What is the best payment gateway in 2026?
Online store, SaaS or solo business: five payment gateways compared on what they really cost you, at your volume.
The short answer: Stripe is the best payment gateway for most online businesses. No monthly fee, 2.9% + 30¢ per US card, and the most complete API in this lineup. Its catch: your very first payout lands 7 to 14 days after your first sale. PayPal costs more with its checkout button (3.49% + 49¢), but its advanced card processing (2.89% + 29¢) lands within a few dollars of Stripe, and the button is worth keeping as a backup. Selling in Europe? Mollie and PayPlug beat Stripe's European rates in specific cases, and Adyen is built for big volumes on Interchange++ pricing. We compared five gateways on per-payment fees, integrations, payout timing, contract freedom and the risk of frozen funds, with the math done at $5,000 and $20,000 in monthly card sales.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The best gateway for each situation
The 5 payment gateways compared
The full ranking. The payout column tells you when the money actually reaches your account, which matters as much as the rate when cash is tight. Prices come from each vendor's official pricing page, in the currency it shows: dollars for Stripe and PayPal in the US, euros for the European gateways. If you also take cards in person, our card reader ranking covers the counter.
| Best for | Payouts | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stripe | Best overall | First payout in 7 to 14 days | 4.0/5 | $0/mo + 2.9% + 30¢ | ✓ | Online stores, SaaS, SMBs | Visit → |
| 2 | Mollie | Best for European card sales | Daily, weekly or monthly, your pick | 3.9/5 | €0/mo + 1.80% + €0.25 (EEA Visa, Mastercard) | ✓ | Stores selling in Europe | Visit → |
| 3 | PayPlug | Best for French SMBs past €100K | Payout delay not published | 3.6/5 | €10/mo + 1.5% + €0.25 (ex. VAT) | — | French SMBs on WooCommerce | Visit → |
| 4 | PayPal | Best backup checkout button | PayPal balance, holds possible at first | 3.4/5 | $0/mo + 3.49% + 49¢ | ✓ | Everyone, as a second option | Visit → |
| 5 | Adyen | Best for high volume | Not published, set by contract | 3.3/5 | Fixed fee + Interchange++ | — | Enterprise, marketplaces | Visit → |
Scores on five criteria specific to online payment gateways. Prices read on official pages in 2026; US rates for Stripe and PayPal, European rates for Mollie, PayPlug and Adyen.
How we compared and scored
A payment gateway is the service that takes your customer's card number on your site, gets it approved by their bank (often with 3D Secure, the check the customer confirms on their phone) and pays the money out to you. Comparisons tend to blur three numbers: what you pay on each sale, what you pay every month no matter what, and the day the money actually hits your bank. We priced each tool at two volumes, $5,000 and $20,000 in monthly card sales, with an average order of $50 (100 then 400 payments).
For each gateway, we read the rates, plans and payout delays on the vendor's official pages in 2026. Then we read merchant feedback, starting with the worst: frozen accounts, held funds, declined payments. None of these five gateways had a score on our site before this page: these are their first scores, built with the weights below, and every future page will reuse them as they are. They cover online payments only: Stripe Terminal and PayPal POS, the in-person readers, keep the scores from our card reader ranking. We did not open accounts with the vendors: we compared what they publish and what their customers report.
Square and Authorize.net come up often in US rankings, but we could not read their online rates on an official page while building this one, so they are not ranked. We don't publish a rate we can't check.
- Per-payment feesPercentage and fixed fee for standard, premium, business and international cards, plus any monthly plan. Worked out at $5K and $20K a month.25%
- Integrations (platforms, API)Official apps for Shopify, WooCommerce and PrestaShop, API depth, payment methods offered.20%
- Payouts and cash flowFirst payout delay, schedule after that, payout fees, whether the delay is published at all.20%
- Freedom (plans, contracts)Monthly fee, commitment, minimum billing, revenue caps per plan.20%
- Support and freeze riskHow reachable support is, and frozen accounts or held funds in recent reviews.15%
No affiliate link changes a score or a rank.
Stripe
In the US, Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ per successful card payment, with no setup or monthly fee. Add 1.5% for an international card, 1% if a currency conversion is needed, and 0.5% for a card number typed in by hand. Those add-ons are where the bill drifts: a store with a lot of foreign buyers can pay well above the headline rate.
What puts Stripe first is the integration. Its API (the interface your developer plugs into your site) is the most complete in this lineup, and Stripe Billing handles subscriptions for 0.7% of billed volume. To push each payment into your CRM or your books, our Stripe and n8n guide walks through the most useful automations.
The catch comes in two parts. Your first payout arrives 7 to 14 days after your first payment, then switches to a regular schedule, so plan your launch cash flow. And frozen accounts come up again and again in merchant reviews: one Shopify seller describes an account suspended over a dispute rate flagged as high, with funds held. The fix is a second active gateway (more below).
- No monthly fee, 2.9% + 30¢ per US card
- The most complete API in the lineup
- Stripe Billing for subscriptions at 0.7%
- Full public rate card, add-on by add-on
- ✓Best integration depth of the five
- ✓Every surcharge published up front
- ✓No contract or monthly minimum
- ✗First payout takes 7 to 14 days
- ✗Frozen accounts often cited in reviews
- ✗International cards add 1.5%
The best gateway for most online businesses. Not the best pick if you sell mostly to French shoppers paying with Cartes Bancaires: Mollie is cheaper there.
Mollie
Mollie is a Dutch gateway with no monthly fee and no contract. Its prices are in euros: 1.80% + €0.25 for a consumer Visa or Mastercard issued in the European Economic Area (EEA), 2.90% + €0.25 for a business card or American Express, and 3.25% + €0.25 for a card from outside the EEA. Its edge is Cartes Bancaires, the French card network: 1.20% + €0.25 per consumer payment. PayPal also runs through Mollie, at PayPal's fees plus €0.10.
You pick your payout rhythm: every business day, weekly or monthly. The first five payouts each month are free, then each one costs €0.25, and Mollie takes 1% if the payout currency differs from your balance. The delay in days is not shown on its pricing page. Mollie publishes an official Shopify app, a free PrestaShop module and a WooCommerce plugin, and switches to custom pricing above €100,000 a month.
The catch: support and held funds. Merchant reviews describe accounts frozen without explanation and five-figure sums held, and support scores are low. Mollie can also lengthen your payout delay after a risk review.
- Cartes Bancaires at 1.20% + €0.25
- No monthly fee or contract
- Payout rhythm you choose
- Shopify, PrestaShop and WooCommerce apps
- ✓Lowest Cartes Bancaires rate with no plan fee
- ✓Clear rate card, card by card
- ✓Five free payouts a month
- ✗Not built for US-only sellers
- ✗Support rated poorly by merchants
- ✗Payout delay not published
The cheapest option for a European store whose French customers pay with Cartes Bancaires. Not the right pick for a US-only business: its pricing and payment methods are built for Europe.
PayPlug
PayPlug belongs to BPCE, one of France's largest banking groups. It has three plans, priced before VAT. Starter costs €10 a month up to €100,000 in revenue, at 1.5% + €0.25 per European consumer card. Pro costs €30 a month from €100,000 to €1M, at 1.1% + €0.25, with the first three months free. Enterprise is quoted. Business cards from Europe cost 2.5% + €0.25, non-EU cards 2.9% + €0.25, American Express 2.90% + €0.25.
The Pro plan is where PayPlug earns its place. At €20,000 a month in European consumer card sales, it costs €350 in fees, less than Mollie on Visa and Mastercard (€460). Pro also unlocks one-click checkout, deferred and split payments, and Smart 3DS, a finer handling of the 3D Secure check. PayPlug has modules for WooCommerce, PrestaShop and Magento.
The catch: a monthly fee even on Starter, and mixed feedback on the modules. One WooCommerce merchant went back to Stripe over a decline rate he found higher, and reviews call the PrestaShop 1.7 module slow to set up.
- Pro plan at 1.1% + €0.25 per EEA card
- First three months of Pro free
- Split and one-click payments on Pro
- Backed by French bank group BPCE
- ✓Lower rate than Mollie on Visa past €100K revenue
- ✓A bank group behind the product
- ✓Among the better support scores here
- ✗Monthly fee on every plan
- ✗Advanced features locked to Pro
- ✗Focused on the French market
A solid pick for a French business past €100,000 in revenue. Not the right choice to start out or to sell outside France: the monthly fee eats the savings at low volume.
PayPal
In the US, PayPal Checkout (the yellow button) costs 3.49% + 49¢ per transaction. Its advanced card processing, where buyers type their card on your own checkout, drops to 2.89% + 29¢. International transactions add 1.50%. On a $50 order, the button costs $2.24 and the advanced card option $1.74, against $1.75 at Stripe. Its fee score (2.8 out of 5) stays the same on every page we publish: it rates the standard yellow button, the most expensive rate in this lineup, not the cheaper card option that needs more setup.
So why keep PayPal at all? Because some buyers trust their PayPal account more than they trust a new store with their card, and because a second live button saves your sales the day your main gateway freezes your account. Our PayPal and Zapier guide shows how to send each sale into your other tools.
The catch: held funds. New sellers describe about three weeks of holds on their first sales, released within 24 hours once a tracking number was added. Another describes an account frozen for two and a half months. Add tracking to every shipment the day it leaves.
- No monthly fee on PayPal Checkout
- Advanced cards at 2.89% + 29¢
- A button buyers already know
- Easy to add next to another gateway
- ✓The checkout button buyers recognize
- ✓Advanced cards priced close to Stripe
- ✓A cheap insurance policy for your sales
- ✗3.49% + 49¢: the most expensive standard rate
- ✗Holds on new seller accounts
- ✗49¢ fixed fee hurts small orders
Keep it as your second button. Not the right pick as your only gateway on the yellow button: at $20,000 a month, PayPal Checkout costs $894 in fees against $700 at Stripe.
Adyen
Adyen doesn't publish a flat rate. You pay a fixed processing fee per payment (not published in dollars) plus the cost of the payment method. For Visa and Mastercard, that's Interchange++: the card-issuing bank's fee (interchange), the card network's fee, then Adyen's margin, each shown separately. American Express costs 3.95%. There's no setup or monthly fee, but a minimum monthly billing can apply depending on your industry, on quote.
That model favors big volumes: you pay the real cost of each card instead of a blended rate that also covers the most expensive ones. 3D Secure adds no extra fee at Adyen. What we can't do is price your bill at $5K or $20K a month without knowing your customers' interchange mix: ask for a simulation on your real sales.
The catch: Adyen isn't made for starting out. Minimum billing, negotiation and an unpublished payout delay make it a tool for large teams with a developer on hand.
- Interchange++: every cost shown separately
- No setup or monthly fee
- No extra charge for 3D Secure
- Built for enterprise volume
- ✓The most transparent pricing model at scale
- ✓Designed for large retailers
- ✓No surcharge on 3D Secure
- ✗Minimum billing possible by industry
- ✗Bill impossible to predict without a quote
- ✗Payout delay not published
The right pick for a large business that negotiates. Not the right pick for a store just starting out: Stripe will cost less and take less time.
What your gateway really costs each month
Here's what you pay in fees for $5,000 then $20,000 in monthly card sales, with a $50 average order (100 then 400 payments). Our math, from the official US rate cards, for domestic cards.
- Stripe at 2.9% + 30¢: $175 then $700.
- PayPal Checkout at 3.49% + 49¢: $223.50 then $894.
- PayPal advanced cards at 2.89% + 29¢: $173.50 then $694.
For a European store at €5,000 then €20,000 on EEA consumer cards: Mollie on Visa and Mastercard costs €115 then €460, or €85 then €340 if every buyer pays with Cartes Bancaires. PayPlug costs €110 on Starter, then €350 on Pro (before VAT). Adyen depends on your interchange mix. One trap shifts all of these numbers: if 20% of your $5,000 comes from international cards, Stripe adds $15 a month in surcharges.
You're launching, under $5,000 a month
You sell $5,000 to $20,000 a month
You're past $20,000 a month
- Add up twelve months of fees, plan fees included.
- Ask for the premium, business and international card rates.
- Check how long the first payout takes before launch.
- On Shopify, price the surcharge for a third-party gateway.
- Keep a second gateway live so sales never drop to zero.
- Send every document at signup to avoid a freeze.
- Add tracking to every shipped order.
Frozen funds, platform surcharges, premium cards: the traps of online payments
Most rankings stop at the headline rate. Merchants talk about money that doesn't arrive, cards that cost twice what they expected and surcharges they never saw coming. Here are eight points drawn from their feedback and the official rate cards.
Avoid frozen funds
Cash flowIt's the number one complaint against Stripe, PayPal and Mollie. The pattern repeats: sales jump, a few disputes come in, and the gateway pauses payouts while it checks. One Shopify seller describes a Stripe account blocked over a dispute rate flagged as high, even though no customer had asked for a refund.
Your defenses: describe your business precisely at signup, send every document up front, warn your gateway before a big promotion, and answer each dispute fast with proof of delivery.
- Habit
- Warn before a sales spike
Keep a second gateway live
SafetyA frozen account means a store that sells nothing. The simplest fix is two live payment options at once: Stripe or Mollie for cards, PayPal as a second button. Most store platforms can show several gateways on the same checkout.
PayPal Checkout has no monthly fee, so it costs you nothing until someone uses it. If your main gateway cuts you off, you keep taking orders the same day.
- Insurance cost
- $0 until used
International cards cost more
FeesStripe's 2.9% + 30¢ covers a domestic card. An international card adds 1.5%, a currency conversion adds 1%, and a card typed in by hand adds 0.5%. PayPal adds 1.50% on international transactions.
If a fifth of your buyers are abroad, rerun the math with that share: on $5,000 a month, Stripe's surcharge alone adds $15.
- Stripe international
- +1.5%
Shopify's surcharge on third-party gateways
PlatformOn Shopify, using a gateway other than Shopify Payments triggers a surcharge on every sale: at a rate that depends on your Shopify plan, on top of your gateway fees.
Price that surcharge before you connect another gateway. Our ecommerce platform ranking compares what each platform takes on your sales.
- Surcharge
- Depends on plan
Your first payout comes later
Cash flowAt Stripe, your first payout lands 7 to 14 days after your first payment, while the account goes through its initial review. After that, payouts follow a regular schedule. Mollie, PayPlug and Adyen don't publish a delay in days on their pricing pages.
If you're launching preorders or a big campaign, plan two weeks of cash with no payouts. Keep PayPal live too: it takes payments while your first Stripe payout waits.
- Stripe first payout
- 7 to 14 days
Unlock PayPal holds with tracking numbers
PayPalOn a new account, PayPal often holds the money from your first sales. Sellers describe about three weeks of holds, released within 24 hours once the tracking number was added to the order.
The tip: enter tracking in PayPal the day each order ships, keep proof of shipment, and send invoices and documents fast when PayPal asks.
- Hold released
- Within 24 h of tracking
Selling to France? Mind the card network
EuropeMany French cards carry both the Cartes Bancaires logo and Visa or Mastercard. At Mollie, a payment routed through Cartes Bancaires costs 1.20% + €0.25, against 1.80% + €0.25 through Visa or Mastercard. On €5,000 a month, that's €30 saved (our math).
If France is a big market for you, check that Cartes Bancaires is switched on in your gateway dashboard.
- Saved at €5K
- €30 a month
Fixed fees hurt small orders
FeesOn a $10 order, Stripe's 30¢ fixed fee alone is 3% of the sale, and PayPal Checkout's 49¢ is almost 5%. Add the percentage and you lose 5.9% to 8.4% of every small order.
If your average order is under $20, compare fixed fees first. PayPal advanced cards, at 29¢, cost less than Stripe on small orders.
- $10 order, PayPal Checkout
- 84¢ in fees
What you need around your gateway
The gateway takes the money. For everything else (the store, the counter, the bank account, the invoice), here are our other rankings and guides.
Our overall ranking.
You're opening a small storePlatforms for small shopsWhere small catalogs start.
You also take cards in personCard readersReaders for small businesses.
You need a business account in EuropeQonto or ShineTwo European business banks compared.
You want to invoice from your CRMCRM with invoicingWhich CRMs really invoice.
You want to automate Mollie paymentsMollie with MakeConnect each payment to your tools.
Payment gateway · FAQ
Which payment gateway has the lowest fees?
In the US, PayPal's advanced card processing (2.89% + 29¢) edges Stripe (2.9% + 30¢) by a few dollars a month, but you lose Stripe's API depth. In Europe, Mollie on Cartes Bancaires (1.20% + €0.25) is the cheapest rate with no monthly fee. The headline rate often misleads: premium and international cards cost more, so run the math on a month of real sales.
Stripe or PayPal: which one should you pick?
Both, in different roles. Stripe takes cards at 2.9% + 30¢; PayPal Checkout's button costs 3.49% + 49¢. At $5,000 a month, that's $175 against $223.50. Use Stripe as your main gateway and PayPal as a second button: it reassures some buyers and keeps you selling if your main account is frozen.
How long does it take to get paid?
At Stripe, the first payout lands 7 to 14 days after your first sale, then follows a regular schedule. Mollie lets you choose daily, weekly or monthly payouts but doesn't show the delay in days. PayPal credits your PayPal balance, with possible holds on a new account's first sales. Plan two weeks of cash at launch.
Can you use two payment gateways on one site?
Yes, and you should. Most store platforms show several payment options on the same checkout. The common setup: Stripe for cards, PayPal next to it. On Shopify, any gateway other than Shopify Payments triggers a surcharge per sale, at a rate that depends on your plan.
Does 3D Secure cost extra?
At Adyen, no: 3D Secure adds no fee. The other rate cards we read don't list it as a separate charge. 3D Secure is the check a buyer confirms on their phone before their bank approves the payment. PayPlug's Pro plan adds Smart 3DS, which handles that check more finely to cut checkout drop-offs.
What should you do if your Stripe or PayPal account is frozen?
Answer every document request fast and in full: ID, business registration, invoices, proof of delivery. At PayPal, adding the tracking number is often enough to release a hold on a new account. Meanwhile, send buyers to your second gateway. Going forward, move your balance to your bank often: the less money sits with the gateway, the less a freeze costs you.
Is Interchange++ cheaper than a flat rate?
At high volume, usually yes, because you pay the real cost of each card instead of a blended rate. At low volume, the fixed fee and the possible minimum billing can cancel the savings. Adyen works this way; ask for a simulation on your actual card mix before you sign.
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