Online payment processing is a must for e-commerce businesses and physical stores with an online presence. The best online payment processing services come with competitive processing rates, e-commerce integrations and solid customer support. Many of the options bundle payment gateways into their offerings, too, so that customers can securely enter their card information online.
Businesses with a brick-and-mortar location in addition to an online store may consider products that also sell their own payment processing hardware. That way you can be sure that your card readers and POS terminals are compatible with your online payment system.
Here are our top picks for online payment processing services.
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 Shopify e-commerce users | In-person: 2.7% + $0.00 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $29 Basic plan; $79 Shopify plan; $299 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 Overall online payment processing | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0 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 | Learn more on Stripe Payments' secure website | ||
Clover POS Learn more on Clover POS's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Integrations | In-person: 2.3% + $0.10 Online: 3.5% + $0.10 | $15 $14.95 and up. | Learn more on Clover POS's secure website | ||
PaymentCloud Learn more on PaymentCloud's secure website | 3.5/5 Best for High-risk merchants | 2.7% + $0.00 to 4.3% + $0.00. | $10 to $45. | Learn more on PaymentCloud's secure website | ||
Amazon Pay | 3.0/5 Best for Streamlined checkout | 2.9% + $0.30 web and mobile; 4% + 30¢ Alexa transactions. | $0 | |||
Adyen | 5.0/5 Best for Omnichannel commerce | 0% + $0.13 Plus interchange for Visa and Mastercard; 3.3% + $0.23 for AmEx. | $0 | |||
BlueSnap | Best for Splitting payments with other vendors | 2.9% + $0.30 Or customized rate for large-volume businesses. | $0 |
Our pick for
Shopify e-commerce users
Shopify Payments
Learn more
on Shopify Payments' secure website
Monthly fee
$29
Basic plan; $79 Shopify plan; $299 Advanced plan.
Shopify Payments accepts multiple payment methods and offers competitive processing fees. Because it’s a fully integrated service offering an e-commerce platform, a point-of-sale system and payment processing services, e-commerce businesses can simplify and streamline their sales and transactions.
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
Overall online payment processing
Square
Learn more
on Square's secure website
Monthly fee
$0
Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
Square's product lineup is modular, but its POS system works well enough as a stand-alone product. Pricing is competitive, making it a solid option for many small businesses.
Pros
- Transparent pricing.
- Free version of its POS includes a lot of features.
- Offers related services, such as payroll, that integrate with its POS system.
Cons
- Can’t run on Windows devices.
- Complex businesses might prefer a more specialized POS system.
Our pick for
API customization
Stripe
Learn more
on Stripe Payments' secure website
Monthly fee
$0
With Stripe Terminal, you can integrate in-person payments into your online payment setup. Transparent pricing and customizable features make Stripe a good choice for online-first businesses looking to extend to in-person sales. However, many features — including connecting hardware to software — require coding experience or “no-code” integrations.
Pros
- Highly customizable.
- Competitive pricing.
Cons
- Prioritizes online merchants.
- Requires developer experience.
Our pick for
Integrations
Clover POS
Learn more
on Clover POS's secure website
Monthly fee
$15
$14.95 and up.
Clover point-of-sale hardware is pricey, but the reasonable monthly cost and low payment processing fees may help offset that upfront investment over time.
Pros
- Competitive flat rates for payment processing.
- Hardware performs well and is well designed.
Cons
- No free options.
- Pricing can be tough to understand.
Our pick for
High-risk merchants
PaymentCloud
Learn more
on PaymentCloud's secure website
Payment processing fees
2.7% + $0.00
to 4.3% + $0.00.
Monthly fee
$10
to $45.
PaymentCloud works with high-risk businesses, something not many of its competitors do. Despite having an approval process that can take some time and a few customer complaints about extra fees on monthly statements, PaymentCloud has high marks online for its customer service.
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
Payment processing fees
2.9% + $0.30
web and mobile; 4% + 30¢ Alexa transactions.
Monthly fee
$0
E-commerce businesses with an Amazon Seller account can integrate Amazon Pay to create a convenient and seamless checkout experience for their customers. Business owners may find that Amazon’s globally recognized brand and the company’s purchase guarantee lead more customers to feel confident making purchases with the Amazon Pay option.
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
Payment processing fees
0% + $0.13
Plus interchange for Visa and Mastercard; 3.3% + $0.23 for AmEx.
Monthly fee
$0
Adyen offers low prices and doesn’t have 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.
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
Payment processing fees
2.9% + $0.30
Or customized rate for large-volume businesses.
Monthly fee
$0
BlueSnap makes it easy to share payments with other vendors, saving you time and extra steps in the payment process. It also has an extensive partner network to enable a variety of platform integrations for your business.
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.
Square: Best for overall online payment processing
Why we like it: Square charges simple, flat-rate processing fees and integrates with several platforms, allowing you to make online sales through multiple channels. For example, with a Mailchimp integration, you can use the email platform to create landing pages for selling items and accepting payments. Read our full Square review.
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
- $60 for Square Restaurant and Retail Plus plans.
- $69 for Square Appointments 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.
Online, in-person and recurring billing.
Accounting software such as QuickBooks Online, e-commerce platforms such as WooCommerce and marketing platforms such as Mailchimp and Linktree.
- 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.
» MORE: How much does Square cost?
Stripe: Best for API customization
Why we like it: Stripe makes it easy to customize the payment process to fit your business. With extensive documentation and a system designed for developers, you can tweak Stripe’s interface to give your customers a branded checkout experience within your own application. Read our full Stripe review.
- $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.
Online, in-person and recurring billing.
Accounting software like Xero and e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce.
- 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.
» MORE: A full breakdown of Stripe fees
Shopify Payments: Best for Shopify e-commerce users
Why we like it: Shopify's setup offers a good foundation for e-commerce businesses. It has competitive transaction fees, 24/7 customer support and the ability to create an online store with strong analytics. Even the free version of its POS requires purchase of one of its monthly e-commerce plans, so it's best suited for businesses already using Shopify. Read our full Shopify Payments review.
To use Shopify POS, you also must have a Shopify plan for e-commerce. The following prices reflect the annual billing option, which saves you money:
- $29 for Shopify Basic.
- $79 for regular Shopify.
- $299 for Shopify Advanced.
- $2,000 for Shopify Plus.
Once you have a Shopify plan for e-commerce, add either:
- $5 for Shopify POS Lite.
- $89 per location for Shopify POS Pro.
- 2.4%, 2.6% or 2.9% plus 30 cents for online payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
- 2.4%, 2.5% or 2.7% for in-person payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
Online, in-person and recurring payments.
Accounting software, including QuickBooks; marketing apps, including Mailchimp; and e-commerce sites like Etsy.
- 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
Why we like it: Amazon Pay lets consumers pay small businesses using the payment information saved on their Amazon accounts. This eliminates the need for new customers to enter their payment details, which can speed up the checkout process, and provides payment security associated with the Amazon name. Adding the Amazon Pay button to your website is also relatively easy. Read our full Amazon Pay review.
$0.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for web and mobile transactions.
- 4% plus 30 cents for Alexa transactions.
- Extra 1% for cross-border transactions.
Online and recurring payments.
Amazon Pay integrates with e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce and BigCommerce. It is not compatible with some of NerdWallet’s favorite e-commerce website builders like Square Online, Squarespace and Wix.
- 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
Why we like it: For businesses that have revenue-sharing contracts with vendors, BlueSnap could be a good option. Instead of having to wait for a payment to hit your bank account and then sending a portion to another vendor for a commission, you can set up the vendor to automatically receive its portion when the payment is received.
$0.
2.9% plus 30 cents or customized rates for large-volume businesses.
In-person, online and recurring payments.
Shopping carts, including BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento), WooCommerce and WordPress; marketing services, including HubSpot; and analytics systems, including Google Analytics.
- 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.
Clover: Best for integrations
Why we like it: Clover integrates with e-commerce apps Ecwid and BigCommerce. It also syncs employee information across platforms like Gusto, Paychex and QuickBooks for accounting. Some apps automatically update when you change information in Clover, so you have to change information only once. Read our full Clover review.
- $14.95 for Retail Starter, Personal Services Starter, Professional Services Starter and Standard and Home & Field Services plans.
- $49.95 for Retail Standard, Personal Services Standard and Advanced and Professional Services Advanced plans.
- $54.95 for Quick-Service Dining Starter and Standard plans.
- $64.90 for Retail Advanced plan.
- $69.90 for Quick-Service Dining Advanced plan.
- $84.95 for Full-Service Dining Starter plan.
- $99.90 for Full-Service Dining Standard plan.
- $114.85 for Full-Service Dining Advanced plan.
- 2.3% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions for most plans.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Retail Starter, Personal Services Starter and Professional Services Standard plans, as well as Home & Field Services Standard and Advanced plans.
- 3.5% plus 10 cents for online or keyed-in transactions.
Online, in-person and recurring billing.
Accounting software, including QuickBooks; payroll services, including Gusto and Paychex; operations management such as Shopventory; and e-commerce software, including Ecwid and BigCommerce.
- Transparent transaction fees.
- In-person and recurring payment options.
- Customer support by phone.
- POS features, including customer profiles, loyalty program and staff management.
- Paid plans required for advanced POS features with card readers.
» MORE: Best point-of-sale systems
Adyen: Best for omnichannel commerce
Why we like it: In addition to solid payment processing options, Adyen also offers an omnichannel commerce tool, Unified Commerce, that can help you combine data from online and offline sources for better data insights. For businesses that also have in-store sales, this is a great feature. Read our full Adyen review.
$0.
- Interchange plus 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.
Online, in-person and recurring payments.
Shopping carts, including BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) and WooCommerce.
- 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
Why we like it: PaymentCloud offers services for high-risk merchants that might otherwise struggle to find payment processors. Working with businesses in multiple high-risk industries, such as CBD and supplement distribution, makes the company a competitive option. Read our full PaymentCloud review.
Starts at $10. You have to call to get pricing information.
Quote-based.
Online, in-person and recurring payments.
Shopping cart integrations, including Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce.
- 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.
Online payment processing lets you accept payments from customers shopping online. The full process involves a few different phases.
Generally, online payment processing services provide a payment gateway for the customer, which allows them to securely enter their card information online. Then, the gateway authenticates that information. From there, the payment processor oversees the transfer of funds from the customer’s bank (also known as the issuing bank) to the business’s bank account.
Your payment processor will complete a handful of behind-the-scenes steps to let you accept credit card payments online. Your role in the process is to subscribe to a processing service and sync it with your website. Here’s how:
- 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 payment 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 payment 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.
Here are several factors to consider while comparing online payment processing services.
Your sales channels
If your business completes sales entirely online, you can keep it simple by sticking with a payment processing service that specializes in online transactions.
If you also do sales in-person, you might choose an option that offers in-house POS hardware and mobile card readers. That way, you don’t have to worry about integrating your POS system with a third-party payment processing service.
Cost
Going with your e-commerce platform’s in-house payment processing service is likely the easiest option, and it might even save you time. But it’s possible that integrating with a third-party processor could save you money in the long run. That’s why it’s important to forecast your monthly sales volume and average purchase price, so that you can confidently run the numbers and decide whether the potential savings are worth the extra time.
You can also keep costs down by avoiding services that charge fees for PCI compliance, termination or setup.
Integrations
Scrolling through your e-commerce platform’s payments integrations is an easy way to narrow down your options. Not all platforms are compatible with multiple services. If you sell goods or services in-person, too, make sure the payment processing service integrates with your POS hardware.
Customer service
If your online business’s payment processing services crash, you could miss out on valuable sales. Make sure your online payment processing service offers phone support or live chat options in case you need a quick fix. Reading reviews can be a great way of gauging the quality of a product’s customer support, too.
If you’re still deciding which service is right for you, NerdWallet’s online payment processor quiz can help you land on the best match.
Last updated on September 21, 2023
Methodology
NerdWallet’s ratings of payment processing providers reward 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.