Choosing Between 5 Popular Payment Gateway Providers

No matter what kind of business you own and operate, whether it's a brick and mortar store, an online or e-commerce business - you'll need a payment gateway to process transactions. A payment gateway is the technology used to connect you to a payment network. When customers are done shopping, they checkout by providing their payment and billing information. This information is then encrypted so it can be sent safely to a payment processor to complete their transaction.

Finding the right payment gateway can be a challenge. You'll want to make your decision based on features such as the level of transaction security, customer service, multiple currency acceptance or fee structure.

With these factors in mind, here's our comparison of 5 payment gateway providers:

Stripe

Stripe's straightforward fee structure and easy integration with major e-commerce systems have made it the most well-known and popular payment gateway for businesses of all sizes. Some of its clients are Apron, Lyft, and Pinterest.

Pros:

• Flat-rate pricing
• 24/7 customer support
• Advanced reporting tools
• Powerful fraud protection
• Excellent tools for your Marketplace, Developer, and Subscription needs
• Accepts multiple currencies

Cons:

• Accounts can be easily put on hold or terminated
• Unsuitable for high-risk industries
• High risk is not clearly defined

Cost:  Credit Cards 2.9% + $0.30. Accept international credit cards for an additional $1. ACH 0.8% (capped at $5).

PayPal Payments Pro

PayPal is the most popular payment solution system. PayPal Payments Pro's payment gateway gives merchants the chance to customize their checkout process. The most attractive feature is that it hosts a checkout page enabling customers to stay on your website during checkout; whereas PayPal Payments Standard and PayPal Express Checkout redirect customers to PayPal to complete their payment. Your choice of PayPal Payment gateway should ultimately depend on the amount of credit card sales you process.

Pros:

• Anyone can use PayPal (having a merchant account isn't a requirement)
• Advanced fraud protection
• Easy to withdraw money (no matter the currency)

Cons:

• Accounts can easily be put on hold or flagged due to a spike in sales
• Inconsistent customer support
• Not suitable for high-risk industries

Cost:  2.9% + $0.30 per transaction and $30 per month.

Amazon Payments

Amazon Payments is ideal for new companies or firms looking for online-only credit and debit card processing. Amazon Payments allows customers to complete purchases, make donations, and set up recurring payments on a merchant's website by making payments through their Amazon.com account.

Amazon Payments is easy to use and has mostly positive reviews. However, it's not a good fit for business owners who would like to accept PayPal, ACH, or Bitcoin. It's also not designed for merchants looking for one processor to handle both in-person and online transactions.

Pros:

• No early termination fee
• Brand recognition
• User-friendly

Cons:

• Limited payment options
• Online only

Cost:  2.9% + $0.30 fee for domestic transactions. International transactions cost an additional 1% fee per transaction.

Braintree

Braintree, a division of PayPal, is a good option for startups looking for an online-only solution and companies that want to process a variety of payment options. Unlike PayPal, Braintree accepts a wide range of payments and offers a bank-sponsored merchant account. It's a practical choice for businesses that process international payments because it charges lower fees for currency conversion than some of its competitors. The downside is that you can't rely on Braintree alone: you are obligated to use their API to build it into your website.

Pros:

• Predictable flat-rate pricing
• Excellent customer support
• Multi-currency options
• Excellent marketplace, developer and subscription tools

Cons:

• Challenging implementation for non-developers
• Not suitable for high-risk industries
• Long set up times and holds on accounts

Cost:  2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee for everything except Bitcoin.

Authorize.Net

Authorize.Net is one of the oldest providers for eCommerce. It's online-only and tends to be more expensive than its competitors due to advanced fraud detection and secure customer data storage that minimizes risk.

Authorize.Net provides a payment gateway and several additional products and services, but it is not a merchant account provider. Therefore, you'll need a third-party processor to set up a merchant account through Authorize.Net,. 

Pros:

• Anti-fraud and strong security features
• Support for multiple currencies
• Excellent customer service

Cons:

• High set up fee
• Monthly fee

Cost:  $49 account setup fee. $25 per month gateway fee. Authorize.net charges users 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.

To help out merchants who may be daunted by the price, Sekure has established a special Authorize.net offer for our customers, with no setup fee, a $5 monthly gateway fee, and a $0.05 transaction fee. This is a great opportunity to get top-of-the-line security at a fraction of the cost.

Ultimately, the payment gateway you choose for your business is a personal decision, based on factors only you can prioritize. We have many options to choose from. Give us a call, tell us your story, and we'll be happy to find a tailored solution that meets your needs.