Best UK online payment for B2B invoicing 2026
For UK B2B businesses invoicing corporate customers with 30-day, 60-day or 90-day payment terms. Card payment vs Bacs Direct Debit vs traditional bank transfer. The right choice depends on transaction size (commercial-card interchange runs 1.0% to 2.5%, materially higher than consumer), invoice frequency, and customer preference.
The ranking
2. Stripe Reader S700
4.0 / 5Best for card-preferring UK B2B
Touchscreen handheld terminal with built-in receipt printer · Custom (Stripe pricing) · Stripe terms
Stripe Invoicing at 1.5% + 20p (UK card-not-present) for B2B customers who insist on paying by card. AMEX-supported at higher rate (typically 2.5%). Stripe Tax handles UK VAT calculation. Stripe Connect handles platform-style B2B billing.
3. Adyen for Platforms
4.0 / 5Best for enterprise UK B2B
Multiple terminals; mostly platform-bundled · Interchange-plus pricing; bespoke · Bespoke, often year-long
Adyen for B2B invoicing above £1m monthly. Bespoke interchange-plus pricing wins materially on commercial-card heavy invoicing because commercial interchange is 1.0% to 2.5% and direct interchange-plus exposure saves over blended.
Quick comparison
Headline rate, hardware cost, contract and form factor at a glance.
| Rank | Terminal | Rate | Hardware | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 | Stripe Reader S700 | Custom (Stripe pricing) | £329 | Stripe terms |
| #3 | Adyen for Platforms | Interchange-plus pricing; bespoke | Bespoke per merchant; typically platform-bundled | Bespoke, often year-long |
FAQs
What is the best UK payment method for B2B invoicing?
GoCardless Bacs Direct Debit at 1% + 20p (capped £2) is the default winner: cheaper than card on commercial-card interchange (which runs 1.0% to 2.5% blended), automated recurring billing, native integrations with Xero, QuickBooks and Sage. Stripe Invoicing at 1.5% + 20p wins where the customer insists on card. Adyen wins enterprise above £1m monthly.
Why is commercial-card interchange more expensive than consumer-card?
UK consumer-debit interchange is regulated at 0.2% and consumer-credit at 0.3% under the retained EU Interchange Fee Regulation. Commercial cards (business credit, corporate cards, purchasing cards) are uncapped and run 1.0% to 2.5%. On a £10,000 invoice, the difference between consumer-debit (£20) and commercial-credit (£250) is meaningful. Bacs Direct Debit is cheaper still at the £2 cap.
How do UK B2B businesses get customers to authorise Bacs Direct Debit?
Customer signs a Bacs Direct Debit mandate at first invoice. GoCardless has Open Banking-style instant mandate flow (customer authenticates via online banking), or paper mandate, or Confirmation of Payee for higher-trust customers. Once authorised, subsequent invoices pull automatically.
Can a UK B2B business mix card and Bacs invoicing?
Yes. Most UK B2B businesses give customers a payment choice: card (faster but more expensive for the merchant), Bacs Direct Debit (cheaper for the merchant, 3-day Bacs cycle), or bank transfer (manual but free). Xero, QuickBooks and Sage let you tag each invoice with the customer's preferred method.
Methodology
Rankings are based on direct hands-on testing, published rates, settlement timing, contract terms, and acquirer reliability. We do not accept payment for ranking position. See our full methodology and editorial policy.
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Open quote form →Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 2026-05-11.