Best Payment Gateways of 2022

Over 440k merchants are using this US payment gateway. Are they onto something?

What Is Authorize.Net?

Authorize.net is an ecommerce payment gateway for processing card and electronic checks. Founded in 1996, this is one of the oldest and best-known merchant gateway providers.

But Authorize.net isn’t just a reliable way to capture and validate card information.

You can use Authorize.net with Shopify and Woocommerce, as well as multiple shopping carts. You can also add a one-stop “Buy Now” button with the simple checkout function.

Plus, you get recurring billing support, a customer information manager, and browser-based VPOS that turns your computer into a virtual terminal.

Pricing

Authorize.net is primarily an internet payment gateway, but they also offer merchant accounts. So you have two options when you’re getting started:

All-in-One Option

If you don’t have a merchant account, Authorize.net will set you up with one. This plan costs $25/month with a transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30.

Payment Gateway Option

If you already have a merchant account with your bank, you can integrate it with the  Authorize.net online payment platform. You will be charged $25/month, plus a $0.10 transaction fee and a daily $0.10 batch fee.

Add-Ons

With Authorize.net, you get almost all-inclusive online payment services with two exceptions:

• Account updater to check and renew card information monthly, increasing customer retention and preventing failed payments. This is billed on a per-update basis, so the price will depend on the changes that month.

• eCheck processing will set you back 0.75% of the transaction price, billed separately from your monthly gateway fee.

Finally, if you process more than $500k per year, contact the Authorize.net sales team for a personalized quote. Large companies get additional perks like help with data migration or the Interchange-plus pricing model.

Authorize.Net Best Features

Authorize.net is one of the most reliable payment gateway providers. Here’s everything we at HostingTribunal love about it:

• All-in-one or gateway-only option
• Virtual terminal function
• Recurring billing support
• Tons of shopping cart integrations
• Simple checkout option
• Pay-as-you-go plans
• No early cancellation fees
• Customer information manager

What We Disliked

Although Authorize.net is one of the most trusted (and trustworthy) online payment gateways, it’s not the cheapest. The optional merchant account setup comes with high transaction fees and they add up quickly if you take a lot of smaller payments.

The Payment Gateway Only option doesn’t have that issue, so you can get a merchant account elsewhere and integrate with Authorize.net for the best value.

Authorize.Net User Reviews

Authorize.net is well-liked and well-respected across industries and company sizes. Clients praise the versatility, ease of use, and iron-clad security features with near-unbreakable fraud protection.

In fact, one of the complaints people have is that the fraud protection service is sometimes too robust and blocks legitimate transactions. Perhaps additional settings could help solve this—but I’d take overperforming fraud protection over a lax one any day.

We Recommend Authorize.Net For…

Authorize.net is one of the best payment gateways for ecommerce, whether you’re just launching your store or already have an established business. Price-wise, medium-sized companies get the best deal. Make sure to link your own merchant account too. It saves so much on transaction fees!

Jack Dorsey’s credit card reading brainchild has grown. Now Square offers a comprehensive ecommerce payment system. Does it live up to the expectations?

What Is Square?

Square started out as a credit card processor you can plug into your phone’s audio jack.

Dorsey got the idea when his friend (later, Square co-founder) James McKelvey couldn’t complete a glass faucet sale. McKelvey only accepted cash at his studio and the clients who didn’t have that were usually lost forever.

When Square launched, it was a cheap and easy credit card payment platform for brick-and-mortar businesses. Now it offers payment gateway solutions for online stores and physical locations alike.

With Square, you get flat-rate processing fees no matter the card type.

You’re only paying for transactions—no setup, monthly, or other fees whatsoever. Plus, the application takes minutesand you get a free mobile app and a credit card swiper.

Overall, it’s an easy and secure payment gateway for small businesses. Since there are no monthly fees or contracts, Square is perfect even for micro-businesses and artisans like McKelvey, who originally inspired the product.

Pricing

Let’s be honest—pricing is one of Square’s main perks.

You don’t have to deal with payment gateway fees and you get the same flat rate regardless of the card type.

Debit, credit, rewards, or corporate cards—it makes no difference. This is great news if your clients tend to pay with rewards cards, which usually come with higher fees on other processors.

Card-Present Transactions

If you accept the card through a Square Reader, Square Register, Square Stand, Square Terminal, or Square for Restaurant, transactions set you back 2.6% + $0.10.

Square for Retail and Square Appointments payments are slightly cheaper at 2.5% + $0.10.

Card-Not-Present Transactions

Website payment processing, invoices, and recurring payments cost:

• 2.9% + $0.30 through the Square Online Store or Square Invoice
• 2.6% + $0.30 if you get the Square Online Store Premium Plan
• 3.5% + $0.15 with the virtual terminal, the point-of-sale app, or recurring payments

Square Online Store

If you just need online payment gateway services, Square Online Store is perfect for you.

You can launch for free, paying only the 2.9% + $0.30 card-not-present fee. But there are also Premium plan options (all billed annually).

• Professional for $12/month with a free custom domain for the first year and no Square ads
• Performance for $26/month with review-posting, discounted shipping labels, and abandoned cart emails
• Premium for $72/month with lower transaction fees, real-time shipping rate calculator, and the highest shipping discounts

Square Best Features

Here is what makes Square one of our favorite online payment service providers:

• No monthly or setup fees
• Flat-rate transactions across cards
• Easy setup and use
• Free online store launch
• First Square reader free
• Handy add-on services—appointments, invoicing, loyalty, etc.

What We Disliked

Even without monthly fees, Square is not the cheapest payment gateway. The transaction fees are on the upper end of the spectrum for online payments, only dropping with the paid Premium plan.

Square User Reviews

Square is an extremely popular choice for small businesses—they consider it one of the best payment gateways in the USA.

The no-fee policy and flat rate for transactions can save a lot of money, depending on how your clients choose to pay. Conversely, if you do a lot of smaller transactions, especially through an online store, Square is not ideal.

Fund freezing is another fairly frequent complaint. This is common with credit card gateway providers for mobile. If Square suspects anything fishy, it won’t hesitate to freeze your account.

We don’t really have a perfect solution for this one, but you should read through the terms and conditions and follow the rules. And if it happens to you, be patient—the customer support will fix it eventually.

We Recommend Square For…

Square is the best zero-fee gateway for credit cards. It offers flat fees for all cards, comprehensive functionality, and, of course, the flagship mobile credit card processor. We highly recommend it for small businesses and merchants, especially if you also need processing for your brick-and-mortar location.

2Checkout is easily the most popular international payment gateway. Here’s everything you need to know about it:

What Is 2Checkout?

2Checkout is an online payment gateway that allows you to accept credit, debit, and PayPal payments from around the world.

You can receive money from any country except North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria, and Myanmar, making 2Checkout the best payment processor if you operate internationally.

There are no monthly fees and the transaction fee is flat across payment methods. Pricing is all inclusive with no hidden fees. You can trust 2Checkout to collect payment information safely, preventing fraud. The processor is PCI Level 1 certified, which is the highest level an online payment gateway company can achieve.

Pricing

2Checkout has three main plans tailored for different business models:

• 2Sell Plan for international sellers with transaction fees of 3.5% + $0.35 per sale
• 2Subscribe Plan for selling subscriptions—4.5% + $0.45
• 2Monetize Plan for digital product merchants—6% + $0.60

All plans include the international selling functionality and access to recurring billing.

2Subscribe adds subscription management features to cover the customer lifecycle, including retention tools and in-depth analytics. And if you’re looking for software that specializes in that specifically, check out our list of the best subscription management solutions.

2Monetize is an all-in-one solution for digital selling with tax compliance, invoice management, and conversion rate optimization tools. This plan also includes 45+ different payment methods and allows shopping cart customization.

2Checkout Best Features

Here’s why 2Checkout made it to the best online payment gateway list:

• No monthly fees
• Flat transaction rates
• Supports nearly every country around the world
• Integrates with 100+ shopping carts
• PCI Level 1 certification
• Great customer support

What We Disliked

Though 2Checkout is the best payment processor for ecommerce businesses that operate internationally, it does have a flaw—its transaction fees.

They’re not out-of-this-world high, but they’re definitely on the pricier side. If you want additional features like invoicing and tax compliance, you’re looking at the highest membership tier—6% + $0.60.

2Checkout User Reviews

2Checkout isn’t the most universally liked payment gateway software, but most users are still pleased with the service. Common praise points include the all-in-one pricing, the multi-currency, multi-country functionality, and the wealth of integrations.

But as with other ecommerce payment solutions, there are complaints about frozen funds and even account blocks. To prevent this issue, take your time to understand the company policy about what you can and cannot sell.

We Recommend 2Checkout For…

2Checkout is the best online payment processor if you plan on selling and scaling internationally. It works around the world, accepts multiple currencies and payment methods, and it’s available in different languages too.

This is also the best payment gateway for Shopify since it integrates smoothly and helps you sell around the world. Dropshippers, hey!

Android users around the world love Google’s payment app. Should you trust this payment gateway?

What Is Google Pay?

Google Pay is a free digital wallet and payment platform for Android users. Well-designed and feature-rich, the app supports store, online, and person-to-person transactions.

Clients love the smooth, fast, and secure checkout experience. Businesses will like that too. Google Pay stores payment information without oversharing and implements strict security standards and identity controls for fraud detection.

Google Pay transactions are declined less often than those of other providers. Plus, brand loyalty and recognition make this one of the most trusted online payment platforms. Customers get a fast and safe payment option—and they trust you for offering it to them.

To start using Google Pay for business, all you have to do is activate the option. Implementation usually takes a couple of days—from reviewing the developer documents to getting the API and integrating.

Pricing

Google’s internet payment gateway is completely free. It doesn’t charge customers for transactions, nor does it collect a commission on your money.

Google Pay Best Features

Google Pay is one of the most-liked online payment providers and here is why:

• Fast transactions, boosting sales
• Well-recognized and trusted by customers
• No fees
• Comprehensive security and fraud protection
• Online, in-person, and person-to-person solutions
• Loyalty and reward programs management

What We Disliked

Google Pay is one of the most easy-to-love payment handlers. That said, it still has some downsides, the main one being it’s pretty much only for Android. While iOS devices are supported in some countries, most iPhone users aren’t using Google Pay.

Secondly, some users have data privacy concerns when it comes to mobile payments. Finally, there’s also no buyer protection whenever you’re using Google Pay. Consider adding peace-of-mind guarantees or offering another payment method that does offer it.

Google Pay User Reviews

Google Pay has found its way to virtually every top payment gateway list and with good reason.

Business owners love the speed and security boost, which reduce the purchase time and increase sales. Google is one of the most well-recognized brands and that comes with a few perks too. Clients trust it, so they also trust you.

Other common points of praise are the sleek, easy-to-navigate app layout and the friendly customer support, ready to solve any issues.

There isn’t a lot that people dislike about Google’s online gateway payment services. Obviously, if you want to use Google Pay in person, you and your client both need an internet connection, so don’t vow off POS terminals just yet.

If you’re not tech-savvy, it might take a bit to implement the app, but there are guides and help available.

We Recommend Google Pay For…

Google Pay is one of the best payment platforms for any business. It’s free, safe, and people trust it. Plus, the fast transactions boost conversions—the lower your time-to-buy is, the more you sell!

We highly recommend setting up Google Pay as one of your payment methods—it’s a great tool for small businesses and major retailers alike.

Apple’s digital wallet is a fast and convenient way for iOS users to make payments. But is it worth getting it for your business?

What Is Apple Pay?

Apple Pay is an internet payment gateway that allows iOS users to make contactless payments in online stores and brick-and-mortar businesses. It stores payment, shipping, and contact information and sends it out in a single click (or double-tap if you’re using an Apple Watch).

Apple Pay is easily the best payment method for iOS devices—it guarantees a secure and simple process for the end-user. Plus, with it, merchants don’t handle sensitive information—this protects you from fraud and keeps clients safe from data theft.

When you activate Apple Pay, customers who already have a card saved on the system can use the one-tap pay function. There is also an inline setup option, allowing users to set up the service without leaving the page.

Just like Google Pay, Apple Pay doesn’t charge you extra for this service.

For card-not-present transactions (in online stores), you might also get some liability perks. In some of these cases, the responsibility for fraud shifts to the card issuer.

Finally, even though it is an online payment engine, Apple Pay works without an internet connection, too. This is great news for users—they’re not dependent on data and they won’t pay astronomical roaming charges when they’re out-of-town.

Pricing

Apple Pay doesn’t charge you for offering the payment method. You will get the standard credit card fees for card-present (in-store) and card-not-present transactions (online shopping).

Apple Pay Best Features

• In-store and online payment solutions
• Secure payment processing
• Liability shift for fraud protection
• Inline payments available
• No extra fees
• Works offline
• Supports rewards systems

What We Disliked

Apple Pay’s biggest con is also the most obvious:

It’s only available for iOS.

Since some of your clients will surely use Android, Apple Pay can’t be the only payment option you offer.

If you want to use Apple Pay in-store, you need an NFC terminal to accept the payment.

The device itself, in addition to staff training expenses, might be unnecessarily costly, so it’s worth considering if your clients really need this. The answer varies from business to business—but, as with any investment, think about your options before splurging.

Apple Pay User Reviews

Apple Pay is one of the most popular payment platforms—mainly because so many people are using iOS devices.

Clients love the fast and secure transactions, while merchants like the short time-to-buy and improved conversions.

Just like with Google Pay, the main thing that businesses appreciate is the boost in revenue. When people have a quick, convenient, and trustworthy way to pay, they’re more likely to buy a product.

We Recommend Apple Pay For…

We highly recommend Apple Pay as a website payment solution for any business that sells to iOS users. It’s quick, safe, and people trust it. And, since there are no extra fees for you, there is no reason not to use it.

Skrill is an easy payment gateway that helps you manage 40+ currencies and avoid chargebacks, too.

Here’s everything you need to know about it:

What Is Skrill?

Skrill is an international payment processing service—a PayPal-like platform with almost double the currencies. It’s easily the best payment gateway for selling around the world. You can create a merchant account that supports all 40+ currencies and customer support is multilingual.

For repeat customers, Skrill is available as a one-tap payment option. It has advanced fraud protection controls and it’s fully PCI-compliant.

Overall, this is one of the most security-heavy payment providers. That’s great news for some merchants, but others have complained about frozen funds due to the rigid fraud-protection policy.

Pricing

Skrill has significantly lower fees compared to other top payment gateways. Currently, it’s running a special offer for online stores:

• 0.9% on debit card, prepaid card, and credit card (VISA, Mastercard, Maestro) transactions
• 0.5% fees on Rapid Transfer transactions

Rapid Transfer is an instant bank transfer solution that supports 3,000+ banks around the world.

Skrill Best Features

• Cost-effective ecommerce payment system
• PCI-compliant and super-secure
• Card payment and instant bank transfers
• Enhanced fraud protection
• Chargeback prevention
• Single multi-currency account

What We Disliked

Skrill is one of the online payment sites with the highest levels of security.

But this also means hypervigilant fraud protection for some businesses. Depending on your industry, there is a real risk of getting your funds frozen for an indefinite amount of time.

To add insult to injury, it seems like customer support isn’t overly helpful when it comes to finding a solution.

Skrill User Reviews

Skrill is a well-liked payment gateway for ecommerce with thousands of happy customers. Small to mid-size businesses love it for the low fees and fast processing, while larger companies enjoy the multi-currency support and advanced analytics.

However, frozen funds issues seem to be relatively common, so make sure you read the Terms of Use carefully before setting up your account.

We Recommend Skrill For…

Skrill is one of the best payment gateways for budget-conscious businesses, as well as international merchants that need to manage multiple currencies.

Security champion Neteller is possibly the best payment gateway for safe international transfers. But is there a catch?

What Is Neteller?

Neteller is a virtual wallet and payment service for safe, tax-compliant processing around the world. You can receive payments from 200+ different countries and get help in 15 different languages.

It’s one of the most security-heavy website payment gateways and it’s also fully chargeback protected. This might be a downside for clients, but it’s definitely a perk for merchants, as it keeps you safe from Karen-type buyers.

Pricing

Neteller is secure, chargeback-protected, and easy-to-use. The fees are the biggest catch.

This is one of the priciest ecommerce payment gateways for customers. They charge 1.45% for sending money. If the client has never deposited money in their account, or they’ve only used Skrill, Paysafecard, Neosurf, Qiwi, or BitPay, you’re looking at 4.49%.

Payments to merchants are free, but considering the high fees for other transfers, it’s no wonder some people steer clear.

What about business account pricing? Neteller hasn’t published any details—contact sales to get a personalized offer.

Neteller Best Features

• Top-notch security
• Chargeback prevention
• International payments
• Merchant showcase and special offers
• Recurring payment solution

What We Disliked

Unfortunately, while Neteller is a highly secure and convenient ecommerce payment gateway, it’s pricey for regular users. As a result, a lot of clients go for cheaper options like Skrill or even PayPal.

We also aren’t too thrilled about the mobile app. It has relatively low ratings on the Play Store and App Store and seems to be clunky and unreliable.

Neteller User Reviews 

Neteller is well-loved as a secure digital payment gateway. Their safety-first approach guarantees payments will always reach you no matter where they come from.

On the flip side, it also means higher fees—high-level security comes at a price. Neteller is one of the most expensive digital wallets, which is why so many people choose their moderately-priced competitors.

We Recommend Neteller For…

Neteller is one of the best ecommerce payment solutions if security is your top priority. It’s great for receiving international payments—especially from high-risk areas.

The best B2B payment system, hands-down. Here is why:

What Is Melio?

Melio is secure payment gateway software for Business-to-Business transactions. It is advertised as the simplest way to pay merchants and vendors—and sure delivers.

Melio simplifies accounts payable and receivable. It allows you to pay other businesses with a card or bank transfer even if that payment method is usually not available.

And you can set up your own payment page too. It only takes a couple of minutes and ensures your B2B clients will have the easiest payment experience.

Additional Melio features include a QuickBooks Online integration, payment tracking, 1099 form, and approval workflows—all designed to optimize your small business cash flow management without compromising quality.

Pricing

Melio doesn’t charge monthly or setup fees.

Senders pay a 2.9% processing fee for credit card payments while receiving money doesn’t cost anything. Sending and receiving checks, as well as bank transfers, are completely free.

Melio Best Features

Melio is the best payment gateway for small business contractors and merchant payments. Here’s why:

• Free account
• No contract
• No fees for receiving payments
• Cash flow management tools
• Pay by card (even if it’s not usually an option)
• Live customer support

What We Disliked

Even though Melio is marketed as a time-saving tool, the process of adding new vendors can definitely be improved. Right now, it is a bit time-consuming, just like its QuickBooks integration.

Melio User Reviews

Most users agree it’s the best payment gateway for accounts payable and receivable. It’s a simple no-fee and no-contract solution that saves time and does exactly what it promises.

That said, there are some complaints, though most issues are minor. Melio still doesn’t work for international vendors, which is a major drawback. Some clients also report minor payment delays.

Other than that, though, users still consider Melio a simple, time-saving solution.

We Recommend Melio For…

Melio is the best payment gateway for B2B payments.

Since it costs $0 and doesn’t require a contract, we don’t see any reason not to try it—it’s quick, convenient, and saves a lot of time.

Simple and well-integrated, Fondy is the best payment solution for accepting online payments without breaking the bank on fees.

What Is Fondy?

Fondy is an e-wallet and credit card processing gateway that helps you receive payments in 100+ different currencies. It offers both one-time payments and recurring billing and works smoothly for European and non-European customers alike.

If you own a subscription-based business, you might be better off choosing one of our top picks of recurring billing software solutions. These can help you handle not only recurring payments but discounts, invoices, free trials, etc.

Fondy’s ecommerce payment solutions include one-click checkout, in-app payments, and payment page design, customizable with CSS, your own logo, and translation in 14 different languages.

You can also create redirect checkout pages hosted on Fondy’s secure payment page. This is a great option for selling on social media—you don’t need your own ecommerce site, but you can still offer fast and secure payments.

Pricing

Fondy pricing depends on the number of card transactions, as well as the location of the buyer. They’re among the most affordable fees for website gateways—especially for a small volume of EU transactions.

For transactions up to 10,000 EUR/month, the following charges apply:

• Card payments—1.8% + 0.2EUR
• For non-European cards—3.2% + 0.2EUR
• Bank transfers—1.4% + 0.2EUR

If the payments reach 30,000 EUR/month, the fees are a little lower:

• Card payments—1.6% + 0.2EUR
• For non-European cards—3.2% + 0.2EUR
• Bank transfers—1.2% + 0.2EUR

For sums above 30,000 EUR/month, contact the sales team to get a quote.

Fondy Best Features

Here’s what we liked the most about this online payment gateway:

• Affordable payment processing
• One-time and recurring payments
• Multiple payment page and button options
• Great for social media stores
• 300+ payment methods
• 100+ currencies

What We Disliked

Fondy was designed for international payments and currency conversion. However, it’s most affordable for EU-centric vendors since non-EU payment fees are way higher.

Fondy User Reviews

Fondy might not be as huge as Authorize.net or Skrill, but it’s one of the most unproblematic payment processors on this list. Users love the comprehensive payment gateway solutions and affordable international payment fees.

The most frequent complaints in Fondy reviews are about declined cards. It might be overactive fraud prevention or a system flaw—either way, Fondy, it’s time to step up your game!

We Recommend Fondy For…

Fondy is the best payment gateway for small business owners in the EU—it’s fast, well-integrated, and has some of the lowest fees for international payments.

Secure, fast, and global—BlueSnap is the ultimate growth-oriented payment platform. But who is it right for?

What Is BlueSnap?

BlueSnap is an online payment platform that integrates 100+ shopping carts and shopper currencies. It offers one of the most comprehensive, feature-rich payment gateway solutions we’ve seen.

It includes tools to automate:

• Accounts receivable with QuickBooks, Xero, and more
• Fraud and chargebacks through Visa, VMPI, the Chargeback Company, etc.
• Regulation and tax compliance with Avalara, GDPR-friendly solutions, 3D securing, and more

BlueSnap is also a reporting champion that helps you unpack payment data and speed up reconciliation (your accountant will love you).

Pricing

BlueSnap’s Quick Start Pricing will set you back 2.75% + $0.30 per successful card transaction with no monthly fees for the first year.

If you’re processing more than $2,500/month, you’re also exempted from membership payments. Small businesses that don’t go over that number, though, will pay $75/month for maintenance.

Alternatively, you can go to sales and receive a personalized quote—if you’re processing a larger volume of transactions, this is a great way to negotiate a lower fee.

BlueSnap Best Features

• Full-featured online payment platform
• 100+ shopping carts and payment methods
• Enhanced security and compliance
• Automated workflow solutions
• Comprehensive analytics
• Over $2,500/month—no monthly fee

What We Disliked

While BlueSnap is a solid option for mid-range businesses, it’s not the best payment gateway for a small business. If you process less than $2,500/month, you’ll be paying a monthly fee along with the not-so-low transaction fees.

BlueSnap User Reviews

BlueSnap is a relatively popular payment service provider because it gives business owners everything they need—all in one neat package.

You can accept payments from all around the world, automate everything from compliance to bookkeeping, and get in-depth insights into your business transactions and performance. You can also get all these benefits with bookkeeping software.

The most frequent issues that users expressed were poor customer support and withheld funds. The latter seems to be a frequent complaint with all payment gateway companies—we wonder if it’s just people who never read the Terms & Conditions.

We Recommend BlueSnap For…

BlueSnap is an excellent all-in-one solution for mid-size and larger companies. It’s comprehensive and works well—but because of its monthly fee, it’s not the best payment gateway for small business owners.