Which Is Better for Small UK Businesses?
The answer turns on payment type. A SaaS business pulling 300 UK subscriptions at £50/month pays £360 with GoCardless and roughly £480 with Mollie. That £120 monthly saving is worth noticing, and the gap widens above £50 per transaction.
A London print shop selling via WooCommerce faces the opposite situation: most customers tap Visa or use Apple Pay, and GoCardless cannot accept either. Mollie’s hosted checkout handles cards, wallets, and Klarna with a single integration.
For businesses that need both recurring billing and card acceptance, we find the cleanest split is GoCardless for Direct Debit collection and Mollie or another card processor for one-off checkout payments.
GoCardless vs Mollie Fees and Charges
Card Transaction Fees
GoCardless Standard plan: 1% + 20p per UK Bacs transaction, capped at £4. A £500 invoice costs £4 flat, not £5.20. Transactions above £2,000 carry an extra 0.3% on the portion above that figure. We sourced these rates from gocardless.com, verified 17 May 2026.
Mollie UK consumer cards (Visa/Mastercard): 1.20% + 20p per transaction, no cap. European consumer cards cost 1.80%. Business and commercial cards cost 2.90%. American Express runs at 2.10%. We sourced these rates from comparecardfees.co.uk and mollie.com, verified 17 May 2026.
GoCardless does not accept cards. So for any transaction where the customer pays by Visa or Mastercard, Mollie is not competing with GoCardless on rate; it is the only option of the two.
Monthly, Setup and Contract Costs
Both providers are pay-as-you-go on their standard plans. No setup fees, no minimum volumes, no minimum contract on Standard for GoCardless or the base plan for Mollie.
GoCardless Plus and Pro plans carry a monthly fee for lower per-transaction rates and access to Success+ intelligent retry. Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly listed.
Mollie has no tiered monthly plans. All merchants pay the same published per-transaction rate regardless of volume, which simplifies cost modelling.
Other Fees to Watch
Dispute fees differ. GoCardless charges £5 per failed payment or Indemnity Claim under Bacs. Mollie’s specific dispute fee for UK card transactions is not publicly listed; if your business has elevated dispute rates, confirm this figure with Mollie before signing up.
Refunds: Mollie does not refund the original processing fee on a refunded transaction, meaning a refunded £100 sale costs you 20p net. GoCardless has a similar policy for Bacs refunds.
SEPA Direct Debit: Mollie charges €0.35 per SEPA transaction. GoCardless SEPA pricing applies on its international plan. Both are competitive for European recurring billing versus card rates.
Fee Verdict: Who Costs Less
GoCardless wins on cost for any Bacs transaction above £27. Below £27, the fee cap stops mattering and we find both providers cost within a few pence of each other at standard rates.
Mollie wins when you need card acceptance, Apple Pay, or Klarna. GoCardless cannot take those payments at any price.
The worst-case Mollie scenario: a merchant with a high share of European or commercial cards sees effective rates reach 1.80%-2.90% before FX. We modelled the same UK subscriber base on GoCardless Bacs; it stays under 1.5% once the fee cap applies.
GoCardless vs Mollie Payment Methods and Checkout
Cards, Wallets and Alternative Payment Methods
Mollie covers the full consumer-facing stack for UK and European markets: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Klarna, and SEPA Direct Debit. If a customer wants to pay electronically at checkout, Mollie handles it.
GoCardless covers bank-to-bank only: Bacs Direct Debit (UK), SEPA (Europe), ACH (US), and Instant Bank Pay (Open Banking). No credit cards, no debit cards, no wallets.
For subscription businesses with mandates in place, that narrow focus is not a problem. For any checkout where customers expect to enter a card number, GoCardless is not an option.
Checkout Experience
Mollie’s hosted payment page adapts to mobile, shows the relevant payment methods for the customer’s location, and converts without requiring developer work to get a first integration live.
GoCardless uses a mandate authorisation flow: customers set up once, and you pull payments on schedule. Instant Bank Pay adds an Open Banking redirect for one-off transactions, requiring bank-app authentication rather than card entry.
If your product sells via an online store, Mollie’s checkout is what your customers expect. If your model is recurring collection from consenting customers, GoCardless removes the per-payment friction after setup.
Methods Verdict
Mollie wins on payment method breadth. If you serve consumer buyers expecting card checkout, GoCardless is not a viable standalone option.
GoCardless wins on recurring-revenue simplicity. Your customer authorises once; every subsequent collection is automatic. For B2B subscription billing where customers accept Direct Debit, that single setup moment is all the friction there is.
GoCardless vs Mollie Hardware, POS and In-Person
Card Readers and Terminals
Neither GoCardless nor Mollie offers a card reader or physical terminal. Both are online-only payment platforms.
If you need to take face-to-face payments, you need a separate provider entirely. Tide Card Reader charges 0.79% + 3p on the Sell In-Person plan. SumUp Solo Lite costs £25 upfront with 1.69% per transaction and no contract.
POS Software and Hardware Add-ons
Mollie integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce for e-commerce, but there is no Mollie POS app for in-person retail. GoCardless has 350+ integrations focused on accounting software: Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Zuora.
Neither provider supports in-person POS workflows. We found no in-person capability in either platform. If you run a hybrid of online and face-to-face sales, plan for a three-provider stack: GoCardless or Mollie for online, a dedicated card reader for in-person.
In-Person Verdict
Neither provider takes face-to-face payments. If you sell at markets, in a shop, or at client sites, look at Tide Card Reader, SumUp Solo Lite, or Square Reader instead.
For a business that only sells online, the in-person question does not change the conclusion. We recommend choosing based on whether your online revenue flows from mandates or card checkout.
GoCardless vs Mollie Online Payments and Integrations
Hosted Checkout, Payment Links and APIs
Mollie’s API and hosted payment page are the integration options for e-commerce developers. Payment Links generate a checkout URL without custom code. The dashboard covers no-code invoicing for one-off payments.
GoCardless’s API centres on mandate management and payment schedules. On Plus and Pro plans, Success+ uses machine learning to predict the best time to retry a failed payment, reducing involuntary churn without external tooling.
Mollie does not replicate that retry intelligence. For subscription businesses with meaningful failed-payment rates, GoCardless’s dunning capability is a real operational advantage.
Platform Integrations
Mollie integrates natively with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce. If you are building a consumer-facing store, Mollie is available in most platform app stores and installs without custom code.
GoCardless has over 350 native integrations: Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Zuora, Chargebee, and Kashflow are among the highlights. Both providers support Zapier for custom automation.
For a B2B business whose finance team runs on Xero, GoCardless connects as cleanly as Mollie does to Shopify. The integration depth just points in different directions.
Online Verdict
If you sell to customers who browse and pay by card, Mollie wins. If you charge existing customers on a recurring schedule, GoCardless wins.
GoCardless is purpose-built for low-cost automated collection from customers who have authorised a mandate. Mollie is purpose-built for frictionless card checkout with broad payment method coverage.
GoCardless vs Mollie Payouts, Contracts and Risk
Settlement Speed and Payout Schedule
Mollie settles card transactions in 2 working days as standard. For a business invoicing regularly, that means funds cleared by Wednesday for Monday transactions.
GoCardless runs on the Bacs cycle: 2-3 working days to clear after collection, making the total timeline 3-5 days. Collect on Monday; your supplier payment lands on Friday at best.
If your payroll or supplier payments depend on tight timing, Mollie’s 2-day card settlement is materially faster. For businesses billing monthly with predictable dates, we find the GoCardless cycle is workable without cash-flow risk.
Contract Length and Exit Terms
Both providers are rolling monthly with no minimum contract. Cancel either account without penalty.
That no-penalty exit distinguishes both from legacy merchant service contracts, which still lock businesses in for 12-36 months. The ability to walk away is worth naming when comparing providers.
Reserves, Holds and Account Stability
Mollie holds a 4.6/5 Trustpilot score, and account-hold complaints are far less prominent than on comparable platforms. Onboarding is generally rapid, and merchants praise the support response times.
GoCardless scores 2.4/5. Complaints cluster around slow support during account reviews and delayed fund releases. Neither provider guarantees against holds, but Mollie’s track record here is substantially better.
If account stability is critical to your payroll or supplier commitments, keep a backup account active before either provider flags your account. We treat registering a contingency account before you need it as standard practice.
GoCardless vs Mollie Customer Reviews and Reputation
Trustpilot and Independent Review Themes
Mollie: 4.6/5 on Trustpilot across nearly 12,000 reviews (May 2026). Merchants praise the clean dashboard, rapid onboarding, and responsive customer service. The score is exceptional for a payment processor.
GoCardless: 2.4/5 on Trustpilot. Complaints cluster around poor communication during account reviews and fund holds that can run 5+ days, leaving businesses short at payroll or supplier payment time. Positive reviews highlight mandate billing simplicity and accounting integrations.
The gap between these two scores is the widest in this comparison set. Mollie outperforms GoCardless on customer satisfaction by a significant margin.
Support Channels and Response Times
Mollie offers email, phone, and live chat. Its Help Centre is well-documented, and independent reviewers note faster response times than most payment processors of similar size.
GoCardless provides email and in-app support. Response times aren’t publicly guaranteed. The Help Centre covers most Direct Debit and mandate queries in self-serve format, but complex account issues can take days to resolve.
Reputation Verdict
Mollie wins clearly. A 4.6/5 score across 12,000 reviews is rare in payment processing, and it reflects a genuine operational difference in how the company handles merchant queries.
GoCardless’s 2.4/5 is not uniquely poor for the sector, but the gap with Mollie is real. If you anticipate needing support, we consider Mollie’s track record the stronger starting point.
GoCardless vs Mollie for International Payments
Mollie handles international card payments automatically. UK consumer cards cost 1.20% + 20p; European consumer cards cost 1.80%; non-EEA and commercial cards can reach 2.90%. Mollie also applies an FX markup on non-GBP currency conversions.
GoCardless takes a bank-pull approach: SEPA Direct Debit for the Eurozone, ACH for US accounts, Instant Bank Pay for UK Open Banking. For UK businesses with European B2B customers on recurring contracts, GoCardless SEPA avoids Mollie’s 1.80% EEA card rate entirely.
If your European revenue is recurring and your customers will accept a bank mandate, GoCardless SEPA is the lower-cost route.
For one-off consumer sales to international buyers, Mollie wins: it accepts the card or wallet the customer already has, which GoCardless cannot process at all.
Downsides of GoCardless and Mollie
Downsides of GoCardless
GoCardless cannot accept cards or digital wallets. If any of your customers want to pay by Visa or Apple Pay, you need a different provider. For consumer-facing businesses, that restriction rules out GoCardless as a standalone option.
Settlement takes 3-5 days. If cash flow is tight around payroll or supplier payment dates, that Bacs lag is an operational constraint, not a minor inconvenience.
Plus and Pro plan pricing is not public. You need a sales conversation to find out whether upgrading makes commercial sense, which makes cost-planning harder for businesses on Standard.
Downsides of Mollie
Mollie has no in-person hardware. If any part of your sales is face-to-face, you need a separate card reader. Mollie does not solve the in-person problem.
Mollie’s Bacs Direct Debit fee for UK merchants is not clearly listed on its public pricing page. If you plan to use Mollie for UK Direct Debit collection, confirm the exact rate before integrating.
European and commercial card rates can climb quickly. A merchant with a mixed UK/European card customer base will pay 1.80% on European consumer cards and up to 2.90% on business cards, materially higher than GoCardless Bacs for the same revenue.
Alternatives to GoCardless and Mollie
Neither provider covers in-person sales or multi-currency accounts well. Airwallex fills the international gap: multi-currency accounts, FX at near-interbank rates, and no transaction fee on international payouts in many corridors.
Tide Card Reader delivers the lowest UK in-person rate at 0.79% + 3p on the Sell In-Person plan. SumUp Solo Lite is the simplest no-contract card entry point: £25 hardware, 1.69% per transaction, no monthly fee and no lock-in.
Final Verdict: GoCardless or Mollie?
Choose GoCardless if your revenue model is recurring payments via Direct Debit. The £4 fee cap makes it cheaper than Mollie above £27 per transaction.
Choose Mollie if you run an e-commerce store and need a single hosted checkout covering cards, Apple Pay, PayPal, and Klarna.
Mollie’s 4.6/5 Trustpilot score and 2-day card settlement also count in its favour, especially if you have been stung by the fund holds GoCardless is known for.
Running both together suits businesses with mixed revenue streams. Route monthly subscriber billing through GoCardless for the £4 fee cap; send card-paying customers to Mollie checkout.
Both integrate with Xero and QuickBooks, so your accounts team sees two reconcilable payout streams rather than one opaque provider handling everything at a higher rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GoCardless cheaper than Mollie for subscription businesses?
Yes, for subscription values above £27 per transaction via UK Direct Debit. GoCardless charges 1% + 20p capped at £4; Mollie charges 1.20% + 20p uncapped for UK consumer cards. On 300 subscriptions at £50/month, GoCardless costs £360 against Mollie’s £480, a saving of £120 a month. The gap widens with transaction value: a £500 invoice costs £4 with GoCardless and £6.20 with Mollie.
Can GoCardless accept card payments?
No, and there’s no workaround within GoCardless. It processes bank-to-bank payments only: Bacs Direct Debit, SEPA, ACH, and Instant Bank Pay (Open Banking). If you need cards alongside Direct Debit, you need a second provider. Mollie covers both card checkout and Bacs mandates; GoCardless’s Instant Bank Pay handles one-off payments but makes the customer authenticate in their banking app.
How long do GoCardless and Mollie payouts take?
Mollie settles card transactions in 2 working days. GoCardless runs on the Bacs cycle: 2 to 3 working days to clear after collection, so 3 to 5 days end to end. Neither offers an instant payout, so if same-day access to funds matters, neither meets it without a separate financing arrangement.
Can you use GoCardless and Mollie together?
Yes, and for mixed payment needs it’s a common split. GoCardless handles recurring Direct Debit at lower cost; Mollie handles card-paying customers, one-off sales, and international checkout. Both integrate with Xero and QuickBooks, so reconciliation stays manageable. You run two accounts and two payout streams, but for real subscription volume alongside e-commerce sales, the fee saving on the GoCardless side typically justifies the split.
How we reviewed this
We compiled this comparison by researching GoCardless and Mollie on their primary UK websites, cross-referenced against Trustpilot review themes and FCA registration where applicable. Transaction rates and features verified 17 May 2026.
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