5 Best Payment Gateways in 2025 And How They Work

We like that PayPal-owned Braintree Payments is a payment gateway provider offering merchant accounts and flat-rate payment processing, with an easy setup process. Braintree supports all standard forms of payment and directly integrates with PayPal and Venmo. You can set up a payment gateway by signing up with a payment service provider such as Square or by signing up for a full-service merchant account with a provider like Helcim. Both types of payment service providers offer built-in payment gateways. If the customer has the funds in their bank account to cover the purchase, the transaction is approved and the customer’s online checkout is a success. Our analysis found Helcim, PayPal and Shopify to be among the best payment gateway providers for different payment needs.

DIY vs. third-party payment gateways

Any time financial transactions are involved, reliable customer service is paramount. We collect extensive data to narrow our best list to reputable, easy-to-use products with stand-out features at a reasonable price point. And we look at user reviews to ensure that business owners like you are satisfied with our top picks’ services. We use the same rubric to assess companies within a particular space so you can confidently follow our blueprint to the best payment gateways of 2025. Depending on the provider, merchants deemed “high risk” could include pawn shops, adult services, CBD, nutrients/supplements and even search engine optimization (SEO) providers. Even having a bad credit score could put you in the high-risk category.

• Meanwhile, the retail POS offers inventory features that can help you avoid stock-outs (and disappointed customers).
• Google Pay for Websites is the perfect solution if you have an eCommerce website and want to accept payments through your website.
• We also think the global payments support makes Stripe a value-add for any business that’s looking to expand into other markets.
• You can incorporate it directly or via one of its pre-built tools.

Best for online payments: Stripe

2Checkout is another payment provider that is commonly used by online merchants, not least because as well as one-off purchases it’s easy to set up Legal E-Billing subscriptions. This makes it especially useful for online businesses selling digital services such as web hosting or web design companies. It’s also commonly available as a plugin for major ecommerce platforms, and can process a wide range of global currencies. We’ve compared these payment gateways across many factors, including ease of setup, ease of use, global processing, pricing plans, and mobile payments. We also looked at their security features, the currencies they support, and what types of businesses they’d best for. A payment gateway is a software application that merchants use to accept credit cards and other types of electronic payments.

Knowing your customer preferences

PayPal also offers mobile and in-person payment solutions, among other financial services. Increasingly, payment gateways are becoming important for POS-centric businesses as well. The first is a basic point-of-sale (PoS) system that allows companies to accept credit card payments at any location. The second is a digital payments platform for full integration with online sales payment service provider channels. That includes eCommerce sites, marketplaces, and even social media platforms. Your monthly sales volume – in terms of the total number of transactions and dollar value – is another major factor that any business should consider when selecting a payment gateway.

Best for diverse payment methods: Paysafe

• Flat-rate payment processing fees are the cornerstone of most PSP services.
• Your customers will likely be familiar with specific payment methods.
• Even having a bad credit score could put you in the high-risk category.
• Square is best known for its POS system, which allows retailers to accept payments in person.
• While that ensures its simplicity, it also means that you shouldn’t expect a lot of bells and whistles.

The complaints cite accounts being closed with no clear explanation and funds being withheld for extended periods, which disrupts their operations. Some customers complain that Stripe unfairly classified them as unearned revenue high-risk businesses. On the other hand, positive user reviews note Stripe’s wide range of features and support for third-party integrations. A gateway payment provider is a type of software that can encrypt sensitive payment information. These companies help online retailers that want to process online and in-store payments through their ecommerce platform.

Best Payment Gateways in 2025 (And How They Work)

However, if you want more comprehensive functionality, like extensive financial reporting features, you’ll have to look elsewhere. From the seller protection to PayPal Later, there are quite a few perks in place to help protect (and grow) your money. That said, we were able to reach a human when we tried to call them. PayPal has given careful attention to creating a streamlined online checkout experience for your customers. Customers don’t need to have a PayPal account to pay but can select from diverse options, including Venmo and even crypto (customers check out with crypto but you get paid with cash).