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Helcim
Best for Subscription billing
Payment processing fees
In-person: 0.4% + $0.08
Online: 0.5% + $0.25
Online: 0.5% + $0.25
Plus interchange
Monthly fee
$0
on Helcim's website
Pros
- Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
- Offers free POS software.
- Offers volume-based discounts automatically.
- No termination fees, long-term contracts or PCI compliance fees.
Cons
- Deposits may take up to two business days; same-day deposit option is not available.
- Interchange-plus costs can be difficult to predict.
If your business bills customers on a recurring basis, Stripe can get expensive. On top of the 2.9% plus 30 cent transaction fee, you’ll either pay an additional 0.7% of your sales volume or $620 per month. If you go with the former option, each subscription payment will cost you 3.6% plus 30 cents.
Helcim offers subscription management tools for an additional 0.4% of your sales volume. And like Stripe, it has payment recovery tools and automatically sends payment reminder emails to customers.
Plus, Helcim swaps a flat-rate pricing model for an interchange-plus one. That means you’ll save when customers use cards with low interchange fees. Stripe charges a flat percentage for most cards.
Pros
- Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
- Offers free POS software.
- Offers volume-based discounts automatically.
- No termination fees, long-term contracts or PCI compliance fees.
Cons
- Deposits may take up to two business days; same-day deposit option is not available.
- Interchange-plus costs can be difficult to predict.
If your business bills customers on a recurring basis, Stripe can get expensive. On top of the 2.9% plus 30 cent transaction fee, you’ll either pay an additional 0.7% of your sales volume or $620 per month. If you go with the former option, each subscription payment will cost you 3.6% plus 30 cents.
Helcim offers subscription management tools for an additional 0.4% of your sales volume. And like Stripe, it has payment recovery tools and automatically sends payment reminder emails to customers.
Plus, Helcim swaps a flat-rate pricing model for an interchange-plus one. That means you’ll save when customers use cards with low interchange fees. Stripe charges a flat percentage for most cards.
QuickBooks Payments
Best for Invoicing
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.5% + $0.00
Online: 2.99% + $0.00
Online: 2.99% + $0.00
Monthly fee
$0
QuickBooks subscription required.
Pros
- Allows you to invoice clients through QuickBooks.
- Charges standard processing rates.
- No additional monthly fee outside of what you already pay for QuickBooks.
- Can manage invoices on the go with the GoPayment app.
Cons
- Only makes sense if you use QuickBooks for accounting.
- Limited hardware options and POS software features.
Most of the business owners I talk to use QuickBooks to manage their finances. It’s not without its faults — entrepreneurs often hate navigating it — but it is the industry standard. If this is you, test its invoicing features before subscribing (and paying for) a separate product.
Stripe charges an extra 0.4% to 0.5% per paid invoice. And that’s on top of the 2.9% plus 30 cents you already pay per online transaction. QuickBooks doesn’t do this. Instead, it charges a straightforward 2.99% of the invoiced amount.
You don’t have to worry about integrating it with your accounting software either. QuickBooks records and tracks the invoice payments automatically. Stripe syncs with QuickBooks, but setting up integrations can be tricky.
Pros
- Allows you to invoice clients through QuickBooks.
- Charges standard processing rates.
- No additional monthly fee outside of what you already pay for QuickBooks.
- Can manage invoices on the go with the GoPayment app.
Cons
- Only makes sense if you use QuickBooks for accounting.
- Limited hardware options and POS software features.
Most of the business owners I talk to use QuickBooks to manage their finances. It’s not without its faults — entrepreneurs often hate navigating it — but it is the industry standard. If this is you, test its invoicing features before subscribing (and paying for) a separate product.
Stripe charges an extra 0.4% to 0.5% per paid invoice. And that’s on top of the 2.9% plus 30 cents you already pay per online transaction. QuickBooks doesn’t do this. Instead, it charges a straightforward 2.99% of the invoiced amount.
You don’t have to worry about integrating it with your accounting software either. QuickBooks records and tracks the invoice payments automatically. Stripe syncs with QuickBooks, but setting up integrations can be tricky.
Shopify Payments
Best for Online retailers
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Monthly fee
$39
Basic plan; $105 Shopify plan; $399 Advanced plan.
on Shopify's website
Pros
- Hundreds of e-commerce website templates available.
- Can customize checkout page.
- Higher-tier plans offer less expensive online processing rates (as low as 2.5% plus 30 cents).
- No long-term contracts.
Cons
- Phone support only available for Plus plan subscribers.
- Monthly POS subscription costs can be expensive.
- Business and American Express cards carry higher online rates (3.5% plus 30 cents in the Basic plan).
If you sell items mostly online, Shopify is a worthy investment. You can choose from hundreds of web templates to create a branded online storefront — no coding required. (Though most of the templates include a one-time upfront fee.) Stripe can help you build your own online checkout flow, but not an entire website.
Shopify also lets you sell from social media, track inventory and run more than 200 reports. Stripe doesn’t have feature-rich POS software. You can access basic reports for free, but that’s about it outside of its payment processing functionality.
Unlike Stripe, Shopify offers other perks for online sellers too. Those include shipping discounts (up to 87% off), shipping insurance and shipping labels.
Pros
- Hundreds of e-commerce website templates available.
- Can customize checkout page.
- Higher-tier plans offer less expensive online processing rates (as low as 2.5% plus 30 cents).
- No long-term contracts.
Cons
- Phone support only available for Plus plan subscribers.
- Monthly POS subscription costs can be expensive.
- Business and American Express cards carry higher online rates (3.5% plus 30 cents in the Basic plan).
If you sell items mostly online, Shopify is a worthy investment. You can choose from hundreds of web templates to create a branded online storefront — no coding required. (Though most of the templates include a one-time upfront fee.) Stripe can help you build your own online checkout flow, but not an entire website.
Shopify also lets you sell from social media, track inventory and run more than 200 reports. Stripe doesn’t have feature-rich POS software. You can access basic reports for free, but that’s about it outside of its payment processing functionality.
Unlike Stripe, Shopify offers other perks for online sellers too. Those include shipping discounts (up to 87% off), shipping insurance and shipping labels.
Authorize.net
Best for Standalone payment gateway
Payment processing fees
2.9% + $0.30
for All-in-One option.
Monthly fee
$25
on Authorize.net's website
Pros
- You can use Authorize.net with a wide range of merchant account providers.
- Transparent, flat-rate pricing.
- No contracts or early termination fees.
- 24/7 customer support through phone, chat or online form.
Cons
- You’ll pay a $25 monthly fee regardless of usage.
- Limited options for accepting in-person transactions.
Authorize.net’s use case is more niche than Stripe’s. But it may apply to some businesses. Let’s say you already have a dedicated merchant account and a website. All you need is a way to accept payments online. That’s where Authorize.net comes in.
Stripe doesn’t let you have your own dedicated merchant account. Instead, you have to use the shared account that it manages. This gives you less control over how your money moves. It can also lead to more account freezes.
Plenty of individual merchant account providers, like Clover and Finix, have online payment functionality built-in. On the off-chance your merchant account provider doesn’t, Authorize.net can be a good addition.
Pros
- You can use Authorize.net with a wide range of merchant account providers.
- Transparent, flat-rate pricing.
- No contracts or early termination fees.
- 24/7 customer support through phone, chat or online form.
Cons
- You’ll pay a $25 monthly fee regardless of usage.
- Limited options for accepting in-person transactions.
Authorize.net’s use case is more niche than Stripe’s. But it may apply to some businesses. Let’s say you already have a dedicated merchant account and a website. All you need is a way to accept payments online. That’s where Authorize.net comes in.
Stripe doesn’t let you have your own dedicated merchant account. Instead, you have to use the shared account that it manages. This gives you less control over how your money moves. It can also lead to more account freezes.
Plenty of individual merchant account providers, like Clover and Finix, have online payment functionality built-in. On the off-chance your merchant account provider doesn’t, Authorize.net can be a good addition.
PayPal POS
Best for Mobile payments
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.29% + $0.09
Online: 2.99% + $0.49
Online: 2.99% + $0.49
Monthly fee
$0
Pros
- No long-term contract or termination fees.
- Accepts a variety of payment types, including Venmo and PayPal payments.
- Inexpensive card reader with a keypad, plus built-in payment processing and a free mobile app lets you quickly accept in-person payments on the go.
- Low in-person processing fees for a flat-rate processor.
Cons
- Online payment processing rates can be difficult to navigate.
- Limited accounting integrations; no payroll integrations.
- Deposits may take up to 3 days.
PayPal’s in-person fees are hard to beat at 2.29% plus 9 cents per transaction. It also has more POS software features than Stripe. Those include low-stock alerts, inventory management and loyalty programs. And unlike Stripe, PayPal lets you accept PayPal and Venmo payments.
That said, PayPal’s free software isn’t robust enough to handle most brick-and-mortar businesses’ needs. That’s why it’s a better choice for businesses on the go. Think service-based operations, pop-ups and other solopreneurs.
Another perk: PayPal charges just $29 for your first mobile card reader. It includes a keypad and screen as well. Stripe’s least expensive reader is $59, and it’s much more rudimentary.
Pros
- No long-term contract or termination fees.
- Accepts a variety of payment types, including Venmo and PayPal payments.
- Inexpensive card reader with a keypad, plus built-in payment processing and a free mobile app lets you quickly accept in-person payments on the go.
- Low in-person processing fees for a flat-rate processor.
Cons
- Online payment processing rates can be difficult to navigate.
- Limited accounting integrations; no payroll integrations.
- Deposits may take up to 3 days.
PayPal’s in-person fees are hard to beat at 2.29% plus 9 cents per transaction. It also has more POS software features than Stripe. Those include low-stock alerts, inventory management and loyalty programs. And unlike Stripe, PayPal lets you accept PayPal and Venmo payments.
That said, PayPal’s free software isn’t robust enough to handle most brick-and-mortar businesses’ needs. That’s why it’s a better choice for businesses on the go. Think service-based operations, pop-ups and other solopreneurs.
Another perk: PayPal charges just $29 for your first mobile card reader. It includes a keypad and screen as well. Stripe’s least expensive reader is $59, and it’s much more rudimentary.
Finix
Best for High-volume businesses
Payment processing fees
In-person: 0% + $0.08
Online: 0% + $0.15
Online: 0% + $0.15
Plus interchange
Monthly fee
$250
and up; NerdWallet readers pay $79.
on Finix's website
Pros
- No long-term contracts.
- Subscription model can help high-volume businesses save money.
- Transparent fee breakdowns.
- 24/7 emergency phone and email support.
- No PCI compliance fees.
Cons
- Limited POS hardware options.
- Lacks direct accounting software integrations.
- Monthly fee is steep for most small businesses.
Stripe’s flat-rate pricing isn’t economical for high-volume businesses. Typically, they’re better off opting for an interchange-plus provider, like Finix.
Finix charges a $250+ monthly subscription fee in exchange for low interchange markups (8 cents per in-person transaction and 15 cents per online one). I did the math, and the subscription pays for itself if you process more than $25,000 to $30,000 per month.
Unlike Stripe, Finix also provides dedicated merchant accounts, as well as a dedicated implementation manager. A dedicated account gives you more control over your credit card funds and, in theory, a more direct line to customer support. This is especially important for larger businesses.
Pros
- No long-term contracts.
- Subscription model can help high-volume businesses save money.
- Transparent fee breakdowns.
- 24/7 emergency phone and email support.
- No PCI compliance fees.
Cons
- Limited POS hardware options.
- Lacks direct accounting software integrations.
- Monthly fee is steep for most small businesses.
Stripe’s flat-rate pricing isn’t economical for high-volume businesses. Typically, they’re better off opting for an interchange-plus provider, like Finix.
Finix charges a $250+ monthly subscription fee in exchange for low interchange markups (8 cents per in-person transaction and 15 cents per online one). I did the math, and the subscription pays for itself if you process more than $25,000 to $30,000 per month.
Unlike Stripe, Finix also provides dedicated merchant accounts, as well as a dedicated implementation manager. A dedicated account gives you more control over your credit card funds and, in theory, a more direct line to customer support. This is especially important for larger businesses.
PaymentCloud
Best for High-risk merchants
Payment processing fees
N/A
Monthly fee
N/A
Pros
- Works with high-risk businesses.
- Same-day deposits available for low-risk businesses.
- New merchants may qualify for a free terminal.
- 24/7 support.
Cons
- Website isn’t transparent about processing rates.
- May charge PCI compliance fees.
- Some plans require a contract and charge steep termination fees.
Stripe doesn’t work with businesses in “high-risk” industries. Those include gambling, debt relief, certain legal services and travel, among others. Even if you aren’t involved in these, Stripe may close your account for suspicion of fraud or excessive chargebacks. That closure could make it more difficult to find a new payment processor that’ll approve you.
PaymentCloud works specifically with businesses in high-risk industries and those that have been denied by competitors. The trade-off is that it costs more than those options. As a result, PaymentCloud probably shouldn’t be your first choice. But it is a viable one if you couldn’t get a Stripe account (or Stripe shut yours down).
Pros
- Works with high-risk businesses.
- Same-day deposits available for low-risk businesses.
- New merchants may qualify for a free terminal.
- 24/7 support.
Cons
- Website isn’t transparent about processing rates.
- May charge PCI compliance fees.
- Some plans require a contract and charge steep termination fees.
Stripe doesn’t work with businesses in “high-risk” industries. Those include gambling, debt relief, certain legal services and travel, among others. Even if you aren’t involved in these, Stripe may close your account for suspicion of fraud or excessive chargebacks. That closure could make it more difficult to find a new payment processor that’ll approve you.
PaymentCloud works specifically with businesses in high-risk industries and those that have been denied by competitors. The trade-off is that it costs more than those options. As a result, PaymentCloud probably shouldn’t be your first choice. But it is a viable one if you couldn’t get a Stripe account (or Stripe shut yours down).
Jump to
How we selected the best Stripe alternatives
What are Stripe’s pros and cons?
Should your business use Stripe?
What complaints do small-business owners have about Stripe?
How we selected the best Stripe alternatives
To make this list of the best Stripe alternatives, I started with Stripe itself. Our editorial team collects more than 30 pieces of data to rate each payment processor. So, I compared Stripe to that competition to understand where it stood out and fell short.
Stripe's feature set works well for online businesses. It has competitive processing rates for those transactions. And it lets you customize your online checkout flow, among other benefits.
This tracks with business owners I've seen use Stripe, like my friend who's a photographer and my gym. Both mostly take payments online.
These are one-off examples, though. I wanted to try and understand business owners' thoughts on Stripe at scale as well. AI helped me do this. (You can jump to this analysis.)
Costs came up a lot, and unsurprisingly, not in a good way. Those are likely on your mind too — especially if you use Stripe and are looking to switch providers.
To address this, I looked for potentially cheaper providers overall (like Finix). But I also found less expensive alternatives for individual services. You could save on invoicing (QuickBooks Payments) or subscription billing (Helcim), for instance.
Ultimately, the best choice for you will depend on your business type and payment needs. It might even be Stripe. But hopefully, my legwork points you in the right direction.
What are Stripe’s pros and cons?
If you're already using Stripe, you probably know what you do and don't like about it. But you may be less sure of how it stacks up versus competitors. After all, you don't want to switch from a bad option to a worse one.
Based on the roughly 30 payment processors our editorial team rates, here's what I think are Stripe's biggest benefits and drawbacks.
Pros
Highly customizable online checkout options.
No termination fees or long-term contracts.
24/7 chat, email and call-back support.
Can process transactions in more than 135 currencies.
No PCI compliance fees.
Cons
Doesn’t sell full countertop POS setups; hardware is limited to handheld terminals and card readers.
Charges extra for invoicing and recurring billing.
Doesn’t accept PayPal or Venmo.
Lacks industry-specific features for retailers, restaurants, etc.
Should your business use Stripe?
On the fence about opting for Stripe or switching from Stripe to a new product? See if any of the bulleted points below apply to your business.
Look into Stripe if you:
- Already have a website and need to add a checkout form.
- Would like to code your own custom checkout flow.
- Don’t need industry-specific POS features.
- Transact mostly online.
Rule Stripe out if you:
- Own a brick-and-mortar location.
- Mostly deal with in-person sales.
- Frequently send invoices.
- Bill customers on a subscription basis.
- Run a high-volume business.
💬 From our Nerds: Mixing and matching payment systems
"Let’s say you already have a POS system for in-person payments. But you’d like to expand to online sales, and you’ve heard Stripe is the best for that.
"Or maybe you already use Stripe online and want to start selling in person. Except you want a full countertop POS, which Stripe doesn’t sell.
"Mixing and matching processors is a possible solution, especially if neither charges a monthly software fee. But I'd suggest seeing if you can get by with what your existing payment system offers.
"This is much more convenient than integrating two separate payment providers. Centralizing your payments within a single system gives you a better handle on inventory counts, what sells best and where it sells best. You also avoid having to keep track of two separate payout schedules."
— Hillary Crawford, lead writer covering small business
What complaints do small-business owners have about Stripe?
I checked online forums like Reddit and reviews from sites like TrustPilot, G2, the App Store and Google Play to gauge how users feel about Stripe. Then I used an AI tool to help analyze this feedback. Here are users’ major complaints.
Account freezes
Online commenters say Stripe froze their accounts for days on end (and sometimes even weeks). Unfortunately, this is part of the tradeoff with aggregated merchant account providers, like Stripe.
They make it really easy to apply for an account. But their risk tolerance is lower. This leads to account freezes. You can trigger freezes by selling new types of items or completing an unusually large sale. One user says Stripe froze their account because they missed a verification request email.
Consider Finix, Helcim or PaymentCloud instead. Each provides dedicated merchant accounts that involve an underwriting process. This process gives providers a better understanding of how your business works. That leaves less room for surprises (and account freezes).
Steep effective rates
Some Reddit users complain they’re paying much more per Stripe transaction than the baseline 2.9% plus 30 cents. For example, one commenter says they owe more like 3.4% per transaction when all is said and done. Stripe is transparent about its additional fees, but I can still see how this would be frustrating.
That commenter pointed to extra costs for international transactions and disputes. Those are typical with any processor (even if exact amounts may vary). But Stripe also charges for things you don’t expect, like sending invoices.
My advice? Stop and consider whom you’re billing and how you’re billing them before choosing a Stripe alternative. Extra fees add up quickly.
Consider QuickBooks Payments or Helcim instead. If you already have a QuickBooks account, you can send invoices for 2.99% per transaction. Sending an invoice through Stripe costs at least 3.3% plus 30 cents per transaction.
If you run a subscription-based business, Helcim offers cheaper subscription billing services. It charges an additional 0.4% of the transaction amount versus Stripe’s extra 0.7%.
Payout delays
Multiple online commenters say they wish Stripe deposited their credit card funds sooner. This isn’t just about being more patient — payout delays can disrupt cash flow. And Stripe doesn’t have the speediest payout schedule. Typically, funds are available within two business days.
Consider Square instead. Square offers standard next-day deposits to its customers.
Methodology
NerdWallet independently reviews payment processing companies before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Our editorial team reviews information on a regular basis for consistency and accuracy.
We also periodically update our scoring system to reflect changing industry norms and business needs. For instance, in 2026, we dropped the “free trials” category from our rubric. Payment processing systems can be time-consuming to set up. Testing out multiple products isn’t an ideal approach. Instead, we recommend taking cost and features into consideration.
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.
