10 Best Payment Gateways of 2026

1. 1

   Stripe

   Developer-first payments platform with online checkout, billing, invoicing and in-person terminals on one account.

   9.2overall

   Developer-first payments platform with online checkout, billing, invoicing and in-person terminals on one account.

   Best forOnline businesses and SaaS companies that want one API for cards, wallets, subscriptions and payouts.

   Adoption data

   $1.9 trillionStripe's annual letter says businesses on its platform generated $1.9 trillion in 2025, equal to 1.6% of global GDP.

   Stripe, Stripe's 2025 annual letter (2025): “In 2025, businesses on Stripe generated $1.9 trillion – equivalent to 1.6% of global GDP – even as the economy bifurcated.”

   Stripe is the gateway most online businesses compare everyone else against. A standard US card payment costs 2.9% + 30¢ with no monthly fee, and the same account covers more than 125 payment methods, Payment Links, hosted invoices, subscription billing through Stripe Billing, Radar fraud screening and Terminal readers for in-person sales. That breadth means a startup can launch with a payment link and grow into a full custom checkout without changing provider. Stripe's 2025 annual letter puts the scale at $1.9 trillion generated by businesses on the platform, about 1.6% of global GDP, which is the largest annual figure published by a developer-focused gateway on this list. The weaknesses are mostly about cost at scale: manually keyed cards run 3.4% + 30¢, and merchants with large, low-risk volume may find interchange++ quotes from Adyen or Checkout.com cheaper. Sales tax and VAT remain your responsibility unless you add Stripe's paid tax tools.

   Strengths

   • +Largest disclosed annual volume among developer-focused gateways
   • +Flat published US rate with no setup or monthly fee
   • +Billing, invoicing and in-person payments share one account

   Limitations

   • −Manually entered cards cost more at 3.4% + 30¢
   • −Flat rate can be higher than interchange++ at large volume
   • −Tax and compliance stay with the merchant unless you add paid products

   SummaryStripe is the best payment gateway for most online businesses in 2026. It combines a published flat rate, no monthly fee and the deepest set of payment tools behind one API.

2. 2

   Adyen

   Global payments platform for enterprise merchants that unifies online, in-app and in-store payments with interchange++ pricing.

   9.0overall

   Global payments platform for enterprise merchants that unifies online, in-app and in-store payments with interchange++ pricing.

   Best forLarge merchants and platforms selling across many countries and channels that want pass-through interchange pricing.

   Adoption data

   €451.1 billionAdyen reports €451.1 billion in processed volume in the third quarter of 2026, up 30% from a year earlier.

   Adyen N.V., Adyen publishes Q3 2026 Business Update (2026): “Processed volume was €451.1 billion, up 30% YoY.”

   Adyen is the gateway large retailers, travel firms and platforms choose when they need one provider across many countries and channels. Pricing is built from two parts: a $0.13 processing fee per transaction and a payment method fee, which for major card schemes is interchange++ plus 0.60% on the published pricing page. Interchange++ means the actual card scheme and issuer costs are passed through, so the merchant sees exactly what each transaction costs. Adyen says it charges no setup, monthly, integration or closure fees, though it notes a minimum invoice that depends on industry or business model. One integration covers online, in-app and in-store payments plus a long list of local methods, from Alipay+ wallets to buy now pay later. Scale is the strongest argument: the Q3 2026 business update reports €451.1 billion in processed volume, up 30% year over year. Smaller sellers will find the sales-led onboarding and minimums less suited to them than Stripe or Square.

   Strengths

   • +Transparent per-transaction cost breakdown
   • +Very large and fast-growing processed volume
   • +Unified commerce across web, app and store

   Limitations

   • −Minimum invoice depends on industry or business model
   • −Total card cost varies by card type and region
   • −Built for enterprise sales cycles rather than self-serve small sellers

   SummaryAdyen is the best gateway for enterprise merchants who sell across borders and channels. Interchange++ pricing rewards volume, but minimum invoices make it a poor fit for small stores.

3. 3

   Square

   Block's payments and commerce platform covering online checkout, invoices, APIs and in-person point of sale.

   8.7overall

   Block's payments and commerce platform covering online checkout, invoices, APIs and in-person point of sale.

   Best forBusinesses that sell online and in person and want one gateway, catalog and payout schedule for both.

   Adoption data

   $76,359 millionBlock's Q3 2026 shareholder letter shows $76,359 million, about $76.4 billion, in Square gross payment volume for the quarter.

   Block, Inc., Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Form 8-K exhibit) (2026): “Total Square GPV ($M) 67,151 64,960 61,209 72,848 76,359”

   Square earns its place on a gateway list because it treats online and counter sales as one business. The same account takes website checkout, invoices and API payments, and also runs card readers and Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android, so stock, customers and payouts stay in one place. Square Free costs $0 per location per month, while Plus at $49 and Premium at $149 per location lower card rates and add industry tools, and sellers processing more than $250,000 a year can ask for custom pricing. Block's Q3 2026 shareholder letter shows $76.4 billion in Square gross payment volume for the quarter, which makes it one of the most widely used gateways among small and mid-sized sellers. For a pure online business, though, Square offers fewer developer and cross-border tools than Stripe, Adyen or Checkout.com, and its online rate is not lower than Stripe's. Multi-location businesses should also budget for per-location plan fees.

   Strengths

   • +Free plan with published rates
   • +Strongest online plus in-person combination here
   • +Quarterly volume disclosed in Block's SEC filings

   Limitations

   • −Paid plans are charged per location
   • −Fewer enterprise and cross-border features than Adyen or Checkout.com
   • −API payment rate of 2.9% + 30¢ matches Stripe rather than undercutting it

   SummarySquare is the best gateway for businesses that sell both online and in person. Pure ecommerce and international sellers will get more from Stripe or Adyen.

4. 4

   Braintree

   PayPal's enterprise gateway that combines card processing with PayPal, Venmo and digital wallets in one integration.

   8.5overall

   PayPal's enterprise gateway that combines card processing with PayPal, Venmo and digital wallets in one integration.

   Best forMid-sized and large online merchants that want cards, PayPal and Venmo through a single gateway.

   Adoption data

   $1.53 trillionPayPal's Braintree page cites $1.53 trillion in total payment volume and 25 billion transactions a year across PayPal in 2023; Braintree does not publish its own volume.

   PayPal, PayPal Braintree: payment gateway for enterprise (2023): “$1.53 trillion total payment volume in 2023”

   Braintree is PayPal's gateway for businesses that want card processing and PayPal's wallets behind one integration. Its published US fee table lists 2.89% + 29¢ for card and third-party digital wallet transactions on standard merchant pricing, a little under Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢, with no monthly fee, and verified 501(c)(3) charities pay 2.19% + 29¢. The integration supports PayPal, Pay Later, Venmo in the US, Apple Pay, Google Pay and local payment methods, plus payment orchestration, adaptive fraud tools and payouts to more than 200 markets in over 50 currencies. Venmo transactions follow PayPal's own rates at 3.49% + 49¢. The adoption picture is less precise than for rivals: the Braintree page cites PayPal-wide figures of $1.53 trillion in total payment volume and 25 billion transactions in 2023, and Braintree's own share is not broken out. Small sellers will also find fewer no-code tools here than at Stripe or Square.

   Strengths

   • +Lower published card rate than Stripe or PayPal standard
   • +Native PayPal and Venmo acceptance
   • +Discounted 2.19% + 29¢ rate for verified US charities

   Limitations

   • −Adoption figure covers all of PayPal, not Braintree alone
   • −Venmo is US only
   • −Fewer no-code tools than Stripe for small sellers

   SummaryBraintree is the best gateway for merchants that want PayPal and Venmo next to cards at a slightly lower card rate than Stripe. Its own scale is not disclosed separately from PayPal.

5. 5

   PayPal

   Checkout buttons, card processing and Pay Later from the payments company with hundreds of millions of active accounts.

   8.5overall

   Checkout buttons, card processing and Pay Later from the payments company with hundreds of millions of active accounts.

   Best forOnline stores that want buyers to pay with an existing PayPal account in a few clicks.

   Adoption data

   440 millionPayPal's Q3 2026 earnings release reports 440 million active accounts, up 0.6% from a year earlier.

   PayPal Holdings, Inc., PayPal third quarter 2026 earnings release (Form 8-K exhibit) (2026): “• Active accounts increased 0.6% to 440 million.”

   PayPal's value as a gateway comes from the buyers already signed in to it. Its Q3 2026 earnings release reports 440 million active accounts, and many of those shoppers will choose a PayPal button over typing card details, which can lift conversion at checkout. A business account has no monthly fee; standard card and debit payments cost 2.99% plus a fixed fee, while PayPal Checkout transactions cost 3.49% plus a fixed fee. Pay Later options, Guest Checkout for card buyers without an account, QR code payments and invoicing at the same rates fill out the toolkit, and most store builders support PayPal with little setup. The trade-off is price and depth. PayPal's card rate is above Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ and Braintree's 2.89% + 29¢, and the wallet rate is higher still. Merchants who need advanced subscription logic or fine control over the checkout flow usually pair PayPal with another gateway or use Braintree instead.

   Strengths

   • +440 million active accounts can pay without typing card details
   • +No monthly fee on standard business accounts
   • +Fast to add to most ecommerce platforms

   Limitations

   • −PayPal Checkout costs 3.49% plus a fixed fee
   • −Standard card rate is above Stripe and Braintree
   • −Fewer developer and subscription tools than Stripe

   SummaryPayPal is the best add-on gateway for reaching buyers who already have a PayPal account. As a sole card processor it costs more than Stripe or Braintree.

6. 6

   Worldpay

   Large merchant acquirer and gateway for enterprise, small business, software platforms and marketplaces.

   8.3overall

   Large merchant acquirer and gateway for enterprise, small business, software platforms and marketplaces.

   Best forEnterprise retailers, travel and gaming companies that want a long-established acquirer with quote-based pricing.

   Adoption data

   $2.3 trillionWorldpay says it processes $2.3 trillion a year for enterprise brands.

   Worldpay, Worldpay home page (2026): “When it comes to big business, we deliver on a massive scale, processing $2.3 trillion annually for some of the biggest brands.”

   Worldpay is one of the largest merchant acquirers in the world, and its own home page says it processes $2.3 trillion a year for some of the biggest brands. As a gateway it covers online payments for websites and apps, in-store terminals and omnichannel setups, with fraud prevention, authentication, dispute management and a payment credential vault. Optimization tools such as Revenue Boost and dynamic routing aim to raise authorization rates, and the currency product lets customers pay in their own currency. Worldpay also sells embedded payments to software platforms and marketplace payouts, and serves industries from travel and airlines to gaming and the public sector. The downside for an online business is transparency: there is no published self-serve US rate card, so you need a quote, and the wide product menu takes time to evaluate. That earns it a lower value score than gateways with published fees, even though its scale is among the largest here.

   Strengths

   • +Very large annual processing volume
   • +Covers enterprise, small business and platform use cases
   • +Wide set of fraud, routing and dispute tools

   Limitations

   • −No published self-serve US pricing
   • −Sales-led onboarding
   • −Product range is broad and can be hard to compare

   SummaryWorldpay suits enterprise merchants that want a large, established acquirer and are ready to negotiate pricing. Smaller online stores will find published-rate gateways simpler.

7. 7

   Checkout.com

   Enterprise payment service provider with a unified API, local acquiring and interchange++ or flat-rate pricing.

   8.2overall

   Enterprise payment service provider with a unified API, local acquiring and interchange++ or flat-rate pricing.

   Best forHigh-volume online merchants in ecommerce, gaming, travel, fintech and crypto that want local acquiring in many markets.

   Adoption data

   $300 BNCheckout.com says it processed $300 billion in ecommerce payments for enterprise merchants in 2025.

   Checkout.com, Checkout.com home page (2025): “$ 300 BN The total volume of ecommerce payments we processed in 2025 for enterprise merchants around the world.”

   Checkout.com is built for high-volume online merchants that want an alternative to Adyen with strong local acquiring. Its site says it has local acquiring in over 50 countries across Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific and supports more than 150 processing currencies, which helps merchants avoid cross-border charges and FX costs. Developers work through a Unified Payments API, a hosted payment page, Flow checkout components and mobile SDKs, with fraud detection, authentication, network tokens and a real-time account updater available. Pricing is tailored: the pricing page offers interchange++ with a detailed fee breakdown or a fully flat rate, and registered charities get free processing in the countries where it operates. Checkout.com says it processed $300 billion in ecommerce payments for enterprise merchants in 2025. Because there is no published US rate card and the service is aimed at enterprise volumes, small sellers will find self-serve gateways quicker to start with.

   Strengths

   • +Local acquiring reduces cross-border costs
   • +Detailed interchange++ cost breakdown
   • +Free processing for registered charities where it operates

   Limitations

   • −No published US rate card
   • −Aimed at enterprise volumes
   • −Pricing requires contacting sales

   SummaryCheckout.com is a strong enterprise gateway for merchants who need local acquiring across many countries. Expect a sales conversation before you see a price.

8. 8

   Mollie

   European payments platform with pay-per-transaction pricing, local payment methods and no monthly fee on its basic plan.

   8.0overall

   European payments platform with pay-per-transaction pricing, local payment methods and no monthly fee on its basic plan.

   Best forSmall and mid-sized online businesses based in Europe that sell mainly to European buyers.

   Adoption data

   350,000Mollie says it serves more than 350,000 businesses across Europe.

   Mollie, About Mollie (2026): “Today, we serve more than 350,000 businesses across Europe with an all-in-one solution that simplifies payments and money management.”

   Mollie is the simplest gateway on this list for a European online business. The pay-as-you-go plan has no monthly fee, no minimum costs and no lock-in contract, and you pay only for successful transactions. Card rates vary by card origin, with separate prices for European Economic Area consumer cards, commercial cards and non-EEA cards, and local methods such as SEPA Direct Debit and SEPA Bank Transfer carry flat fees. Payment Links, invoicing, hosted checkout, recurring payments and in-person terminals with Tap apps are all available, and merchants above a monthly volume threshold can get tailored interchange++ pricing with an account manager. Mollie says it serves more than 350,000 businesses across Europe. For US-based sellers it is a weaker fit: fees are published in euros, we could not confirm a US dollar price from this location, and its product focus is the European market rather than North America.

   Strengths

   • +Only pays per successful transaction
   • +Strong coverage of European payment methods
   • +Volume pricing with interchange++ for larger sellers

   Limitations

   • −Fees published in euros, not US dollars
   • −Focused on European merchants
   • −Non-EEA cards cost more than domestic ones

   SummaryMollie is the best low-commitment gateway for European online sellers. US businesses will be better served by Stripe or Braintree.

9. 9

   Authorize.net

   Long-running US payment gateway from Visa that can bundle a merchant account or connect to an existing one.

   7.9overall

   Long-running US payment gateway from Visa that can bundle a merchant account or connect to an existing one.

   Best forUS merchants that want a classic gateway with a virtual terminal, recurring billing and eCheck, or already have a merchant account.

   Adoption data

   430,000Authorize.net says it is trusted by more than 430,000 merchants and handles more than 1 billion transactions and $149 billion in payments a year.

   Authorize.net (Visa), About Authorize.net (2026): “As a leading payment gateway, Authorize.net is trusted by more than 430,000 merchants, handling more than 1 billion transactions and $149 billion in payments every year.”

   Authorize.net has been a payment gateway for US merchants since 1996 and is now part of Visa. It offers three plans, all at $25 per month: All-in-one bundles a merchant account and charges 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, Gateway only connects to a merchant account you already have for 10¢ per transaction plus a 10¢ daily batch fee, and Gateway + eCheck adds bank payments at 0.75% for US businesses. Features include a Virtual Terminal, Apple Pay and Google Pay at checkout, Automated Recurring Billing for subscriptions and payment plans, and Account Updater to keep stored cards current. The company says more than 430,000 merchants use it, handling over 1 billion transactions and $149 billion in payments a year. Its strongest case is for merchants with an existing bank merchant account who want a stable gateway in front of it. For new online stores, the $25 monthly fee and older checkout tooling make Stripe or Braintree cheaper and quicker to start.

   Strengths

   • +Works with an existing merchant account
   • +Published US pricing on every plan
   • +Phone support from a human

   Limitations

   • −$25 monthly fee on every plan
   • −Fewer modern checkout tools than Stripe
   • −eCheck only for US-based businesses

   SummaryAuthorize.net is the best gateway for US merchants who already hold a merchant account and want a proven gateway in front of it. New stores pay a monthly fee that Stripe and Braintree do not charge.

10. 10

    Paddle

    Merchant of record for SaaS and apps that bundles payments, checkout, subscriptions and global sales tax compliance.

    7.4overall

    Merchant of record for SaaS and apps that bundles payments, checkout, subscriptions and global sales tax compliance.

    Best forSoftware and app companies selling worldwide that want someone else to handle sales tax, VAT and chargebacks.

    Adoption data

    10,000+Paddle says more than 10,000 customers use its platform and that it remitted $130 million in sales taxes last year.

    Paddle, Paddle home page (2026): “10,000+ customers using Paddle”

    Paddle is not a conventional gateway: it acts as merchant of record, which means it sells your software to the buyer and takes on payments, sales tax, VAT and regulatory compliance in every market. Its pay-as-you-go plan costs 5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction with no monthly, migration or hidden fees, and that price includes global tax compliance, fraud protection, chargeback handling and buyer support. The platform covers a localized checkout with multiple currencies and payment options, subscription management, invoicing and free subscription analytics. Paddle says more than 10,000 customers use it and that it remitted $130 million in sales taxes last year. The headline rate is the highest on this list, so the case for Paddle rests on what you would otherwise spend on tax registration, filing and dispute work. It is designed for SaaS, apps and digital products; physical goods sellers should look at Stripe, Adyen or Braintree instead.

    Strengths

    • +Removes sales tax and VAT filing work
    • +Chargebacks and buyer support handled for you
    • +No monthly, migration or hidden fees

    Limitations

    • −5% + 50¢ is the highest headline rate here
    • −Built for software and digital products only
    • −Smaller customer base than the large gateways

    SummaryPaddle is the best option for software companies that want sales tax and chargebacks handled for them. Its 5% + 50¢ fee only pays off if that compliance work would cost you more.

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