Top Payment Gateways for Online Businesses

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The ideal online payment processing provider isn’t just the one with the cheapest transaction cost; it’s the one that supports your current company model while providing flexibility for future growth. Online payments are more than simply a tool for eCommerce companies, SaaS developers, marketplaces, and fintech teams; they influence cash flow, customer confidence, and operational robustness.

The market has developed considerably. Fees are just one aspect of the problem. Equal weight is now given to compliance coverage, fraud control, geographic reach, API flexibility, and long-term scalability. While some providers prioritize infrastructure depth and regulatory strength, others are designed for speed and simplicity.

Both are covered in this handbook. Conventional card processing gateways like PayPal and Revolut, as well as innovative startup payment options like Wise Business for lower fees and international payments. You’ll learn about each charge and how it operates.

The majority of startup transactions are handled by these e-commerce payment gateways.

1. PayPal

PayPal is everywhere. With up to 400 million active accounts, your customers are likely already using PayPal, which removes checkout friction. That convenience often comes with some of the highest transaction and conversion fees in the market.

Best for: Small e-commerce stores, freelancers invoicing clients, and businesses where customer trust matters more than processing costs.

Key features

Support 200+ markets and 130+ currencies
Seller protection and risk management tools
Reporting and optimisation tools built into a dashboard
Flexible payment options

Pricing

PayPal’s fee structure can be confusing. The base rate is 2.9% + fixed fee for UK transactions, but you’ll pay extra for:

Cross-border payments from Europe (add 1.29%)
Currency conversion (3% above the base exchange rate)
Virtual Terminal or Website Payments Pro (£20/month)
Micropayments under £5 (5% + £0.05, but this becomes your only rate)

Different fees apply depending on payment type, sender location, and currency. Rather than listing every scenario, use our PayPal fee calculator to see what you’ll actually pay based on your transaction types.

Strengths

Customers trust the name and checkout without hesitation
Instant setup with no approval wait
Money usually settles within 24 hours

Limitations

Could work out as more expensive than other payment gateways
Currency conversion takes another 3% on international sales
Pricing and fee structure may be difficult to track

2. Mollie

Mollie is a Dutch payment gateway and over 200,000 European businesses use it.It’s one of the few gateways that lets UK startups accept iDEAL or Giropay with a simple plug-in setup.

Best for: Startups selling into Europe who need local payment methods, not just cards.

Key features

iDEAL, Giropay, and Klarna already integrated
Supports credit/debit cards, digital wallets, bank transfers and “Buy Now, Pay Later” options
Single integration that handles multiple payment options under one contract
Works with WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento
Partners with PayPal to offer it as a payment option within Mollie’s stack

Pricing

Mollie’s UK rates (no monthly fees):

1.20% + £0.20 for UK domestic consumer cards
2.90% + £0.20 for UK commercial cards and European cards
3.25% + £0.20 for all other international cards
Klarna: 4.99% + £0.30 for UK customers

The first five monthly payouts are free. After that, £0.25 per payout. Currency conversion on payouts costs 1% if you’re receiving in a different currency than your primary balance.

Volume discounts are available if you process over £50,000 monthly.

Strengths

Pricing’s transparent letting you see what you pay
European payment methods work properly
Approval’s quicker than traditional banks
No monthly minimum helps if sales fluctuate

Limitations

Currency conversion chips away at profit if you’re selling in GBP
Support could be patchier outside normal hours
Less suitable if your customers aren’t in Europe
Pricing may be less straight forward versus subscription providers

3. Revolut Business

Revolut started as a consumer banking app and added business accounts later. The payment gateway came after that. If you already bank with Revolut Business, adding the gateway keeps banking and payment processing in one dashboard. It’s a smart fit for businesses looking for affordable payment processing for startups and integrated business tools.

Best for: Startups that already use Revolut for banking, businesses that want to consolidate accounts.

Key features

Card payments through WooCommerce, Shopify, or custom integration
Receive payments in 35+ currencies
Corporate cards for your team
Payouts arrive next business day, weekends included
Fraud protection and chargeback tools
Connect to accounting software

Pricing

Revolut charges a monthly fee for the business account, then adds transaction fees on top**¹³**:

Basic plan costs £10/month:
1% + 20p for UK consumer cards
2.8% + 20p for international and business cards
Grow (£30/month) and Scale (£90/month) have the same payment rates but higher allowances for transfers and currency exchange.

There’s no setup fee, and refunds don’t cost extra.

Strengths

Banking and payment processing through one provider
Weekend payouts help with cash flow
No hidden charges or surprise fees
A multi-currency account means you can hold EUR, USD, and other currencies without opening separate accounts

Limitations

You pay the monthly fee whether you process payments or not
Customer support isn’t 24/7
You need to open a Revolut Business account before you can use the gateway

4. Ayden

Adyen is a global payments platform used by large online and omnichannel merchants. It’s built from the ground up as an enterprise-grade payment processor and gateway. It’s serving companies like Spotify, Uber, and eBay with unified online, in-store, and mobile payments.

Adyen’s strength lies in offering many payment methods and currencies through a single integration, with transparent pricing based on payment type and region.

Best for: Mid-to-large ecommerce businesses and global enterprises needing flexible international payment acceptance and unified reporting.

Key features

Accept payments online, in-store, and on mobile through one platform.
Support for 150+ payment methods and multiple currencies.
Flexible payouts with control over settlement currency and timing.
Omnichannel risk and fraud management.
Developer-friendly APIs and ready-made integrations.

Pricing

Adyen’s pricing is pay-per-transaction with no setup or monthly fees. It uses an Interchange++ model. This is a fixed processing fee plus the payment method/scheme fees.

Typical UK pricing examples:

No setup or monthly fee: You pay only when you process.
Visa, Mastercard, Maestro: ~£0.11 + Interchange + 0.60% per transaction.
American Express: ~3.95% + £0.10 per transaction.
Klarna (Pay Later/Pay Over Time): ~4.99% + £0.20 / ~2.90% + £0.20, depending on product.
Alternative methods: e.g., Alipay ~3%, BACS ~£0.50.

Adyen doesn’t list flat “standard” rates for all merchants. Rates vary by payment method and sector/volume and often require a sales quote for precise pricing.

Strengths

No recurring monthly or setup fees. Pay only per transaction.
Extensive global and local payment method support.
One integration for online + POS + mobile + marketplaces.
Highly customizable gateway suitable for complex e-commerce needs.

Limitations

Pricing isn’t as simple or predictable as flat-rate processors (depends on Interchange++).
Generally better suited to medium- to large-sized merchants with higher volumes.
Might require a sales contact to get exact pricing and contract terms.
Could have more technical integration than plug-and-play competitors.

5. Shopify Payments

Shopify Payments is Shopify’s built-in payment processing solution. It’s automatically integrated into your Shopify store, so you don’t need a separate gateway. Payment processing, checkout, orders, and payouts are all managed in one dashboard. Because it’s native to Shopify, you avoid extra third-party gateway fees and can keep everything under one platform.

Best for: Ecommerce businesses (small to enterprise) that want an integrated store + payments without a separate payment provider setup.

Key Features

Accept card payments directly in your Shopify checkout with no third-party gateway setup.
Integrated dashboard for orders, payouts, and payment reporting.
Works in-store with Shopify POS terminals and online checkout.
Supports major cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) and local payment methods (e.g., digital wallets, BNPL where available).
Automatic syncing of sales and inventory across channels.

Pricing

Shopify Payments itself has no separate setup or monthly fee. You just pay the monthly Shopify plan fee plus transaction processing fees. When you use Shopify Payments, Shopify’s third-party transaction fees are waived.

Shopify plan and Shopify Payments fees (UK) (Subscription fees exclude VAT)

Basic (from £19/mo): 2.0% + £0.25 online, 1.7% in-person, 2% extra if not using Shopify Payments
Shopify/Mid (from £49/mo): 1.7% + £0.25 online, 1.6% in-person, 1% extra if not using Shopify Payments
Advanced (from £259/mo): 1.5% + £0.25 online, 1.5% in-person, 0.6% extra if not using Shopify Payments
Plus (from US$2,300/mo): Custom rates for online, in-person, and 3rd-party payments

3rd-party payment fees apply only if you choose an external processor instead of Shopify Payments.

Strengths

One unified dashboard for store + payments + checkout.
No extra monthly payment gateway fee beyond your Shopify plan.
Third-party transaction fee waived when using Shopify Payments.
Easy setup. It works well for merchants who want a plug-and-play solution.

Limitations

Payment processing rates are tied to your Shopify plan. Lower-tier plans pay higher per-transaction rates.
Rates may be higher than those offered by specialised gateways for very high-volume merchants.
You must use Shopify Payments in supported countries to avoid Shopify’s third-party fees.
Some advanced merchant features (e.g., custom-negotiated rates) are only available on Plus or through volume negotiation.

Finally

It takes more than merely comparing percentages on a pricing page to select the top online payment processing provider. Finding a solution that works for your company’s current situation and future goals is crucial. What is truly “best” for you depends on a number of factors, including geography, transaction volume, and compliance needs.