When it comes to buying services, are you buying smart?
We recently spoke with a client who asked us to review their payments. On the surface, it looked like a straightforward task. But after a short conversation, we discovered they had multiple locations, each with a different payment supplier. When we asked for the details across all sites, they told us they only wanted to review one location.
It’s a common mistake — and one that costs businesses money every day.
Why economies of scale matter
Negotiating on a single site or service contract may deliver a small win, but it rarely delivers the full benefit. When you consolidate across multiple locations or services, you instantly increase your bargaining power. That’s where economies of scale come into play.
- Stronger buying power; Suppliers compete harder when the prize is all your business, often unlocking better rates.
- Simpler management; One agreement across multiple locations reduces admin, reporting headaches and supplier complexity.
- Operational efficiency; From faster reconciliations to standardised management information to uniformed integration and terminals, economies of scale go beyond cost reductions and give operational efficiencies that give businesses day-to-day simplicity.
The hidden cost of going solo
By only looking at one site, our client was missing out on the very leverage they already had. With all locations on the table, the negotiation could have been stronger, the rates sharper, and the service more consistent. In other words, they were paying more than they needed to, not because they weren’t negotiating, but because they weren’t negotiating smart.
Buying smart means thinking bigger
Negotiation isn’t a lost art, but it’s often underused. The lesson here is simple, consider the whole picture. That’s where the real savings and efficiencies are hiding.
And this is where we come in. At acceptcards (the UK’s largest independent payments broker). We’ll do all the negotiating on your behalf, but we need you to work with us so we can work hard for you. With full visibility of your business, we can make suppliers compete for your contracts and secure the very best deal available.
Buying smart isn’t about haggling harder, it’s about leveraging your scale, having the right partner by your side, and letting the experts do the heavy lifting, so you can take home the savings your business is entitled to.
