10 Best Stripe Competitors & Alternatives for 2023
Meaghan has provided content and guidance for indie retailers as the editor for a number of retail publications and a speaker at trade shows. She is Fit Small Business’s authority on retail and ecommerce.
Anna is a retail expert writer for Fit Small Business with over six years of evaluating dozens of software for small business. She holds a double degree in Accountancy and Financial Management and is currently pursuing further education in financial and payment technology.
This article is part of a larger series on Payments.
Stripe is a favorite among startups and tech-savvy businesses for online payment processing because it offers highly versatile software for creating custom checkouts. However, there are times when its complexity and specialization make other solutions a better choice.
Using Stripe requires some coding skills to set up certain payment types or custom payment features. It also does not have a built-in virtual terminal or point-of-sale (POS) tools. Stripe’s pricing may also not be the best fit for some small businesses that only need simpler and cheaper solutions.
To that end, we evaluated dozens of credit card processors to find the best alternatives to Stripe:
- Square: Best overall Stripe alternative
- PayPal: Best for ecommerce
- Stax: Best for managing recurring billing and high-volume sales
- PaymentCloud: Best for high-risk businesses
- Helcim: Cheapest alternative to Stripe for small businesses
- Payanywhere: Best for small mobile restaurants and retailers
- Payment Depot: Best for wholesale pricing with no percentage markup
- iATS: Best for nonprofits
- Authorize.net: Best payment gateway
- Chase Payment Solutions: Best for those wanting a traditional merchant account
Stripe Alternatives Compared
Invoicing | POS | Integrations (without API) | Read more | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ✓ | Build your own with Stripe Terminal | 1,250+ | |
 | ✓ | ✓ | 250 | |
| ✓ | ✓ | 1,000+ | |
 | ✓ | Mobile app only | 100s | |
 | ✓ | Third party | 1,000+ | |
 | ✓ | ✓ | Dozens | |
 | ✓ | Mobile app only | 2 | |
 | No | Third party | Dozens | |
 | ✓ | Third party | 60+ | N/A |
 | ✓ | Mobile app or third party | 145 | |
 | No | Mobile app only | 140+ | |
Online transaction fees | Monthly fees | Chargeback fees | Same-day Payouts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.9% + 30 cents | $0 | $15 (Charegback protection for 0.4% per transaction) | +1% |
| 2.9% + 30 cents | $0 | $0 | +1.75% |
 | 3.49% + 49 cents | $0 | $20 | Free to PayPal account or 1.5% |
| Interchange + 18 cents | $99–$199 | $25 | ✓ |
| 2.3%–4.3% | $0–$30, depending on use | $25–$45 | ✓ |
| Interchange plus 0.2% + 10 cents–0.5% + 25 cents | $0 | $15 | No |
| 3.49% + 19 cents | $0 | $0 | ✓ |
| Interchange plus 18 cents | $79 | $15 | No |
| 2.49% – 3.2% + 26 cents | $0 | $0 | No |
| 2.9% + 30 cents | $25 | $0 | No |
| 3.5% + 10 cents | $0–$25 (for ACH processing) | $25–$100 | To Chase account |
Square: Best Overall Competitor & Alternative to Stripe
Pros
- Transparent, flat-rate pricing
- No monthly fees or minimums
- Free user-friendly POS and online store
- Reasonable ACH fees
Cons
- Not suited for high-risk businesses
- Account stability issues
- Limited support hours
How Square Compares to Stripe
- Square is cheaper for card-present and mobile processing
- Square offers free POS software and ecommerce tools; Stripe requires a third-party integration or programming
- Square hardware is less expensive
- Square offers more card reader and register options
- Both have no monthly fees
- Both offer flat-rate pricing and charge 2.9% + 30 cents of online payments
Read our full Stripe vs Square review
Use Square if you need a versatile all-in-one POS with a reliable payment processor. Square’s POS systems are top-notch and work for stores, restaurants, spas, salons, mobile sellers, and service industries. Square offers room to grow through additional software for loyalty plans, marketing, and even payroll.
Square is also a highly popular and well-rated payment processor that usually tops our lists because of its free POS system and ability to grow with your business. It offers the most balanced (and flexible) payment processing solutions, including a CBD program for some high-risk merchants. Unlike Stripe, you can start selling immediately upon signing up for Square—no programming is needed.
It’s also ideal for any small business or casual seller, especially if you want an online presence, with its integrated online store and a mobile app for selling on the go.
Square appears on our lists of:
- Monthly fee: $0
- Card-present transaction fee: 2.6% + 10 cents
- Ecommerce and invoice transaction fee: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Card-not-present transaction fee: 3.5% + 15 cents
- ACH Fee: 1% (minimum $1)
- Afterpay (Buy-Now-Pay-Later) fee: 6% + 30 cents per applicable transaction
- Instant payout fee: 1.75%
- Chargeback fee: None; up to $250 per month for chargeback protection
- Card reader: $49
For all its versatility, however, Square is a closed system. It does not allow other payment processors and cannot match Stripe for integration into websites or complex payment processing needs. Learn more in our review of Square vs Stripe.
- Built-in POS software
- Flat-rate pricing with volume discounts
- Basic and advanced invoicing, recurring billing, and card-on-file
- Offline payment processing
- Free ecommerce platform and website builder
- Free virtual terminal and ecommerce tools
- Free magstripe card reader
- Range of scalable business management integrations
- Chargeback protection
- CBD program
PayPal: Best for Value-added Payment Options for Ecommerce
Pros
- No monthly fees or minimums
- Accept payments in 200+ countries
- Highly integratable
- Free POS
Cons
- Virtual terminal costs extra
- Account stability issues
- Complex fee structure
How It Compares to Stripe
- Neither Stripe nor PayPal charges a monthly subscription for its payment processing.
- PayPal has its own POS software, Zettle; Stripe does not.
- PayPal charges an extra fee for using its payment gateway.
- PayPal’s chargeback fee is slightly more expensive than Stripe’s.
- Stripe offers custom rates for businesses with large transaction volume; PayPal does not.
- Stripe’s pricing plan is simpler than PayPal’s.
Discover more in our Stripe vs PayPal article
Use PayPal if you are looking for a user-friendly payment processing alternative to Stripe. While it rivals Stripe as one of the most popular online payment processors, PayPal has a reputation for being user-friendly for both customers and merchants, where Stripe is more difficult to implement and maintain. In fact, studies have shown that customers are 2.8x more likely to convert when PayPal is visible. It works internationally and accepts all types of payments, including credit cards and bitcoin.
PayPal is ideal for online and brick-and-mortar businesses looking for additional payment methods alongside other credit card processors. It can be used to easily add buttons to merchant websites, social media, or online stores.
We also recommend PayPal as an independent payment processor, but only for solopreneurs and occasional sellers. See how Square, Stripe, and PayPal compare in our evaluation of three of the most popular online payment processors for small businesses.
Note that effective October 31, 2022, US business accounts can no longer receive personal transactions from PayPal accounts outside the US, nor can US PayPal accounts send personal transactions to business accounts outside the US.
PayPal has made several changes to its fee structure and policies since August 2022. It no longer listed cryptocurrency fees for merchants. Nonprofit transaction fees increased to 2.89% + 49 cents for general donations and 2.99% for PayPal Fundraisers. See PayPal’s website for more information.
- POS fee: $0
- Standard card-present fee: 2.99% + 49 cents*
- Card-present fee (Zettle): 2.29% + 9 cents
- Keyed-in fee (Zettle): 3.49% + 9 cents
- Online transaction fee: 3.49% + 49 cents*
- International transaction fee: 1.5% fee, 3%–4% spread for currency conversion
- Chargeback fee: $20
- Dispute fee: $15
- Instant transfer fee: 1.5%
- Card reader: $29 for the first; $79 for additional
*The fixed fee of 49 cents is US-only. Fixed fees vary by country of business.
Despite its versatility, Stripe is the better option for customization. Stripe also accepts more currency types than PayPal (135 vs 25), and the former has more powerful API and SDK tools for programming special cases. Additionally, Stripe has fewer complaints of held funds than PayPal.
- One-click payments and BNPL solutions
- Unique PayPal payment methods
- Peer-to-peer transactions
- Recurring payments solutions
- Native virtual terminal and payment gateway
- International payment processing
- Discounts for nonprofits and donations
- Easy-to-use payment links and social selling tools
- Point of Sale solution with mobile card reader
- Dedicated available through merchant account with Braintree
Stax: Best Stripe Competitor for Recurring Billing & High-volume Sales
Pros
- Easy to use
- Stable merchant account
- Excellent customer support
- Same-day funding
Cons
- High monthly fee
- Best only for established businesses processing over $21,000 monthly
- Only works with US businesses
- Not compatible with high-risk businesses
How It Compares to Stripe
- Stax charges monthly fees with three different plans; Stripe does not charge a monthly fee.
- Digital invoicing is included in all Stax plans—you only pay the interchange + 18 cents. Stripe charges 4%–5% per invoiced transaction.
- Stax offers cheap interchange-plus rates, Stripe uses flat-rate fees.
- Both offer custom rates for businesses with larger sales volumes. Stax defines this as >$500,000/year, while Stripe requires you to call for an assessment.
- Stax has a wider range of payment terminal options and integrations.
Use Stax if you prefer a more user-friendly recurring billing platform for your high-volume business. While Stripe can design sophisticated recurring billing tools, Stax also supports advanced features but with a more user-friendly platform. Both charge fees to use the service (Stax with a fixed monthly fee, Stripe as a percentage of transactions) but Stax’s pricing model can give high-volume businesses huge savings
Stax is the most cost-effective alternative to Stripe for high-volume B2Bs, professional services, and subscription-based businesses looking for ways to save on credit card processing. Stripe (as well as most of the Stripe competitors on our list) offers custom rates for high-volume sales, but Stax’s wholesale interchange-plus rates come up cheaper even with the monthly fees.
Stax has lowered its custom plans to support businesses making over $500,000 annually. Before, it was $5 million.
- Monthly fee: $99–$199
- Card-present transaction fee: Interchange + 8 cents*
- Card-not-present transaction fee: Interchange + 18 cents*
- Optional software packages: Monthly for features like reporting dashboard, ACH payments, invoicing, Text2Pay, web-hosted payments, recurring payments, chargeback manager, and dedicated support
- Chargeback fee: $25
- Custom plans available for businesses processing over $500,000 annually
*Interchange rates are what the issuing credit card company charges, and vary by card type and use. Learn more in our article on interchange fees.
Stax is ahead of Stripe for in-person sales because it offers more choices of POS hardware and a native mobile app. It also offers advanced recurring billing tools and direct POS integration that can rival companies like Stripe.
- Wholesale interchange-plus rates (no markup on transaction fees)
- Effectively month-to-month contract
- Built-in invoicing
- Advanced recurring billing solution with Stax Bill
- Advanced recurring billing management software
- Secure credit surcharging with CardX
- Free same-day funding
- B2B payment processing
Stripe, of course, blows away Stax—and all the others—by having over 1,250 integrations in addition to its powerful programming tools. Even Stax itself says Stripe is better known for online payments, while Stax takes a more holistic approach.
PaymentCloud: Best Stripe Alternative for High-risk Merchants
Pros
- Competitive rates
- Excellent customer support
- Good customer reviews
- Handles high-risk sales
Cons
- Fees not transparent
- Supports limited CBD products
- No mobile app
How It Compares to Stripe
- PaymentCloud supports high-risk businesses; Stripe does not.
- Stripe does not charge a monthly fee, PaymentCloud merchants pay up to $45 per month; some plans are free.
- Payment Cloud accepts cryptocurrency; Stripe is moving toward it.
- PaymentCloud charges a monthly fee for the use of its payment gateway; Stripe does not.
- PaymentCloud’s chargeback fee is more expensive than Stripe’s.
- PaymentCloud offers free same-day payouts; Stripe charges 1% for this.
Use PaymentCloud if you need a Stripe alternative that works well for mid- and high-risk merchants. It partners with over 10 banks and walks you through the application process to get you approved. Pricing is customized, but user reviews say the terms are competitive. Stripe has same-day deposits—but at an additional fee, while PaymentCloud says it gets funds into your account in seconds rather than days. It is the fastest payout of those on our list.
In general, if you run a business that sells high-risk items or is considered a mid- to high-risk business, you should definitely consider PaymentCloud. In fact, other merchant services will refer clients that do not get approved as a low-risk business to PaymentCloud. It’s our top-recommended high-risk merchant account.
- No application fees, setup fees, or annual fees
- Monthly fee: $10–$45
- Medium-risk transaction fee: 2.3%–3.4%
- High-risk transaction fee: 2.7%–4.3%
- Large volume discounts available
- Interchange + pricing available depending on use case; call for more information
- Payment gateway fee: $15/month
- Chargeback fee: $25–$45
- Works with mid- and high-risk businesses
- Flexible pricing model based on merchant preference
- Gateway agnostic—seamlessly integrates with all payment gateways including Stripe
- Advanced, custom fraud protection tools
- Supports in-person, mobile, and cross-border payment processing
- Can process cryptocurrency transactions
- Chargeback protection
- Next-day funding
PaymentCloud will handle integration into your CRM, accounting software, POS solutions, and more. Stripe leaves this process to your team. Unlike others on our list, PaymentCloud also offers a wide range of POS systems and hardware, from Ingenico to Clover. Stripe’s offerings are far more limited.
Helcim: Cheapest Stripe Alternative for Established Businesses
Pros
- No monthly fee
- Free POS and virtual terminal
- Excellent 24/7 customer support
- International payment processing
Cons
- No high-risk merchants
- Not ideal for low-volume businesses
- Limited integrations
How It Compares to Stripe
- Both have zero monthly fees.
- Both are ideal for B2B businesses.
- Stripe offers flat-rate pricing with custom discounts. Helcim has automatic volume-based discounted interchange-plus rates.
- Both have excellent invoicing and recurring payment tools.
- Only Helcim has free POS software.
- Both handle international currency, but Helcim charges in your currency and does not convert; Stripe works with 135+ currencies.
- Both impose a $15 chargeback fee.
Merchants should use Helcim when they want a cheaper Stripe alternative for payment processing. It is one of several on our list with interchange-plus pricing but has one advantage: no monthly fees. It even automatically scales the rates to your level of sales, so you don’t need to change plans or apply for discounts. Helcim tops our list of cheapest credit card processors.
Businesses with steadily growing credit card sales—particularly above $25,000 per month (where Helcim’s volume discount starts) will find Helcim most suitable. And while Stripe offers convenient ways to process payments for B2B, it does not support level 2 data processing like Helcim does.
Helcim also offers free invoicing, recurring billing (which Stripe charges extra for), online checkout, employee management tools, and POS software (which Stripe does not have unless you create it).
For businesses with a storefront, Helcim has a native POS app for countertop or mobile, and native tools for taking food orders, managing inventory, and managing customers.
- Monthly fee: $0
- Card-present transaction fee: Interchange plus 0.1% + 5 cents to 0.3% + 8 cents
- Card-not-present transaction fee: Interchange plus 0.2% + 10 cents to 0.5% + 25 cents
- Chargeback fee: $15, but Helcim refunds the charge for disputes settled in your favor
- Card reader: $109
- Automatic volume discounts
- Interchange plus pricing model
- Automated, volume-based discount
- Free to use invoicing, recurring billing and subscription management tools
- Free POS software
- Level 2 Data processing for B2Bs
- International payment processing
Like Stripe, Helcim has a built-in check-out portal, although Stripe offers more templates and customizations. Helcim lets you embed payments into your website or app and process payments without handling the sensitive information associated with payments.
Overall, these native features and very affordable interchange-plus pricing make Helcim a great fit for busy storefronts. In fact, Helcim is one of our top picks for retail credit card processing companies.
Payanywhere: Best for Small, Mobile Restaurants & Retailers
Pros
- Free chip card reader
- Good for low-ticket sales
- Free POS with employee scheduling
- Next-day funding
Cons
- Has complaints of hidden fees
- Has an inactivity fee
- Does not process international credit cards
How It Compares to Stripe
- Both offer month-to-month and custom plans.
- Both offer flat-rate pricing.
- Payanywhere charges a $3.99 inactivity fee; Stripe does not.
- Payanywhere offers free same-day deposits; Stripe requires a 1% fee.
- Payanywhere’s chargeback fee is slightly more expensive.
- Payanywhere has a wider range of payment terminals.
- Payanywhere has tools for hiring and scheduling employees; Stripe does not.
Merchants should use Payanywhere if they need a low-cost, mobile-first payment processing and POS alternative to Stripe. Unlike Stripe, it does not charge a per-transaction markup on in-person payments, so you save more with Payanywhere for every sale you make. For businesses that primarily do low-ticket, steady in-person sales, Payanywhere is a great alternative. (Online, however, Stripe has much better transaction fees.)
Moreover, Payanywhere now offers free same-day payouts, which was previously offered with a 1% fee (Stripe charges 1.5%).
Payanywhere is also one of our recommended credit card payment apps with a simple, easy-to-use POS solution. It has a free mobile POS app that works for small restaurants and food trucks and integrates with delivery systems and even offers employee management tools through Homebase, including time clocks, scheduling, and hiring—Stripe does not offer these.
You’ll also find Payanywhere with Stripe on our list of PayPal alternatives.
- Card-present processing fee: 2.69%
- Keyed-in processing fee: Starting at 3.49% + 19 cents per transaction
- Invoice and recurring payment processing: 3.49% + 19 cents
- POS software: $0
- Inactivity fee: $3.99 per month after 12 months of inactivity
- Card readers: $59.95
- Terminals: From $9.95 per month or $349 one-time
- Early termination fee (if on contract): $295
Stripe is better in that it does not have an inactivity fee; Payanywhere charges $3.99 per month after 12 months without processing transactions. Payanywhere also does not process international credit cards, making it better for domestic sales.
- Low fees
- Free next-day and same-day deposit
- Offers pay-as-you-go and long-term contracts
- Autopay set up tools for subscriptions management
- Reliable credit card payment app
- Custom invoice numbering
- Free virtual terminal
Payment Depot: Best for Wholesale Pricing With No Percentage Markup
Pros
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Strong third-party integrations
- 24/7 customer support
- Free gateway and virtual terminal
Cons
- Monthly fee
- Best only for processing up to $21,000 monthly
- US merchants only
How It Compares to Stripe
- Payment Depot requires a monthly subscription fee while Stripe does not.
- Neither imposes a long-term contract.
- Payment Depot charges interchange-plus pricing; cheaper than Stripe’s flat-rate fee.
- Both offer merchant financing through loans.
- Stripe can process international payments; PaymentDepot does not.
- Unlike Stripe, PaymentDepot does not charge extra fees for invoicing and recurring billing.
Use Payment Depot if you want to save on monthly transaction costs for large-scale transactions. Payment Depot is a significantly cheaper alternative to Stripe with its wholesale interchange-plus pricing and free access to various payment processing tools for a single subscription fee (Stripe charges additional for invoicing and recurring billing services). Payment Depot’s single monthly subscription of $79 is based on annual processing volume of $250,000 and is $20 cheaper compared to Stax for the same volume limit, so you can start saving on transaction fees if you process up to $21,000/month on credit card sales.
Established, small businesses (including B2Bs) will benefit from Payment Depot. It comes with a free virtual terminal (which Stripe does not have) and a proprietary payment gateway, with a couple more additional payment gateway options if you need to process B2B transactions.
- Monthly fee: $79 (Annual processing volume of $250,000 or $21,000/month)
- Contract length: Month-to-month, no long-term contract
- Card-present processing fee: Interchange plus 8 cents
- Card-not-present processing fee: Interchange plus 18 cents
- Chargeback fee: $15
- No setup, cancellation, and other miscellaneous fees
- Custom pricing for >$250,000 in processing annually
- Hardware: Starts at $49
Payment Depot makes our list of the cheapest credit card processing companies.
- Wholesale interchange plus pricing
- Free native payment gateway (NMi)
- Free built-in virtual terminal
- Integrates with Authorize.net and PayTrace (for Level 2 and 3 data) payment gateway
- Powered by SwipeSimple for mobile payment processing
- No additional fees for ACH payments
- Small business loans
Payment Depot falls short of Stripe in that it is only for US merchants. You also need to apply and be approved, whereas Stripe lets you sign up and go. It also lacks billing and invoicing, except through other payment gateways (Stripe has these tools).
iATS: Best Alternative to Stripe for Nonprofits & Donations
Pros
- Donors can elect to pay transaction fees for you
- Works with donation-specific software
- No chargeback fees
- Works with 14,000+ nonprofits
Cons
- Contract may be needed
- Does not list pricing
- 2+ day disbursement
How It Compares to Stripe
- iATS is a dedicated software for nonprofits with business management tools; Stripe can configure its checkout pages into donation pages.
- Both allow international payments.
- Both have online forms, but iATS can pre-populate them for recurring donors.
- iATS can give your donors the option to cover the payment processing fees; Stripe does not.
- iATS requires a long-term contract, while Stripe is a pay-as-you-go payment solution.
- Stripe offers faster payouts, including a same-day payout option, than iATS.
Use iATS if you need an easy-to-use platform with built-in tools for running a full-fledged nonprofit organization. With Stripe, you need to configure signup forms and checkout pages to match your nonprofit requirements, but iATS is built especially for these unique businesses. Like Stripe, this payment processor relies heavily on integrations. However, iATS can create a standalone solution, with hosted pages and forms, to which you can add a shopping cart using its Aura program. Stripe will embed into websites but not build one for you.
iATS is obviously the better choice for nonprofit organizations, not just for the dedicated donation tools, but also for its competitive pricing. While reported iATS transaction fees seem to be somewhat more expensive compared to other alternatives to Stripe with nonprofit discounts (like PayPal), only iATS comes with features unique to the business.
iATS and Stripe are both on our lists as best for:
iATS also differs from Stripe in that it can give your donors the option of covering their transaction fees for you. While a small addition for your donor, this can save you a great deal of money in processing fees.
- Monthly fee: $0
- Transaction rates: Undisclosed flat monthly rate; reports say 2.49% to 3.2% + 26 cents
- ACH processing: Not on its website, but third-party sources say it costs 26 cents per transaction
- One-year contract, with six months automatic renewal
iATS takes longer to process payouts than Stripe. It requires a one-year contract and works only with certified nonprofit organizations, whereas Stripe can be used for charity or for-profit businesses.
- Native online forms tools
- Hosted donation page
- Wide range of CRM integrations
- Option for donors to cover transaction fees
- Proprietary Salesforce payment processing integration for nonprofits
- Advanced, customizable payment platform
- Online form WordPress plugin
- Secure card vault with updater
Authorize.net: Best Stripe Competitor for Payment Gateways
Pros
- Reliable
- Highly popular
- Easy to integrate and use
- Discounts for nonprofits
Cons
- Monthly fee
- No POS hardware
- Users say setup, interface can be rough
How It Compares to Stripe
- Unlike Stripe, Authorize.net can be used as a standalone payment gateway with a different merchant account provider.
- Authorize.net charges a monthly fee of $25; Stripe is free to use.
- Both allow you to accept international payments with Stripe charging 1% and Authorize.net charging a 1.5% fee.
- Both impose a chargeback fee, with Authorize.net fees slightly higher.
- Authorize.net does not charge extra fees for using its invoicing and recurring payment service; Stripe does.
- Integrated with most payment processors, including high-risk
- Recurring billing service
- International payments processing
- Customer management tools
- Echeck payments processing
- 24-hour funding
- Advanced fraud protection tools
Stripe reaches more countries, accepts a greater variety of payments, and integrates with more systems, whereas Authorize.net offers more of a plug-and-play solution. Also, despite Stripe being more programming-heavy, users give it a better usability rating than Authorize.net, which they say can take some effort to set up and has an older-looking interface.
Chase Payment Solutions: Best Traditional Merchant Account
Pros
- Negotiable rates in some cases
- Reputable bank with global reach
- Same-day funding to Chase business checking account
Cons
- Requires a Chase business account for some payment processing features
- Has account stability issues
- Expensive chargeback fees
How It Compares to Stripe
- Chase is a direct processor and works more with both resellers and merchants; Stripe does not.
- Stripe’s rates are slightly higher than Chase’s.
- Chase charges a monthly fee for ACH/e-check services; Stripe charges 0.8% per transaction.
- Both can process international payments.
- Chase includes same-day payouts; Stripe charges extra for rapid payout.
Chase Payment Solutions is one of the biggest names in the banking industry and is a direct processor of credit card transactions. Recently, Chase has made significant improvements to its direct-to-merchant payment processing services. Thus, if you need faster access to funds, especially if you have a Chase Business checking account, then Chase is your ideal alternative to Stripe.
Small businesses that want a singular platform to track both in-person and online transactions with the fastest access to funds should definitely consider Chase. Unlike Stripe, you won’t need to pay extra for same-day funding or pay for multiple services to manage B2B transactions. Chase has its own proprietary virtual terminal that can process all that, including cross-border payments.
- Monthly fee: $0
- Processing fee: From 2.6% + 10 cents to 3.5% + 10 cents
- ACH Processing: $25 per month for 25 transactions, 25 cents for each additional, or 1% for certain platforms
- Cancellation/early termination fee: $0
- Chargeback fee: $25–$100 per transaction
- Deposit speed: Same-day deposit and next-day funding
- Hardware options: $49.95–$399
- Direct processor
- Free merchant account
- Flexible payment methods
- Integrates with most POS software
- Free same-day and next-day funding
- B2B payments processing
- International payments processing
- Native payment gateway
- Unique business insights
- Proprietary mobile POS
- Live 24/7 support
As a direct processor, Chase makes payment processing simpler; funds are transferred faster for as long as you have a checking account with Chase. However, there have been frequent reports of poor customer service and some complaints over contracts that ended up with users having to pay cancellation fees.
How We Evaluated Stripe Alternatives
When looking for the best alternatives to Stripe, we considered dozens of excellent payment processors, many of which have features on other best-of lists for merchant accounts and payment processing. We then narrowed it to competitors of Stripe that met a need that Stripe did not or did something better than Stripe, whether with a tool or as a cheaper alternative. In general, nearly all of these require less programming knowledge, especially when it comes to integrations and POS systems.
Stripe Alternatives Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Stripe is a favorite among programmers because of its versatility and easy-to-use tools. Even users without programming experience say that the tools are not difficult if you need basic things like invoices and a checkout page. Plus, with over 1,000 native integrations and an API with excellent directions, it can work with just about any software you need. Thus, we think it’s the best for online payment processing.
Stripe is an excellent payment gateway and has placed in several of our best-of lists for payment processing for various needs. However, whether it’s the best depends on what you need the payment gateway for. The article above offers excellent alternatives for situations where Stripe might not be the best choice.
It depends on what you want out of your payment processor. Our article lists 10 excellent alternatives that meet needs Stripe cannot or that do something better than Stripe.
We offer one-on-one comparisons for the following products:
Stripe offers an excellent help section with detailed documentation. In addition, you can check out our article on using Stripe’s payment processing tools.
Bottom Line
If you have specialized payment processing needs or a wide range of online payment venues, then Stripe may be your best choice. It’s extremely popular among developers for its extensive toolset and ease of use—for programmers. Those who are not tech-savvy or do more sales in person may fare better with a simpler payment processor. Additionally, those doing high-volume online sales may save more money with a payment processor that does interchange-plus processing.
Of the many Stripe competitors, Square comes out as the best on our list. It offers rates comparable to Stripe but has a powerful free POS system, online store, virtual terminal, and other tools that make it a better choice. Plus, it’s easy to use and highly rated by real-world users. Sign up for a free account and get started today.
