The 10 Best Payment Gateways & Solutions For Startups

PayPal is a well-known and reliable online payment gateway that you can use for international payment transactions. With PayPal, you can get several financial services, like money transfers between bank accounts, sending and receiving payments globally, and getting working capital loans.

It supports more than 25 currencies, and you can accept payments from over 200 countries. There are many payment options that your customers can use, such as credit cards, debit cards, PayPal balances, or direct bank transfers.

This is the best payment gateway, especially if you’re a startup looking to scale internationally or have an international customer base. Other than that,

• Setting up PayPal is also very easy. You don't need any advanced tech skills to integrate it into your website or app.
• You can quickly create and send professional invoices that customers can pay instantly.
• PayPal has strong security measures. It uses advanced encryption and fraud detection tools so both you and your customers can feel secure when processing transactions.
• PayPal also supports mobile payments, so your customers can pay you via their smartphones. This feature is especially useful if your startup relies on mobile commerce or needs to accept payments on the go.

While PayPal is a great payment gateway solution, there are a few limitations. It has a transaction fee, especially for international transactions that can add up and affect your profit margins.

Also, some users have reported unexpected account freezes or fund holds, and their customer service is criticised for being slow.

If you need a payment gateway that can be customised to fit your business model, Stripe is the perfect choice. It’s a developer-friendly platform with powerful APIs. You can integrate it into your websites or apps with just a few lines of code. It has pre-built UI components that you can customise to fit your business, whether it’s a subscription service, an e-commerce store, or a marketplace.

Best part about Stripe is that it supports over 135 currencies and accepts multiple payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. It even has buy now, pay later services.

• You can set up recurring payments, manage customer accounts, and even handle trials and discounts. Stripe also helps you deal with failed payments.
• It uses machine learning to detect potentially fake transactions and protect your business from payment fraud.
• You can also get detailed analytics and reporting tools that give you insights into your revenue, payment success rates, and customer behaviour.
• Stripe easily connects with other platforms and tools, such as e-commerce platforms like Shopify, accounting software like QuickBooks, and even mobile apps. This makes it easy to integrate Stripe into your business operations without having to start from scratch.

If you don’t have technical expertise on your team, getting the most out of Stripe can be challenging. Also, its transaction fees can add up, especially if you’re processing a large volume of payments or dealing with international transactions.

Braintree, owned by PayPal, is a platform that helps you accept payments online and through mobile apps. Using this, you can include several payment options on your websites or apps. It supports PayPal, Venmo, credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. It even includes local payment methods in different countries.

You can easily integrate it with your website or app, and it makes sure that your customers have a smooth payment experience no matter how they choose to pay.

• Braintree also has built-in tools to protect your business from fraud. These tools use advanced technology to detect and stop suspicious activity so you can feel safe while processing payments.
• If you offer subscription services, Braintree makes it easy to manage recurring payments. You can set up trials, discounts, and plan changes all in one place without needing to use multiple tools.
• Braintree's API and SDKs are easy to use, even if you're not a tech expert. They provide clear instructions and support to help you get started quickly so you can integrate it into your website or app without any problems.

Braintree’s pricing can be a bit complicated, especially if you’re using multiple payment methods or operating in different countries. This can make it harder to predict your costs.

Also, some users have noted that Braintree’s customer support can be slow or difficult to use, which can be frustrating if you run into issues.

GoCardless is the best choice if you have a subscription-based business model and you need a way to manage recurring payments. It’s a payment gateway specifically made for processing direct debits, so it’s really useful if you’ve to bill clients frequently.

With GoCardless, once your customers set up a direct debit, payments are processed automatically. This means your customers’ payments are automatically taken from their bank accounts at regular intervals.

This way, you won’t miss any payments and won’t have to ask for them again and again.

• You can integrate GoCardless with other accounting and invoicing software like Xero, QuickBooks, and Salesforce. This makes it easy to manage your finances, track payments, and keep your accounts up to date.
• Even though it’s mainly used for direct debit services in the UK and Europe, it also lets you accept payments from customers in other countries, such as the US, Australia, and Canada. This makes it a good choice if you have customers all over the world or plan to expand your business globally.
• It has a straightforward pricing model with no upfront fees or hidden charges. You only pay a small percentage of each transaction, which makes it easy to predict your costs and manage your budget.
• You can also see details like which payments have gone through, which ones have failed, and track trends in your cash flow.

Since GoCardless focuses on direct debits, you may find it's not suitable if your customers prefer other payment methods like credit cards or digital wallets. Also, GoCardless's services are mainly available in certain regions, which might limit its usefulness if you have customers in unsupported countries.

Direct debits typically take a few days to process, so if you need instant payment confirmation, this payment gateway might not be the best fit for you.

Dwolla is one of the best payment services for handling direct bank transfers or ACH (Automated Clearing House) payments. It makes the whole process of sending and receiving money directly from bank accounts simple without using credit cards, which can reduce transaction fees.

It provides an API that lets businesses integrate payment solutions into their systems easily. This API can handle multiple types of transactions, like real-time payments and mass payouts.

• One of the best things about Dwolla is that it's cheaper to use than credit card processing. ACH payments typically have lower fees, which can save your business money, especially if you're handling a lot of transactions.
• It helps you keep your payments secure by verifying bank accounts and preventing fake transactions.
• With Dwolla’s mass payment feature, you can send payments to multiple people at once.
• You can also customise the payment experience to fit your business needs. Whether you need to set up recurring payments, handle big one-time transfers, or manage payouts, Dwolla's tools let you build a solution that works for you.

You may come across a few limitations when using Dwolla. Integrating it into your platform needs technical expertise, so you'll need a developer or technical team to get it set up. Also, Dwolla's services are mainly limited to the United States, which can be a problem if you operate internationally or have customers outside the US.a

Authorize.net is a trusted platform that’s been around for a long time and offers easy-to-use payment processing solutions for online merchants. Whether you’re running an e-commerce site, a small business, or a subscription service, it simplifies the process of accepting payments so you can focus more on growing your business and less on the tech stuff.

With Authorize.net, you can accept a wide range of payment methods, including credit and debit cards, e-checks, and digital wallets like Apple Pay and PayPal.

• You can create and send professional invoices to your customers, making it easy for them to pay with just a few clicks.
• Setting up your payment processing is straightforward, and you get tools to help you integrate it into your website or app without too much trouble.
• If you offer subscription services, Authorize.net's recurring billing feature can automate the payment process for you. You can set up regular payments for services or products, so you don’t have to manually manage each transaction.
• It has advanced tools to detect and prevent fake transactions, including features that check addresses, card codes and limit the number of transactions from a single account.
• You can also process payments using your smartphone or tablet, whether you're at a trade show, pop-up shop, or meeting with a client.

While it's a great payment processor, there are some drawbacks to using Authorize.net. You'll be charged transaction fees, which can add up quickly, especially if you're a small business or have a high volume of sales.

Also, Authorize.net's international capabilities are somewhat limited, so if you have customers outside the US, you may find it's not the best fit.

Chargebee is an ideal payment solution if your startup provides subscription-based services and you need to manage recurring payments. With Chargebee, you can automate everything from billing to invoicing to revenue management. You can bill your customers based on their subscription plans. It automatically generates invoices, including all the taxes and discounts if applicable, so you don't have to do anything manually.

This helps you make sure you’re billing your customers correctly and on time.

• Chargebee lets you offer different pricing plans, such as flat-rate, usage-based, and tiered plans. This means you can create subscription options that fit your business and meet the needs of different customers, all from one platform.
• If you need to track revenue over time, Chargebee has tools to help you do that.
• It also has a built-in feature to handle failed payments. If a customer's payment fails, Chargebee will try again and send reminders, helping you recover lost revenue without having to do it manually.
• You can get detailed reports on your subscription metrics, such as how many customers you're losing, how much each customer is worth, and how much revenue you're getting each month.
• You can also integrate it with other tools, like CRM systems, accounting software, and payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal.

Chargebee's features can come with a learning curve, and it may take you some time to fully understand and use them, especially if you're new to subscription management. Its pricing can also be higher than other options, which might be a concern for startups on a tight budget, especially as your business grows.

Klarna is a great payment gateway choice if you want to give your customers more flexible payment options, especially for e-commerce. It has specialised “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) solutions. With Klarna, your customers can split their payments into smaller instalments or choose to pay at a later date. This helps in boosting your conversion rates and overall sales.

The best part is that its instalment plans are interest-free. Customers can split their payments over weeks or months without any added extra fees. This encourages them to buy more from you, which is a win-win situation.

• The "Pay Later" option lets customers delay payment for up to 30 days after they buy something.
• If there’s a repeat customer, they can use the one-click checkout feature to complete their purchase fast, without having to enter their payment details every time.
• Klarna also provides you with tools and analytics to help you manage payments, understand your customer's behaviour, and improve your sales strategies.
• It works in many countries, making it a great option if you want to sell your products internationally.

Before using Klarna there are a few things you should be aware of. You'll be charged a fee for each transaction processed through Klarna, which can be higher than standard payment processing fees, especially on smaller transactions.

Also, sometimes, there's a risk of your customers overextending themselves with Klarna's buy-now, pay-later options, which can lead to higher default rates and potentially affect your business.

Skrill is an affordable payment gateway choice for startups in the US that have customers around the world. It’s a digital wallet service that supports over 40 currencies. With this, you can store, send and receive payments across several different countries. Best part is that its transaction fees are really low compared to other payment gateways.

So, it’s a cost-effective solution for making international transactions and helps you save money while increasing your global reach.

• When you use Skrill, you can expect your international payments to be transferred quickly, often within a few hours. This is much faster than traditional bank transfers, which can take several days.
• As a Skrill user, you have the option to get a prepaid Mastercard, which lets you access your funds immediately. You can use this card to withdraw cash from ATMs or make purchases online or in-store.
• You can also integrate it with various e-commerce platforms, making it easy for you to add Skrill as a payment option on your website.

Skrill has some limitations to it. You can have trouble reaching their customer support or resolving issues quickly, which can be frustrating.  You'll also need to be aware that Skrill charges fees for some actions, like currency conversion or withdrawal of funds to a bank account, which can add up over time.

If you need an all-in-one payment gateway for handling online payments, Verifone is the perfect choice. It’s a payment processing service that offers a complete suite of online payment tools, including options like recurring billing and advanced fraud prevention.

It has several payment options, including credit and debit cards, digital wallets, and even alternative payment methods like bank transfers. So, you can offer your customers multiple ways to pay, which increases your chances of converting sales.

• If you run a startup with a subscription model, Verifone can automatically charge your customers regularly. You won't need to do this manually, which is great for software services, member sites, or any business that needs regular payments.
• Verifone keeps your business safe with anti-fraud tools. These tools use up-to-date information and smart technology to spot and stop fake payments.
• It works with many currencies and in various places around the world. You can sell to people globally, and Verifone will handle the money exchanges for you.
• You can also get detailed reports about your payments. You can see how your sales are doing, what your customers are up to, and spot patterns.
• You can make your payment pages look like the rest of your website and match your brand's style with Verifone.

You can face certain limitations when using Verifone, such as setting up the platform which can be complicated especially if you're integrating it with a custom-built website or managing multiple payment methods.

Also, Verifone's fees may be higher compared to more basic payment processors, which is a concern for startups with tight budgets.