8 Best Payment Gateways of June 2025

A payment gateway allows your business to securely accept payments online. If you already use a POS system or have an e-commerce site, your best option is typically its in-house gateway.
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Best Payment Gateways

Product Best for NerdWallet rating Payment processing fees Monthly fee Learn more
Helcim

Helcim

on Helcim's secure website

Interchange-plus pricing

In-person:

0.4% + $0.08


Online:

0.5% + $0.25

Plus interchange

$0

on Helcim's secure website

Square

Square

on Square's secure website

Businesses selling in-person and online

In-person:

2.6% + $0.15


Online:

2.9% + $0.30

$0

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

on Square's secure website

Stripe

Stripe

on Stripe Payments' secure website

Overall payment gateway

In-person:

2.7% + $0.05


Online:

2.9% + $0.30

$0

on Stripe Payments' secure website

Finix

Finix

on Finix's secure website

Subscription pricing

4.8 /5

In-person:

0% + $0.08


Online:

0% + $0.15

Plus interchange

$79

and up.

on Finix's secure website

Shopify

Shopify Payments

on Shopify Payments' secure website

Website-building tools

In-person:

2.6% + $0.10


Online:

2.9% + $0.30

$39

Basic plan; $105 Shopify plan; $399 Advanced plan.

on Shopify Payments' secure website

Clover

Clover

on Clover's secure website

Variety of POS hardware

3.8 /5

In-person:

2.6% + $0.10


Online:

3.5% + $0.10

$0

and up.

on Clover's secure website

Authorize.net

Authorize.net

More complex payment needs

2.9% + $0.30

for All-in-One option.

$25

PayPal Braintree

PayPal Braintree

Accepting PayPal and Venmo

2.89% + $0.29

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

$0

Product Best for NerdWallet rating Payment processing fees Monthly fee Learn more
Helcim

Helcim

on Helcim's secure website

Interchange-plus pricing

In-person:

0.4% + $0.08


Online:

0.5% + $0.25

Plus interchange

$0

on Helcim's secure website

Square

Square

on Square's secure website

Businesses selling in-person and online

In-person:

2.6% + $0.15


Online:

2.9% + $0.30

$0

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

on Square's secure website

Stripe

Stripe

on Stripe Payments' secure website

Overall payment gateway

In-person:

2.7% + $0.05


Online:

2.9% + $0.30

$0

on Stripe Payments' secure website

Finix

Finix

on Finix's secure website

Subscription pricing

4.8 /5

In-person:

0% + $0.08


Online:

0% + $0.15

Plus interchange

$79

and up.

on Finix's secure website

Shopify

Shopify Payments

on Shopify Payments' secure website

Website-building tools

In-person:

2.6% + $0.10


Online:

2.9% + $0.30

$39

Basic plan; $105 Shopify plan; $399 Advanced plan.

on Shopify Payments' secure website

Clover

Clover

on Clover's secure website

Variety of POS hardware

3.8 /5

In-person:

2.6% + $0.10


Online:

3.5% + $0.10

$0

and up.

on Clover's secure website

Authorize.net

Authorize.net

More complex payment needs

2.9% + $0.30

for All-in-One option.

$25

PayPal Braintree

PayPal Braintree

Accepting PayPal and Venmo

2.89% + $0.29

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

$0

Best Payment Gateways

Helcim

Best for Interchange-plus pricing

Payment processing fees
In-person: 0.4% + $0.08
Online: 0.5% + $0.25

Plus interchange

Monthly fee
$0

on Helcim's website

Helcim

Best for Interchange-plus pricing

Payment processing fees
In-person: 0.4% + $0.08
Online: 0.5% + $0.25

Plus interchange

Monthly fee
$0

on Helcim's website

Square

Best for Businesses selling in-person and online

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.15
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$0

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

on Square's website

Square

Best for Businesses selling in-person and online

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.15
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$0

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

on Square's website

Stripe

Best for Overall payment gateway

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.7% + $0.05
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$0

on Stripe's website

Stripe

Best for Overall payment gateway

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.7% + $0.05
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$0

on Stripe's website

Finix

4.8

 

Best for Subscription pricing

Payment processing fees
In-person: 0% + $0.08
Online: 0% + $0.15

Plus interchange

Monthly fee
$79

and up.

on Finix's website

Finix

Best for Subscription pricing

4.8

 
Payment processing fees
In-person: 0% + $0.08
Online: 0% + $0.15

Plus interchange

Monthly fee
$79

and up.

on Finix's website

Shopify Payments

Best for Website-building tools

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$39

Basic plan; $105 Shopify plan; $399 Advanced plan.

on Shopify's website

Shopify Payments

Best for Website-building tools

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$39

Basic plan; $105 Shopify plan; $399 Advanced plan.

on Shopify's website

Clover

3.8

 

Best for Variety of POS hardware

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.10

Monthly fee
$0

and up.

on Clover's website

Clover

Best for Variety of POS hardware

3.8

 
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.10

Monthly fee
$0

and up.

on Clover's website

Authorize.net

Best for More complex payment needs

Payment processing fees
2.9% + $0.30

for All-in-One option.

Monthly fee
$25

Authorize.net

Best for More complex payment needs

Payment processing fees
2.9% + $0.30

for All-in-One option.

Monthly fee
$25

PayPal Braintree

Best for Accepting PayPal and Venmo

Payment processing fees
2.89% + $0.29

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

Monthly fee
$0

PayPal Braintree

Best for Accepting PayPal and Venmo

Payment processing fees
2.89% + $0.29

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

Monthly fee
$0

How do payment gateways work?

To kick off the payment process, a customer either taps, dips or swipes their card using the business’s POS hardware in person or manually enters their card information in an online checkout portal. The payment gateway captures that card data, encrypts it and electronically delivers it to the business’s payment processor. From there, information gets passed between the processor, the issuing and acquiring banks and the card network. Here’s a closer look at the process:
Hand holding a credit card.
AuthorizationAfter the card information travels through the payment gateway, the payment processor communicates a payment authorization request to the customer’s card network and, ultimately, the issuing bank to make sure the customer has enough funds to cover their purchase.
Paper documents wrapped with a ribbon that has a checkmark on it.
AuthenticationThe issuing bank makes sure the transaction isn’t fraudulent and that the cardholder is being truthful about their identity. Some authentication processes may also require the customer to input their zip code or card verification value (CVV). Once the issuing bank approves or denies the transaction, the payment processor passes the decision to the payment gateway, which notifies the customer and/or business.
A green bank that has a coin slot at the top where a hand is depositing a coin.
Settlement This last step involves the transfer of funds from the issuing bank to the acquiring bank and, finally, to the business’s account after the transaction is approved. Unlike the earlier steps, the transfer of funds doesn’t happen immediately. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days for that money to be available for the business to use.

What’s the difference between a payment gateway and payment processor?

Processing transactions involves a handful of parties, including a payment gateway, payment processor, payment networks, the customer’s card-issuing bank and the business’s acquiring bank. Though they’re both involved in the process and often bundled under the same provider, payment gateways and payment processors play different roles.
After a customer taps their credit card to a reader or manually enters their card information online, the payment gateway encrypts and communicates that payment information to the payment processor. From there, the processor verifies that the transaction is legitimate and that there’s enough money in the customer’s bank account to make the purchase. After communicating the approval to the payment gateway, the payment processor then facilitates the transfer of funds from the customer’s issuing bank to the business’s acquiring bank.

Learn more about payment gateways vs. payment processors

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

Does your business need a payment gateway?

All businesses accepting card transactions need some sort of payment gateway, but they aren’t always advertised as stand-alone products. For businesses accepting in-person transactions, the credit card terminal or reader acts as the payment gateway. It’s what the customer interacts with to pass along their credit card information and complete their purchase.
For businesses accepting online transactions, payment gateways are often built right into e-commerce sites and shopping carts as part of a bundled payments service. If you built your website from scratch, however, you may need to integrate it with a stand-alone payment gateway that you can customize to match your brand.

How to choose the best payment gateway

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.
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.
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.
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 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 May 8, 2025