The 10 best online payment gateways

A reminder of what an online payment gateway is

An online payment gateway is a service that enables you to accept and process credit card payments and other payment methods over the Internet . It ensures the security and speed of transactions by encrypting sensitive customer data and transmitting it between the merchant's website, the card-issuing bank, the merchant's acquiring bank and the card network.

An online payment gateway is essential for e-commerce sites, as it facilitates the payment process and reduces the risk of fraud . It can also offer fraud management tools, such as fraud filters, to help detect and prevent fraud. These tools can include functions such as card and address verification value, geolocation, device fingerprint and much more.

There are different types of online payment gateway, depending on how they integrate with the merchant's website. Here are the main types of online payment gateway used on the market:

• L he hosted gateways that redirect the customer to an external page for payment

• L ntegrated gateways allow the customer to remain on the merchant's website during payment

• Transparent walkways that use APIs to communicate directly with the payment processor

How does a payment gateway work?

The operation of a payment gateway can be summarized in four main steps:

• Step 1: The customer places an order on the merchant's website . To do so, they enter their payment details, including card number, expiry date and security code.

• Step 2: The merchant's website sends payment information to the payment gateway. The latter encrypts them and forwards them to the customer's card-issuing bank.

• Step 3: The card-issuing bank verifies that the customer has sufficient funds. to make the payment, and if the card is not blocked or reported as fraudulent. It then sends a response back to the payment gateway, which may be an authorization or a refusal.

• Step 4: The payment gateway transmits the response to the merchant's acquiring bank which credits or debits the merchant's account depending on the result. The payment gateway also informs the merchant's website of the result, which confirms or cancels the customer's order.

How to choose the right bridge?

To choose the right online payment gateway, you need to consider several criteria, such as :

CMS compatibility

The first crucial consideration is compatibility of the payment gateway with the content management system (CMS) you use for your website. Make sure the gateway is compatible with popular CMS such as WordPress, Wix, Shopify, Magento, Joomla, etc. This will ensure smooth integration and avoid technical complications.

Supported payment methods

Study carefully payment methods supported by the gateway . It's essential to offer a variety of payment options to suit your customers' preferences. Make sure the gateway accepts major credit/debit cards, bank transfers, etc. This will ensure a convenient and accessible shopping experience. Such adaptability is generally appreciated by customers, and can help to build loyalty.

International payment management

If your company is targeting an international audience, it is essential to choose a payment gateway that supports international transactions. This includes currency conversion, exchange rate management and compliance with international payment regulations. Make sure the gateway provides a seamless experience for your customers worldwide.

The 10 best online payment gateways

The 10 best online payment gateways

Hero

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Launched in 2021, Hero is a payment gateway dedicated to B2B transactions. Hero offers professionals new payment methods to increase their liquidity, finance their growth and simplify all payments. Hero is the first checkout solution in the B2B sector. In other words, it offers deferred payment or payment in instalments.

The amount of the commission varies according to the country and the merchant's sector of activity.

Payline

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Payline enables merchants to a ccept payments by credit card, PayPal, Paylib on their website or mobile application.

Rates are €0.15 for French and European cards, and €0.25 for other cards.

Monthly subscriptions range from €9.90 for 100 transactions to €199 for 10,000 transactions.

Stripe

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Stripe is a platform that accepts over 100 payment methods including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay and WeChat Pay. The commission is 1.5% + €0.25 for standard cards from the European Economic Area, 2.5% + €0.25 for UK cards and 1.2% + €0.25 for all other European cards.

Paypal

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Paypal is an American solution available in over 200 countries and accepts more than 25 currencies. The commission is 3.4% + €0.25 per transaction for payments from the European Union.

Clearpay

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Clearpay is the European brand of Afterpay, a BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) payment method popular in Australia and North America. The amount of the commission varies according to the country and the merchant's sector of activity. On the consumer side, the service is 100% free.

PayPlug

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Founded in 2012, PayPlug is a French payment solution. The solution is available on a subscription basis. Three pricing plans are available from €10 for the Starter offer to €80 for the Premium offer.

The commission is 2.5% + €0.15 per transaction for European cards and 2.9% + €0.15 for other cards.

Braintree

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Braintree is a PayPal subsidiary designed for online businesses . It is available in a total of 45 countries and supports 130 currencies.

The commission is 2.9% + €0.30 per transaction for European cards and varies according to the country of origin of payments for other regions.

Worldpay

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Founded in 1989, Worldpay is a global provider of payment services whose fixed fee is €0.12 per transaction for French and European cards, and varies according to the country of origin of payments for other regions.

Authorize.net

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Authorize.net is an online payment gateway which charges €0.10 per transaction, plus €0.10 per day for transactions outside the U.S., Canada and the European Union. The monthly subscription fee is €25, and the set-up fee is €49.

Square

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Square est an omnichannel payment solution . The commission is 1.75% per in-store or mobile terminal transaction, 2.5% per transaction for online or invoice payments, and 3.4% + €0.25 per transaction for telephone or virtual keypad payments.

The best payment gateways for Shopify

Shopify est an e-commerce platform which enables merchants to easily create and manage their online store. It is already in use in 175 countries worldwide.

If you have an online store on Shopify, you'll need to use a payment gateway to accept payments from your customers.

Here's a list of ten payment gateways you can use with Shopify:

• Shopify Payments ;

• Stripe ;

• PayPal ;

• PayPlug ;

• Klarna ;

• Worldpay ;

• Amazon Pay ;

• Opayo ;

• Adyen ;

• Square.

To choose, you'll need to pay close attention to ease of use, geographical coverage, payment fees and security guarantees.

The best payment gateways for Woocommerce

WooCommerce is a WordPress extension that lets you easily create and manage your online store. To accept online payments, you need to choose a payment gateway that is compatible with WooCommerce and meets your needs and those of your customers. There are many payment gateways available for WooCommerce, including :

• WooCommerce Payments ;

• Paybox ;

• Skrill ;

• 2Checkout ;

• Payplug ;

• Mollie ;

• Payline ;

• BlueSnap ;

• HiPay ;

• Braintree.

In short, online payment gateways play a crucial role in e-commerce. They offer reliable, secure solutions that enable e-merchants to facilitate and secure their online transactions. Choosing the right gateway can make all the difference to a customer's shopping experience and the success of an online business.

Choose a online payment gateway Adaptation is therefore essential to ensure smooth transactions and customer confidence.