Compare the Best Online Payment Processing Services
Providers | Transaction costs | Best features |
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Stripe Best online payment processing service Why it’s best overall: We chose Stripe as the best online payment processing service for its flat-rate, pay-as-you-go pricing model and customizable interface and reporting tools. | 2.9% plus 30 cents per successful card charge |
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Shopify Best online payment processing service for transparent transaction fees | $0 if using Shopify Payments; third-party transaction fees apply (0% to 5%) depending on the plan, in addition to monthly subscription |
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Square Best online payment processing service for social commerce | 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction |
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Stax Best online payment processing service for subscription-based pricing | From $99, inclusive of transaction processing |
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Helcim Best low-cost online payment processing service for fast-growing businesses | From 0.30% plus 8 cents per transaction |
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Amazon Best online payment processing service for voice commerce | 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction |
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Clover Best online payment processing service for established businesses | From 2.9% plus 30 cents for payments taken virtually, 3.5% plus 10 cents for retail online transactions |
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PaymentCloud Best online payment processing service for high-risk businesses | From 2.90% plus 30 cents; depends on pricing structure |
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Authorize.net Best online payment processing service for a robust payment toolkit | 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction plus monthly fees $25 |
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PayPal Most widely used online payment processing service | 3.49% plus $0.49 per transaction and 2.59% plus $0.49 per transaction for online credit and debit card payments |
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What You Need To Know About Online Payment Processing Services
How can I reduce the risks of accepting online payments?
What are some requirements for safe electronic payment transactions?
What are the basic steps of payment processing?
What’s the difference between a payment provider and a payment gateway?
What are the advantages of online payments?
What are the disadvantages of accepting online payments?
How I Rated the Best Online Payment Processing Service Providers
I rated online payment processing service providers based on transaction costs, pricing structure, customer support, integrations, payment and customization options, and security and compliance. Whether starting a new venture from the ground up or expanding your brick-and-mortar business to accept online payments, consider these key factors so you’re fully equipped to meet your customers’ needs.
- Transaction costs: What are the overall costs of the processing service, including setup costs and transaction fees?
- Pricing structure: Whatpricing structures or models exist? What are the differences between flat-rate, tiered, and subscription?
- Customer support: Which processors providestrong merchant support for quicker issue resolution?
- Payment, integration, and customization options: Which processors supportvarious payment methods and currencies? Which have modern APIs and software development kits (SDKs) for fast, seamless integration with existing business apps? What level of customization is available?
- Security and compliance: Are online payments secure and compliant with industry security standards to protect customers against card fraud and data breaches?
As I evaluated the best online payment processing services, I considered secure, reliable options compliant with applicable security and safety regulations in the industry or country I’d want to work with. I also checked whether the provider supports tokenization to avoid handling customers’ sensitive payment data directly, along with anti-fraud and charge-back prevention controls.
Learn more about our review methodology.