective blended rate calculated to 2 decimal places.

  2. 02

    Score against the 80+ UK acquirer panel

    Run the same scoring model we use at initial placement: rate, contract length, settlement schedule, hardware, sector fit. Surface acquirers who would underwrite your current shape at a better rate.

  3. 03

    Email you the comparison report

    One-page report: your current effective rate, top 3 alternative quotes from the panel, the saving in pounds across the next 12 months at current volume. You decide whether to act.

  4. 04

    Renegotiate or switch

    If you want to act, we approach your existing acquirer first with the competing offer. 60-70% of UK acquirers will match or beat a competing quote if you ask through the broker channel. If they will not, we manage the switch to the better-fit acquirer.

When we trigger an ad-hoc review

Beyond the 90-day cycle we flag a rate review the same day a trigger event lands:

  • Annual card volume grew by 30% or more in the last 12 months
  • Average transaction size shifted by 25% (typically a trade pivot)
  • Card-mix changed materially (more commercial-card volume, more cross-border)
  • Acquirer hiked your rate at contract renewal
  • A new UK acquirer entered your sector with materially better pricing
  • Your chargeback ratio dropped below 0.5% (you should be on lower rates)

In one sentence

You will never overpay because you forgot to ask.

Acquirers know merchants forget to renegotiate. The whole UK card-acquirer pricing structure assumes you stay on the rate you signed at, not the rate you should be on at current volume. We close that gap.

Get matched, start rate reviews

FAQs

How often do AcceptCard rate reviews happen?

Every 90 days as standard. We can also trigger ad-hoc reviews if you flag a volume jump, a contract-renewal letter, or an acquirer rate hike. The cycle is automatic; you do not have to remember to ask.

How much can I expect to save on a typical rate review?

Varies by current acquirer and current volume. UK merchants on legacy bank-acquirer contracts (Worldpay, Barclaycard, Elavon legacy estates) typically save 15-40 basis points (0.15% to 0.40%) on rate reviews. Fintech-first merchants (Dojo, SumUp, Square) typically save 5-15 basis points. At £20k monthly volume, 20 basis points is £40/month or £480 a year.

Does asking my acquirer to match a competing quote hurt my relationship?

No. UK card-acquirer renegotiation is a normal commercial dynamic and acquirers expect it from merchants growing through the volume tiers. We approach acquirer account managers through the broker channel, which is structured for exactly this conversation, not directly through their consumer-facing complaint line.

What if my acquirer refuses to match?

We assess whether the saving plus the switching cost (downtime, hardware swap, integration work) makes the switch worth it. If yes we manage the cutover. If no we hold position and re-run the review in 90 days. Acquirers sometimes hold the line once and move at the next quarterly check.

Is the rate review free?

Yes. Included for the life of the merchant agreement. Acquirers pay our commission on completed introductions; the ongoing rate-review service is built into that relationship and not charged to you.

Reviewed by Oliver Mackman. Last reviewed: 2026-05-11.