How A2A payments reduce costs by up to 60%

Updated on 14.05.2026.

For many merchants, payment acceptance costs have long been an “invisible tax” on every sale. Card payment fees, monthly charges, additional administrative costs, and complex contracts all directly reduce margins - often without customers even realizing it.

With the rise of Open Banking and account-to-account payments (A2A, also known as Pay by Bank), this model is beginning to change. This is where IRIS Pay stands out as a real alternative, enabling up to 60% lower payment acceptance costs.

The true cost of card payments

Card payments may seem convenient, but behind them lies a complex infrastructure involving multiple parties - issuing banks, card schemes, processors, and payment gateways. Each of them adds its own fee.

For merchants, this typically means:

a percentage fee on every transaction;
fixed per-transaction fees;
monthly and annual charges;
additional costs related to refunds and chargebacks.

Over time, card fees become one of the largest ongoing expenses for merchants - especially in e-commerce and high-volume businesses.

How IRIS Pay changes the equation

IRIS Pay operates on a different model. Instead of relying on card schemes, payments are made directly from the customer’s bank account to the merchant’s bank account via Open Banking.

This leads to several key advantages:

interchange and scheme fees are eliminated;
processing costs are significantly lower;
there are no hidden or hard-to-track fees.

The result for businesses is clear: up to 60% lower payment acceptance costs compared to traditional card-based methods.

Fewer fees, greater control

Beyond cost reduction, the A2A model gives merchants greater control over their cash flow. Funds are transferred directly to the merchant’s bank account, without intermediaries or complex settlement cycles.

This means:

faster access to funds;
easier accounting and reconciliation;
fewer administrative disputes and refund processes.

For businesses with recurring payments or higher transaction values, this has a direct and positive impact on liquidity.

A better experience for customers as well

Lower costs do not come at the expense of the customer experience. On the contrary, with IRIS Pay, payments are completed within the familiar and secure environment of online banking.

Customers:

do not enter card details;
do not create new accounts;
do not install additional applications;
confirm payments with just a few clicks or via biometrics.

This combination of security, convenience, and trust leads to higher payment completion rates.

The European trend: fewer cards, more A2A

Across Europe, and particularly in the UK, account-to-account payments have already become a standard in many industries. Regulations such as PSD2 and the expansion of instant payments have accelerated the shift toward more direct and cost-efficient payment methods.

Bulgaria is following the same path, with the added advantage of being able to skip some intermediate stages. Rather than optimizing an expensive card-based model, the market is increasingly adopting direct A2A solutions.

IRIS Pay - the A2A leader in Southeast Europe

Against this backdrop, IRIS Pay has established itself as a leading A2A payment method in Southeast Europe. The combination of a licensed payment institution, broad bank integrations, and real market adoption allows businesses to reduce costs without compromising security or the customer experience.

IRIS Pay does not simply offer lower fees - it delivers a smarter payment model aligned with how businesses and customers want to pay today.

Conclusion

Payment acceptance costs are not an inevitable evil. With the development of Open Banking and A2A payments, businesses now have a real alternative to expensive card schemes.

IRIS Pay demonstrates that it is possible to achieve up to 60% lower costs, faster payments, and a better customer experience - all at the same time.

That is why more and more companies are rethinking how they accept payments.

How Is A2A Payment Integrated into an Online Store or Website?

One of the major advantages of modern A2A solutions is that implementation is far more accessible than many merchants expect.

IRIS Pay offers multiple integration models based on business needs:

direct checkout integration
payment links
QR payments
ERP integrations
e-commerce plugins
mobile applications

What integrations are needed to launch A2A payments?

Depending on the business model, merchants can use:

WooCommerce
Magento
OpenCart
PrestaShop
API connectivity
payment links
QR solutions for remote sales

This allows businesses to quickly adapt A2A payments to different operational models without requiring complex infrastructure changes.

How long does technical integration take?

In most cases, integration can be completed within:

just a few hours for payment links and QR solutions
just a few hours for standard e-commerce plugins
custom timelines for API and ERP integrations

This makes A2A payments a realistic and fast solution for companies looking to optimize payment acceptance costs without major technological investments.

Payment acceptance costs are no longer an unavoidable burden.

With the growth of Open Banking and A2A payments, businesses now have a real alternative to expensive card schemes.

IRIS Pay demonstrates that it is possible to achieve simultaneously: