Best Payment Gateways for Ecommerce: Comparison

I compared the most useful payment gateways for ecommerce businesses, focusing on current pricing, integrations, recurring payments and suitability for small stores, international sellers and subscription businesses. Because wproom.com serves an international audience, prices below clearly state the market used for the example.

Quick summary

For a general international ecommerce business, I would first compare Stripe, PayPal and Shopify Payments where Shopify is used. Square is particularly attractive for businesses combining ecommerce with in-person sales, Mollie is strong in Europe, while Adyen is better suited to larger global merchants.

Payment gateways compared

I verified the public rates in August 2026. Payment pricing is highly country-specific, so treat this table as a benchmark rather than a universal quote. Always check the rate for the country where your business is registered and request custom pricing if you process significant volume.

Provider	Public pricing example	Monthly fee	Wallets	WooCommerce	Recurring	Best for	My rating
Stripe	US: 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic cards	$0 for standard Payments pricing	Yes	Yes	Yes	international ecommerce, SaaS, developers	9.5/10
PayPal	US: 3.49% + $0.49 for PayPal; card checkout from 2.89% + $0.29 depending on product	no standard gateway subscription required	PayPal, Venmo and supported wallets by product	Yes	Yes	brand recognition and international buyers	9.2/10
Shopify Payments	US Basic: 2.9% + $0.30 online standard card rate	included with Shopify plan	Yes	no, Shopify only	Yes	Shopify stores	9.5/10 for Shopify
Square	US online rate from 3.3% + $0.30 on the entry tier; Online API 2.9% + $0.30	depends on Square product	Yes	integration dependent	Yes	online + physical retail	9.0/10
Mollie	Europe: 1.80% + €0.25 for EEA consumer cards	€0 under standard online pricing	Yes	Yes	Yes	European ecommerce	9.2/10
Adyen	processing fee + payment-method fee	no simple retail-style standard plan	Yes	via integrations	Yes	large international merchants	9.3/10
Braintree	country and contract dependent	contract dependent	PayPal and wallets	via integration	Yes	technical PayPal-stack projects	8.8/10
Revolut Business	market-specific; UK online consumer cards from 1% + £0.20	within a Business plan	Apple Pay, Google Pay, Revolut Pay	integration dependent	Yes	multi-currency businesses	8.9/10

Tip: Do not compare payment providers using a single percentage. Your real cost depends on domestic versus international cards, fixed fees, currency conversion, refunds, disputes and the mix of local payment methods your customers use.

Which payment gateway is best for each type of store?

The right answer depends on your platform, geography and business model. A new store needs simple setup and predictable costs, a subscription company needs robust recurring billing, and a high-volume merchant should negotiate custom rates rather than rely on public pricing.

For a new ecommerce store

I would start with Stripe and PayPal, then compare the native payment option built into your ecommerce platform. If you are still choosing the platform itself, Shopify is one of the simplest ways to launch a hosted ecommerce store with payments closely integrated into the platform.

For WooCommerce

WooCommerce supports a wide range of gateways, including Stripe, PayPal and many regional providers. I would evaluate the plugin just as carefully as the transaction fee: updates, refunds, saved cards and subscriptions matter. If you are building a new WooCommerce store, Hostinger is also worth comparing for managed WooCommerce hosting.

For Shopify

Shopify Payments is the natural starting point because it is built directly into Shopify and avoids the extra complexity of a separate gateway. In the US, the Basic plan currently lists a 2.9% + $0.30 online standard card rate. You can try Shopify here.

For international ecommerce

Stripe, Adyen, PayPal and Revolut Business are strong candidates for cross-border selling. Compare supported countries, settlement currencies, local payment methods and foreign-card pricing, not just the headline domestic card fee.

For subscriptions and SaaS

Stripe is one of my first choices for subscription billing because of its Billing product, APIs, retry tools and customer portal. Braintree, PayPal and other providers can also support recurring payments depending on country and integration.

For high-volume merchants

At scale, public pricing becomes less important. Stripe, Adyen, Mollie and other major providers offer custom or volume pricing. Use the same monthly volume, average order value, card mix and international share when asking for quotes.

What is a payment gateway?

A payment gateway is the technology layer connecting your checkout with payment infrastructure. It securely passes the information needed for authorization, receives the result and sends the payment status back to the ecommerce platform.

Authorization and settlement are separate. A successful authorization tells the store that the payment was approved, while the provider later settles funds to the merchant according to its payout schedule.

How does a payment gateway work?

The customer selects a payment method and confirms the transaction. The gateway routes the request to the relevant card network, bank or wallet infrastructure and returns an approval or decline. The store can then update the order automatically.

1. The customer places an order.
2. The store sends a payment request.
3. The customer confirms the card, wallet or bank payment.
4. The transaction is authorized or declined.
5. The gateway sends the result to the store.
6. The provider settles funds later according to its payout schedule.

Important: Card processing costs can vary by card type and issuing region. Consumer cards, commercial cards and international cards can have very different rates, so always read the full pricing page.

The most important payment methods

Cards and mobile wallets are the baseline for most stores, but the ideal mix changes by country. Depending on your market, bank payments, PayPal, BNPL, ACH or SEPA, local wallets and recurring payments may be equally important.

Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay

Wallets reduce checkout friction by letting customers use stored payment credentials instead of typing card details. I would consider Apple Pay and Google Pay standard requirements for a modern mobile checkout where they are available.

Bank payments

ACH, SEPA and open-banking methods can be valuable for certain countries, B2B payments and higher-value transactions. Look at processing speed, return risk and automatic order reconciliation.

Buy now, pay later

BNPL can help in categories with higher basket values, but it usually costs more than basic card processing. Treat it as an additional conversion tool rather than a replacement for core payment methods.

Recurring payments

Subscriptions need tokenization and automatic recurring charges. Also compare retry logic, customer self-service, dunning and how easy it is to update stored payment details.

How to choose a payment gateway

The cheapest headline rate is not always the cheapest real solution. Compare the full fee structure, payment methods, integration quality, currencies, payout timing, support, refunds and disputes. Your customers’ preferred payment methods should carry as much weight as price.

• Total cost: percentage, fixed fee, monthly fee and add-ons.
• Payment methods: cards, wallets, bank payments, BNPL and recurring.
• Integration: WooCommerce, Shopify, hosted checkout or API.
• International: currencies, local methods and foreign-card fees.
• Operations: payouts, refunds, disputes and support.

How much does a payment gateway cost?

Most providers charge a percentage plus a fixed amount for each successful payment. Some add a monthly platform fee, while others use pure pay-as-you-go pricing. At meaningful volume, ask for custom pricing and model it using your real transaction mix.

Best payment gateways for ecommerce

My international shortlist includes Stripe, PayPal, Shopify Payments, Square, Mollie and Adyen. Which one wins depends heavily on geography. Braintree and Revolut Business are also worth considering for specific technical or multi-currency use cases.

Stripe

PayPal

Shopify Payments

For Shopify stores, Shopify Payments is usually the simplest starting point. The US Basic plan currently lists online standard card rates of 2.9% + $0.30. If you are still choosing a platform, you can try Shopify here.

Square

Square is especially appealing to businesses that sell both online and in person. Its US Online API rate is currently 2.9% + $0.30, while the entry online product can use a higher 3.3% + $0.30 rate depending on plan.

Mollie

Mollie is particularly strong for European ecommerce. Its standard European pricing lists 1.80% + €0.25 for EEA consumer Visa and Mastercard transactions, with no monthly fee under standard online pricing.

Adyen

Adyen is aimed more at larger merchants and international platforms. Its pricing combines a processing fee with a payment-method fee, making it more appropriate for businesses that need enterprise-scale global payments than a small first store.

Braintree

Other payment services and alternatives

Depending on your business model, FastSpring, Fondy, Barion, Teya, Finby and other regional providers can also make sense. FastSpring is a Merchant of Record for digital products, while Barion is more relevant in Central Europe and Teya is the current brand that replaced the older Borgun identity.

FastSpring

Fondy

Borgun / Teya

TrustPay / Finby

Payment gateways for WooCommerce

With WooCommerce, plugin quality is critical. Check recent updates, refunds, saved cards, recurring payments and checkout compatibility. I cover more options in Payment gateways for WooCommerce.

How to get a payment gateway

Payment providers normally review the merchant and website before activation. Have clear company details, product descriptions and pricing, contact details, privacy information, returns/refund terms and a working checkout. Subscription businesses may face additional recurring-payment review.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best payment gateway for ecommerce?

For international ecommerce I would start with Stripe and PayPal, add Shopify Payments if you use Shopify, and consider Mollie for Europe or Square if you also sell in person. Large global merchants should also evaluate Adyen.

What is the cheapest payment gateway?

There is no universal winner because pricing changes by country, card mix and volume. Model your own transactions and request volume pricing when appropriate.

How much does Stripe cost?

In the United States, Stripe currently lists 2.9% + $0.30 for domestic card transactions under standard pricing. Other countries have different local rates.

What is best for WooCommerce?

Stripe and PayPal are common choices, while regional providers can be better in specific countries. Choose based on plugin quality and the payment methods your customers expect.

What is the difference between a gateway and a bank transfer?

A gateway can combine multiple payment methods and automatically return the payment result to the store. A plain bank transfer may require slower or manual reconciliation unless it is integrated through a payment provider.

Final verdict

For a global ecommerce project, Stripe is my first technical benchmark, PayPal is a valuable customer-facing method, Shopify Payments is the obvious starting point on Shopify, and Square is strong for online plus physical retail. Mollie is especially competitive in Europe, while Adyen fits larger international merchants.