Best Online Payment Processing Services
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Input your business’s monthly transaction details and we’ll help you sort from the best valueProduct | Cost Estimate | Payment processing fees | Cost Estimate | Learn more | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shopify Payments Learn more on Shopify Payments' secure website | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | 4.5/5 Best for E-commerce platform integration | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $39.00 Basic plan; $105 Shopify plan; $399 Advanced plan. | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | Learn more on Shopify Payments' secure website |
Square Learn more on Square's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Hybrid businesses | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.00 Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations. | Learn more on Square's secure website | ||
Stripe Learn more on Stripe Payments' secure website | 5.0/5 Best for API customization | In-person: 2.7% + $0.05 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.00 | Learn more on Stripe Payments' secure website | ||
Helcim Learn more on Helcim's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Interchange-plus credit card processing | In-person: 0.4% + $0.08 Online: 0.5% + $0.25 Plus interchange | $0.00 | Learn more on Helcim's secure website | ||
PaymentCloud | 4.5/5 Best for High-risk merchants | 2.4% + $0.10 to 3.5% + $0.25 on average. | $0.00 to $50. | |||
Amazon Pay | 4.5/5 Best for Streamlined checkout | 2.9% + $0.30 For online and mobile. | $0.00 | |||
Adyen | 4.0/5 Best for Omnichannel commerce | 0.6% + $0.13 Plus interchange for Visa and Mastercard; 3.3% + $0.23 for AmEx. | $0.00 | |||
BlueSnap | Best for Splitting payments with other vendors | 2.9% + $0.30 Or customized rate for large-volume businesses. | $0.00 | |||
Stax by Fattmerchant Learn more on Stax by Fattmerchant's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Membership-style pricing | In-person: 0% + $0.08 Online: 0% + $0.15 Plus interchange | $99.00 and up. | Learn more on Stax by Fattmerchant's secure website |
Our pick for
E-commerce platform integration
Shopify Payments
on Shopify Payments' secure website
Basic plan; $105 Shopify plan; $399 Advanced plan.
Pros
- Accepts a variety of payment methods.
- Can customize checkout page.
- Easy to set up and use.
- Transparent, flat-rate fees.
Cons
- E-commerce plan with monthly fee is required to use Shopify Payments.
- Charges fee for use of third-party payment gateway.
Our pick for
Hybrid businesses
Square
on Square's secure website
Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
Pros
- Offers a free mobile card reader and free POS software plan.
- Can subscribe to related services, such as payroll, that integrate with its POS system.
- No termination fees or long-term contracts.
- No chargeback or PCI compliance fees.
Cons
- Complex businesses might prefer a processor that integrates with more specialized POS systems.
Our pick for
API customization
Stripe
on Stripe Payments' secure website
Pros
- Highly customizable online checkout options.
- No termination fees or long-term contracts.
- 24/7 phone and chat support.
- Can process transactions in more than 135 currencies.
Cons
- Doesn’t sell full countertop POS terminals.
- Deposits can take up to two business days.
Our pick for
Interchange-plus credit card processing
Helcim
on Helcim's secure website
Pros
- Interchange-plus pricing structure can help businesses save money.
- Quick setup; approvals usually take a day.
- Offers volume-based discounts automatically.
- Syncs directly with QuickBooks Online and Xero.
- No termination fees or long-term contracts.
Cons
- Deposits are available within two business days; same-day deposit option is not available.
- Doesn’t offer services to businesses in certain high-risk industries.
Our pick for
High-risk merchants
PaymentCloud
to 3.5% + $0.25 on average.
to $50.
Pros
- Accepts in-person, online and recurring payments.
- Offers an extensive library of software integrations.
- Has a virtual terminal for card-not-present transactions.
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency.
Our pick for
Streamlined checkout
Amazon Pay
For online and mobile.
Pros
- Easy checkout for customers with Amazon accounts.
- Supports global customers and currencies.
- No setup or monthly fees; pay only per transaction.
- Alexa voice integration to place and track orders.
Cons
- Reserve policy delays payouts, especially for newer accounts.
- No in-person payment support.
- No volume discounts or custom packages.
Our pick for
Omnichannel commerce
Adyen
Plus interchange for Visa and Mastercard; 3.3% + $0.23 for AmEx.
Pros
- No monthly, setup, integration or closure fees.
- Payments accepted across online, in-store and app payment channels.
- Global payment options available.
- 24/7 customer support.
Cons
- Complex pricing model.
- Monthly minimums might exclude some small businesses. Minimums vary and require contacting Adyen to learn more.
Our pick for
Splitting payments with other vendors
BlueSnap
Or customized rate for large-volume businesses.
Pros
- No monthly fee.
- Transparent transaction fees.
- In-person and recurring payment options.
- Customer support by phone, message and chat.
Cons
- No online store hosting.
- No proprietary POS.
Our pick for
Membership-style pricing
Stax by Fattmerchant
on Stax by Fattmerchant's secure website
and up.
Pros
- Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
- Unique add-on features, like custom branding.
- No long-term contracts.
Cons
- Not a good option for businesses with low sales.
- Pricing isn't as transparent as competitors.
Square: Best for hybrid businesses
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
- $60 for Square Restaurant Plus plan.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium plan.
- $89 for Square Retail Plus plan.
- $192 and up for Square Restaurant Essentials Bundle.
- Custom pricing for Square Retail Premium plan.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- 3.3% plus 30 cents for invoices.
- No monthly fees.
- Transparent transaction fees.
- In-person and recurring payment options.
- Customer support Monday through Friday for free plans and 24/7 for premium accounts.
- Free online store setup.
- POS features, including customer directory, reporting and inventory management.
- Paid plans required for advanced POS features.
Stripe: Best for API customization
- $0 for standard Stripe Connect.
- $2 per account for Stripe Express (for marketplaces) or Stripe Custom (the white-label option that allows businesses to customize the checkout process).
- 2.7% plus 5 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 3.4% plus 30 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- 4.4% plus 30 cents for international card transactions.
- No monthly fees.
- Transparent transaction fees.
- In-person and recurring payment options.
- 24/7 customer support with email, chat and phone options.
- Alternatives to website, including payment page.
- No online store hosting or support.
- Limited POS features that rely on third-party apps.
- Requires technical expertise.
Shopify Payments: Best for e-commerce platform integration
- $29 for Shopify Basic when billed annually (or $39 when paid monthly).
- $79 for regular Shopify when billed annually (or $105 when paid monthly).
- $299 for Shopify Advanced when billed annually (or $399 when paid monthly).
- Custom pricing for Shopify Plus.
- All e-commerce plans come with POS Lite for selling in-person. Upgrading to POS Pro for brick-and-mortar businesses costs an extra $89 per location.
- $5 for Starter plan, which includes one POS Lite location.
- $79 (when billed annually) for Retail plan, or $89 when paid monthly; includes one POS Pro location.
- 2.5%, 2.7% or 2.9% plus 30 cents for online payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
- 2.4%, 2.5% or 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
- Transparent transaction fees.
- In-person and recurring payment options.
- 24/7 live phone and chat support.
- Online store setup included with plans.
- Point-of-sale, or POS, features, including inventory management for multiple locations, discounts, customer profiles and reporting.
- Paid monthly plans required.
Amazon Pay: Best for streamlined checkout
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for web and mobile transactions.
- Extra 1% for cross-border transactions.
- No monthly fee.
- Transparent transaction rates.
- No ability to scale to in-person payments.
- Higher processing fees for Alexa-based orders.
- Website hosting isn't included.
- No proprietary POS.
- Customer service is through the website only.
BlueSnap: Best for splitting payments with other vendors
- No monthly fee.
- Transparent transaction fees.
- In-person and recurring payment options.
- Customer support by phone, message and chat.
- No online store hosting.
- No proprietary POS.
Helcim: Best for interchange-plus credit card processing
- Interchange plus 0.4% and 8 cents per in-person transaction (if $50,000 or less in monthly card transactions).
- Interchange plus 0.5% and 25 cents per online or manually keyed transaction (if $50,000 or less in monthly card transactions).
- 0.5% plus 25 cents for ACH payments.
- Interchange-plus pricing structure can help businesses save money.
- Quick setup; approvals usually take a day.
- Offers volume-based discounts automatically.
- Syncs directly with QuickBooks Online and Xero.
- Deposits are available within two business days; same-day deposit option is not available.
- Doesn’t offer services to businesses in certain high-risk industries.
Adyen: Best for omnichannel commerce
- Interchange plus 0.60% and 13 cents per transaction for Visa and Mastercard.
- 3.3% plus 23 cents for American Express.
- 3%-12% plus 13 cents for other payment methods, depending on transaction type.
- 40 cents per transaction for ACH direct payment.
- Potentially lower rates than flat-rate fee competitors, depending on card network interchange fees.
- In-person and recurring payment options.
- Proprietary POS dashboard.
- Minimum transaction requirement to avoid an additional fee.
- No live customer support.
- No online store hosting.
PaymentCloud: Best for high-risk merchants
- In-person and recurring payment options.
- For high-volume, low-risk businesses, rates can be lower than the company's standard rates.
- Customer support by phone or website message.
- Monthly fee required.
- No transparent fees.
- No online store hosting or support.
- No proprietary POS system.
Stax: Best for membership-style pricing
- $99 if you process less than $150,000 per year.
- $139 if you process between $150,000 and $250,000 per year.
- $199 and up if you process more than $250,000 per year.
- Interchange plus 8 cents for in-person transactions.
- Interchange plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
- Unique add-on features, like custom branding.
- No long-term contracts.
- Not a good option for businesses with low sales.
- Pricing isn't as transparent as competitors.
- Compare payment processing services. Look for services that integrate with your business’s e-commerce platform — some platforms, like Square and Shopify, offer their own in-house payment processing services.
- Calculate online credit card processing fees. Per-transaction fees for online purchases can be more expensive than the per-transaction fees for in-person sales, so make sure to factor that into your budget. To figure out how much online credit card processing may cost you, try out NerdWallet’s credit card processing fees calculator.
- Integrate the payment processing service. Follow the instructions from your e-commerce platform and payment processor (if they're different) to sync the two products and begin accepting payments.
- Make your payments on time. Depending on the service you choose, you may have to pay a monthly subscription fee — and you should definitely expect to pay per-transaction fees. Stay on top of those bills to ensure your customers’ online payments will be deposited into your business’s bank account as quickly as possible.