Payment gateways are a necessity for online businesses. The best payment gateways help you become a sales powerhouse by minimizing fees and offering a simple experience — for you and your customers. Consider your sales volume, coding skills and overall payment needs to find the right fit for your business.
Best Payment Gateways
Product | Payment processing fees | Learn more | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Stripe Learn more on Stripe Payments' secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Overall payment gateway | 2.7% + 5¢ in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online. | $0 | Learn more on Stripe Payments' secure website |
Adyen | 5.0/5 Best for Omnichannel option | Interchange + 12¢ Visa and Mastercard; 3.3% + 22¢ AmEx; 3%-12% + 12¢ for other payment methods. | $0 | |
Helcim Learn more on Helcim's secure website | 4.5/5 Best for Interchange-plus pricing for businesses of all sizes | 0.30% + 8¢ plus interchange, in-person; 0.50% + 25¢ plus interchange, online. | $0 | Learn more on Helcim's secure website |
PayPal Payflow | Best for Doing everything in one place | 2.99% + 49¢ credit and debit cards; 3.49% + 49¢ digital payments. | $0 $0 Payflow Link; $25 Payflow Pro | |
Square Learn more on Square's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for If you also have a storefront | 2.6% + 10¢ in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online. | $0 Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations. | Learn more on Square's secure website |
Braintree | Best for Accepting a variety of payment types | 2.59% + 49¢ credit & debit cards and digital wallets; 3.49% + 49¢ Venmo (U.S. only). | $0 | |
Chase Payment Solutions℠ Learn more on Chase Payment Solutions℠'s secure website | 3.5/5 Best for A built-in banking partner | 2.6% + 10¢ in-person; 2.9% + 25¢ online. | $0 Monthly fee in some instances. | Learn more on Chase Payment Solutions℠'s secure website |
Authorize.net | Best for More complex payment needs | 2.9% + 30¢ for merchant account; 10¢ + 10¢ daily batch fee for payment gateway only. | $25 |
Our pick for
Overall payment gateway
Stripe
Learn more
on Stripe Payments' secure website
Payment processing fees
2.7% + 5¢
in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.
Monthly fee
$0
Stripe has built its product around maximum customizability, giving developers the tools to build a payment experience that meets the specific needs of a website, app or service. 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.
Pros
- Flat-rate, transparent pricing with no setup, cancellation or monthly fees.
- Supports a wide variety of payment methods and currencies.
- Customer-friendly design.
- Highly customizable checkout flow.
Cons
- Stripe’s best features require a developer to implement fully.
- Limited functionality for in-person retail businesses and restaurants.
Our pick for
Omnichannel option
Adyen
Payment processing fees
Interchange + 12¢
Visa and Mastercard; 3.3% + 22¢ AmEx; 3%-12% + 12¢ for other payment methods.
Monthly fee
$0
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.
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
Interchange-plus pricing for businesses of all sizes
Helcim
Learn more
on Helcim's secure website
Payment processing fees
0.30% + 8¢
plus interchange, in-person; 0.50% + 25¢ plus interchange, online.
Monthly fee
$0
Businesses with limited monthly volume benefit from Helcim’s no-minimum interchange plus pricing. Larger businesses can take advantage of the pricing tiers Helcim offers, which get cheaper as you do more business, beginning at $25,000 per month.
Pros
- Helcim’s payment page creator forgoes complex code and instead lets you select the payment elements you want.
- No contract or monthly fee.
- Helcim’s margin on each transaction goes down as you reach higher monthly sales, beginning at $25,000 per month.
Cons
- Interchange-plus pricing can benefit merchants, but it’s harder to predict.
- You’ll need at least $25,000 in monthly card sales before you can take advantage of Helcim’s better rates.
Our pick for
Doing everything in one place
PayPal Payflow
Payment processing fees
2.99% + 49¢
credit and debit cards; 3.49% + 49¢ digital payments.
Monthly fee
$0
$0 Payflow Link; $25 Payflow Pro
There’s not much PayPal doesn’t do. It offers payment processing and payment gateway-only options. 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.
Pros
- PayPal develops different ways for consumers to pay, including Venmo and its own service for buy now, pay later.
- One of the most commonly used payment processing platforms.
- Easy to use and integrate with website hosts and shopping carts.
- Transparent fixed fees in 25 currencies.
Cons
- PayPal’s offerings are vast and can be difficult to grasp quickly.
- Payment processing can be expensive for small purchases.
- Not ideal for high-risk or high-volume businesses.
Our pick for
If you also have a storefront
Square
Learn more
on Square's secure website
Payment processing fees
2.6% + 10¢
in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.
Monthly fee
$0
Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
Square’s easy-to-use tools enable business owners to have a professional online presence without specialized tech skills. For example, Square’s Payments API lets you take payments on sites built using Wix, WooCommerce and similar services without the need to code, just by logging in to your Square account on your site’s settings page. If you’d like, you can build a site for free using Square as a host. (Some features, like a custom domain name, cost extra.)
Pros
- Ability to use Square to build a website from scratch, or use Square Checkout as the payment page for your existing site.
- Transparent pricing structure with no contract or cancellation fees.
- Square also supports in-person sales with its capable POS system.
Cons
- Limited options for international payments.
- If you don’t use Square or other supported ecommerce sites to host your website, Square likely won’t work for you.
Our pick for
Accepting a variety of payment types
Braintree
Payment processing fees
2.59% + 49¢
credit & debit cards and digital wallets; 3.49% + 49¢ Venmo (U.S. only).
Monthly fee
$0
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.
Pros
- Transparent, competitive pricing.
- No contracts or early termination fees.
- No monthly, PCI compliance or minimum transaction fees.
- Accepts PayPal and Venmo in addition to credit and debit cards.
- Simple checkout page that looks good on web and mobile.
Cons
- Requires web development.
- Not suited for brick and mortar stores.
Our pick for
A built-in banking partner
Chase Payment Solutions℠
Learn more
on Chase Payment Solutions℠'s secure website
Payment processing fees
2.6% + 10¢
in-person; 2.9% + 25¢ online.
Monthly fee
$0
Monthly fee in some instances.
This service from Chase uses Authorize.net 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.
Pros
- On the cheaper end of flat-rate prices available.
- Next-day payouts available.
Cons
- Requires use of Chase checking for quickest deposits — not a bad thing, unless you’d prefer to bank elsewhere.
- Unclear pricing.
Our pick for
More complex payment needs
Our picks for the best payment gateways
Monthly cost:
- $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).
Payment processing:
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 2.7% plus 5 cents for in-person transactions.
- 3.4% plus 30 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- 3.9% plus 30 cents for international cards or currency conversion.
Monthly cost: Free.
Payment processing:
- Interchange plus 12 cents per transaction for Visa and Mastercard.
- 3.3% plus 22 cents for American Express.
- 12 cents plus 3%-12% for other payment methods, depending on transaction type.
- 37 cents per transaction for ACH.
Monthly cost: Free.
Payment processing:
- Interchange plus 0.3% and 8 cents per in-person transaction (if less than $25,000 in monthly card transactions).
- Interchange plus 0.5% and 25 cents per online transaction (if less than $25,000 in monthly card transactions).
- Interchange plus 0.5% and 25 cents per manually keyed transaction (if less than $25,000 in monthly card transactions).
- 0.5% plus 25 cents for ACH payments.
Monthly cost:
- $0 for Payflow Link.
- $25 for Payflow Pro.
Payment processing:
- 2.99% plus 49 cents for standard credit and debit card payments.
- 3.49% plus 49 cents for digital payments (PayPal Checkout and Pay with Venmo).
- 2.29% plus 9 cents for card-present or QR payments through PayPal Zettle.
- 2.89% plus 49 cents for online card payments through Payments Advanced or Payments Pro.
Monthly cost:
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square POS Plus and Square Appointments Plus plans.
- $60 for Restaurant Plus and Retail Plus plans.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium plan.
Payment processing:
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions (2.5% plus 10 cents with Retail Plus plan).
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions or invoices without a card on file.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions or card-on-file invoices.
Monthly cost: Free.
Payment processing:
- 2.59% plus 49 cents per transaction credit cards, debit cards and digital wallets.
- 3.49% plus 49 cents for Venmo (U.S. only), transactions in non-U.S. currency or transactions outside the U.S.
- 0.75% for ACH (maximum fee of $5). Discounts available for enterprise businesses.
Monthly cost: Monthly fee in some instances.
Payment processing:
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.9% plus 25 cents per transaction for online transactions.
- 3.5% plus 10 cents for keyed transactions.
Monthly cost: $25 per month.
Payment processing:
- 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction, and $25 per month for merchant account option.
- 10 cents per transaction, 10 cent daily batch fee and $25 per month for payment gateway only.
How do payment gateways work?
A payment gateway is a service that allows online shoppers to securely enter their payment information. The gateway reads, encrypts and transmits data from credit cards, online wallets and other payment methods to authorize a transaction, meaning that it helps verify that the payment is legitimate. Payment gateways also often provide payment processing services.
Last updated on February 6, 2023
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
The best payment gateway depends on the specific needs of your business. You’ll want to take into account factors such as your business’ transaction volume and whether you require a full POS system. Additional factors to consider include the payment gateway’s monthly cost, transaction fees and contract requirements.
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.
For businesses that process less than about $10,000 a month, flat-rate options like Square or PayPal make more sense. They might be a bit more expensive than interchange-plus pricing, but lower volumes minimize the overall difference in cost. Flat-rate pricing is usually found with payment service providers, which make setting up an account easy.
For those that process more than about $10,000 a month, an interchange-plus model like the one Adyen or Helcim use could be more cost-effective. 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.
Other important questions to ask include:
- Will you need technical expertise? Some gateways give a high level of customization but require coding skills.
- Where else will you accept payments? 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.