If you’re searching for “How much does EN 18031-3 certification cost?” expecting a clear, catalog-like price tag, you’re bound to be disappointed. This isn’t a standard contract, and its cost can’t be marked like an off-the-shelf device.
The vague “tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of euros” range floating around the market barely helps businesses budget effectively. The core truth is this: this cost is essentially the verification and compliance expense you pay to prove your product has top-tier financial anti-fraud capabilities. Its price depends not on the certification body, but almost entirely on your product’s complexity and your preparation level.
As a practitioner tracking EU compliance updates long-term, I’ll break down the real logic behind this cost, so you’re no longer confused by vague quotes and can budget accurately for certification.
I.Core Cost Components of EN 18031-3 Mandatory Safety Certification
The total cost of EN 18031-3 certification is far more than the invoice from the Notified Body. It’s a combination of tangible hard costs paid to external parties and intangible soft costs consumed internally. Many businesses overspend painfully because they only focus on the former and ignore the latter.
1. Hard Costs: Visible Third-Party Bills
These are mandatory fees paid to EU-recognized Notified Bodies and their partnered laboratories—the “entry ticket” for certification. Key components include:
·Technical documentation review fee: The starting point of certification. Notified Body experts systematically audit your technical documents to assess if your design meets standards in theory. A logically structured, well-evidenced document cuts down on time and repeated communication costs significantly. This fee typically ranges from €2,000 to €6,000, depending on document complexity and review depth.
·Laboratory testing fee: The biggest cost component, accounting for over 60% of hard costs. EN 18031-3 testing isn’t generic scanning, but simulated attacks targeting financial transaction scenarios. For example, lab engineers will attempt to tamper with transaction data, simulate man-in-the-middle attacks to intercept payment instructions, or conduct physical intrusion to extract encryption keys. The number and complexity of test cases directly tie to your product’s functions. A basic POS terminal and a hardware wallet integrated with biometrics and supporting multiple cryptocurrencies can differ several times in testing workload. Thus, this fee varies widely, from €15,000 to over €80,000.
·Certificate issuance and administrative fee: A relatively fixed fee for the Notified Body to issue the EU type examination certificate after testing, generally ranging from €1,500 to €4,000.
2.Soft Costs: Hidden Bills That Determine Efficiency
This is the key factor causing huge cost gaps between businesses, and the main area you can optimize through management.
·Internal compliance and rectification cost: If testing fails, you’ll need to revise hardware (e.g., adding anti-tamper sensors), restructure software (e.g., upgrading encryption protocols), or replace non-compliant third-party components. This cost can far exceed testing fees. It’s common for underprepared businesses to spend hundreds of thousands of RMB on R&D and materials here.
·Time and opportunity cost: Each month of certification delay means one month of delayed market launch and missed opportunities. Project delays from repeated rectifications are the biggest hidden losses.
II.Three Core Variables Impacting EN 18031-3 Certification Cost
Discussing price without considering the product is unrealistic. You can align with the following dimensions to roughly gauge your cost range.
Variable 1: Product Risk Level & Complexity
The fundamental determinant. Products can be roughly categorized into three tiers:
·Basic tier: Single-function wireless payment terminals (e.g., basic mobile POS). Focuses on transaction integrity and basic encryption. Estimated hard cost: €18,000 - €35,000.
·Advanced tier: Smart devices with biometrics (e.g., fingerprint payment) and multi-payment protocols (e.g., NFC, QR code). Requires additional testing for biometric data protection and secure interaction in complex environments. Estimated hard cost: €35,000 - €70,000.
·Premium tier: Cryptocurrency hardware wallets, dedicated devices for cross-border settlement or high-value transactions. Mandates in-depth testing for physical anti-tampering, side-channel attack protection, and secure private key storage. Estimated hard cost: €60,000+, with no upper limit.
Variable 2: Business Preparation Level
Are you a well-prepared candidate or a last-minute participant? This directly determines soft cost ratio.
·Well-prepared: Adopted “security and privacy by design” during R&D, completed comprehensive gap analysis and pre-testing independently, with complete technical documentation. High one-time pass rate and minimal soft costs, total cost is controllable.
·Rushed: Considered certification only after product development, with limited understanding of standards. Inevitably faces repeated testing failures and rectifications; soft costs (internal R&D, delays) can equal or exceed hard costs, doubling total expenditure.
Variable 3: Certification Body Selection & Strategy
·Top-tier Notified Bodies: Their certificates enjoy the highest credibility globally, boosting brand premium and long-term market access. But fees usually carry a 20%-30% premium, with tight scheduling.
·Other EU Notified Bodies: More competitive pricing and flexible processes, but verify their qualifications and recognition in target markets to avoid future trade risks.
III.Practical Cost Optimization Strategies in 2025 Market
With mandatory enforcement in 2025 driving surging demand, smart strategies matter more than blind price comparison.
1.Invest in pre-testing, not gambling: Before official testing, spend a small sum (20%-30% of official testing fees) to hire experienced labs for pre-assessment. This identifies and resolves 80% of issues upfront, the most effective way to avoid the “test-fail-rectify-retest” cycle and save time/money.
2.Treat compliance as an R&D feature, not a final checkpoint: Integrate EN 18031-3 requirements into chip selection, architecture design, and coding from day one. While increasing early workload, it avoids costly overhauls later—the lowest-cost compliance path.
3.Proactively manage relationships with certification bodies: Engage target bodies early (4-6 months in advance) to confirm scheduling and project-specific requirements. Clear, professional communication improves audit efficiency and avoids extra work from misunderstandings.
4.Fully understand ongoing compliance costs: Certification isn’t the end. Budget for annual surveillance audits, vulnerability response mechanisms, and future product change assessments. This long-term investment must be factored in.
The cost of EN 18031-3 certification is the “capability verification fee” for your product’s financial-grade security. Its amount clearly reflects your product’s technical complexity and your team’s emphasis on security compliance. For business decision-makers, the real question isn’t “How much does certification cost?” but “How much am I willing and prepared to invest to ensure my financial transaction-related product safely enters the EU market?”For professional certification consulting, contact BLUEASIA at +86 13534225140.
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