5 best payment gateway and online payment systems 2025

1 of 3

takepayments: Best for a flexible payment structure

4.8

Try takepayments

2 of 3

Stripe: Best for strong security features

4.6

Compare Quotes

3 of 3

Worldpay: Best for selling high-value goods

4.2

Compare Quotes

A payment gateway is crucial for taking card payments online. It’s a software tool that allows you to take your customers’ payment information and authorise the payment – a key part of your online checkout system. It should create a smooth experience for your customers, whilst keeping their card information fully protected.

During our tests, takepayments emerged as the top payment gateway solution thanks to its flexible payment structure, which lets you negotiate your fees. takepayments also provides our favourite card machines for small businesses of 2025.

Based on our rigorous research and testing, here’s our definitive roundup of the best ecommerce payment gateways to help protect your customers’ sensitive information and ensure a smooth payment experience.

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FEATURED PROVIDER	BEST OVERALL
Airwallex	takepayments	Stripe	Worldpay	Shopify	Revolut
Best for: Not yet assessed	Best for: A flexible payment structure	Best for: Strong security features	Best for: Selling high-value goods	Best for: An all-in-one solution	Best for: Affordability
Overall score Not yet rated	Overall score 4.8	Overall score 4.6	Overall score 4.6	Overall score 4.2	Overall score 4.1
Transaction fees from 1.30% + 0.20 GBP	Transaction fees from Quote-based	Transaction fees from 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards	Transaction fees from 0.75%	Transaction fees from 1.5%	Transaction fees from 0.8% + £0.02
Monthly costs None	Monthly costs Quote-based	Monthly costs None	Monthly costs From £19.95	Monthly costs From £19	Monthly costs None
Payout time Up to three business days	Payout time Next business day	Payout time Up to three business days	Payout time One business day	Payout time Two to five business days	Payout time Next day
Contract length None	Contract length One month minimum	Contract length None	Contract length 18 months	Contract length None	Contract length None
Visit Airwallex	Try takepayments	Compare Quotes	Compare Quotes	Compare Quotes	Compare Quotes

*Pricing is correct as of January 2025

1. takepayments: best for a flexible payment structure

Source: takepayments.com

How much does it cost?

• Transaction fees: Quote-based

takepayments has a quote-based fee structure, with transaction fees that are tailored to your specific business. While it might seem frustrating to have to contact a company to get an idea of its pricing, you might find that the bespoke structure works to your benefit if you’re able to negotiate competitive fees.

Why is takepayments a top contender for my business?

takepayments offers a hosted payment gateway that provides a secure, customisable checkout page. So, while your customers will be redirected to a separate site to make their payment, you can make it match your site’s branding, helping create a more seamless checkout experience. It’s also compatible with over 50 shopping cart plugins, so you should be able to easily integrate with your preferred option.

If your business relies on quick cash flow, takepayments’ fast next-business-day payouts will have you covered. That said, if having no payouts over the weekend is a deal breaker, you should consider looking at Revolut instead.

takepayments’ online portal can provide you with extensive data through detailed reports, and you can monitor your transactions as they happen. You get an impressive range of support via phone, email, live chat, and a knowledge centre – all it’s missing is a user forum – just keep in mind it’s not availvable 24/7 (contact hours are 8am to 7pm on weekdays, 8am to 6pm on Saturdays, and 9am to 5pm on Sundays). If you take sales at all hours, you’ll want to cast your eye over to Worldpay.

Josh Neuman, founder of Chummy Tees, says:

As the proprietor of an online apparel store, I've found robust reporting to be crucial. Costs naturally factor significantly for small outfits operating on tight margins.

Visit Chummy Tees

2. Stripe: best for strong security features

Source: stripe.com

How much does it cost?

• Transaction fees: 1.5% + 20p for standard cards.

Stripe offers a completely free plan, making it an attractive online payment option for small businesses – and it doesn’t charge setup or monthly fees.

Keep in mind, though, that while Stripe’s standard transaction fee might seem highly competitive at 1.5% + 20p, its other tiers could end up stinging you in the long run. For example, payments made with EU cards are subject to a much heftier 2.5% + 20p fee, so keep this in mind if you depend on a large amount of international payments.

Why is Stripe a top contender for my business?

Stripe offers an easy, pre-built payment form called Stripe Checkout to embed on your site – or Stripe can host it – which you can customise to match your own branding. It’s also just one payment API in Stripe’s suite of products, so you’ll have a range of options to choose from (just be aware each will be subject to its own costs and fees).

Stripe shines when it comes to security – particularly its advanced fraud feature, Radar, which is built directly into the payment flow and uses machine learning to detect unusual patterns in your payments (keep in mind, though, that you’ll be charged to use it – it can cost up to 6p per screened transaction depending on factors like your account type). If you’re in an industry that’s typically subject to fraud, Stripe is definitely worth your attention.

In our testing, we came away impressed by the variety of customer support options provided by Stripe. Stripe can also provide weekend payouts with its Instant Payouts feature (but it charges 1% per transaction, unlike other providers that give lightning fast next-day payouts at no extra cost, such as takepayments). Without Instant Payouts, it can take up to three working days to receive your funds.

3. Worldpay: best for selling high-value goods

Source: worldpay.com

How much does it cost?

• Transaction fees:
  • Simplicity payment gateway: 1.5%
  • Worldpay eCommerce payment gateway: 1.3% plus 20p

• Monthly fee: £19.95 per month for the Simplicity payment gateway

Worldpay offers two online payment services: Simplicity and Worldpay eCommerce. With Worldpay eCommerce, you’ll get a reasonably competitive transaction rate of 1.3% plus 20p for Mastercard and Visa consumer cards. There’s no setup fee, but Worldpay has some fine print warning that other charges may apply, so do double check. Worldpay’s pricing tends to favour high value transactions as opposed to large numbers of small value payments, because of the minimum amounts imposed by the fee structure.

If you choose the Simplicity payment gateway, you won’t be subject to any upfront costs, authentication fees, or premium charges, but it does cost £19.95 per month. Not all providers charge a monthly fee for payment gateways, so this is something to be aware of.

Why is Worldpay a top contender for my business?

If you deal in high-risk, high-value transactions, Worldpay’s excellent security options are definitely worth your attention. You’ll have access to FraudSight – Worldpay’s own multilayered fraud protection solution – and 3DS Flex basic, an additional layer of authentication when processing payments.

Our experts were also thoroughly impressed by Worldpay’s extensive help and support via phone, email, live chat, and knowledge centre. It even has a forum on which you can discuss issues with fellow online merchants. Not only that, but it’s in operation 24/7, so you’ll never be left high and dry.

With either Worldpay eCommerce or Simplicity, you’ll get access to the Worldpay Dashboard, which allows you to see payment activity and source insights for sales strategies. Speaking of sales, Worldpay also gives you a Pay by Link option, so you can send secure payment links to your customers via email or social media for a speedier checkout experience.

Worldpay’s payout times are as fast as one business day – good for those who rely on quick cash flow. It also allows you to customise your deposit schedule, so you can decide when you’ll receive your funds.

Keith Donovan, founder of Startup Stumbles, says:

Security is non-negotiable - our customers trust us with sensitive information, so we owe it to them to take security seriously. Only use a provider that offers top-notch encryption, fraud monitoring, and data protection. Similarly, seek out stellar support. I’ve found that responsive customer service can make or break your experience.

Visit Startup Stumbles

4. Shopify: best all-in-one solution

Source: help.shopify.com

How much does it cost?

• Transaction fees for online payments:
  • Basic plan: 2% + 25p
  • Shopify plan: 1.7% + 25p
  • Advanced plan: 1.5% + 25p

• Monthly fees:
  • Basic plan: £19 per month
  • Shopify plan: £49 per month
  • Advanced plan: £259 per month

Shopify Payments is only available to Shopify merchants – those who’ve built their online store with Shopify. You can sign up to Shopify’s ecommerce website builder on one of three different plans (we’ve listed the prices and fees above).

Basic will be the plan to look at for one-person-bands, while small businesses with a handful of core staff will be better suited to the Shopify plan. The more aggressively-priced Advanced plan is suitable if you’re making enough sales that the cheaper transaction fees would save you enough money to justify the monthly charge.

Why is Shopify a top contender for my business?

Shopify is a purpose-built ecommerce website builder that’s ideal for those looking to launch an online shop. Shopify Payments is its native payment gateway, meaning you can build a website, then take payments through it, all under one roof.

Just keep its payout times in mind – it can take anywhere from two to a crushingly slow five working days for funds to arrive. This could be a deal breaker if you rely on a quick and steady flow of cash. You might want to take a look at a much faster payout provider like takepayments instead.

Shopify Payments is PCI compliant and provides the option for 3D secure checkouts. You’ll also get access to its excellent 24/7 support system, which includes phone, email, live chat, a knowledge centre, and – most impressively to us – a forum on which you can discuss pain points and issues with other Shopify merchants.

Chris Demetriou, co-founder of Archimedia Accounts, says:

For payment gateways, the cheapest option isn't necessarily the best - focus on overall value. Service providers need to both invoice clients and accept online payments. Choose a gateway that enables recurring payments and allows customers to pay invoices online.

Visit Archimedia Accounts

5. Revolut: best for affordability

Source: revolut.com

How much does it cost?

• Transaction fees:
  • UK consumer cards: 1% + 20p
  • All international and commercial cards: 2.8% + 20p

Revolut’s rock bottom transaction fee of 1% + 20p is an incredible deal if most of your sales come from UK consumer cards. The transaction fee jumps up to 2.8% for any international or commercial card, so if your business will take a large number of payments from overseas, you’ll feel the pinch.

Why is Revolut a top contender for my business?

Revolut is an API-based payment gateway that can be integrated onto your website, meaning your customers won’t be directed to a third-party site to check out. While you might find this tricky to set up, Revolut does offer its own support system of engineers to help you through the process. You also get the added benefit of its customisable widget, so you can build your checkout process exactly the way you want it and make it as smooth as possible for your customers.

Costs might be low, but this does come at the expense of detailed sales reporting. If you’d like to use extensive sales data to strategise future plans, opt for takepayments.

Revolut can offer extremely fast next-day payouts, including over weekends. It also provides peace of mind with an automated security system that monitors your transactions for any signs of potential fraud, and triggers an in-app warning notifying you of any suspicious activity so you can act.

Anh Nguyen, founder of online shoe store 365 Crocs, says:

You'll want the gateway to match the look and feel to your own brand. Don't settle for a one-size-fits-all checkout flow. Make it feel like home for your customers!

Visit 365 Crocs

How do I choose the right payment gateway for my business?

If you’re not clear on what key features you should be keeping an eye out for when choosing a payment gateway, then our detailed list will help you out:

1. Security

Security is the number one concern for your customers, which naturally makes it a top priority for your business as well. Given the number of high-profile cases of buyers’ personal data being stolen, it’s a good idea to thoroughly research what protections are in place to ensure you and your customers are safe from fraudsters. You should check the gateway has:

• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): guaranteed security controls on cardholder information
• Card Verification Value (CVV): checks a customer card’s CVV code to provide an additional layer of security
• Address Verification Service (AVS): verifies the billing address provided by the customer
• Encryption: scrambles all cardholder details so that bad actors can’t access the original information
• Other advanced fraud protection tools: most providers have their own ways of detecting fraud for additional reassurance

2. Data portability

Who owns your customer’s data if you choose to leave your gateway provider? It’s very important you are able to properly store, access, and download the data you need to sustain your merchant services without breaking GDPR. Here are the key features to look for to ensure data portability:

• Ensure the provider adheres to PCI standards for secure data exchange
• Check that the provider has documents explaining how to manage and export data
• Look for a provider with reporting functions; this will make it easy to view data
• Be aware of export fees – some providers will charge you to download data

3. Hosted vs. integrated gateways

Hosted gateways are hosted by the provider, and so will redirect your customers to its own platform to make a payment. These are the simplest form of payment gateway to set up and are best suited to those who don’t have a complex purchasing process (such as dropshippers) or don’t want to hire a third-party developer. One drawback is that customers will have to leave your site to pay – this can confuse the process and lead to cart abandonment.

An integrated gateway connects to your ecommerce website via the gateway’s provided API (Application Programming Interface), meaning that your customers will never leave your site to input payment information. It requires a fairly advanced technical knowledge to implement and so it’s best for those with an in-house tech team or software knowledge. Most integrated APIs will give you more detailed customisable options for your checkout page than a hosted gateway.

4. Cards accepted

It’s standard for payment gateways to accept all major credit and debit cards, but always double-check. If the gateway accepts American Express (AMEX), that’s a bonus – be sure to check the credit card processing fees though, as these can be higher for AMEX. Other payment methods that customers might expect from your store include:

• Bank transfer
• Gift cards
• Regional e-wallets
• Pay by Link
• PayPal or Amazon Pay

5. Fees

Each payment gateway charges a different fee for credit, debit, and overseas transactions – and sneakier providers will not reveal these upfront. Be sure to read up on what the transaction fees are to avoid a nasty surprise on your next invoice.

Examples of hidden fees that some providers charge include:

• Statement fees (charge for accessing transaction reports)
• Batch fee (charge for processing a batch of transactions)
• Non-qualified transactions (a charge for incorrect card information being submitted)
• Chargebacks (when a customer requests a chargeback, you may be charged a fee)
• Security fees (a fee for carrying out security checks)
• Termination fees (a charge if you terminate your agreement early)

6. Customer support

If your gateway goes down, you won’t be able to accept payment for your products, which is bad news for business. Make sure your payment gateway provider has an efficient customer support network that can help out with any problems, at any time. Look for features like:

• Email support
• Phone support
• Live chat support
• Knowledge centre
• Forum

Nguyen Huy, co-founder of Trendy Aloha, says:

Avoid pitfalls and carefully read reviews and evaluate factors like uptime, support response times, and ease of reporting. Hidden 'gotchas' quickly add up. Choose a reputable brand that allows your business to focus on sales, not payments

Visit Trendy Aloha

How we test payment gateways for small businesses

We tested 26 merchant service providers, evaluating them on the criteria we deemed to be most useful and important to our readers, so we can accurately recommend the right payment gateways to UK-based small businesses.

During the testing process, we conducted 45 tests over 22.5 hours in total, completing a total of 270 different tasks.

Our rigorous process explores 78 areas of investigation across 23 subcategories, which themselves fall under four main categories. Having given a score for each of these categories, we then gave these scores a weighting so that the categories we felt were most important would have a larger impact on the provider’s final overall rating. This is to ensure rankings are based on the most helpful insights to our readers.

The main categories for payment gateway providers we consider are:

Software: Assessing how the provider handles payouts, the data and reporting available, which payment types are accepted, what security measures are offered, and more.

Help and support: Appraising the type, availability, and accuracy of the support the platform provides for its merchants.

Pricing: Assessing the transaction fees, contract costs, monthly costs, and upfront fees that the providers charge.