The main Stripe alternatives for a UK staffing company are Adfin, Mollie, GoCardless, Access PaySuite and London & Zurich. Stripe's costs add up when you bill other businesses, because premium UK cards, which can include business cards, cost 2.8% + 20p. Stripe Invoicing then adds 0.4% or 0.5% to every paid invoice, which on a perm fee runs to tens of pounds.
In this article
The short version
- Stripe charges 2.8% + 20p on premium UK cards, a group that can include business cards.
- Stripe Invoicing adds 0.4% or 0.5% to every paid invoice, on top of the payment fee.
- Alternatives include Adfin, Mollie, GoCardless, Access PaySuite and London & Zurich.
- For perm fees, a bank payment costs far less than a business card.
- For weekly temp clients, a direct debit that follows each invoice amount takes out the weekly chase.
Where Stripe gets expensive for staffing
A staffing company usually bills in two ways. Perm placements bring a one-off fee of several thousand pounds, and temp or contract work brings a weekly invoice for hours worked. Both go to businesses, and that shapes what Stripe charges you.
Stripe's standard UK card rate is 1.5% + 20p, and premium UK cards, a group that can include business and corporate cards, cost 2.8% + 20p. If you send invoices through Stripe Invoicing, there's a second charge of 0.4% per paid invoice on Starter or 0.5% on Plus, on top of the payment fee.
Take two invoices sent through Stripe Invoicing Starter. A £6,000 perm fee paid on a premium card costs £168.20 in card fees plus £24 for invoicing, so £192.20. A £900 weekly temp invoice collected by Bacs Direct Debit costs £4 (Stripe caps its direct debit fee there) plus £3.60 for invoicing, so £7.60 a week for that one client.
Stripe also takes its fees out before paying you. Each payout is a net figure, so whoever does your books has to work back from the payout to the invoices it covers, every week, for every client.
Five alternatives at a glance
| Provider | What it collects | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Adfin | Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, pay by bank, bank transfer and direct debit | Reminders included; sterling only |
| Mollie | Cards, pay by bank and Bacs Direct Debit | UK commercial cards 2.9% + 20p |
| GoCardless | Direct debit and one-off bank payments | No card payments; no chasing of unpaid invoices |
| Access PaySuite | Direct debit | 12-month terms that renew |
| London & Zurich | Direct debit through a bureau | Indicative pricing bands, not fixed prices |
What each alternative offers
Adfin collects by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, pay by bank, bank transfer and direct debit, and marks each payment as paid in Xero or QuickBooks. It charges 1% + 20p per successful payment, with the percentage capped at £4 on direct debit and bank payments, so those cost at most £4.20 (direct debits over £2,000 carry an extra charge). Business Visa and Mastercard cards and Amex cost 2% + 20p. There's no monthly fee and no contract.
On the two invoices above, Adfin charges £120.20 for the £6,000 perm fee on a business card, or £4.20 if the client uses pay by bank or bank transfer. The £900 temp invoice costs £4.20 by direct debit. You're paid every weekday in full, with Adfin's fees invoiced separately, and each client gets bank details in your business's name, so their transfers match the right invoices.
Mollie is a European payments company with UK pricing. UK consumer cards cost 1.2% + 20p and UK commercial cards 2.9% + 20p, so the £6,000 perm fee on a business card costs £174.20.
GoCardless collects by direct debit. It doesn't take card payments, and it retries failed direct debits but doesn't chase unpaid invoices. Its fees come out of each payment before it reaches you, so payouts land net.
Access PaySuite, part of The Access Group, runs direct debit collection. Its published terms set a 12-month term that renews for further 12-month terms, with three months' notice to end it.
London & Zurich is a UK direct debit bureau that publishes indicative percentage bands rather than fixed prices. Before you sign, ask how a large one-off collection, such as a perm fee by direct debit, would be charged.
How to choose for perm and temp billing
Start with last quarter's payments. Split them into perm fees and temp invoices, and note how each client paid.
For perm fees, the cost depends on how the client pays. A business card on a £6,000 fee costs more than £100 with Stripe, Mollie or Adfin, so it helps to offer clients a bank option they'll use.
For temp clients billed every week, direct debit takes the weekly chase out of the relationship. Look for a mandate that collects whatever each invoice says, because hours change from week to week. In Adfin, each collection uses the invoice's amount and due date, and the client is told at least three working days before each collection.
Then look at the time spent after the money arrives. If payouts land net, someone still has to match them to invoices, and if clients pay late, someone still has to chase. Adfin sends reminders by email, SMS and WhatsApp at no extra cost. Adfin's collection agents, part of enhanced credit control at 0.3% per paid invoice when used, can also add statutory interest to overdue business invoices within rules you approve.
If you bill clients in currencies other than pounds, Adfin won't cover that part of your business (overseas clients can still pay by card in pounds), and Stripe, Wise or Revolut can.
Related guides
- Top 6 Stripe alternatives for lower UK payment fees (2026)
- Top 6 London & Zurich alternatives in the UK (2026)
- Best payment providers for businesses in 2026
- Top 6 PayPal alternatives for UK invoicing (2026)
- Taking payments in the UK: a complete guide
Common questions
How much does Stripe charge on a £6,000 placement fee? Paid on a premium UK card, a group that can include business cards, it costs £168.20 at 2.8% + 20p. Sent through Stripe Invoicing Starter, the 0.4% invoicing charge adds another £24.
Does Adfin charge extra to send invoices? No. There's no invoicing charge, monthly fee or contract, just the payment fee on each successful payment. Direct debits over £2,000 carry an extra charge, and enhanced credit control adds 0.3% per paid invoice only when you use it.
What's the cheapest way for a client to pay a perm placement fee? A bank payment is usually cheapest. With Adfin, pay by bank or bank transfer costs at most £4.20, against £120.20 for a £6,000 fee on a business card.
Can I collect weekly temp invoices by direct debit if the amount changes? Yes. With Adfin, each collection uses the amount and due date on the invoice, and the client is told at least three working days before each payment.
Do I need my own Service User Number to collect by direct debit? Not with Adfin. You can collect by direct debit without a Service User Number of your own.
Can Adfin add interest to late invoices? Adfin can add statutory interest to overdue invoices to other businesses automatically, with grace periods and waivers for particular clients. It's part of enhanced credit control.
Sources
- Stripe - Pricing and fees (accurate as of November 2026) https://stripe.com/gb/pricing
- Stripe - Invoicing pricing (accurate as of November 2026) https://stripe.com/gb/invoicing/pricing
- Adfin - Pricing (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.adfin.com/pricing
- Mollie - Pricing (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.mollie.com/gb/pricing
- Access PaySuite - Terms and conditions V5, April 2026 (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.accesspaysuite.com/media/kpodtwl0/access-paysuite-tcs-v5-april-2026.pdf
