Payment Gateway Comparison: How to Compare Fees, Features and Fit

A useful payment gateway comparison does not start with the lowest percentage. It starts with how you sell: your average order value, where your customers pay from, which payment methods they expect and how fast you need your money. The same provider can be the cheapest option for one business and the most expensive for another.

This guide compares six widely used providers (Stripe, PayPal, Square, Adyen, Razorpay and Mollie) on published pricing and fit, then shows how to run the same comparison on any gateway. If you want a longer list, browse TheFinRate's payment gateway providers directory.

Quick answer

• Small online tickets in the US: the fixed fee matters as much as the percentage. Stripe and Square publish 2.9% + $0.30 for online cards, while PayPal Checkout publishes 3.49% + $0.49.
• Selling in Europe: Mollie publishes 1.80% + EUR 0.25 for EEA consumer cards and a much higher rate for non-EEA cards, so your customer mix decides the cost.
• Selling in India: Razorpay publishes 2% plus 18% GST on most domestic methods, which is an effective 2.36%.
• Large or multi-region volume: Adyen does not publish one headline rate. It charges a fixed fee plus a method fee, and cards run on Interchange++ pricing.

Rates change and differ by country, so confirm on each provider's pricing page before you commit.

How we compared payment gateways

Each provider was checked against the same criteria, using its own published pricing where it exists:

1. Pricing model (flat rate, flat rate plus fixed fee, or interchange plus)
2. Headline online card rate in the provider's home market
3. Fixed per-transaction fee and what it does to small orders
4. Extra costs: international cards, currency conversion, disputes, refunds
5. Payment methods and local methods
6. Markets and currencies
7. Fit: the type of merchant each model tends to suit

We did not rank providers. A gateway is only "best" against a stated need, and the table below is a snapshot, not a score.

Payment gateway comparison table

Insert the comparison table from Section D here.

Pricing models explained

Flat rate means one percentage plus a fixed fee, regardless of the card used. It is easy to forecast. Stripe and Square publish flat online rates in the US.

Interchange plus (Interchange++) passes through the card issuer's interchange fee and the card scheme's fees, then adds the provider's own margin. Adyen lists Visa and Mastercard as Interchange++ plus 0.60%, with a fixed processing fee on every transaction. It can cost less at scale, but the total depends on your card mix, so you cannot read your price off a single number.

Blended by method is how Mollie prices: each payment method has its own rate, and card rates depend on whether the card is an EEA consumer card, an EEA commercial card or a non-EEA card.

What the headline rate hides

The fixed fee hits small orders hardest

A fixed fee is a larger share of a small sale. On a US online card payment:

If your average order is under $20, compare fixed fees first.

Tax and add-ons change the real rate

Razorpay's 2% is charged with 18% GST on the fee, so the effective cost on a domestic card or UPI payment is 2.36%, and on a Rs 1,000 payment the platform fee is Rs 20 plus Rs 3.60 GST. International cards are listed at 3% plus GST, an effective 3.54%.

Customer location changes the card rate

Mollie lists 1.80% + EUR 0.25 for EEA consumer cards, 2.90% + EUR 0.25 for EEA commercial cards and 3.25% + EUR 0.25 for non-EEA cards. A store whose buyers are mostly outside the EEA pays closer to the third figure. Square's UK pricing similarly splits UK and non-UK cards.

Other costs to check in the fee schedule

Currency conversion, international card surcharges, dispute fees, refund handling, instant payout fees and charges for fraud tools or billing add-ons vary by provider. Ask for the full schedule rather than relying on the pricing page summary. Some providers also publish more than one card rate for the same country, so confirm which product your integration uses.

Provider notes

Stripe

Stripe publishes flat-rate pricing with no setup or monthly fees on its standard plan, and its US online card rate is 2.9% + $0.30. It is built around APIs, which suits custom checkouts, SaaS billing and marketplaces. The trade-off is the fixed fee on small orders and the extra cost of add-on products. Pricing pages detect your country, so the figure you see may differ. Source: Stripe pricing.

PayPal

PayPal's business fee page lists card processing from 2.89% + $0.29, PayPal and Venmo payments at 3.49% + $0.49, and Pay Later at 4.99% + $0.49 in the US. Its strength is the recognisable wallet at checkout. The trade-off is that several rates exist side by side, so the product you enable decides your cost. Source: PayPal business fees.

Square

Square lists 2.9% + 30 cents for online store, eCommerce API and online invoice payments in the US, and different regional rates elsewhere (for example 1.4% + 25p for UK cards and 2.5% + 25p for non-UK cards in the UK). It suits sellers who also take payments in person with Square hardware, because one account covers both channels. Check supported countries before planning cross-border sales. Source: Square payments pricing.

Adyen

Adyen charges a fixed processing fee plus a payment-method fee per transaction, with no setup fee stated on its pricing page. Fixed fees shown on the pages we checked were around EUR 0.11, and they vary by currency and region. Visa and Mastercard are priced at Interchange++ plus 0.60%. It is aimed at larger or more complex merchants, and published figures are indicative, so expect to speak to sales. Source: Adyen pricing.

Razorpay

Razorpay publishes 2% plus GST for most domestic methods (cards, UPI, netbanking, wallets) and 3% plus GST for international cards, EMI and some premium methods, with no setup fee or annual maintenance charge on the standard plan. It suits businesses selling mainly to customers in India. Source: Razorpay pricing explained.

Mollie

Mollie is a European provider with per-method pricing and a card rate that depends on card origin. It suits merchants selling mainly to EEA consumers, especially where local bank-based methods matter. Its non-EEA card rate is notably higher than its EEA consumer rate. Source: Mollie pricing.

How to choose the right payment gateway

Learn the basics first if needed: what a payment gateway is and how it works.

1. Write down your average order value and monthly volume. They decide whether fixed fees or percentages dominate.
2. Split your sales by customer location and card type. Domestic, EEA, non-EEA, consumer and commercial cards price differently.
3. List the payment methods your customers expect. Cards are not enough in markets that favour UPI, bank transfers or local wallets.
4. Check settlement and payout timing. Cash flow matters as much as fees.
5. Confirm integrations. Check your store platform, billing tool, accounting software and POS.
6. Ask about disputes and risk. Fraud tools, chargeback handling and account review rules differ, and some sectors are treated as higher risk.
7. Request a written fee schedule. Model your last three months of sales against it.

Common mistakes when comparing gateways

• Comparing percentages and ignoring the fixed fee.
• Using a US rate for a business that sells mostly outside the US.
• Forgetting taxes on fees, such as GST in India.
• Treating a gateway, a payment processor and a merchant account as the same thing.
• Choosing for launch week instead of for the volume you expect in a year.
• Skipping a backup provider, so one outage or account review stops all sales.

Comparison table and checklist

Comparison table (insert under "Payment gateway comparison table")

Rates were taken from provider pages in October 2026 and change often. Confirm before publishing and before buying.

Pre-selection checklist

• Average order value and monthly volume known
• Share of domestic and international cards known
• Required payment methods listed
• Fixed fee, percentage, currency conversion, dispute and refund costs written down
• Settlement timing and payout fees confirmed
• Integration with store, billing and accounting tools confirmed
• Fee schedule received in writing and modelled against recent sales
• Backup provider identified
  
  

FAQs

• What should I compare first when choosing a payment gateway?

Start with your average order value, customer location and required payment methods. These decide whether percentages, fixed fees or local methods matter most.

• Is flat-rate or interchange plus pricing cheaper?

It depends on your volume and card mix. Flat rate is simpler to forecast. Interchange plus can cost less at higher volumes but needs more analysis because the total changes with each card type.

• Do I need a separate merchant account?

Often not. Many providers bundle processing and a gateway, while others require a separate merchant account. Check how each provider structures this before applying.

• Why does the same provider show different rates on different pages? 

Rates vary by country, product and plan, and some providers publish more than one card rate. Use the page for your country and ask for a written fee schedule.

• Can I use more than one payment gateway?

Yes. Many merchants add a second provider for local methods, other regions or redundancy. Plan the integration and reconciliation before you do.

Verdict

Verdict. No gateway wins every comparison. Stripe and Square look similar on US online card pricing, PayPal adds a recognisable wallet at a higher per-transaction cost, Adyen fits larger and multi-region businesses that can negotiate, Razorpay is built around Indian payment methods, and Mollie is strongest where EEA consumer cards and European local methods dominate. Your own order size, customer location and payment mix should make the final call.

Ready to go deeper? Browse our payment gateway reviews to see how individual providers are assessed, then request each shortlisted provider's full fee schedule.