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10 Best PayPal Alternatives of April 2024

These PayPal alternatives for businesses offer useful features at competitive prices.
By Maddie Shepherd, Karrin Sehmbi
Last updated on March 19, 2024
Edited byChristine Aebischer
Fact checked and reviewed

⏰ Estimated read time: 6 minutes

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

A PayPal business account allows companies to accept card payments online, even from customers who don't have a PayPal account. Its fast setup makes it a popular choice, but alternatives may be a better fit if you’d like more customization options, additional point-of-sale (POS) system features or a dedicated merchant account. Some competitors also charge lower processing fees.
Here are the best alternatives to PayPal, whether you’re looking for a basic money transfer app or an all-in-one payment processor.

Best PayPal Alternatives

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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.

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Payment processing fees
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Stripe

Learn more

on Stripe Payments' secure website

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

Best for Payment customization options

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

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

5.0/5

Best for Interchange-plus payment processing

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 POS system with built-in payment processing

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

Shopify Payments

Learn more

on Shopify Payments' secure website

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.

Learn more

on Shopify Payments' secure website

Amazon Pay

4.5/5

Best for Amazon sellers

2.9% + $0.30

For online and mobile.

$0.00

Payline

4.5/5

Best for High-risk merchants

In-person: 0.4% + $0.10

Online: 0.75% + $0.20

Plus interchange

$10.00

in person; $20 online.

Adyen

4.0/5

Best for Accepting orders through multiple channels

0% + $0.13

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

$0.00

Venmo Business Account

4.0/5

Best for Receiving payment via QR code

1.9% + $0.10

Between Venmo accounts.

$0.00

PayPal Braintree

4.0/5

Best for Dedicated merchant account

2.59% + $0.49

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

$0.00

Payoneer

4.0/5

Best for International money transfer app

3.99% + $0.00

Maximum per credit card transaction; 0% between Payoneer accounts.

$0.00

Our pick for

Payment customization options

Learn more

on Stripe Payments' secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

Interchange-plus payment processing

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

POS system with built-in payment processing

Learn more

on Square's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

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

Our pick for

E-commerce platform integration

Shopify Payments

Learn more

on Shopify Payments' secure website

Monthly fee
$39.00

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

Our pick for

Amazon sellers

Amazon Pay

Payment processing fees
2.9% + $0.30

For online and mobile.

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

High-risk merchants

Payline

Monthly fee
$10.00

in person; $20 online.

Our pick for

Accepting orders through multiple channels

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

Receiving payment via QR code

Venmo Business Account

4.0
NerdWallet rating 
Payment processing fees
1.9% + $0.10

Between Venmo accounts.

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

Dedicated merchant account

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 pick for

International money transfer app

Payoneer

4.0
NerdWallet rating 
Payment processing fees
3.99% + $0.00

Maximum per credit card transaction; 0% between Payoneer accounts.

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our picks for the best PayPal alternatives

Stripe: Best for payment customization options

Why we like it: Stripe powers the checkout processes of large companies such as Amazon and Google. Its application programming interface, or API, allows companies to customize their payment solutions to fit their requirements, making it a good option for large online-based businesses. Other features include advanced reporting, billing and invoicing tools. Read our full Stripe Payments review.

Helcim: Best interchange-plus payment processing

Why we like it: If you’re looking for an affordable payment processing service and don’t require a full POS system, Helcim could be a good fit. Its interchange-plus pricing structure helps you save when customers use cards with low interchange rates. However, while its pricing is transparent, it can be more difficult to understand than flat-rate pricing. Read our full Helcim review.

Payline: Best for high-risk merchants

Why we like it: Payline is a solid, low-cost merchant services provider that offers in-person and online payment processing to businesses, including those in high-risk industries. The company also offers additional features such as a credit card reader, direct integration with QuickBooks and a virtual terminal, which allows you to accept cards online with an internet-connected device. Read our full Payline review.

Amazon Pay: Best for Amazon sellers

Why we like it: Amazon Pay is a payment gateway that allows customers to check out online using the information stored in their Amazon account. To access Amazon Pay, you set up a seller account and then use Amazon’s customizable API to integrate the plug-in with your existing e-commerce platform. It works with several popular e-commerce platforms, including BigCommerce and Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento). Read our full Amazon Pay review.

Venmo Business Account: Best for receiving payment via QR code

Why we like it: Venmo business accounts work similarly to your normal consumer Venmo account — they let you use your linked bank account to send money to vendors and accept payments from customers. However, business owners will be charged 1.9% plus 10 cents per transaction between Venmo accounts. In particular, its QR code feature is ideal for pop-up shops that would rather accept digital payments than use a mobile card reader. Read our full Venmo business account review.

Shopify Payments: Best e-commerce platform integration

Why we like it: If you have an e-commerce store with Shopify, it makes sense to use Shopify Payments. It offers multiple payment methods and competitive processing rates, although it is not available in all countries, and it doesn’t work with businesses in certain high-risk industries. Read our full Shopify Payments review.

PayPal Braintree: Best dedicated merchant account

Why we like it: Although Braintree is a PayPal company, the product and services they each offer differ slightly. While PayPal provides only aggregated merchant accounts, Braintree offers dedicated merchant accounts alongside many of PayPal’s features and capabilities. With a dedicated merchant account, you can expect fewer account freezes and terminations. You'll be able to accept chip, swipe and contactless forms of payment and convert over 130 currencies. Read our full Braintree review.

Payoneer: Best international money transfer app

Why we like it: Payoneer is a money transfer app for businesses that don’t want a full payment processing service or need to take payments in person. Unlike Venmo, it’s available in different countries outside of the U.S. and allows you to convert currencies. You’ll save the most if your customers have their own Payoneer accounts and pay you with their balance. Read our full Payoneer review.

Adyen: Best for accepting orders through multiple channels

Why we like it: Some major technology companies, like Spotify and Etsy, rely on Adyen for online payment processing with a dedicated merchant account. Subscribers can accept payments online with access to a suite of security features. Those features, as well as optimization tools and zero monthly or setup fees, make Adyen appealing for small businesses that want to accept payments across multiple sales channels. Read our full Adyen review.

Square: Best POS system with built-in payment processing

Why we like it: Square rivals PayPal in popularity, and for good reason. It offers a variety of payment processing solutions, including the ability to accept chip, swipe and contactless forms of payment. It also sells some of the most popular payment processing hardware, including the Square magstripe reader and Square Register. Its free POS software makes it one of the best PayPal alternatives for brick-and-mortar businesses. Read our full Square POS review.
A version of this article was first published on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.
Last updated on March 19, 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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