If you connect crypto acquiring from Cryptadium, the final cost of the transaction rarely exceeds 0.5-0.9%.
What real ways can help businesses save on payment settlement costs? This question is growing more important as traditional acquiring becomes expensive and cross-border operations become more complicated. Many entrepreneurs are used to paying banks and aggregators 1.5% to 3% for card transfers, while international operations via traditional wires or SWIFT can reach up to 10% with all hidden charges — especially for small and medium amounts.
In this situation, crypto payments are taking the lead: today, the fee for a stablecoin transaction is typically less than 1% and sometimes approaches zero in certain networks (for example, USDT on TRON-TRC20). The cost of a digital activity becomes predictable and globally accessible, while the business world is gradually moving to decentralized operations and using stable digital assets. In this article, we’ll explain why crypto processing is dramatically cheaper than traditional acquiring and SWIFT, using real-world cases, comparisons, and practical recommendations for integrating digital providers into your business.
Bank Acquiring and Its Limitations
Traditional card acquiring is the standard payment method for many merchants. However, the claimed transparency can be misleading: each operation includes multiple hidden commissions. Key components are interchange — such as 2% in the US or 0.2-0.3% in the EU — plus the acquiring fiat’s commission, plus the aggregator’s commission (Stripe, PayPal, etc.). In the US, total acquiring values for merchants typically reach 2%-3% for a single transaction, and sometimes even 5% when hidden charges are included. In Europe, the interchange fee may be lower (up to 0.3%), but the acquirer’s and aggregator’s share remains significant.
SWIFT wires are no cheaper: an international bank wire usually values clients $20-50 per operation, with the cost being independent of the transfer amount. Some financial companies add additional flat charges for processing. For company-to-company transfers, especially outside the EU, the total expense can reach 5%-10% of the settlement, as seen in reports from freelancers, IT companies, and marketplaces.
Another major drawback is arrangement time. The average cross-border transfer takes 1-5 working days to process, with risks of unexpected holds, chargebacks, or checks. Currency conversion, FX purchase, and more hidden expenses drive up total wire activity costs even further and make them less predictable.
Crypto Processing Mechanics and Types of Fees
Digital acquiring is more straightforward, and settlements are direct. Funds move from sender to receiver (p2p), skipping banks, SWIFT, and most intermediaries — so the network expense structure changes completely. The main cost is the blockchain processing gas, paid to miners or validators for transaction confirmation.
How much does a stablecoin or coin transfer really purchase? It depends on the blockchain!
- On blockchain like Bitcoin, the fee depends on congestion and can range from $1-20 (sometimes higher).
- On Ethereum, during high demand, a transaction might cost $5-50.
- On TRON (TRC-20), Polygon, Solana, and other scalable blockchains, expenses for USDT activity are typically a few cents ($0.1-1), making them extremely attractive for business payments.
If you process payments using a platform like Cryptadium, your total value per transaction rarely exceeds 0.5-0.9%. Usually, you can lock in a predictable total commission (network + processing, based on volume). There are no hidden or “ghost” commissions found in banking. The only extra value would be for optional on-ramp services (e.g., converting crypto to fiat), but core operations remain simple and transparent — with instant access to funds 24/7, no delays for weekends or holidays.
Comparing the Costs: Real Numbers & Examples
Here’s the true cost of a typical $1,000 by method:
Method
|
Fee
|
Net Amount Received
|
Bank (EU)
|
0.2% + 0.3% = $5
|
$995
|
Bank (US)
|
1.5-2% = $15-20
|
$980-985
|
SWIFT wire
|
$20-50
|
$950-980
|
Crypto (TRON/USDT)
|
$0.5-5 (<1%)
|
$995-999
|
With Stripe, international commerce often means 3-4% in actual commission; some global card aggregators can purchase up to 10%, according to Bithide estimates. Compared to that, accepting coins (especially via fast, cheap blockchains like TRON or stablecoins such as USDT on TRC-20) yields dramatically lower costs.
Studies of cross-border bitcoin activities show digital currency wires are 3-30 times cheaper than traditional wires. Many services find the average bitcoin value for a large transaction is up to $5, regardless of sender country or receiver currency. Routes like Russia – Asia, Latin America – EU, US– CIS save up to 90% in settlement values compared to financial organizations.
Example: An international e-commerce business pays a contractor $10,000. With SWIFT, the recipient will get 3-9% less than sent due to double charges, FX, and additional intermediary purchases. Using an exchange or wallet with TRON or USDT, the charge will be no more than $10-20 (0.1-0.2%).
Why Are Coins Fees So Much Lower?
Why are blockchain operations so cheap compared to traditional settlements? The answer is all about architecture!
- No unnecessary intermediaries: each transfer is true p2p between wallets; there’s no need for SWIFT, correspondent accounts, arrangement networks, and for merchant operations it’s direct from buyer to merchant’s balance through crypto processing.
- Decentralized network: blockchains run as a distributed ledger, so there’s no dependence on any single bank or card network, and no artificial interchange or acquirer values.
- Scalability: modern blockchains (TRON, Polygon, Solana, Layer 2 on Ethereum) handle tens of thousands of transfers per second — enabling typically low transaction values and quality of service.
- For stablecoins like USDT, dedicated “rails” (eg, TRC-20) provide predictable costs, no matter the country, bank, or settlement currency.
As a result, businesses get not only lower purchase, but much faster settlement times, global reach (send money any day of the week), and a more transparent payment process.
Digital Operation Risks and Limitations
Coin transfers offer clear savings, but have special considerations.
- Gas fee volatility: under heavy load, especially on Bitcoin or Ethereum, transaction costs can briefly surge to $10-30.
- No chargebacks: unlike with cards, it’s difficult or impossible to reverse a money or claim a chargeback — there’s no “undo.” This is a downside for e-commerce with high rates of fraud.
- Regulations: businesses must comply with KYC/AML and may face restrictions when using coins in some countries (for example, fiat off-ramp limits in Russia).
- Receiving wallets and exchange accounts may be blocked if a operation is flagged as suspicious.
- Not all customers or vendors are ready to use crypto — so hybrid options might still be needed.
You should weigh these limits carefully when designing your payment and settlement strategy, and also choose the right network (TRC, ERC, BSC, etc) based on budget and region.
Recommendations for Business
To get the full benefit, pick a digital processing with simple, transparent rules and a fixed lower fee (below 1%). Use stablecoins (USDT on TRC-20, BUSD, USDC) for stable settlements, even if bitcoin or ethereum are volatile.
You can integrate processing via API, CMS plugins, widgets, or direct links. Cryptadium solutions allow seamless acquiring — payouts, merchant operations across networks, instant exchanges, rapid withdrawals — fully documented on the website.
Successful Use Cases:
- B2B: Sourcing components from China with USDT via TRON—saving up to 95% on operation purchase.
- International E-commerce: Accepting funds from Europe and Asia directly in stablecoin, reducing FX purchase.
- Contractor/Freelancer payouts: Paying services worldwide instantly, with per-transaction fees as low as $1 and fast money access.
Always test with small amounts, study network details, pilot use cases, and consult legal/tax advisors before scaling up.
Outlook
Blockchain transfers are seeing massive adoption and, according to industry forecasts, will soon be used even by traditional, non-crypto companies. Increased liquidity, stablecoins, and network scaling are turning digital acquiring into a mainstream tool. This is driving down wire and settlement costs and putting pressure on bank and card commissions.
Saving 60-70% compared to banks and wires isn’t theory — it’s reality. Now is the time to launch a pilot, try crypto integration, check real transaction values, and weigh all pros and cons using numbers from your own business.
Want to see how much crypto payment processing will cost your business? Fill out the registration form!
We offer dynamic fees that depend on your volume and never exceed 0.9%!
Accept crypto payments fast, efficiently, and securely — with Cryptadium acquiring.
Liliya Andrushevskaya,
Cryptadium expert