8 Best Credit Card Processing Services in January 2025 TIME Stamped

Flow is a payment processor that offers services to a wide range of business types, including those that may struggle to find a payment provider elsewhere. Some businesses with sometimes murky regulations—including dietary supplements and adult products—are also supported. Paysafe is a diversified payments company with several brands under its umbrella, including international peer-to-peer payments app Skrill. Paysafe offers extensive support for gaming companies among other industries. Using the interchange plus mode, merchants pay $0.10 and 0.30% to Paysafe, plus whatever interchange fees are required based on the payment method. If you’re trying to scale up your e-commerce business, for example, PayPal has financial services tools to help.

Checkout.com as payment gateway for Recurring Subscriptions

The payment gateway then forwards bookkeeping the payment to the merchant’s account. If you’re just getting started with a small business, the simplest option is to go with a payment service provider like PayPal, Stripe or Square. They handle the process all the way through, so you don’t have to worry about setting up an additional bank account or custom software. Some payment gateways allow you to process transactions on your website while others require customers to be redirected to a separate page to enter their credit card information.

Payment methods

Users can take advantage of customer relationship tools to build customer loyalty and employee management tools that help to track hours worked. It also offers inventory management solutions and advanced reporting to help you best manage your business. Evaluate the gateway’s ability to handle increased transaction volumes without compromising speed or reliability. Check if they support emerging payment technologies like digital wallets or cryptocurrencies. This means the fees you pay can change based on the type of card your customer uses. The cost typically ranges from 3% to 12% of each transaction, plus 13 cents.

• Card-present transactions, whether in-store or at a mobile location, cost 2.6% plus $0.10 per transaction.
• Top gateways offer real-time authorizations, completing transactions in seconds.
• Payment gateways are services that you’ll find in eCommerce platforms such as eBay.
• In addition to credit cards, you may want to accept payments via PayPal or CHAPS.
• Pricing is competitive, with processing charged at 2.99% (+ fixed fee) per debit/credit card transaction, with no monthly fees, making it ideal for new and small businesses.
• They typically offer immediate account approval with no long-term contracts, simple, flat-rate processing fees and fully integrated software, POS systems and hardware.

U.S. Bank Merchant Services

However, higher-volume merchants may qualify for a lower rate of 2.7% + $0.30 per transaction. This entire process happens within a matter of seconds, and is all possible thanks to the payment gateway. The entry level ‘All-in-one’ account comes with a $25 monthly fee, no sign up fee, and a 2.9% (+30¢) transaction fee. Although the software can accept transactions made by customers all over the world, your business must be registered in the US, UK, Canada, Europe or Australia if you’d like to use this service. Additionally, for larger volume needs, it has a customized plan with volume discounts. Bitcatcha offers complimentary website consultations for anyone looking to build a website, whether beginner or experienced.

• Furthermore, Stripe supports more than a hundred currencies, and offers features such as mobile payments, subscription billing and one-click checkout.
• Check for any region-specific requirements or limitations that may affect your integration plans.
• The more payment methods you accept, the less likely you are to alienate a customer.
• Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
• It’s also good for businesses that need international payment options.

This makes it a good all-in-one solution for many small businesses. It works well for retailers, restaurants, and bookkeeping and payroll services service providers who need both in-person and online payment options. Square charges 2.6% plus 10 cents per transaction for in-person payments using a card reader.

• Most payment gateway providers will charge a per-transaction fee and a monthly fee.
• For more details about Atomic Invest, please see the Form CRS, Form ADV Part 2A, the Privacy Policy, and other disclosures.
• Check out Clover for simple, easy-to-use small business point of sale solutions.
• The customizable payment features enable businesses to set up automated recurring billing and ensure smooth transactions.
• CardX is a payment processing platform focused on keeping costs low for merchants.
• Payment gateways can also process direct transactions using alternate payment methods, including ACH payments, bank-issued debit cards, or even cryptocurrency.

Compare the Best Payment Gateways of 2025

Most online payment processing services on this list use flat-rate pricing, meaning they charge the same amount per transaction no matter how interchange rates fluctuate. This can payment service provider be convenient for businesses dealing with small transactions, but interchange-plus processing is typically more cost-effective, especially as you begin to sell more. The cost to use Authorize.Net as your payment gateway is $0.10 per transaction and a $25 monthly subscription fee.

Payment processors let transactions go through

Square accommodates a wide variety of payment types and fulfills the basic criteria of a payment gateway, like reporting and POS integration. This tool also has some features that can help you achieve your business goals, be it diversifying revenue or managing cash flow. We also think the global payments support makes Stripe a value-add for any business that’s looking to expand into other markets. The money can be stored in your Skrill digital wallet, or sent directly to your business bank account. At the same time, keep an eye on those terms and conditions, as outlined in our introduction. Fees can vary wildly from one payment gateway to another, so be sure to factor this in to your costings.