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E-Commerce · head to head

Mollie vs Swan

Mollie logo

Mollie

E-Commerce

European payment service provider with published per-transaction rates and no monthly fee on the online plan

From
£0.3/transaction
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Swan logo

Swan

APIs

European banking-as-a-service platform for embedding accounts, cards and payments into other products

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mollie non-European cards cost 3.25% plus 20p against 1.20% plus 20p for UK domestic consumer cards, so a merchant with significant traffic from the US or Asia pays close to triple the domestic rate on that revenue.; Swan its regulatory base and strongest local account coverage are French and European, so companies needing US, UK-post-Brexit-specific, or broader global banking-as-a-service need an additional provider.
  • They diverge on capability: Mollie covers Local payment methods, Swan covers Embedded business accounts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mollie and Swan actually diverge.

Attributes where Mollie and Swan differ
AttributeMollieSwan
Starting price£0.3/transactionOn request
Pricing modelPer transaction by payment methodquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, APIWeb, API
CategoryE-CommerceAPIs

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Mollie

  • Local payment methods
  • Published rate card
  • Hosted checkout and payment links
  • Subscriptions API
  • Point of sale terminals
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Multicurrency settlement

Only in Swan

  • Embedded business accounts
  • Card issuing
  • SEPA payments
  • Local account localisation
  • ACPR regulation
  • Usage-based pricing

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mollie

  • A Dutch or Belgian shop where most customers pay by iDEAL or Bancontact and the flat 30p beats a percentage rate on high-value basketsnot Swan
  • A small merchant that wants published pricing rather than a sales call before it can model card costsnot Swan
  • A subscription business in the EEA collecting by SEPA Direct Debit mandate instead of cardnot Swan
  • A marketplace or platform that needs one integration covering the main European local methodsnot Swan

Swan

  • A vertical SaaS platform wanting to embed business bank accounts under its own brandnot Mollie
  • A marketplace wanting to issue cards to sellers or partners without becoming a licensed banknot Mollie
  • A company wanting SEPA payment initiation embedded directly into its own productnot Mollie
  • A European fintech wanting to avoid a six-figure setup fee and long lock-in typical of legacy banking-as-a-service dealsnot Mollie

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mollie

  • Non-European cards cost 3.25% plus 20p against 1.20% plus 20p for UK domestic consumer cards, so a merchant with significant traffic from the US or Asia pays close to triple the domestic rate on that revenue.
  • Coverage is built around European methods, so if you expand into Latin America or Southeast Asia you will need a second processor and a second reconciliation process rather than extending Mollie.
  • The in-person Pro plan requires a one-year contract and charges 20 pounds a month per additional terminal, so a shop with four tills pays 80 pounds a month in terminal fees before any transaction cost.
  • Mollie offers no interchange-plus option publicly, so large merchants cannot see or benefit from falling interchange the way they could on a cost-plus contract with an acquirer.
  • The developer tooling and reporting are lighter than the largest processors, so finance teams that want detailed fee breakdowns or granular reconciliation exports often end up building that layer themselves.

Swan

  • Its regulatory base and strongest local account coverage are French and European, so companies needing US, UK-post-Brexit-specific, or broader global banking-as-a-service need an additional provider.
  • Pricing is described only philosophically (usage-based, no big setup fee) rather than published as an actual rate card, so a company still needs a sales conversation to get real numbers.
  • Embedding banking features into a product is a substantial compliance and design undertaking regardless of the vendor, and Swan handling the licence does not remove a platform's own KYC, AML and customer support obligations for the accounts it offers.
  • As a comparatively young, single-country-licensed e-money institution, its balance sheet and regulatory standing carry more concentration risk than a banking-as-a-service offering backed by an established, multi-jurisdiction bank.
  • Local account depth is explicitly limited to France, Germany and Spain, so a platform needing native local accounts in other European countries may find coverage thinner than expected.

Pricing, plan by plan

Mollie

£0.3/transaction
  • Online paymentsFree
    • No monthly fee
    • UK domestic consumer cards 1.20% + 20p
    • European and commercial cards 2.90% + 20p
  • In person, pay as you goFree
    • No monthly commitment
    • Per-transaction terminal rates
    • One terminal
  • In person, Pro$20/month
    • Lower per-transaction terminal rates
    • One-year contract required
    • Each additional terminal 20 pounds per month

Swan

On request
  • Swan$undefined/month
    • Usage-based pricing, no published rate card
    • No long-term contract or large setup fee required
    • Custom quote based on current, not forecast, usage

Which should you pick?

Choose Mollie if

  • You need local payment methods.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, API.
  • You also want published rate card.
Mollie review

Choose Swan if

  • You need embedded business accounts.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want card issuing.
Swan review

Questions people ask

Is Mollie or Swan better?
Neither clearly leads. Mollie starts at £0.3/transaction and Swan at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mollie or Swan?
Mollie starts at £0.3/transaction and Swan at On request.
Does Mollie or Swan run on more platforms?
Mollie runs on Web, iOS, Android, API. Swan runs on Web, API.
What is Mollie best used for?
Mollie is most often used for a dutch or belgian shop where most customers pay by ideal or bancontact and the flat 30p beats a percentage rate on high-value baskets, a small merchant that wants published pricing rather than a sales call before it can model card costs, a subscription business in the eea collecting by sepa direct debit mandate instead of card, a marketplace or platform that needs one integration covering the main european local methods. Of those, a dutch or belgian shop where most customers pay by ideal or bancontact and the flat 30p beats a percentage rate on high-value baskets and a small merchant that wants published pricing rather than a sales call before it can model card costs are not what Swan is typically brought in for.
What can Mollie do that Swan cannot?
Mollie covers Local payment methods, Published rate card, Hosted checkout and payment links, Subscriptions API. Swan covers Embedded business accounts, Card issuing, SEPA payments, Local account localisation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mollie: Does Mollie charge a monthly fee?

Not on the online payments plan. You pay only per successful transaction. In-person Pro is 20 pounds a month.

Swan: Which countries does Swan offer local accounts in?

France, Germany and Spain specifically, alongside broader SEPA payment coverage.

Mollie: Is iDEAL really a flat fee?

Yes, 30p per transaction regardless of the amount, which is why it is cheaper than cards on high-value baskets.

Swan: Is pricing published?

No, Swan describes a usage-based, no-large-setup-fee philosophy but requires a quote for actual numbers.

Mollie: Can I use Mollie outside Europe?

You can accept non-European cards but at 3.25% plus 20p, and merchant accounts are aimed at European businesses. It is not a global processor.

Swan: Who regulates Swan?

France's ACPR (Autorite de Controle Prudentiel et de Resolution), as a licensed e-money institution.

Mollie: Does Mollie do interchange plus?

Not publicly. The published rates are blended, so falling interchange does not flow through to you automatically.

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