33 Best Payment Gateways and Processors for Online Stores in 2026

Stripe is a developer-first payment platform processing transactions for over 100 countries and supporting 135+ currencies. It powers payments for companies like Amazon, Shopify, and Zoom. Standard US processing is 2.9% + $0.30 per online card transaction with no setup or monthly fees; ACH direct debit costs 0.8% capped at $5. In 2025 Stripe introduced Smart Disputes with AI-powered chargeback response and a $15 counter fee (refundable if won). Custom pricing starts for merchants processing over $80,000 per month.

PayPal serves over 35 million merchants and 425 million active consumer accounts globally. It functions as both a payment gateway and processor. US merchant rates are 3.49% + $0.49 for PayPal Checkout and Venmo, 2.99% + $0.49 for standard card processing, and 2.29% + $0.09 for in-person Zettle transactions. PayPal's 2023 research found offering PayPal at checkout increased conversion by an average of 46%. International transactions add 1.5% on top of the standard rate.

Square is used by over 4 million merchants and processed $228 billion in gross payment volume in 2024. It consolidated all business types into three unified pricing tiers in October 2025, raising the Free plan's online rate to 3.3% + $0.30. The Plus plan ($49/month) drops online processing to 2.9% + $0.30, while Premium ($149/month) offers the lowest in-person rate of 2.4% + $0.15. A notable differentiator: Square charges $0 in chargeback fees, unlike most processors that charge $15–$25 per dispute. Custom pricing is available for businesses processing over $250,000 annually.

Adyen is the payment platform behind Uber, Spotify, eBay, and McDonald's, processing $1.3 trillion in annual volume. It uses Interchange++ pricing — merchants pay the exact card network interchange rate, scheme fees, and Adyen's own markup (starting at $0.13 + 0.60% for Visa/Mastercard). There are no monthly, setup, or closure fees, but a minimum monthly invoice applies (typically €1,000) depending on industry. The average total fee for European consumer card transactions is approximately 1%. Adyen also supports 250+ payment methods and direct connections to card schemes in 35+ countries.

Braintree is PayPal's developer-focused payment platform, serving enterprises including Airbnb, Uber, and GitHub. It supports PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH, and all major cards through a single API. Standard US card processing is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction with no setup, monthly, or hidden fees. PayPal transactions through Braintree carry PayPal's standard rates (not Braintree's card rate). Interchange-plus pricing and custom flat rates are available for merchants processing over €60K/month in Europe or high volumes in the US. Braintree's documentation is migrating to the PayPal Developer portal as of May 2026.

Authorize.net, a Visa subsidiary, is one of the oldest US payment gateways with over 400,000 merchants and has earned Forbes' award-winning fraud protection recognition in 2025. It offers two primary models: the All-in-One plan at $25/month + 2.9% + $0.30 per card transaction (includes a merchant account), and a Gateway Only plan at $25/month + $0.10/transaction + $0.10 daily batch fee for merchants who have their own merchant account. No setup fee and no early termination fee. The platform is particularly well-suited for recurring billing and advanced fraud detection via its configurable Advanced Fraud Detection Suite.

2Checkout, rebranded as Verifone after a 2020 acquisition, is a global monetization platform for digital and SaaS products with over 20,000 business customers. It operates as a Merchant of Record in the 2Monetize plan, handling global tax compliance, VAT, and local payment methods across 200+ territories. Three plans exist: 2Sell at 3.5% + $0.35 per transaction (physical and digital goods), 2Subscribe at 4.5% + $0.45 (subscription lifecycle tools), and 2Monetize at 6.0% + $0.60 (full MoR with tax management for digital goods only). No monthly or setup fees on any plan. An additional 2% cross-border fee applies for international transactions in most countries.

Worldpay, formerly part of FIS and currently in the process of being acquired by Global Payments, processes over 110 million transactions daily across 146 countries and 135 currencies. It is one of the largest acquiring banks globally, particularly dominant in the US and UK. Worldpay uses interchange-plus pricing but does not publicly list rates — merchants receive custom quotes based on industry and volume. From January 2026, Worldpay implemented a $35 monthly minimum fee for most accounts. UK merchants on the Simplicity plan pay 1.5% in-person and 1.3% + £0.20 online for under £75,000/year turnover, dropping to as low as 0.75% for high-volume accounts.

Checkout.com is a Leader in the Forrester Wave for Merchant Payment Providers in Q1 2026 and is valued at over $11 billion. It provides direct acquiring in 50+ countries and supports 150+ processing currencies. Major clients include SHEIN, Netflix, and Klarna. Fees are not publicly listed and are negotiated per merchant; indicative rates start around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for smaller accounts, with volume discounts for enterprise clients. The platform provides AI-driven payment optimization, real-time analytics, and granular transaction-level reporting.

Mollie is a Netherlands-based PSP processing tens of billions of euros annually for 200,000+ European businesses. It is founder-led, backed by Blackstone, EQT Growth, and General Atlantic, and reported €214 million in revenue in 2024 (28% growth). Mollie charges no monthly fees on its free plan — only per successful transaction. European Economic Area consumer card rates are 1.8% + €0.25; commercial cards are 2.9% + €0.25. SEPA Direct Debit and Bank Transfer are €0.25 flat. iDEAL costs €0.29 per transaction. Volume pricing with lower transaction rates and fixed monthly fees is available through paid plans. Mollie is available to EEA, UK, and Swiss registered businesses only.

Klarna is the world's largest BNPL provider with 93 million active consumers and 500,000+ retail partners, processing $105 billion in GMV in 2024. It listed on the NYSE in September 2025 at a $15 billion valuation. Merchant fees in the US are 5.99% + $0.30 per transaction for all BNPL products (Pay in 4, Pay in 30, Financing) — significantly higher than card processing. High-volume merchants with $5M+ annual revenue can negotiate rates down to approximately 3.29% + $0.30. No monthly or setup fees. Klarna assumes 100% of fraud and default risk and pays merchants upfront in full.

Afterpay, owned by Block (formerly Square), is a major BNPL platform integrated into Block's Cash App ecosystem. It operates in Australia, New Zealand, the US, UK, and Canada with tens of millions of active users. Merchant fees average 4%–6% + $0.30 per transaction, depending on volume, region, and merchant category. High-volume retailers can negotiate lower rates. Afterpay pays merchants in full within 1–2 business days, absorbing customer default risk entirely. The platform has driven documented sales uplifts — Factory Buys reported a 66% sales increase and Arms of Eve saw a 273% surge during Afterpay Day in March 2025.

Affirm is a US-focused BNPL provider with 36+ million active consumers and partnerships with Walmart, Amazon, Shopify, and thousands of direct merchants. It offers Pay in 4 (interest-free, 0% APR for $50–$1,000 purchases), monthly installment plans (0%–36% APR), and a dedicated Affirm Card. Merchant fees are a percentage + flat fee per transaction, with exact rates based on business type, size, and risk profile — publicly referenced at approximately 6% + $0.30 per purchase. No integration, annual, or monthly fees are charged. Affirm settles to merchants via ACH within 1–3 business days. Maximum transaction value is $17,500, the highest among major BNPL providers.

Sezzle is a Minneapolis-based BNPL provider and certified B Corporation, publicly traded on NASDAQ (SEZL) with an A+ Better Business Bureau rating and 4.9-star App Store rating from 148,000+ reviews. It serves 47,000+ stores in the US and Canada and uniquely reports payment history to all three credit bureaus via Sezzle Up, making it the only major BNPL provider with this credit-building feature. Merchant fees are approximately 6% + $0.30 per transaction; volume discounts are available. Merchants receive full payment at checkout; Sezzle absorbs all customer default risk. A $0 monthly minimum account management fee waiver applies when active.

Razorpay is India's leading payment gateway, trusted by over 10 million businesses including Indian SMBs, D2C brands, and SaaS companies. Founded by IIT Roorkee alumni, it holds an RBI license and is PCI-DSS compliant. Domestic card, UPI, netbanking, and wallet transactions are priced at 2% + 18% GST on the platform fee. Premium methods like EMI, Amex, Diners, and corporate cards are 3% + GST. International cards cost 3% + GST with optional chargeback protection at 4% + GST total. There are no setup or annual maintenance charges. UPI has zero MDR for bank-to-bank transactions as mandated by NPCI. Razorpay settles domestic payments in T+2 days.

PayU is a global payment processor operating in 50+ high-growth markets, serving 300,000+ merchants in regions underserved by Western processors including India, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Colombia, and Egypt. In India (PayU India), the standard rate is 2% + 18% GST flat for all domestic methods, with volume discounts available after ₹10 lakh/month. Internationally, PayU uses region-specific pricing and custom quotes — no public rate card is available. PayU's platform covers cards, BNPL, wallets, and 100+ alternative payment methods suited to specific markets.

Paystack was founded in 2015 by Shola Akinlade and Ezra Olubi and acquired by Stripe in 2020 for approximately $200 million. It operates in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, and other African markets. Nigerian local card transactions cost 1.5% + ₦100, capped at ₦2,000 per transaction (₦100 fee is waived for transactions under ₦2,500). International card transactions are 3.9% + ₦100. Paystack charges zero integration or maintenance fees. It processes cards, bank transfers, mobile money (M-Pesa, MTN Mobile Money), USSD, and QR codes. Paystack Terminal POS hardware is available for Nigerian merchants.

Mercado Pago is the payments and financial services arm of Mercado Libre, Latin America's largest e-commerce platform. It operates in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay, with over 120 million active users (according to PPRO data). Transaction fees are approximately 3.5% per transaction for online payments; Mercado Libre sellers settle immediately while other channels can take up to 14 days. Mercado Pago supports cards, Pix (Brazil), QR code payments, installment financing, and cash payments via convenience stores. In Brazil, Pix transactions via Mercado Pago are particularly fast and low-cost.

iyzico was founded in 2013 in Istanbul and acquired by PayU GPO, making it the leading payment gateway in Turkey. It holds a Turkish Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) license and is PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant. Corporate merchant fees start from 2.49% + ₺0.25 per transaction; rates displayed on iyzico's help center start from 4.29% + ₺0.25 inclusive of Banking Insurance and Transaction Tax (BITT). The Wix connector shows fees from 3.99% + ₺0.25. iyzico supports installment payments from all major Turkish banks (Bonus, World, Maximum, Cardfinans, Paraf, Axess, Advantage) with merchants receiving full upfront payout. Supports TRY, EUR, USD, GBP, NOK, RUB, and CHF.

PAYONE is a joint venture of Worldline and Germany's DSV Group (Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe), making it the leading payment service provider in Germany and Austria with deep integration into the German banking infrastructure. It offers online, mobile, and POS payment acceptance with full girocard support — a critical differentiator as girocard is Germany's most-used card. Online e-commerce plans start at 1.99% per transaction for a bundled shop solution with no setup fee; for existing shops, a €129 setup fee applies with 2.29% per transaction. In January 2026, PAYONE became one of the first German processors to offer Wero e-commerce acceptance, connecting merchants to 45 million Wero-capable consumers across Germany.

Payoneer is a global payments platform operating in 190+ countries and supporting 70+ currencies, publicly traded on NASDAQ (PAYO) with approximately 2 million active users. It is primarily used for receiving international marketplace payouts (Upwork, Fiverr, Amazon, Airbnb) at 1% or free, and for sending payments between Payoneer accounts at no charge domestically or 1% internationally. In March 2025 Payoneer updated its fee structure: transfers under $400/€400/£400 carry a $4/€4/£4 flat fee; transfers above that cost 1%. Credit card payment requests carry 3.2% + $0.49. Accounts inactive for 12 months without receiving $2,000+ in payments are charged a $29.95 annual inactivity fee.

Wise (formerly TransferWise) processes over $13 billion monthly for 11.4 million active users and operates in 160+ countries. Wise Business provides multi-currency accounts with local account details in USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, AUD, SGD, JPY, HKD, and more — ideal for receiving international payments without opening foreign bank accounts. There are no monthly fees (a one-time $31 fee to unlock US local account details applies). Currency conversion fees start from 0.33%–0.41% depending on the currency pair — significantly below bank conversion spreads. Receiving via local bank transfer is free; receiving SWIFT payments may carry small fees. Wise is not a bank but holds EMI licenses in multiple jurisdictions.

Skrill is a digital wallet and payment platform operated by Paysafe Group, available in 100+ countries and regulated by the FCA in the UK. It is widely accepted in online gaming, sports betting, forex, and digital entertainment verticals where PayPal's usage policies are restrictive. For merchants receiving payments, fees are approximately 2.9% + €0.29 per transaction (varies by business category and volume). Sending money between Skrill users costs 1.45% capped at €10. Currency conversion carries up to a 4.99% FX markup over the interbank rate. Skrill charges a $5/month inactivity fee after 12 months without a login or transaction.

GoCardless is a bank payment specialist founded in 2011, processing over $130 billion annually for 100,000+ businesses including DocuSign, The Guardian, and NHS. It specializes in direct debit and bank-to-bank payments, not card processing. Three plans are available in the US: Standard at 0.5% + $0.05/transaction (domestic, capped at $5), Advanced at 0.70% + $0.05, and Pro at 0.90% + $0.05. International payments range from 1.5% + $0.05 to 1.90% + $0.05 depending on plan. No monthly fees on Standard or Advanced; Pro includes additional white-labeling features. GoCardless is targeting full-year profitability by 2026 and reported revenue of £126.8 million for the year ending June 2024.

Trustly is a Swedish open banking payments company founded in 2008, processing $85–$100 billion in payments in 2024 — a 54% year-over-year increase. It connects to 12,000 banks across 30+ markets in Europe, North America, and beyond, and is owned by Nordic Capital at an estimated $10 billion valuation. Trustly charges approximately 1.5% per transaction with a €0.80 minimum fee; exact pricing is not publicly listed and is negotiated per merchant. No setup or monthly fees for direct integrations, but direct Trustly access typically requires merchants with minimum annual revenue of €5 million. Smaller businesses access Trustly via third-party PSPs. The platform processes 95%+ of European transactions in under 5 minutes.

iDEAL is the Netherlands' dominant online payment method, used for 72%+ of Dutch e-commerce transactions and processing 1.5+ billion transactions annually across 350,000 participating merchants. Since 2023 it has been owned by the European Payments Initiative (EPI). As of January 2026, iDEAL is undergoing a phased migration to Wero, the new pan-European payment standard. The co-branded 'iDEAL | Wero' logo began appearing at Dutch checkouts from January 31, 2026; payments through the Wero infrastructure began March 31, 2026. Full migration to Wero is expected by end of 2027. For merchants, there is no disruption during the migration — existing iDEAL integrations via PSPs continue to function. Consumer-facing the payment experience is unchanged. Merchant fees are set by PSPs and typically €0.25–€0.40 per transaction.

Bancontact is Belgium's most-used payment method, with over 17 million cards in circulation and acceptance at virtually all Belgian payment terminals and online stores. It is operated by Bancontact Payconiq Company and is beginning integration with Wero as part of the European Payments Initiative (EPI), with a joint Bancontact/Wero platform launched in Belgium in 2026. For merchants, Bancontact is accessed via PSPs (Mollie, Stripe, Adyen, etc.) at typically €0.10–€0.30 per transaction depending on the PSP. Transactions are bank-authenticated push payments with immediate confirmation and no chargeback risk.

Apple Pay is a digital wallet and contactless payment service that uses tokenized card credentials stored in the Secure Element of Apple devices. It is accepted at 85%+ of US retail locations and by tens of millions of online merchants globally. Apple Pay does not charge merchants any additional fees beyond standard card processing rates — merchants pay only their card processor's rates (e.g., Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30). For merchants, Apple Pay is enabled through existing payment processors like Stripe, Adyen, Braintree, and Square with minimal integration overhead. iOS devices hold over 1 billion active users globally. Apple Pay is not available on Android devices.

Google Pay (GPay) is Google's digital wallet and payment platform available on Android devices, Chrome browser, and in apps. It tokenizes stored card credentials from users' Google accounts and enables one-tap payment at checkout. Google Pay does not charge merchants any additional fees — merchants pay only their payment processor's standard rates. Google Pay has over 150 million users in 40+ countries and is supported by virtually all major payment processors including Stripe, Adyen, Braintree, Square, and Checkout.com. In the US, Google Pay also supports bank account funding for online purchases, providing an alternative to card-based payments.

Amazon Pay allows customers to use their Amazon account's stored payment methods and shipping addresses on third-party websites. It is accepted by 6,000+ external merchants and leverages Amazon's 300 million active customer accounts globally. Amazon Pay charges merchants 2.9% + $0.30 per domestic transaction in the US (the same rate as Stripe), plus a $0.30 authorization decline fee per declined transaction. No monthly fee or setup fee. International transactions carry an additional 1.5% cross-border fee and 1.5% currency conversion fee. Amazon Pay also offers Login with Amazon as a combined one-click authentication and payment solution.

Shopify Payments is Shopify's native payment processing solution, included in all Shopify plans with no additional monthly fee. Using Shopify Payments eliminates Shopify's 0.6%–2% third-party transaction fee that applies when using external processors like Stripe or PayPal. Online processing rates range from 2.9% + $0.30 (Basic, $39/month annual) to 2.5% + $0.30 (Grow, $105/month) to 2.4% + $0.30 (Advanced, $399/month). In-person rates are 2.6% + $0.10 on Basic. Currency conversion carries a 1.5% fee for US-based stores. Over 4.8 million Shopify stores use Shopify Payments across 17 supported countries. Shopify Payments is powered by Stripe's infrastructure.

SOFORT was a German bank transfer payment method operating across Austria, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain. Acquired by Klarna in 2014, it was progressively merged into Klarna's own product suite. As of March 31, 2025, SOFORT has been fully discontinued as a standalone payment method. Stripe removed SOFORT support on that date. All SOFORT integrations are non-functional. The recommended replacement is Klarna's 'Pay Now' option, which replicates the instant bank transfer flow within Klarna's platform. Merchants who still reference SOFORT in checkout pages or documentation should remove all SOFORT branding and replace with Klarna Pay Now or an alternative pay-by-bank method.

Giropay was a German online payment method enabling direct bank transfers from 1,500+ German bank accounts, launched in 2006 and used by approximately 45 million customers (54% of Germany's population) at its peak. It merged with Paydirekt in 2021 and was owned by a consortium of German banks including Deutsche Bank, Postbank, Commerzbank, and the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe. On July 1, 2024, Paydirekt announced Giropay would be permanently shut down. All Giropay payments ceased on December 31, 2024. Refund functionality remained available until January 31, 2025. German banks are backing Wero (EPI) as Giropay's successor, launched in Germany in 2024 with merchant e-commerce acceptance rolling out in 2025–2026.