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8 Best Payment Gateways of April 2024

A payment gateway securely transfers customers’ payment information to a payment processor for authorization.
By Kurt Woock, Karrin Sehmbi
Last updated on March 20, 2024
Edited byChristine Aebischer
Fact checked and reviewed

⏰ Estimated read time: 9 minutes

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A payment gateway accepts customers' payment information and securely sends it to a payment processor, which then facilitates the transfer of funds by determining whether the payment is legitimate and, if so, authorizing the transaction. Many times, credit card processing companies offer payment gateways as part of a bundled service. To choose the best payment gateway for your business, consider costs, your business’s sales volume and its overall payment needs.
Here are our picks for the best payment gateways.

Best Payment Gateways

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Estimates assume an average interchange fee of 1.81% + $0.10, based on our latest available data. Estimates provided reflect online and in-person transactions, but exclude any keyed transactions. Estimates are based on the lowest monthly plan and processing fees for each provider.

Product
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Payment processing fees
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Stripe

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on Stripe Payments' secure website

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
5.0/5

Best for Overall payment gateway

In-person: 2.7% + $0.05

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$0.00

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
Learn more

on Stripe Payments' secure website

Helcim

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on Helcim's secure website

5.0/5

Best for Interchange-plus pricing for businesses of all sizes

In-person: 0.4% + $0.08

Online: 0.5% + $0.25

Plus interchange

$0.00

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

Square

Learn more

on Square's secure website

5.0/5

Best for If you also have a storefront

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

Chase Payment Solutions℠

Learn more

on Chase Payment Solutions℠'s secure website

4.5/5

Best for A built-in banking partner

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Online: 2.9% + $0.25

$0.00

Monthly fee in some instances.

Learn more

on Chase Payment Solutions℠'s secure website

PayPal Payflow

Best for Payment processor integrations

In-person: 2.29% + $0.09

Online: 2.89% + $0.49

$0.00

for Payflow Link; $25 Payflow Pro.

Adyen

4.0/5

Best for Omnichannel option

0% + $0.13

Plus interchange for Visa and Mastercard; 3.3% + $0.23 for AmEx.

$0.00

Authorize.net

Best for More complex payment needs

2.9% + $0.30

for All-in-One option.

$25.00

PayPal Braintree

4.0/5

Best for Accepting a variety of payment types

2.59% + $0.49

credit & debit cards and digital wallets; 3.49% + 49¢ Venmo (U.S. only).

$0.00

Our pick for

Overall payment gateway

Learn more

on Stripe Payments' secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

Interchange-plus pricing for businesses of all sizes

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

If you also have a storefront

Learn more

on Square's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.

Our pick for

A built-in banking partner

Chase Payment Solutions℠

Learn more

on Chase Payment Solutions℠'s secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Monthly fee in some instances.

Our pick for

Payment processor integrations

PayPal Payflow

Monthly fee
$0.00

for Payflow Link; $25 Payflow Pro.

Our pick for

Omnichannel option

Payment processing fees
0% + $0.13

Plus interchange for Visa and Mastercard; 3.3% + $0.23 for AmEx.

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

More complex payment needs

Authorize.net

Payment processing fees
2.9% + $0.30

for All-in-One option.

Monthly fee
$25.00

Our pick for

Accepting a variety of payment types

PayPal Braintree

Payment processing fees
2.59% + $0.49

credit & debit cards and digital wallets; 3.49% + 49¢ Venmo (U.S. only).

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our picks for the best payment gateways

Stripe: Best overall payment gateway

Why we like it: Stripe has built its payments product around maximum customizability: Its open API and advanced developer tools allow your business to build a payment experience that meets your specific needs — as long as you or someone on your team knows how to use them. For those who want a low-tech option, Stripe Checkout has prebuilt checkout pages that don't require a high level of technical expertise to use. Read our full Stripe Payments review.

Adyen: Best omnichannel option

Why we like it: Adyen offers low prices and doesn’t have any monthly fees. It also offers support for in-person payments. If you’re an omnichannel merchant, Adyen has tools that connect your sales data, wherever you sell — including online, in person and via app or marketplace. Read our full Adyen review.

Helcim: Best interchange-plus pricing for businesses of all sizes

Why we like it: Helcim's payment gateway API can integrate with a shopping cart, billing system or compatible third-party software. Businesses with limited monthly volume benefit from Helcim’s no-minimum, interchange-plus pricing, while larger businesses can take advantage of the pricing tiers Helcim offers, which get cheaper the more you process. Read our full Helcim review.

PayPal Payflow: Best for payment processor integrations

Why we like it: PayPal offers in-house payment processing and payment gateway-only options that integrate with third-party shopping carts and payment processors. It’s a leader in developing and accepting payments in innovative ways, including through subsidiary Venmo, QR codes, payment links and buy now, pay later financing. Read our full PayPal review.

Square: Best if you also have a storefront

Why we like it: Square’s easy-to-use tools enable business owners to have a professional online presence without specialized tech skills. Square’s Payments API lets you take payments on third-party sites, or you can build a site for free using Square as a host. Its robust POS hardware options make it a strong option for in-person sellers as well. Read our full Square review.

Braintree: Best for accepting a variety of payment types

Why we like it: Braintree, which is owned by PayPal, rivals Stripe from a customization standpoint. But unlike Stripe, Braintree allows customers to pay with PayPal and Venmo, another PayPal-owned entity — so you get those options plus the ones Stripe offers (Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.) all via one gateway. Read our full Braintree review.

Chase Payment Solutions: Best for a built-in banking partner

Why we like it: Chase Payment Solutions uses Authorize.net as its payment gateway and offers competitive flat-rate pricing. You’ll get your money the next business day, which is faster than the two-day norm with many other processors, provided you use a Chase business checking account. Read our full Chase Payment Solutions review.

Authorize.net: Best for more complex payment needs

Why we like it: Authorize.net, which is owned by Visa, gives flexibility to businesses that might otherwise have difficulty finding a payment gateway. For example, it lets you work with other merchant account providers, provides high-risk accounts, and, if you are a U.S.-based business, enables you to accept payments from anywhere in the world. Read our full Authorize.net review.

What is a payment gateway?

A payment gateway reads, encrypts and transmits data from credit cards, digital wallets and other payment methods to a business's payment processor so the transaction can be authorized.
Payment gateways are just one of the merchant services that are necessary for businesses to verify whether a payment is legitimate. For businesses that only do in-person, card-present sales, a payment gateway will be part of your point-of-sale system, which could be a countertop terminal or a simple card reader. For online businesses, a payment gateway is built into their e-commerce checkout portal.

Learn more about payment gateways vs. payment processors

Payment gateways kick off the card authentication process and processing companies take it from there.

How to choose the best payment gateway for your small business

The best payment gateway depends on the specific needs of your business. You’ll want to take into account the payment gateway’s total cost, which will include the monthly fee, transaction fees and any additional fees. Also important to consider are factors such as your business’ transaction volume, whether you require a full POS system and how much coding knowledge is needed to integrate and customize the gateway.

Payment gateway costs

The cost of using a payment gateway is generally broken down into two main components:
  • Monthly fees. This is like your Netflix subscription — you pay the same amount every month in exchange for access to the service. Not all gateways charge a monthly fee.
  • Transaction fees. You’re charged every time a customer buys something online.
Some companies have additional costs, like PCI compliance fees or setup fees. Our top picks generally don’t charge these additional fees. If you're trying to keep costs down, see NerdWallet's selections for cheapest payment gateways for more options.

Pricing models

If you’re using a payment gateway that offers payment processing services, you’ll have to choose between flat-rate pricing, which is consistent, and interchange-plus pricing, which is variable.
  • Flat-rate: For new or seasonal businesses or for those that process less than about $5,000 a month, a flat-rate pricing model, like Square or PayPal uses, may make more sense. Flat-rate pricing is more expensive per transaction than interchange-plus pricing, but providers that use this pricing model often don’t charge a monthly fee. This pricing model also makes it easier to predict and forecast transaction costs because the fees are less variable over time than with interchange-plus pricing. Flat-rate pricing is usually found with payment service providers, which make setting up an account easy.
  • Interchange-plus: If you process more than about $5,000 a month and particularly if you value having more transparency into your processing fees, then an interchange-plus model like the one Adyen or Helcim uses could be a better fit for your business. You’ll need a merchant account, which takes a bit more effort to set up, but the savings can be worth the time and effort.

Technical expertise

Some gateways, like PayPal Payflow, allow for a high level of customization but require coding skills to make the most of the customizable features. Other gateways, like those from Stripe and Adyen, offer a simple copy/paste coding option or options with no coding at all for those who are less tech-savvy in addition to a more code-heavy option that requires development skills.
If you want to take advantage of a more advanced and customizable payment gateway option but don’t have the necessary coding expertise within your team, it’s possible to hire freelance development help to get up and running. Stripe, for example, partners with several agencies that offer this service.

Payment processing needs

Payment gateway providers might also offer point-of-sale systems for in-person transactions, multiple-location support and other related services. Unless you want to work with multiple payments companies, find a payment gateway that can address all of your current and future payments needs.
Last updated on March 20, 2024

Methodology

NerdWallet’s ratings of payment processing providers rewards companies whose products and services are priced well and work in a variety of payment scenarios, among other criteria. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including overall cost, hardware and software options, system capabilities, customer service, contract requirements and integrations. Learn more about how we rate payment processing providers.
These ratings are a guide, but fees, hardware, software and contract requirements can vary widely from business to business and provider to provider. We encourage you to shop around and compare several providers.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
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