Why Accepting Corporate Cards (and Avoiding Currency Conversion Fees) Gives B2B Businesses an Edge
For companies doing business across borders — whether serving clients in Europe, Asia, or government agencies here in the U.S. — payment processing isn’t just about getting paid. It’s about how much you keep.
One of the most overlooked margins in B2B and B2G sales?
Currency conversion and inefficient card acceptance.
Whether you're quoting international clients in USD or accepting payments in foreign currencies, the wrong setup can quietly siphon thousands from your bottom line — and complicate your internal reporting.
Here’s why optimizing this part of your payment flow matters more than most businesses realize:
1. Currency Conversion Doesn’t Have to Be Your Problem
Many businesses assume that if they’re dealing with international clients, currency conversion is inevitable — and expensive. But it doesn’t have to be.
By accepting USD via corporate credit cards, you can:
Eliminate currency conversion on your side
Let the issuing bank or cardholder manage the conversion
Settle in USD and keep reconciliation simple
This gives your international customers the flexibility to pay how they want, while giving your internal team clean, predictable deposit data — without chasing exchange rates or paying hidden FX markups.
2. Corporate Cards = Faster Payments, Stronger Relationships
If you're selling B2B or to government agencies, your clients are often already equipped with purchasing cards or commercial cards. But if your system isn’t built to accept them properly — or to pass through the right data — you’re not just missing sales, you're overpaying on fees.
When you enable corporate credit card payments, especially with Level 2 and Level 3 data, you:
Reduce your interchange rates significantly
Get paid faster (no waiting for wire instructions or delayed checks)
Offer a payment method that aligns with corporate procurement systems
Clients want to pay via card. The issue is most businesses aren’t set up to accept those payments efficiently — and get penalized for it.
3. The Power of Level 2 & Level 3 Processing
Standard card payments process at Level 1 — the most expensive tier for B2B transactions.
But by passing additional line-item data (like invoice numbers, product descriptions, tax info, etc.), you qualify for Level 2 or Level 3 interchange rates — which can dramatically reduce your processing costs.
Here’s how the tiers break down:
LevelWho It Applies ToWhat It RequiresImpactLevel 1General Consumer CardsBasic transaction dataHighest interchangeLevel 2Business / Commercial CardsTax, merchant info, invoice dataLower interchange (~0.50%)Level 3Government / Large Corp CardsLine-item detail, SKU, freight, etc.Deepest savings (~1.00%)
If your processor or gateway doesn’t support Level 2/3 data — or no one has set it up correctly — you’re leaving money on the table every time a corporate card is used.
4. Clean Data, Clean Reconciliation
It’s not just about fees — it’s about friction. When you process corporate card transactions correctly, you make reconciliation easier for both your business and your client’s AP team.
Level 2/3 transactions:
Reduce disputes and chargebacks
Improve client trust and payment velocity
Integrate smoothly into ERP and procurement systems
This is the kind of payment setup that builds long-term client relationships — especially in government and enterprise deals where transparency and detail matter.
Final Thought: Don’t Let Payment Infrastructure Block Global Growth
If your team is still manually handling currency issues, chasing wire transfers, or eating 3% on every international deal, it’s time to rethink the flow.
At PlutosPay, we help B2B and B2G businesses:
Enable corporate card acceptance (with Level 2/3)
Optimize processor configurations
Eliminate currency conversion inefficiencies
Clean up reconciliation processes and reporting
You don’t need another tool — you need a partner who understands the backend chaos and can quietly make it disappear.
Let’s make payments one less thing you have to worry about.