A payment gateway is a third-party service that allows merchants to collect credit card payments from customers securely. All businesses that accept non-cash payments require a reliable payment gateway, regardless of whether payment collection is done online or in-person. The best payment gateways deliver secure and reliable service, superior support, and competitive transaction processing fees.
Payment Depot is our pick for best overall payment gateway for businesses that process $10,000 or more each month. Payment Depot’s 24/7 customer service, membership pricing model, and low processing fees are a few of the reasons it tops this list of best payment gateways. Visit Payment Depot to request a quote.
Top 6 Payment Gateways for 2019
Best Payment Gateways | Best for |
|---|---|
(Best overall) Businesses processing $10,000+ each month, either online, in-person, or both | |
Brick-and-mortar and mobile businesses, particularly retail, restaurant, healthcare companies, offering in-person services | |
Ecommerce-only businesses that need a custom, developer-friendly online payment gateway solution | |
Ecommerce-focused businesses that want to accept PayPal payments | |
High-volume multichannel businesses that process $30,000+ each month | |
Small businesses wanting to use their own merchant account with a well-established payment gateway |
How We Evaluated Payment Gateway Providers
As a small business owner, you need a reliable payment gateway that is flexible and suited for your unique needs, whether that be conducting business online, through mobile methods, or via a brick-and-mortar outlet—or a combination of those methods. You also want to choose the best payment gateway provider for the best price; after all, there’s no need to pay more than you have to for a secure payment gateway solution.
No doubt you’ve heard of some payment gateways on this list, while others may be unfamiliar to you. New options with creative business models are frequently coming to the market. Some of the best payment gateways are not the most used.
There are a number of payment gateway providers on the market and many excel at what they do. This is why it was extremely difficult to narrow the field to just the six best.
Given your top needs for payment gateway services, providers were evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Fees: Providers were evaluated based on the types of fees imposed and fee rates for different types of transactions. Free transparency was a key consideration.
- Ease of use and setup: Payment gateway solutions need to integrate seamlessly with other business systems and applications. Credit card payments must be reliably processed without technical glitches, such as slow processing times or system downtime.
- Sales channels served: Businesses generate sales through multiple channels, and hence, payment gateway providers need to be flexible enough to support online, mobile, and in-person payments.
- Available integrations: Most business owners need their payment gateway to integrate with top apps, such as BigCommerce, Shopify, WooCommece, QuickBooks, Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, and Salesforce.
- Variety of features: Small businesses need a feature-rich payment gateway that is flexible enough to accommodate special business needs.
- Security: Gateway providers must offer secure, PCI-compliant solutions.
- Reliable and timely payouts: Businesses count on their payment gateway provider to deliver funds in a timely and reliable manner.
- Customer support: As with any business solution, exceptional customer service and responsive support are critical.
- User reviews: Customer feedback is always a key criterion in evaluating a new provider, and so we did an extensive look at customer reviews for every payment gateway provider.
Based on the above criteria, Payment Depot is our choice for the best payment gateway provider. Payment Depot offers an innovation membership solution that can save many businesses hundreds each month; the more sales you process, the greater your savings. Transparent and competitive pricing are a few reasons Payment Depot tops this list. Payment Depot is also a reliable and secure payment gateway. It’s best suited for multichannel businesses that process $10,000 or more in sales each month.
Payment Depot: Best Overall Payment Gateway
Payment Depot offers a membership pricing model, which is a relatively new way to charge for gateway services. For businesses that process $10,000 plus each month, Payment Depot may offer significant savings, all while providing the secure processing and customer support you require from a payment gateway provider.
Payment Depot Pricing
Instead of charging a flat rate for payment processing fees, with Payment Depot you enroll in a membership program that costs from $49 to $199 per month. You’ll also pay a modest flat fee per transaction ranging from 5 cents to 15 cents depending on the plan. The more you sell, the more you pay for the membership, but the less you’ll pay per actual sale processed.
With Payment Depot, you also pay credit card interchange fees, which are determined directly by card-issuing companies. Interchange fees typically range from 1.50% to 2.25%. Unlike some payment gateways, Payment Depot does not assess an upcharge on interchange fees.
Payment Depot Pricing Chart
Basic | Most Popular | Best Value | Premier | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Monthly Membership Fee | $49 + interchange fees | $79 + interchange fees | $99 + interchange fees | $199 + interchange fees |
Transaction Fees* | 15 cents | 10 cents | 7 cents | 5 cents |
Monthly Processing Volume Limit | $25,000 | $75,000 | $200,000 | Unlimited |
Next-day Funding | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free Mobile Reader | N/A | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free Standard Terminal | N/A | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Premier 24hr Support | N/A | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Free Terminal Upgrade Every 2 Years | N/A | N/A | N/A | ✔ |
*Per transaction
Payment Depot Features
Payment Depot is a feature-rich payment gateway provider. Its transparent fees model plus its stellar customer support make it a standout payment gateway option. You’ll find that Payment Depot offers secure, flexible, reliable payment solutions for your business needs.
Payment Depot Payment Types
With Payment Depot, you can accept all major credit and debit cards, including American Express, Discover, Visa, and Mastercard, as well as Google Pay and Apple Pay. Processing fees for ecommerce, mobile, and in-person transactions are included in the price of membership.
Payment Depot Mobile Readers & Terminals
Payment Depot works beautifully for both online businesses and in-person sellers, or for companies that do both. Point-of-sale hardware is free of charge for all but the Basic plans. With the Premier plan, Payment Depot offers a free terminal upgrade every two years.
The Payment Depot dashboard is intuitive and easy to navigate.
Payment Depot Integrations
Payment Depot integrates seamlessly with popular ecommerce and point-of-sale (POS) platforms, such as BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento, ShopKeep, PrestaShop, QuickBooks, NCR, and Opencart. Payment Depot also integrates with Authorize.Net, should you prefer to use Payment Depot as your payment processor and Authorize.Net as your payment gateway.
Payment Depot Customer Service
Payment Depot has a stellar reputation for offering go-the-extra-mile service and support. Payment Depot offers 24/7 phone support on all plans except Basic. Email support and an online frequently asked questions (FAQs) center is offered for all plans. Chat support and community forums are not offered.
What Payment Depot Is Missing
Because Payment Depot charges a monthly membership fee, it may be too expensive for small businesses just starting out. For new and low sales volume businesses, PayPal, Square, or Stripe are better options. Also, Payment Depot serves only U.S. businesses, so if you operate elsewhere, you won’t be able to use Payment Depot. If accepting PayPal payments is important to your business, then don’t use Payment Depot because PayPal payments are not supported.
What Users Think About Payment Depot
Payment Depot user reviews are exceptionally strong. Customers applaud Payment Depot’s customer support and transparent pricing model. Many tout savings in the hundreds and a couple even said they were saving thousands per month after switching to Payment Depot. On the downside, one customer complained he had problems processing a single charge in excess of $10,000 and was dissatisfied with Payment Depot’s support on the issue. Also, a few customers noted that they experienced software processing glitches.
Getting Started With Payment Depot
You can get started with Payment Depot by reaching out to their customer specialists via telephone or through the company’s information request form on the Payment Depot website. You can also request a free analysis of your potential savings. All memberships include a 90-day, risk-free trial. Visit Payment Depot today.
Square: Best Payment Gateway for Collecting In-person Payments
Square is hands-down the best payment gateway for any business that focuses on accepting in-person payments. Both brick-and-mortar and mobile businesses, particularly retail, restaurant, and service-centric companies, will find that few payment providers offer the rich point-of-sale (POS) features Square delivers.
You can also use Square to accept payments online, and, unlike Payment Depot, you can be a low-volume seller to use Square affordably. Square also offers a free online store platform so you can build your online presence start to finish with Square. No other providers on this list offer the full suite of business management solutions that Square offers.
If your business accepts payments through multiple sales channels or just in-person, it’s wise to take a closer look at Square as a potential payment gateway provider for your business needs. If your business focuses exclusively on in-person payments, Square is likely the best payment gateway solution for you.
Square Pricing
Square pricing varies slightly according to how payments are accepted. You’ll pay a bit more for key-in payments, 3.5% plus 15 cents, and less for in-person swiped card payments, 2.75% per transaction. Square charges 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction for ecommerce payment processing. In addition, Square offers a variety of stylish and effective POS equipment, priced between $0 and $799, that allow you to collect payments anywhere.
Square Pricing Chart
Payment Processing & Hardware | Cost |
|---|---|
In-person Payments - Swipe | 2.75% |
Ecommerce Transactions | 2.9% + 30 cents |
Square Virtual Terminal - Keyed-In | 3.5% + 15 cents |
Square Invoices | 2.9% + 30 cents |
Reader SDK Transactions | 2.5% + 10 cents |
Square Chargeback Fees | $0 |
Square Reader for Magstripe | First one is free; $10 for each additional reader |
Square POS App | Free |
Square Reader for Contactless and Chip | $49 |
Square Stand for Contactless and Chip | $199 or $18/mo |
Square Terminal | $399 or $37/mo |
Square Register | $799 or $39/mo |
Square Features
Square is a feature-rich payment gateway provider. While Square ranks second on our list of best payment gateways, when it comes to accepting credit card payments in-person, Square tops the list.
Square POS Solutions
Whether you realize it or not, you’ve probably seen Square card readers and terminals in your favorite restaurants or boutiques. Square offers a complete lineup of terminals, registers, and readers so businesses can accept credit card payments in a brick-and-mortar outlet or through a mobile selling situation, such as art markets, food trucks, and festivals.
Square POS software is easy to set up and features an intuitive order and payment flow process that works incredibly well for all types of businesses. Real-time analytics and sales reporting help you keep on top of important key performance indicators for your business. Plus, Square helps you better manage your inventory, so you won’t run out of best-selling items ever again.
Square offers POS hardware solutions that are as attractive as they are effective.
Square Payment Types
Square accepts all major credit cards plus Apple Pay and Google Pay. Obviously, since PayPal is a main competitor to Square, you cannot accept online payments using PayPal. You also can’t accept automated clearing house (ACH) or e-check payments with Square, which is a bit disappointing since these usually have lower transaction fees.
Square Integrations
Square works seamlessly with hundreds of popular apps and platforms. For example, you can connect to Peachworks, MarketMan, and Fresh KDS with Square. You can also integrate with ZohoBooks, Shopgo, Oneup, QuickBooks, Wix, Opencart, X/Y Retail, and BigCommerce.
Square Customer Service
Square’s customer service and support isn’t where this payment gateway provider shines. Square offers customer support through email, Twitter, online articles and support documentation, and through an active community forum. Square offers phone support for customers from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Be forewarned that if you don’t have ready access to your customer code number or your account becomes inactive for any reason, phone support won’t be available to you.
What Square Is Missing
As already mentioned, you can’t accept PayPal or ACH payments through Square, so that puts it at a small disadvantage. Still, overall, especially for in-person payments, Square offers a complete solution.
What Users Think About Square
If you look at all the online user reviews for Square, you’ll see they are a bit mixed. Customers are big fans of Square’s card readers. One user wrote that Square makes it extremely convenient to use cards in unconventional settings. Other customers complimented Square’s user-friendly interface. As with all providers, you’ll also find some complaints related to dispute resolution; users tend to be upset when chargeback disputes don’t go their way. Other users mentioned that getting live support with Square can be difficult.
Getting Started With Square
It’s easy to get started with Square; just visit Square’s website to create a free account. The signup process is straightforward and you don’t have to go through any credit checks. Square will automatically send you a free magstripe reader when you complete the sign-up process. Visit Square to see if it’s the best payment gateway provider for you.
Stripe: Best Custom Online Payment Gateway Solution
Stripe offers affordable, effective, and secure payment gateway services for online businesses. Stripe touts that it is a “developer first” platform that excels in providing custom, developer-centric solutions. Stripe offers robust, scalable solutions for accepting and processing credit card payments online, whether you want to build a custom solution or integrate with popular ecommerce platforms, such as WooCommerce, Shopify, and BigCommerce.
Stripe Pricing & Features
You’ll pay 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction to process online credit card payments through Stripe. For automated clearing house (ACH) direct debit payments, you’ll pay 0.8%, with a maximum fee of $5 per transaction. Stripe is also a smart payment gateway solution for anyone conducting business internationally, as it accepts over 135 currencies.
Stripe Pricing & Features Chart
Features and Fees | |
|---|---|
Online Fees | 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction ACH direct debit 0.8% capped at $5 |
Payment Types Accepted | All major credit cards, Apple Pay, Android Pay, ACH, international cards accepted for a 1% additional fee |
Dispute Fees | $15; if dispute is resolved in your favor, the fee is refunded |
Payout Schedule | 2 days on average |
Platform Integrations | 450+ including: BigCommerce, Wix, WooCommerce, Shopify, Squarespace, Zoho Books, Zoho Subscriptions, Paid Membership Pro, and 3dcart Shopping Cart |
International | Accepts 135+ currencies |
*This is for Stripe’s Integrated plan. Contact Stripe Sales directly for custom packages.
Stripe Features
Stripe’s robust technical features offer extreme flexibility for businesses with advanced payment gateway and payment processing needs. While Stripe now offers in-person processing solutions, where it really excels is as an ecommerce payment gateway provider. Stripe prides itself on offering a complete and scalable payment platform that can grow with you as your business grows.
Stripe Secure & Reliable Processing
Stripe offers PCI-compliant security so you know your payments are securely processed. Stripe’s uptime is 99.9999%, so you can count on Stripe to be a reliable payment gateway you can trust.
Stripe’s extremely reliable service offers 99.9999% uptime.
Stripe POS With Stripe Terminal
Stripe does not offer POS hardware directly, but it has introduced Stripe Terminal and precertified card readers that can help you bring together your online and offline channels via its intelligent developer tools. Stripe’s software development kits (SKDs) allow you to integrate Stripe into your mobile and web applications so you can accept in-person payments.
Stripe is a top developer-centric payment processing gateway.
Stripe Customer Service
Stripe offers 24/7 support through email, phone, or chat. It also has an extensive online support center that addresses users’ most common needs and questions.
What Stripe Is Missing
While Stripe is now offering Stripe Terminal and precertified card readers, its POS offerings have a long way to go before they’ll catch up to Square, which excels at POS. Also, because Stripe is so focused on advanced, developer-driven, custom solutions, it may not be the best option for small business owners who have limited technical knowledge; PayPal is a better choice for these businesses.
What Users Think About Stripe
Stripe user reviews offer strong recommendations for this provider, which further affirms that Stripe is one of the best payment gateways available today. Users were delighted that Stripe integrates with so many third-party systems and platforms. While developers are thrilled with Stripe’s advanced best-in-class programming functionality, less advanced users report that Stripe is simple to set up with sites like Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and Shopify.
Negative reviews for Stripe often pointed out issues with slow customer service response times. Other complaints involved dissatisfaction with Stripe’s handling of dispute resolutions, which is a common yet infrequent point of contention across all payment gateway providers.
Getting Started With Stripe
To get started with this complete payments platform, or learn more about its extensive features, navigate to Stripe’s website and fill out the information request form. Visit Stripe today to see if it’s the best payment gateway for you.
PayPal: Best Payment Gateway for Ecommerce
If your business primarily generates sales online and you want to accept PayPal payments, then PayPal is the best payment gateway provider for you. Because PayPal is so widely known and trusted, offering PayPal as a payment option can increase conversion rates and decrease shopping cart abandonment rates. If you want to embed a checkout cart into your website or collect payments in-person, you need to sign up for PayPal Payments Pro, which costs an additional $30 per month.
PayPal Pricing & Features
As with most payment gateways, the fee you’ll pay for payment processing with PayPal varies depending on where and how you accept payments. PayPal processing fees range from 2.2% plus 30 cents to 3.5% plus 15 cents per transaction. If you plan on accepting payments in-person or want to accept payments directly on your website, you’ll want to enroll in the PayPal Payments Pro plan, which costs $30 per month.
PayPal Pricing & Features Chart
PayPal Business | |
|---|---|
Online Fees | 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction |
Mobile & In-store Payment Fees | 2.7% per swipe plus 3.5% + 15 cents for keyed sales |
Non-profit Fees | 2.2% + 30 cents per transaction |
Monthly Fees | $30 to upgrade to PayPal Payments Pro (which is required for accepting payments in-person) |
Chargeback Fees | $20; refunded if the dispute is resolved in your favor |
PayPal Here Mobile Card Reader & Related Hardware | Free ($29 value) to $79.99 |
24-Hour Monitoring & Fraud Protection | Comes standard with PayPal |
Payout Schedule | Immediate |
Platform Integrations | 130+ |
International | Accept payments in 25 currencies from 202 countries |
PayPal Ease of Setup & Ease of Use
PayPal is one of the easiest payment gateways to set up for ecommerce and in-person payment collection. PayPal offers an online Business Setup Center that walks you through all aspects of creating your PayPal business account and setting up payments. You can set up your account and start accepting payments in less than a day.
PayPal Payment Types
One of the biggest advantages PayPal offers is the ability to add a “Pay by PayPal” button to accept payments. The only other payment gateway on this list that allows payments through PayPal is Authorize.Net. PayPal also accepts all American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Venmo, and PayPal Credit.
The “Pay With PayPal” Advantage
In a study conducted by ComScore and funded by PayPal, research showed that offering PayPal as a payment option can increase conversion rates by up to 44%. Given the extensive brand awareness for PayPal, along with its reputation as a highly secure way to buy anything online, offering PayPal as a payment option could give your online business a distinct advantage.
Like millions of other ecommerce sellers, Mejuri, a popular fine jewelry store, offers PayPal as a payment option.
PayPal Integrations
You can integrate PayPal as a payment gateway on a number of popular ecommerce applications. For example, you can accept PayPal payments through Shopify, Squarespace, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and nearly every other existing online checkout platform.
PayPal Customer Service
PayPal offers customer support through a variety of channels. You can contact PayPal service representatives on the phone between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, or 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday and Sunday. PayPal also offers support through live chat, email support, an online Business Resource Center, a community forum, and an online resolutions center.
What PayPal Is Missing
PayPal’s advantage as an online payment method does not translate to in-person payments. As a POS solution, Square is a much stronger option in that it offers a far more robust POS software application for tracking sales and inventory. Square also has a more extensive in-person payment hardware collection.
What Users Think About PayPal
In general, user reviews for PayPal are positive. Customers agree that having the ability to accept payments through PayPal gives them an advantage over just having credit card options in their check-out process. Most agree that PayPal is easy to set up and use. Users appreciate that PayPal is versatile, simple, and secure.
All payment gateway providers have some unflattering reviews, and PayPal is no exception. Negative customer reviews tend to cite unresponsive customer support and dissatisfaction with payment dispute resolutions. Some reviewers noted that PayPal can be slow on transferring funds into their accounts.
Getting Started With PayPal
You can get started with PayPal and start collecting payments quickly and easily. Visit PayPal today to see if it’s the best payment gateway for you.
Fattmerchant: Best Payment Gateway for High-volume Multichannel Businesses
While Fattmerchant certainly has a fun and playful logo, the company is all business when it comes to helping your business save money. Fattmerchant is one of the best payment gateways for high-volume multichannel businesses that process $30,000 or more each month.
Fattmerchant offers a subscription model, which is a lot like Payment Depot’s membership model. Unlike Payment Depot, where membership fees start at $49, subscription fees at Fattmerchant start at $99. This is why Fattmerchant is not recommended for low sales volume businesses.
Fattmerchant Membership Subscription & Transaction Fees
Fattmerchant’s subscription model can yield significant savings for businesses processing high payment volumes. There are two tiers with Fattmerchant; the first is for those processing under $500,000 annually, which costs $99 per month, and the second is for those processing over $500,000 annually, which costs $199 per month. There are four subscription levels available in each of the two tiers, and fees per transaction range from 6 cents to 15 cents.
Fattmerchant Subscription & Transaction Fees Chart
Ecommerce Shopping Cart Subscription | EMV Terminals Subscription | Virtual Terminals Subscription | Mobile Payment Processing Subscription | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
For Under $500,000 Processed Annually | ||||
Monthly Fees | $99 | $99 | $99 | $99 |
Per Transaction Fees* | 15 cents | 8 cents | 15 cents | 15 cents |
For Over $500,000 Processed Annually | ||||
Monthly Fees | $199 | $199 | $199 | $199 |
Per Transaction Fees* | 12 cents | 6 cents | 15 cents | 12 cents |
*All transaction fees also include direct cost interchange fees from credit card companies. Rates vary by type of card and the card-issuing company.
Fattmerchant Features
Fattmerchant offers a number of features that make it a top choice as a payment gateway provider for businesses that sell services or products either in-person or online—or both. Though not as well-known as some of the other providers on this list, Fattmerchant is fast becoming a top choice for businesses that want to save on payment processing costs.
Fattmerchant Ease of Setup & Ease of Use
You may experience a bit of a learning curve setting up Fattmerchant, although the Fattmerchant online support is excellent at helping you get started. Users report that the Fattmerchant dashboard is fairly intuitive. Customers are also impressed by Fattmerchant’s business analysis and sales-tracking tools.
Fattmerchant Payment Types
Fattmerchant accepts all major credit cards, including American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. With Fattmerchant, you can also accept Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. In addition, ACH payment processing is available for an additional fee.
Fattmerchant Integrations
Fattmerchant integrates with dozens of popular apps and services, including popular payment gateways such as Authorize.Net, Worldpay, and TSYS. It also integrates with top POS systems, such as Aloha, Revel, Vend, and ShopKeep.
Fattmerchant Customer Service
Fattmerchant’s online chat representatives are knowledgeable and helpful. Customer support is also available through the extensive online support center, where you can also submit a support request ticket.
In addition, Fattmerchant offers 24/7 customer service and technical support on the phone. If you call outside the company’s 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time office hours, you’ll likely connect with a phone service that will forward your message to the appropriate party. Fattmerchant has a reputation for following up on inquiries within 24 hours.
Fattmerchant’s intuitive business dashboard helps you stay on top of sales trends.
What Fattmerchant Is Missing
With monthly fees ranging from $99 to $199, Fattmerchant does not have an affordable solution for low-volume sellers. These sellers are better served by PayPal, Square, or Stripe.
What Users Think About Fattmerchant
The lion’s share of user reviews for Fattmerchant are extremely positive. Customers appreciate that Fattmerchant makes processing credit cards simple and straightforward. Many say Fattmerchant is significantly cheaper than their previous payment gateway provider. As for negative reviews, some customers find Fattmerchant’s sales representatives to be too pushy. A few reported disputes over chargebacks where the dispute resolution did not land in their favor; this happens from time to time with all payment gateway providers.
Getting Started With Fattmerchant
You’ll find that setting up an account with Fattmerchant and getting started processing payments is relatively simple. Even better, the Fattmerchant support team is there to walk you through every step of the process. If you’re a high sales volume seller, Fattmerchant might be the best payment gateway provider for you. Visit Fattmerchant to find out.
Authorize.Net: Best When Connected to a Merchant Account
Authorize.Net was founded in 1996, which makes it the most-established payment gateway provider on this list. Created by Jeff Knowles, the company has been acquired many times throughout the years by different parties. Today, Authorize.Net is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Visa.
Authorize.Net offers two different solutions. The first is as a pure payment gateway provider that connects to a traditional merchant account, and the second is an all-in-one solution as both a payment gateway provider and a payment processor.
While Authorize.Net’s all-in-one rates are competitive with other all-in-one providers like Stripe, PayPal, and Square, you’ll likely save money by using Authorize.Net strictly as a payment gateway with your own merchant account. As always, though, it’s best to examine multiple options to find the best solution for your unique business needs.
Authorize.Net Pricing
Authorize.Net offers three payment gateway solutions. The All-in-One option charges $25 per month plus 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction. The Payment Gateway Only option charges $25 per month plus 10 cents per transaction, plus a 10 cent daily batch fee and an interchange fee. Enterprise solutions are also available for those processing more than $500,000 per year; contact Authorize.Net directly for details.
Authorize.Net Pricing Chart
All-in-One Option | Payment Gateway Only | |
|---|---|---|
Transaction Fees | 2.9% plus 30 cents | 10 cents per transaction, plus 10 cents daily batch fee, plus interchange fee* |
Monthly Gateway Fee | $25 | $25 |
*With the Gateway Only option, you will pay relevant credit card interchange fees, which vary by credit card company.
Authorize.Net Features
If you’re looking for a payment gateway provider that offers feature-rich solutions, Authorize.Net checks all the boxes for what you need most. Straightforward setup, easy-to-use interface, and secure service are all reasons that Authorize.Net made this list of best payment gateways.
Authorize.Net Ease of Setup & Ease of Use
Authorize.Net is a provider that’s easy to implement and easy to use. Beginners and experienced business users alike find the Authorize.Net platform to be both simple and straightforward.
Authorize.Net Payment Types
Authorize.Net lets you accept more types of payments than any other payment gateway provider on this list. You can accept payments from Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and JCB. You can also accept Apple Pay, Chase Pay, Visa checks, and e-checks.
Also, Authorize.Net joins PayPal as the only two providers on this list of best payment gateways that let you accept PayPal. As discussed, this can offer you a significant advantage if you’re an online business with an audience that is partial to paying with PayPal.
Authorize.Net Integrations
As a pure payment gateway solution, Authorize.Net integrates with a number of solutions, including Fattmerchant and Payment Depot. You’re not limited to just those, though. Authorize.Net integrates hundreds of solutions, including every top ecommerce platform, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.
Authorize.Net Customer Service
Authorize.Net maintains a solid reputation for responsive customer support. It has an extensive online Support Center, and service reps are available 24/7 to answer questions via phone, email, or support request tickets.
Established in 1996, Authorize.Net is one of the most popular payment gateway providers in business today.
What Authorize.Net Is Missing
Authorize.Net’s monthly fees take it out of contention for the top all-in-one solution. Also, for in-person payments, Square remains king of the payment gateway providers.
What Users Think About Authorize.Net
Overall, user reviews for Authorize.Net are quite good. Many feel Authorize.Net is the easiest way to accept payments for client services. One customer noted that the payment failure rate is minuscule compared to other providers, which was a big business advantage for him. Users also feel customer support reps are knowledgeable and easy to access. On the downside, some users wish Authorize.Net made it clearer as to why certain transactions are declined. Others feel that the Authorize.Net interface and reporting features are a bit lacking.
One important note to make about Authorize.Net is that it allows others to resell its services. Some of these resellers do not have the same high-quality reputation that Authorize.Net enjoys. Often negative reviews about Authorize.Net are actually misdirected complaints that should be attributed to resellers.
Getting Started With Authorize.Net
Authorize.Net has an enviable reputation as one of the best payment gateway solutions on the market today. It’s been in business since 1996 and has continued to thrive while less robust solutions perished. If you’re wondering if Authorize.Net is the best payment gateway for you, visit Authorize.Net now.
Alternative Payment Gateway Providers
Alternative | Best For |
|---|---|
Fiserv (formerly First Data) | Large ecommerce businesses that sell products in high volume and that require personalized services |
Businesses that want to capitalize on the Amazon brand and have clients who likely already have established Amazon accounts | |
Ecommerce-focused businesses that process at least $2,500 a month in transactions | |
Businesses that offer higher-risk products that are not supported by other payment gateways | |
Brick-and-mortar businesses looking for custom pricing solutions due to sales volume or high price points |
Bottom Line
When choosing a payment gateway solution, you must consider how your company conducts business—online, in-person, or a mix of both—and your unique business needs. Each provider on this list of best payment gateway solutions offers distinct advantages to different types of businesses. Simply match your unique requirements to the gateway provider’s top strengths.
Payment Depot is our choice for best payment gateway because its membership pricing model can lead to significant savings for companies that process $10,000 or more in sales each month. Suitable for both ecommerce and in-person payment processing, you’ll find Payment Depot is a secure, reliable, and cost-effective solution. Visit Payment Depot now.
Mel
March 18, 2018 at 10:23 pmIn 2018 there are a few other players to consider, the G2A PAY offer sounds interesting which allows you to choose a specific currency for the buyer, but also supports local payments. Certainly something for a small business, also one that focuses on local sales but wants to enlarge it
Chemz Eddine
January 18, 2018 at 5:30 pmExcellent article thanks indeed not an easy choice and an important way. Now as other have mentioned and I DID call paypal and they told me the VERY minute you connect paypal with a business (account) then there is a flat rate of $ 30.00 per month. Granted I live in Canada but the business stucture is diffent than that of the USA but maybe the information is no longer valid and they charge $ 30.00 in the US too. What I have issues is concerns the fact that on their website Paypal implies that they have a zero charge monthly account. That only applies for INDIVIDUALS not business. My point if they do not come clear on this what other info are they hiding? To me that is sufficient to put them aside as an option. Again thank you Krista for your in depth analysis
Krista Fabregas
January 22, 2018 at 4:47 pmHello,
It depends on the type of account, but I don’t think Canadian accounts cost more than US accounts.
In the US, Payments Standard is free, and Payments Pro is $30. If you need certain services to connect to your website cart seamlessly, or virtual terminal access you need Pro, thus the $30 account. Also, the PayFlow Pro gateway account can have fees too in case you were talking to them about those.
I’m not up on any special charges for Canadian PayPal accounts. I’d call back and ask them if you can just have a free Payments Standard account in Canada. If so, have them explain why they directed you to the $30 account. It might be due to needs that you expressed when you called them (virtual terminal, integration for shopping carts).
They’re pretty straightforward in the fees, not many hidden fees with PayPal, but there are things that they charge for if you need a particular level of service.
Good luck!
Krista
yan
November 29, 2017 at 2:10 pmIm a business owner from Texas, recently i discovered that unlike other processors stripe can do noting and will do noting if some bank or card provider is stealing money out of your stripe account, i had a guest who disputed his charge stating it a fraud charge, i presented all the evidence including ID card de
tails reservation contract emails and what ever was on the list stripe recommended, after 2 months the guest card provider who reviewed it decided that its a fraud, now if it was i wouldn’t bother writing this review wouldn’t i, i just want to warn you that even if you have all the necessary evidence your money is not safe and stripe will do noting to help you.
Krista Fabregas
November 30, 2017 at 12:38 amHello,
I’m sorry that happened to you! That’s frustrating, I know, I had my fair share of chargebacks over the years in my ecommerce company. It’s perplexing to see how often they side with the claimant even when the merchant provides every shred of proof required to back up the charge as valid. Unfortunately, this situation is not unique to Stripe. Most merchant account payment processors are terrible when it comes to resolving these issues fast or fairly. They cave-in to the credit card companies far too often. There is chargeback protection that you can get to protect yourself if this happens often, but if it’s only rarely, the costs may not be worth it. But it’s something to know about.
I wish I had better advice but it’s something we all have to deal with when accepting credit cards.
Cheers,
Krista
Vik
October 19, 2017 at 8:19 amI hope somebody will find my comment useful. I am so happy that I have decided to choose Cardinity as my payment solution. It\’s been only several weeks, but I really enjoy working with this service. They care a lot about me as a client. I always get very quick response to my questions (for example, when I had some difficulties in integration, I got very clear guidelines on what to do). Not to mention that my application was approved within 2 days. The best thing is that Cardinity is an all-in-one solution, but the cost is relatively small. Of course at first I was not sure whether I should choose a payment service which is not as well-known as Stripe or Authorize.net, but they exceeded my expectations. I hope things will go on well.
Krista Fabregas
October 25, 2017 at 12:01 amThanks for reading and for sharing your experience with a competitor of these larger services. Cardinity is making waves and has great reviews. We’ll take a closer look at what they’re now offering when we update the article. Cheers! Krista
Ade
September 22, 2017 at 7:34 pmI am reading this outline with great interest. It appears selecting what you need depends on your business model. A use case I am working on is mobile payment integrated into our website that debits customers payment processing and credits our service provider while we use the merchant account to hold our shares for the service offering. What I want to understand are:
If we are interested in mobile payment processing online without POS or any other physical device, what should be the options for small start up
Secondly-The Set up fee and monthly payment. I will prefer those options that that requires no set up fee and monthly payment but only have their payment based on % number of transaction coming in.
If you sign up, what is the ease of integration. Our web will be making API calls to initiate payment and settlement. I have read that some payment gateway make it impossible for those who are not happy with their service to discontinue and want to lock you in. Some even request severance charge
Lastly- Is it possible to have a provider that has merchant account(The business account that hold your fund after settlement between customer and service provider) all included as part of their solution?
Krista Fabregas
September 26, 2017 at 9:03 pmIt sounds like you have a very concrete idea of what you need both technically and in practice. You’re looking for some advanced needs, have API capabilities, and understand the type of fee structure that you want. It would probably work for you to make a checklist of these requirements and capabilities, then start checking off who offers what on each. We discuss all-in-ones (gateway and processor in one) in this article, so that checks off the last requirement on your list above. Per your other needs, it looks like Square might be your best pick. You can use their virtual terminal to process payments without a card reader, and there’s no monthly fee. Square charge only a % of each transaction, so that fills another of your needs. I hope this information helps! Cheers, Krista