Learn the Top 10 International Payment Gateways
The best 10 international payment gateways can vary depending on the purpose and needs of each business. These global payment systems offer different features tailored to specific types of businesses and use cases. Most international gateways focus primarily on card payments. However, bank-based international transactions are also becoming increasingly popular as a method for collecting payments.
The best 10 international payment gateways can vary depending on the purpose and needs of each business. These global payment systems offer different features tailored to specific types of businesses and use cases. Most international gateways focus primarily on card payments. However, bank-based international transactions are also becoming increasingly popular as a method for collecting payments.
If your business needs to collect payments from international customers, you'll need a payment gateway or service that enables cross-border transactions. But with so many options available, choosing the right one can often be challenging.
You should also think carefully about how you want to collect payments. The way you receive payments not only affects your business’s cash flow but also influences the efficiency and workflow of your finance team. The goal is to choose a method that makes it easy for international customers to pay—one that reduces manual work, is simple to use, and helps you save on costs.
Everything you need to know about international payment gateways and collection methods—you’ll find right here.
What is an International Payment Gateway?
A payment gateway is a technology that businesses use to verify their customers’ credit and debit card details. It plays a vital role in allowing both online and offline businesses to accept card payments.
Even if you have a payment processor and a merchant account—two essential tools for handling card transactions—you still cannot complete any payment without a payment gateway.
Luckily, many service providers now offer all-in-one solutions where everything comes bundled together.
So, what exactly is an international payment gateway? Simply put, it’s a gateway that accepts payments from different countries in different currencies, and often supports multiple languages. That’s what qualifies it as “international.”
Local Payment Collection Methods
It’s not enough to only consider payment gateways—you also need to explore other methods available for international payment collection.
While card payments are popular for many businesses, they come with certain limitations and issues. As an alternative, many businesses choose to offer local payment methods for collecting international payments.
According to research, 76% of international customers prefer to pay in their own local currency. This makes the process easier for them, reduces the chances of failed transactions, and helps increase local sales—backed by proven results.
Best Payment Gateways for International Transactions
Now that you understand how international online payment gateways work, it’s important to explore your available options. Below is a list of some of the best international payment gateway providers for businesses in the UK:
1. PayPal
PayPal is a well-known name and one of the most trusted options for online sales. It’s very easy to set up—making it a great choice for small businesses and new entrepreneurs. Additionally, its brand recognition can help build trust with potential customers.
PayPal is available in over 200 countries and regions, and it supports 25 different currencies. That makes it a truly global option for anyone looking to accept international payments.
Cost is a major factor when choosing a payment provider. However, comparing fees can be difficult, as there are various types of charges and pricing tiers.
For example, the fees for sending money between two PayPal accounts can be different from card-to-PayPal transactions. Currency conversion fees also vary depending on the currency involved. Because of this, PayPal provides 16 separate documents or links to explain their pricing. Generally speaking, international transactions on PayPal may incur around a 3% currency conversion fee and up to 5% transaction fees.
2. Worldpay
Worldpay is an all-in-one payment processor that helps you accept credit card payments directly from your app or website. It’s one of the most widely used international payment gateways in the UK, supporting transactions in over 40 countries and around 120 currencies. This makes it easy to receive payments from customers across the globe.
However, keep in mind that Worldpay usually requires long-term contracts—typically three years—with automatic renewal clauses. If you choose to close your account early, you may have to pay an early termination fee. Also, pricing details aren’t very transparent. Although they offer monthly fee plans and pay-as-you-go options, these are not clearly stated on their website.
3. Opayo
Opayo (formerly known as SagePay) offers three service levels—Flex, Plus, and Corporate—based on your business needs. It facilitates money transactions in multiple currencies and allows you to accept both credit and debit card payments from all popular card issuers.
Like Worldpay, Opayo operates on a monthly subscription model. Unfortunately, Opayo also doesn’t clearly list its pricing on the website, making it difficult to compare with other providers.
4. 3Twenty Pay:
3Twenty Pay is a next-generation Web3-based crypto payment gateway designed to simplify and secure digital transactions for both individuals and businesses. Powered by blockchain technology, it eliminates the need for centralized intermediaries, enabling users to send and receive cryptocurrencies with full transparency and trust.
At its core, 3Twenty Pay ensures blockchain-level security, recording all transactions on an immutable decentralized ledger. With integrated smart contract functionality, the platform automates payments based on predefined conditions, making transactions faster, more reliable, and tamper-proof.
Its Web3 integration allows users to connect with decentralized applications (dApps), opening access to a wide range of financial services and tools beyond traditional payment gateways. Designed with a clean and intuitive interface, both beginners and experienced users can easily navigate the system, manage payments, and execute smart contracts.
3Twenty Pay also offers real-time global transactions at significantly lower fees, making it ideal for international payments and borderless commerce. Enhanced privacy, user control, and global accessibility set it apart as a trusted, scalable solution.
In a world rapidly shifting toward decentralized finance, 3Twenty Pay is more than a gateway—it’s a smart, secure, and future-ready platform transforming how we experience digital payments.
5. Braintree
Braintree is a PayPal-owned company, but it operates quite differently. In short, Braintree provides a separate merchant account that allows you to process transactions more directly. It supports over 45 countries and regions, making it a great option for companies looking for an international payment gateway.
The standard charge per transaction is 1.9% + 20p, but there’s an additional 1% fee for payments made using cards issued outside the UK. There are also different charges for “scheme” and “non-local” currencies, which can make pricing a bit complicated.
6. Stripe
Stripe stands out from many other international payment gateway providers because it offers its services through a range of APIs. This means you get full control and can easily integrate the payment gateway into your online store.
Stripe supports payments in over 135 currencies and also provides good support for local payment options.
It’s an ideal choice for online stores and eCommerce businesses—especially those needing instant payments. However, Stripe only accepts card payments and doesn’t offer alternatives for customers who prefer local payment methods.
While card payments are popular, they tend to have higher failure rates and transaction fees—so Stripe may not be the best fit for every business.
7. Amazon Pay
Amazon Pay is relatively new as a payment gateway, but it can be a great option for those seeking an affordable and easy-to-use international payment solution.
It offers broad multi-currency support, which can help your business grow globally.
However, the fees are relatively high—2.7% + 30p per transaction, with an additional 0.4% to 1.5% cross-border surcharge. This can bring the total cost up to 4.2% + 30p per transaction. So if your customers aren’t keen on using Amazon Pay, you may want to consider a more cost-effective alternative.
8. Adyen
Adyen is a global payment processing solution that supports more than 30 currencies, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to expand into new countries or regions.
This online payment gateway accepts various payment methods, offering customers a seamless checkout experience during online purchases.
However, like many of its competitors, Adyen has a complex pricing structure. In their words:
"For each transaction, we charge a fixed processing fee and a payment method fee based on the method used."
These charges vary depending on the card type and issuer, and they may either be a fixed amount or a percentage of the transaction value. As a result, it can be difficult to estimate your exact fees in advance.
9. Authorize.net
Founded in 1996, Authorize.net is a customizable payment gateway that can adapt to different business needs and is a solid solution for those looking to handle international transactions.
However, it’s important to note that it only supports international payments for businesses based in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, and selected European countries. So compared to other options on this list, it offers somewhat limited international capabilities.
10.GoCardless
GoCardless enables cross-border, account-to-account bank payments in more than 30 countries, including the UK, Eurozone countries, the Nordics, the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
It can convert foreign currency into GBP and deposit it directly into your UK bank account. This means you don’t need to open a separate foreign currency account to accept international payments.
Compared to card payments, international bank payments offer several advantages:
· Lower transaction costs
· Higher success rates
· Preferred by many customers
· Saves administrative time
Want to know why bank payments are more cost-effective, more reliable, preferred by customers, and better for your admin workflow? Read on to learn more.
International Bank Payments vs. Card Payments
Instead of relying solely on card transactions, using bank payments for collecting international payments can offer several benefits for your business.
Transaction Costs
Credit and debit card companies usually charge higher transaction fees. These fees can increase even more when dealing with multiple currencies.
As we’ve seen, international payment gateways often have complex pricing structures, making it difficult to predict the actual costs in advance.
International card payments usually involve multiple intermediaries—each with their own charges. In contrast, bank payments occur directly between two accounts, involving fewer steps and therefore lower costs.
GoCardless offers a simple, low-cost, and transparent pricing model for international payments, making it much easier to calculate expenses.
To learn more about GoCardless’s international pricing structure, click here.
Payment Failures
Card payments can fail in 10–15% of cases. This can lead to reduced sales and missed subscription renewals, ultimately slowing down business growth.
Cards can be lost or expire after three years. When a new card is issued, the payment details must be updated. If they aren’t, the payment may fail. As a result, businesses may lose even loyal customers—simply due to card issues.
On the other hand, bank accounts don’t expire or get lost. That’s why businesses using GoCardless enjoy a 97.3% payment success rate. With their smart retry system, “Success+”, this rate increases to 99.1%.
Preferred Payment Methods
A third major benefit of using bank payments instead of cards is that you can allow your international customers to pay through familiar and trusted local payment methods, like SEPA in Europe or ACH in the US.
Research shows that businesses offering local payment methods experience several benefits, including increased sales.
Accepting local payment methods simplifies your payment process, reduces friction, and makes shopping easier for international customers.
Payment Administration
International bank payments come with a high level of automation, greatly reducing the need for time-consuming manual admin work.
GoCardless is built to integrate with over 200 accounting software platforms—saving time and speeding up your workflow.
Which International Payment Gateway is Best for My Business?
As you can see, there are many excellent international payment gateway providers available today. When choosing the right one for your business, you should consider a few key factors:
- How much can you afford to spend?
- How much customer support do you require?
You should also check which payment gateway integrates well with your company’s existing accounting software or systems. This will be a significant help in your decision-making process.
Ultimately, the best choice is the one that meets your specific business needs most effectively.
And here’s another important point—your business doesn’t have to rely on just one payment method. In fact, offering multiple payment options is a smart move to meet the diverse preferences of your customers.
So, why not provide both GoCardless bank payments and card payments to your customers, allowing them to choose the method that suits them best?
Summary:
In today’s global marketplace, having an international payment gateway is essential for doing business. There are many gateways available, each offering different features and benefits. To choose the right one, you need to consider factors like cost, setup time, customer support, and system compatibility.
By understanding the differences between bank payments and card payments, you can select the solution that works best for your business. Most importantly, offering multiple payment options makes it easier and more convenient for customers to complete transactions.
That’s how you can grow and succeed in international business.
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