You may be an entrepreneur in the UK who is preparing to launch their online business. You may already be aware that different payment gateways have different pricing and terms depending on where you are located. What are the best payment gateways available for UK businesses?
There are so many payment processors available, it can be difficult to find the right one for you. We’ve done most of the legwork for you. Below are the top payment portals that UK businesses can use, including their rates and best features. We hope you will be able to identify the best provider for your business by the end this round-up.
There is a lot of ground to cover so grab a cup of coffee and let’s get started!
Shopify Payments
Shopify Payments is an option worth looking into if your eCommerce platform Shopify already hosts your online store. This payment gateway makes it easy to accept customer payments. It’s easy to accept customer payments through Shopify.
Shopify Payments is automatically integrated with your Shopify Account. This means that you can accept all major payment methods from the moment your Shopify store is launched. You can then turn it on and get to work.
Shopify Payments provides a holistic view to your finances through a single dashboard. You can track orders and payments from this dashboard.
You can also offer your customers many popular payment options in a variety of currencies. This will improve the customer experience and should result in a higher conversion rate. These are just a few of the payment options Shopify Payments supports.
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
Apple Pay
Google Pay
Shop and Pay
To name just a few.
Shopify Payments is PCI compliant. It supports 3D Secure Checkouts and encrypts your payment data for extra security.
Pricing and fees
Shopify Payments is included with your Shopify account. To access this payment gateway, you will need a Shopify subscription.
Shopify offers three plans that we have listed below.
All plans include fraud analysis
Basic Shopify: $29 per month – This gives online merchants everything they need to start their business.
Online credit card rates: 2.2% + 20p
Rates for in-person credit cards: 1.7% + 0.
Shopify: $79 per month – This package is more suited for growing businesses.
Online credit card rates: 1.9% + 20p
Rates for in-person credit cards: 1.6% + 0.
Advanced Shopify: $299 per month – This unlocks more advanced features to help brands scale their operations, as its name implies
Online credit card rates: 1.6% + 20p
Rates for in-person credit cards: 1.5% + 0.
The Best Features
All your financial information is in one place. You don’t need to log in to another platform to see your finances in real time.
Shopify does not charge additional transaction fees for card transactions. Shopify will add processing fees to any payment gateway that you use. These fees can be negated by using your own payment provider. This will save you a lot of money!
Shopify’s Fraud Analysis is quite robust.
You can still use other payment methods: While Shopify Payments is rewarded, you have the option to use other popular gateways such as PayPal.
Shopify Payments is easy to sign up: It’s simple and straightforward to get started.
Square
Square was launched by Jack Dorsey, Jim McKelvey, and combines merchant services with mobile payments. Square is used by millions of startups and small businesses to track sales and process debit and credit card payments.
Square allows you to easily add Square payments to an existing website. Or, you can create your site using Square’s website builder. Square integrates seamlessly with many of the most popular eCommerce platforms in just a few clicks.
WooCommerce
Wix
Magento
BigCommerce
WordPress
Drupal Commerce
To name just a few.
Access to the developer API and a large library of developer resources will be available to you to assist your programmers in making the most of this framework.
Pricing and fees
Square charges a transaction fee of 1.9% for European cards and 2.9% for non-European cards.
The Best Features
Square’s fixed rate is affordable and makes budgeting easy. There are no set-up fees or monthly charges.
There are no long-term contracts.
Square is praised for its customer service.
Square’s interface makes it extremely user-friendly
Access to a free swipecard reader and POS app
Payouts can be made in as little as two business days.
Square’s reporting functionality can be used to create simple, yet powerful reports
Accept all types of customer payments, including credit cards, Apple Pay, Android Pay, and many others!
Square Payments can be used to generate and send invoices.
WorldPay
A 2015 Nilson Report revealed that WorldPay was the UK’s largest payment provider, with over 250,000 UK small businesses using it.
If you are looking to take your business global, this payment gateway is a great option. You can accept payments from customers all over the globe, as it supports more than 120 currencies.
Customers can also store their card details on your site for future reference, which will make it even easier to check out.
These are the steps to get started with WorldPay
It shouldn’t take you more than a few seconds to create a WorldPay Account
You will need to have some knowledge of web development in order to add WorldPay’s API on your website.
Wait for approval of your account (this normally takes less than 24 hours).
After you have registered with WorldPay, your account can be used to accept online payments and receive payouts within days.
WorldPay is best for companies that have access to a developer. Programmers can use the payment gateway’s powerful and clean API. Access to the best tech support available from the programmers responsible for creating the code is also included.
If you sell subscription products, this payment option may be worth looking into. WorldPay makes it simple to set up recurring billing.
WorldPay Risk manages card transactions and alerts customers if something suspicious is discovered. It is also PCI compliant.
Pricing and fees
WorldPay’s pricing structure has a simple design. You pay just a transaction fee of 2.75 + 20p.
You can also choose from one of the two monthly pricing options:
Gateway Standard starting at PS19 per Month
Gateway Advanced starting at PS45 per Month
The Best Features
WorldPay is an integrated, fully hosted payment solution.
It is scalable, making it an excellent choice for businesses growing.
PayPal payments can be accepted along with all major credit cards and debit cards
Accepting international payments in a wide range of currencies is easy
It allows for subscription-based payments plans
Advanced fraud protection is available
Enjoy 24/7 UK customer service
Access to a merchant account
Opayo
Opayo (formerly Sage Pay) offers a range of payment solutions. However, we are focusing on Opayo’s online payment gateway to make this round-up.
You can consider using this payment provider if you are interested in joining EasyJet, Krispy Kreme and Eurocar, just to name a few.
Opayo, as you might expect, accepts payments from all major card companies, including Mastercard and Visa, Maestro, American Express and JCB.
Opayo, like all the other options, ensures that customers can make secure transactions and has taken steps to minimize the risk of fraud. Opayo, for instance, boasts the highest level PCI compliance at DSS Level 1.
Opayo offers 24/7 customer support and is highly rated by Trust Pilot with a 5-star rating.
Here’s how Opayo operates:
Apply: You must first apply. You can save your application and come back later if you are unable to complete it in one go.
Merchant account: Opayo will work with you if you have a merchant account that is already in operation with another provider. Opayo can also help you open a merchant account if you do not have one.
Integrate: Opayo can be integrated with your website in minutes. Opayo partners can help you if you don’t have the knowledge to do it yourself.
You can start taking payments. To validate your merchant ID, you will need to perform a test transaction.
Voila, that’s it! Now you can accept and process payments.
Pricing and fees
There are three pricing options available for monthly, and none of them charge setup or refund fees.
Flex: You can get PS25 per month.
Each month, process 350 transactions
Check out these fraud screening tools
Get 24/7 Support
MOTO includes a virtual terminal
Plus: You get all the benefits of the Flex plan plus PS45 per month
500 transactions can be processed per month
Access to customer support at ‘Fast Pass.
After you have completed 350 transactions, you will be charged 9p per transaction
A variety of European payment options are accepted
Corporate: This pricing plan is custom-made for you. Please contact Opayo directly to get more information. The following are benefits for you:
There are over 3,000 transactions you can process per month
Fixed transaction rates are available to you
For discounted pricing, you can calculate your usage and pay up front
Access to fraud screening tools
Priority customer service and a dedicated account manger
The Best Features
The platform is PCI compliant
For extra security, all card numbers are kept remotely
Opayo offers excellent reporting capabilities
According to Opayo, it is easy to issue credit for a transaction.
Accepting more than 25 currencies
Opayo provides quick, high-quality customer service
To match your website’s design, you can create completely customizable checkout pages.
Braintree
Braintree, a global payment gateway, is part of the PayPal family. You’ll have access to a flexible and scalable payment platform, and excellent customer service.
Accepting credit and debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay payments can all be done from one platform. Braintree supports more than 130 currencies in over 45 countries/regions. It’s a great choice for anyone who takes global commerce seriously.
Many merchants choose PayPal as their primary payment method. It has conversion rates that exceed those of other digital wallets up to 60%. It’s not surprising that Braintree has many impressive clients like Uber, Stubhub and Dropbox, Github and Yelp.
You have full control over your checkout. Braintree offers a ready-made interface, or you can create your own. Regardless of your choice, customers will be able to purchase as quickly as possible. This will reduce cart abandonment and increase conversions.
You will need a PayPal account to get the ball rolling.
Pricing and fees
Braintree charges a transaction fee of 1.9% + PS0.20 as a standard.
Simple, right?
There are no monthly, setup or hidden fees.
You can also opt for custom pricing based on your order quantity and business model. Braintree will provide more information, but you’ll need to contact them directly.
The Best Features
Flat-rate pricing is predictable for your benefit
Braintree provides excellent web development tools
Advanced fraud protection and encryption are available to you
The payout is quick (two days).
It is a great choice to increase your global reach
It’s easy to repeat bill
Access to high-quality, 24/7 support
You can personalize your checkout process
It is easy to migrate data to Braintree
There are many integrations available
Adyen
Adyen makes it easy to accept online payments from all over the world and offers customers many payment options. You can accept most popular digital wallets as well as credit and debit cards payments from major providers like American Express, Bancontact UnionPay, Android Pay and Finish eBanking.
Adyen proudly allows businesses of any type to accept and process payments. This includes B2C subscriptions and B2B deals. Adyen also offers MarketPay, a service for sellers on online platforms like Etsy and eBay. They can accept payment methods in any currency they prefer, split payments, manage how funds are transferred and receive payouts.
You can create branded payment experiences. This includes customizations of payment flows, pages layouts, promotions and languages. Customers can also apply discounts and make one-click payments with Adyen, which makes shopping easier.
Ayden also offers easy-to-understand dashboards that allow you to track performance, test results, and report from one central interface.
Adyen is certified for PCI, SCA and PSD2 security. AI-powered and rule-based fraud protection will also be available to you.
Pricing and fees
Adyen charges per transaction a processing fee and a payment method fee. The transaction fee remains constant at 10p. The payment method fee is variable depending on the method you choose. American Express charges 3.95%, AliPay charges 3%, and BACS direct debit costs 50p.
The Best Features
There is no setup fee
It is an intuitive way to accept international payments
Adyen’s customer support is excellent, according to some reports
Customers can choose from a variety of payment options
Adyen’s MarketPay service is a great option for entrepreneurs who sell on online marketplaces.
Adyen’s RevenueAccelerate monitors your entire payment flow to optimize it and reduce the chance of missed payments.
Access to an intuitive analytics dashboard that displays payments data is available.
Stripe
Stripe is used by millions of businesses around the globe and in all sizes to process customer payments. Stripe can be used to benefit any business, no matter how big or small.
Stripe can be used to accept customer payments as well as send invoices and get financing. It also allows you to manage your company’s spending.
Stripe has client and server libraries that can be used to create your own code. You should choose an API that suits your requirements. You can also use Stripe’s native Integrations to seamlessly integrate with platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce and NetSuite.
Stripe is a highly scalable and compliant platform that boasts a 99.9%+ uptime. Stripe uses machine learning to analyze a lot of data points in order to reduce fraud and increase revenue recovery. It’s reliable and secure.
Pricing and fees
Stripe offers two types of systems: one integrated and one customized.
Stripe’s integrated pricing plans will allow you to access a complete payment platform with simple, pay as-you-go pricing.
1.4% + 20p European Cards
2.9% + 20p non-European Cards
There are no monthly or setup fees. You simply pay the transaction fees.
Stripe also offers a customized package. To receive a custom plan, contact Stripe directly. This package is perfect for companies that process large numbers of payments, or those who have unique business models. You may be eligible for volume discounts, country-specific rates and multi-product discounts. Interchange pricing is also available.
The Best Features
Stripe is an excellent choice for web developers. Stripe provides easy-to-understand documentation that makes it possible for anyone to benefit from its API.
There are many ready-made solutions available for different programming languages.
Stripe offers custom libraries for Ruby and Python as well as Javascript and Node.js.
Stripe provides developers with a bug-free environment for testing. It also offers sample credit card numbers.
Stripe is an excellent platform for international payments.
Stripe does not charge any additional setup, cancellation, maintenance, or account maintenance fees.
Its price is very competitive.
It is quick and simple to open a Stripe Account
Stripe’s customer support is quick
To use this platform, you don’t have to open a merchant account
Stripe is extremely secure
Stripe’s interface is intuitive
Klarna
Klarna will allow you to join the likes Samsung, ASOS and Ray-ban as well as Adidas, H&M, and Ray-ban. Klarna has been used by more than ten million UK customers to pay for their purchases.
Here’s how Klarna works for the uninitiated:
Merchants are paid in full and upfront. To make it easier for customers to spread the cost, you can offer a split payment plan or a ‘pay after’ option.
Klarna’s setup and operation is easy. Klarna integrates seamlessly with all major eCommerce platforms. Klarna can also create custom solutions or complete check-outs for you.
Below are some of the most popular Klarna integrations:
Salesforce Commerce Cloud
WooCommerce
Shopify
Bigcommerce
Magento
SAP hybrid
Klarna offers a wide range of integrations that allow you to sell online, via your mobile app or over the phone.
Pricing and fees
The Best Features
Klarna is a specialist in “buy now, and pay later” options.
Klarna handles all aspects of payment, including credit checks.
Klarna’s checkout experience with Klarna is seamless
By allowing customers to pay in installments, you can market your products to a wider audience.
Klarna automatically pays merchants at the point where Klarna checks out
Klarna’s transaction charges are very low
Klarna seamlessly integrates with a large number of third-party carts.
Amazon Pay
Amazon Pay is used by millions of customers around the world. Amazon Pay is a simple and quick way to pay online for products and services with the payment information that’s already stored within their Amazon accounts. You can also use Amazon Pay voice commands if your Alexa is connected to the internet.
Amazon Pay offers customers a decent level of protection. This platform is secure. Purchases are protected by Amazon’s A to Z guarantee and Amazon fraud detection and prevention methods. This is in addition to customer verification that ensures you only accept funds from trusted logins.
It is easy to get started with AmazonPay. Simply integrate with your preferred eCommerce platform. The next step is to create an Amazon Pay account.
Last but not least, Amazon Pay allows you to make the following types of payments:
Charges immediately
Deferred payments
Split payments
Recurring payments
Subscription with one-time purchase
Refunds
Pricing and fees
Flat-rate transaction fees will be charged for every sale: 2.7% + Ps0.30. This applies to all domestic UK transactions.
For a custom package if you are an enterprise-level merchant, contact Amazon Pay directly.
The Best Features
Amazon Pay is easy to use
Amazon fraud protection benefits merchants
Customers do not have to enter shipping information, which saves them a lot of time.
Amazon’s brand name instills trust among your customers
Amazon Pay is compatible with all major eCommerce platforms
Amazon Pay does not charge early termination fees
2Checkout
2Checkout was trusted at the time of writing by more than 20,000 merchants. The platform allows users to accept international customer payments for subscriptions and products. 2Checkout is committed to providing customers with the most convenient shopping experience by offering a localized and secure checkout process. 2Checkout offers a ‘intelligent payments routing’ that helps ensure the highest authorization rates.
2Checkout makes it possible to accept payments from consumers in over 200 countries and regions. Customers can choose from over 45 payment options in more than 30 languages and 130 currencies. 2Checkout is a great option if you want to promote yourself internationally.
If you have any questions, you can also access 24/7 support. 2Checkout offers payment processing. It can also assist you with invoicing, subscription management and compliance.
There are several payment options available to you: wire transfer into your bank, ACH or PayPal. You can choose the one that is most convenient to you. You can also choose the currency in which you want to receive your payment.
Pricing and fees
There are three pricing options to choose from:
2SELL: You will be charged a 3.5% and $0.35 transaction fees per sale. You can sell in over 200 countries and territories, and you can integrate with more than 120 online shopping carts quickly. You can sell any product and set up recurring billing arrangements.
2SUBSCRIBE is for subscription-based businesses. Each sale will be subject to a 4.5% transaction fee and $0.45 per sale. All the above plus smart subscription management tools, subscription analytics, and more.
2MONETIZE: You will be charged a 6.0% transaction fee and $0.60 per sale. All the benefits of the previous plans are available, plus global tax and regulatory compliance, invoicing, access to more than 45 payment methods, and assistance with customizing your shopping cart.
The Best Features
2Checkout accepts multiple payment methods, including PayPal, Visa and MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diner’s Club, American Express, JCB, Visa, MasterCard and Visa.
2Checkout is PCI compliant
2CheckOut is compatible with more than 100 invoicing systems and online shopping carts including Shopify, WP eCommerce Magento, Bookly. Checkfront, Cloudbooks, and Bookly.
2CheckOut offers an API enriched and several webhooks for web developers.
EKM
According to its website, EKM is a payment gateway as well as a popular UK-based online shop builder. It was previously known as Powershop. Trustpilot 5 stars rated it as a platform that provides an all-in-one solution to eCommerce store owners. EKM is used by more than 80,000 stores at the time this article was written.
Its payment gateway is just one aspect of its offering. EKM’s payment system is automatically integrated for anyone who signs up on any of its pricing plans. There is no additional setup needed. EKM is a simple solution that allows eCommerce stores to create an online shop and take payments. There is no third-party integration.
EKM accepts payment from all major payment processors, so customers can choose from a variety of payment options instead of being restricted to one or two.
EKM payments comply with PCI regulations. You also get an SSL certificate to increase your security.
EKM supports the following payment options:
PayPal
Stripe (with ApplePay).
Worldpay
Barclaycard
Amazon Pay
Opayo
Pricing and fees
Each price plan includes access to EKM’s payment features. There are four options. Full-price programs cost from PS32.49 + VAT per monthly for the Basic Plan, and go up to PS549.99 + TVA per month for Enterprise Plan.
There are plans for small sellers, start ups, expanding businesses, full-time enterprises, and even small sellers. Anyone interested in trying it out before making a commitment can get a 14-day free trial.
EKM guarantees that it will never charge transaction fees to its customers. Additional fees will be charged by the payment provider. PayPal charges 2.90% + PS0.30p for each transaction. Stripe (with ApplyPay) charges 2.2% +20p per transaction. EKM negotiates 1.9% +20p with its Standard plan, and 2.2% +20p with its Basic plan.
The Best Features
EKM’s payment gateway features are what stand out.
You have many payment options available, including household names.
Already, payment integrations are in place.
EKM payments can be used to pay for multiple currencies
Soft add-to-cart allows customers to see a complete breakdown of their shopping basket without leaving the current page.
Payments comply with PCI compliance, which means customer data is always secured.
How to choose the best payment gateway for UK business
If you are still not sure which payment platform is best for your UK business after reading this article, here are some factors to consider as you begin to evaluate other options:
- Transparent and low fees
- Support for the currencies and other countries with which you do business
- An easily customizable checkout
- Customers can choose their preferred payment method: credit card payments or PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Google Pay, etc.
- You can integrate seamlessly and in-depth with your chosen payment system as well as your existing tech stack.
- Double-check the services offered by your potential payment gateway to determine if they offer additional services such as invoicing, echecks, recurring bills, subscription management, analytics, and so on.
- PCI compliance and detection of fraud are two examples of security measures.
- Web developers should ensure they have access to APIs and webhooks.
The Best Payment Gateway For UK Businesses
The above payment gateways are all great for UK businesses. You can’t go wrong with any one of these platforms. It’s important to test each potential gateway before you decide to settle.
Keep an eye out for hidden fees and consider whether additional bells and whistles are required in addition to standard payment processing.
There you have it! This is our roundup of the top payment gateways in the UK for businesses. Which one caught your attention? Are you interested in a platform that we haven’t included on this list, such as Authorize.net Let us know what you think in the comments below!
