Payment gateways are the bread and butter for online and offline transactions in this digital era. Payment gateways act as a link that allows funds to be transferred from the customer’s bank account to the merchant’s bank account.
Their fundamental function is to collect information from both the sender and the recipient and then facilitate the movement of funds from one account to another. In many aspects, payment gateways are comparable to traditional brick-and-mortar shops’ point-of-sale devices.
Even if you run a small or medium-sized business, you may benefit significantly from the ability to speed up your customers’ payments and increase your cash flow. This is where payment gateways come into play; they can make transactions seamless for your business and the consumer.
Before we get started with the list of the top payment gateways that can completely transform how your business functions, it’s critical that you grasp the elements that will help you determine which payment gateway is the best fit for your company.
How to pick the Best Payment Gateway?
Think of payment gateway as the door between the merchant and the customer — It needs to be safe and robust. There are so many payment gateways in the market today, and deciding on the best fit for your company can be challenging.
So, the payment gateway should accept multiple currencies, and the cost per transaction should be taken care of. To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a list of four key considerations that are a must in every gateway.
Transaction Fees​
Several payment gateways are available, each with a varied fee structure based on the type of transaction a firm is engaged in. Payment gateway pricing plans are crucial if your company’s approach is budget-conscious. For most fintech companies, even the slightest change in expenses may enormously influence their profitability.
Make sure you don’t let advertisements promising the lowest prices or discounts impact your purchasing decision. Pay attention to the cost structure of the payment gateway that you are considering implementing.
Security
There is nothing more critical to the success of your business than a secure payment gateway. Online payment fraud is the most common method of fraud perpetrated on your clients and sometimes even your business. Therefore, choose a PCI-DSS-compliant gateway to keep your business safe from unauthorised transactions — gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Wise provide fraud detection and other screening technologies.
Multiple Currencies
It is essential to have a payment gateway that can collect payments in various currencies and from customers around the world. Your consumers will enjoy the convenience with which they can pay in their respective currency.
Customer Support
What would you do if you ran across a problem? What if you never got the money in your primary account? Payment gateways with a dedicated support team would come in handy in these situations. As a result, check if the service provider offers live technical support at least once a week.
Now that we know how to choose the correct payment gateway– let’s look at some of the most extensively used payment gateways of 2022.
Alternate Payment Methods
Low fees, 24×7 customer support, multiple currency, and robust security are some of the basic features that almost every gateway provides today. But with the fintech industry being revolutionised with digital currencies, NFTs, and various other payment modes.
Many traditional gateways do not support digital currencies, which will come back to haunt them sooner or later. So, suppose you are looking to modernise and utilise all emerging technologies. In that case, you should look for gateways that accept alternative payment methods in addition to the above-mentioned features. Payment gateways, such as Asian digital wallets and crypto payments, to mention a few, have the potential to move the market away from the major gateways as they offer alternative payment options.
Best Payment Gateways to Consider
Braintree - braintreepayments.com
Being bought by PayPal in 2013, Braintree is an online payment platform that can process transactions both online and in-store swiftly.
The simplicity of Braintree makes up for the absence of fresh and intriguing features. Don’t let the simplicity distract you, as PayPal owns Braintree; it can leverage the functionalities from PayPal, helping you expand your business further.
Operating in over 45 countries to accept, divide, and facilitate payments in over 130 currencies – Braintree is a good option if you’re looking for a solution that’s flexible and easy to implement.
They are one of the new payment gateways that want to help you expand your business by offering exceptional assistance, cutting-edge technology, and no recurring fees, making this a fantastic option for startups and entrepreneurs.
Stripe - stripe.com
Stripe stands apart from the rest of the gateways on this list. It’s designed for medium-sized companies, but it might be difficult for those just starting. They offer many APIs, and keeping track of all of them might be difficult for a non-IT professional. However, there is no better option for tech-savvy individuals or those who have access to a dedicated IT team.
The key goal of Stripe is to have a comprehensive set of tools for businesses to customise their customers’ payment experiences. With Stripe’s pre-built API connections for popular eCommerce software, you don’t have to rewrite your entire backend. They also provide virtual cards, which are an excellent method to manage and optimise your business processes, saving you money and opening new income opportunities.
Its fees are also relatively inexpensive, which makes it tempting for small businesses, but remember, low fees mean more maintenance costs—so pick wisely.
Worldpay - worldpay.com
Regardless of the industry or location, Worldpay has been one of the most popular payment gateways. Despite some complaints about its support tools, we believe their payment gateway solution is a decent option for small and medium-sized businesses, which large-scale companies often require.
They have helped keep the payment system free of fraud for over two decades by providing resilient infrastructure and prompt customer support. Besides all the capabilities, they offer payments in over 120 different currencies, making it an excellent tool for global integration.
Pros and disadvantages come hand in hand, and Worldpay may charge early termination fees if you choose to close your account early because of the company’s necessity for relatively long contracts with its customers, so check on the terms and conditions before signing up with them.
Novatti Payments - novattipayments.com
Novatti offers a variety of payment options. With Novatti, your company may take a variety of payment options, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay cross-border payments, and Prepaid Cards.
Novatti provides APIs, allowing you to create a custom-built Level 1 PCI DSS-compliant system to meet your transactional needs. Apart from all the technological advancements that Novatti offers, one that shines the most is their fraud prevention tech, which keeps intruders at bay and allows the transactions to proceed with no hiccups or unwanted downtimes.
Their dedication to security and ability to provide top-notch customer support makes them better than the top guns. Lastly, there are no long-term or yearly costs to worry about, so you can always start for free!
Novatti Payments is a new kid on the block but is quickly establishing a loyal merchant base. It’s seen to be more agile and cost-effective compared to the other mainstream gateways. This has culminated in them winning ‘Best Fintech Payment’s Provider’ at the 6th Annual Fintech Awards 2021.
Final Thoughts​
There are a plethora of payment gateways available, and finding the best one can be challenging. When choosing a gateway, you need to examine your needs properly.
The three most important factors to examine are features, support, and cost when choosing a payment gateway. Make sure to select a gateway that checks all three boxes. Hopefully, this post depicted some of the most often utilised payment gateways on the market right now and the ones you might consider before making a decision.