Change the mix, not the provider

Steering customers toward cheaper rails usually beats renegotiating the expensive one. Moving a slice of volume from card to a domestic instant rail can cut the cost on that slice by most of it, which no renegotiation will match.

Presentation matters more than incentives here: the method shown first gets used. That is a checkout decision, not a contract decision.

Fix the shape of your payments

If the fixed component is hurting you, fewer larger payments cost less than many small ones. Batching, higher minimum order values and subscription billing all reduce the number of times you pay a fixed fee.

Then renegotiate

Rates are negotiable above modest volume, and the credible lever is a comparable quote. Know your effective rate by market and by card type before the conversation, because a provider quoting a blended headline against your blended headline is not a comparison either of you can act on.

Do not forget the spread

If you settle in a currency other than the one you sell in, the FX margin may exceed your acceptance fee. It is the least visible line and often the easiest to improve.