In 2025, Cyprus businesses have more ways than ever to accept payments—yet picking the wrong provider can quietly drain your margins and slow cashflow. This guide compares JCC vs Viva Wallet vs Revolut Merchant in Cyprus on what matters: fees, payouts, and integrations. You’ll see where each shines (and where they don’t), plus a simple decision framework to choose the right stack for your e-shop, hotel, clinic, or local service.

At a Glance: Fees You Can Actually Expect (2025)

Viva Wallet (Cyprus) — published pricing for Cyprus as of 2025:
• Card-present (POS/SoftPOS): 1.69% per transaction (min €0.03).
• Online (e-commerce): 2.19% + €0.24 per transaction (Domestic & EEA consumer cards).
Note: bespoke packs are available on application. Pricing may change; always confirm in your account.

Revolut Merchant (EU/EEA, incl. Cyprus) — transparent fees for most EEA merchants:
• Online: 1% + €0.20 (EEA consumer cards), 2.8% + €0.20 (commercial & non-EEA).
• In-person (Reader/Terminal/Tap to Pay where supported): 0.8% + €0.02 (EEA consumer), 2.6% + €0.02 (commercial & non-EEA).

JCC (local Cyprus acquirer) — pricing is negotiated (not publicly listed). JCC is the market’s long-standing domestic acquirer with full e-commerce gateway, POS and SoftPOS. Expect bespoke rates by industry/volume; you’ll contract directly with JCC and settle into a Cyprus bank account.

Chargeback fees (indicative): Revolut shows a €15 fee per chargeback. Viva lists €20 per lost dispute on several EU price pages (local terms may vary). JCC’s dispute fees are contract-specific.

Payouts & Cashflow: How Fast Do You Get Your Money?

• Viva Wallet: Real-time/near-instant settlement to your Viva account (cleared as frequently as hourly). Many merchants see funds within ~60 minutes, replacing older next-day cycles.
• Revolut: For in-person via Revolut Terminal, funds are typically available in your Revolut Business account next day (≈24h).
• JCC: Settlement timing is contractual with your merchant agreement and bank; terms vary by business type and risk profile.

Tip: If you operate on tight cash cycles (retail, food & delivery), faster settlement can be worth more than a small difference in headline fees.

Integrations that Actually Matter (WooCommerce, POS & Tap-to-Pay)

• JCC: Official modules & REST API; supported WooCommerce plugin; SoftPOS app turns NFC Android devices into terminals (Visa/Mastercard).
• Viva Wallet: Native WooCommerce plugins (Standard/Smart Checkout), plus Terminal app (including Tap to Pay on iPhone in supported countries).
• Revolut: First-party WooCommerce gateway, Revolut Checkout widget, Apple Pay/Google Pay buttons; supports in-person via Reader/Terminal.

Wallets & Express Checkout: Apple Pay & Google Pay improve conversion on mobile. Viva and Revolut both support them; availability depends on device/browser and the issuing bank’s support in Cyprus.

Security, SCA & Features You Should Ask For

• 3-D Secure/SCA: Make sure 3-DS 2.x is enforced for EU cards to cut fraud and protect authorisation rates.
• Tokenisation & stored credentials: Needed for one-click checkouts & subscriptions (supported by JCC API; Viva/Revolut via their SDKs).
• Two-phase (pre-auth/capture): Hotels, rentals & clinics should insist on it (supported on JCC API; available via Viva and Revolut APIs/plugins).

Who Wins When? (Simple Decision Framework)

• Choose JCC if you want a local acquirer with deep Cyprus presence, direct settlement to Cyprus banks, and you’re okay negotiating fees/terms.
• Choose Viva Wallet if you want fast onboarding, published pricing, hourly/near-instant settlements, and broad wallet acceptance—great for SMB e-shops and delivery/takeaway where cashflow speed matters.
• Choose Revolut Merchant if you want low online fees for EEA cards, tight integration with Revolut Business banking, next-day card settlements, and modern checkout (Revolut Pay, Apple Pay/Google Pay).

Hidden Costs to Watch (Cyprus Reality Check)

• Non-EEA & Corporate cards cost more—budget for higher MDR on travel/corporate cards.
• Chargebacks have admin fees (e.g., Revolut €15; Viva €20). Train staff on evidence and delivery proofs.
• Payout delays around weekends/holidays can still happen depending on provider, banking rails and risk holds.
• Currency conversion & DCC add up. Keep processing in EUR unless you truly sell in other currencies.

What to Track Monthly (KPIs for Payments Profitability)

• Effective blended fee (total fees ÷ total processed) by channel (online vs POS).
• Authorisation rate by BIN/country, and by wallet (Apple/Google Pay).
• Chargeback rate & loss rate (won vs lost disputes) + fees paid.
• Time-to-payout (hours/days) & % of sales available by D+1.
• Checkout conversion (payment step) and drop-off by method.

Real-World Example (Anonymised): Fashion E-shop in Limassol

A mid-volume e-shop (~€65k/month) used JCC for online and POS in store. They struggled with cashflow during seasonal peaks. We tested Viva Smart Checkout online + kept JCC POS in-store. Results after 60 days: online authorisation rate +1.8pp, Apple/Google Pay share up 19%, and average time-to-payout on online sales dropped from D+1–D+2 to ~1–2 hours. Net: fewer stock-outs and a +7% lift in paid orders at the payment step.

How to Implement (Step-by-Step)

• WooCommerce: Install the official plugin for your provider, connect your account, enable Apple/Google Pay, and test in sandbox first.
• POS/SoftPOS: If you need mobile acceptance, consider SoftPOS (JCC) or phone-based acceptance (Viva/Revolut) in supported countries.
• Risk & disputes: Enable 3-DS, set AVS/velocity limits, and document delivery/collection workflows to win chargebacks.
• Measure: Add events in GA4 for begin_checkout, add_payment_info, purchase. Track method-level conversion (Card vs Apple Pay vs Google Pay vs Revolut Pay).

Useful Links (Docs, Pricing & Plugins)

• Viva Wallet Cyprus Pricing • WooCommerce Plugin
• Revolut Merchant Fees (EU) • WooCommerce Plugin
• JCC Developer Docs • JCC WooCommerce Plugin
• Google Wallet — Supported banks in Cyprus

Digital Nexus Agency helps Cyprus businesses choose and implement the right payment stack to cut fees, speed up settlements, and raise checkout conversion. From JCC/Viva/Revolut configuration and WooCommerce plugins to wallets, SoftPOS and GA4 tracking, we set up, test, and prove the ROI.

Conclusion:
There’s no universal winner. If you want published local pricing and fast cash, start with Viva Wallet. If your priority is lower online fees and banking in one place, try Revolut Merchant. If you need local relationships and bespoke terms, talk to JCC. Or, let us benchmark all three on your actual traffic and card mix—then switch on what converts and pays out fastest.