"Free for buyers" is a common pitch across B2B marketplaces. It sounds generous until you look at where that cost actually lands — on the merchant, through annual subscriptions ranging from ₹28,000 to over ₹1.2 lakh, or through commissions of up to 18% per transaction.
Those costs compound. A merchant paying a percentage commission has no ceiling on what a marketplace can take as order volume grows. A flat, one-time fee does the opposite — your cost per lifetime lead only goes down.
Frycold charges merchants $21 once, with no renewals, and buyers a flat $1 per transaction. No subscription tiers, no commission brackets, no surprise renewal invoice twelve months in.
When you’re comparing platforms, don’t just compare sign-up cost — project the 12-month and 36-month cost at your expected order volume. The numbers rarely favour the subscription model.
