Embedded Payments
Adaptive Pricing: Fair payments for every transaction
Alex Schoonkind
7 okt 2025
For too long, payment pricing has been designed for the PSP’s convenience, not the merchant’s. Most providers still use a rigid, one-size-fits-all formula like:
1% + €0.10 per transaction
It’s simple for the PSP, but not so simple for the merchants.
The problem is, businesses don’t process uniform payments.
A restaurant handles €3 coffee orders and €120 dinner bookings
A SaaS platform charges thousands of €2 subscription add-ons while also selling annual contracts worth hundreds
An events company sells both €5 vouchers and €200 concert tickets
And under the old pricing model, the same flat fee applies. Small payments get penalised by the fixed fee, while large ones are treated like everyday transactions.
The result is a pricing model that never quite “fits”.
Why we built Adaptive Pricing
At Embed, we wanted a model that adjusts to the way businesses actually operate. So we built one.
With Adaptive Pricing, transaction costs flex according to payment size automatically:
Small payments (< €5): Fixed fees are minimised so microtransactions remain profitable
Mid-range (€5 – €100): The familiar % + fixed fee model, balanced for everyday payments
Larger payments (> €100): The same transparent formula, where fixed fees become negligible, keeping costs predictable and fair
No need to juggle multiple providers or negotiate “special cases.”
Every transaction, from €3 to €300, runs through the same infrastructure with pricing that just makes sense. It’s a simple model that merchants can rely on: fair, transparent and scalable by design.
Why this matters for platforms
For SaaS platforms embedding payments, this kind of pricing flexibility goes beyond convenience. It directly impacts growth.
When your merchants see that payments scale with their business (rather than against it), it’s easier to sell, retain and expand accounts.
Easier adoption: Merchants don’t get tripped up on unfair fees
Lower churn: Your customers don’t outgrow your payment model as transaction patterns evolve
More revenue: A pricing structure that works for both micro and large payments means higher adoption and more payment volume running through your platform
Our approach to pricing
At Embed, we’re building infrastructure that aligns with how platforms and merchants actually work. That means:
Transparent, scheme-aligned fees
Adaptive tiers that scale with your business
Simplicity built into the core model, so you never have to think about it
Adaptive Pricing is one step in that direction:
Payments that stay fair, predictable, and invisible in the background. Exactly how they should be.
Talk to our team to see how adaptive pricing can support your platform’s payment strategy.
For too long, payment pricing has been designed for the PSP’s convenience, not the merchant’s. Most providers still use a rigid, one-size-fits-all formula like:
1% + €0.10 per transaction
It’s simple for the PSP, but not so simple for the merchants.
The problem is, businesses don’t process uniform payments.
A restaurant handles €3 coffee orders and €120 dinner bookings
A SaaS platform charges thousands of €2 subscription add-ons while also selling annual contracts worth hundreds
An events company sells both €5 vouchers and €200 concert tickets
And under the old pricing model, the same flat fee applies. Small payments get penalised by the fixed fee, while large ones are treated like everyday transactions.
The result is a pricing model that never quite “fits”.
Why we built Adaptive Pricing
At Embed, we wanted a model that adjusts to the way businesses actually operate. So we built one.
With Adaptive Pricing, transaction costs flex according to payment size automatically:
Small payments (< €5): Fixed fees are minimised so microtransactions remain profitable
Mid-range (€5 – €100): The familiar % + fixed fee model, balanced for everyday payments
Larger payments (> €100): The same transparent formula, where fixed fees become negligible, keeping costs predictable and fair
No need to juggle multiple providers or negotiate “special cases.”
Every transaction, from €3 to €300, runs through the same infrastructure with pricing that just makes sense. It’s a simple model that merchants can rely on: fair, transparent and scalable by design.
Why this matters for platforms
For SaaS platforms embedding payments, this kind of pricing flexibility goes beyond convenience. It directly impacts growth.
When your merchants see that payments scale with their business (rather than against it), it’s easier to sell, retain and expand accounts.
Easier adoption: Merchants don’t get tripped up on unfair fees
Lower churn: Your customers don’t outgrow your payment model as transaction patterns evolve
More revenue: A pricing structure that works for both micro and large payments means higher adoption and more payment volume running through your platform
Our approach to pricing
At Embed, we’re building infrastructure that aligns with how platforms and merchants actually work. That means:
Transparent, scheme-aligned fees
Adaptive tiers that scale with your business
Simplicity built into the core model, so you never have to think about it
Adaptive Pricing is one step in that direction:
Payments that stay fair, predictable, and invisible in the background. Exactly how they should be.
Talk to our team to see how adaptive pricing can support your platform’s payment strategy.