WooCommerce marketplace has more than a hundred payment processing solutions available. It is so easy to get lost. Which are the best in 2020? Let´s find out!
These days WordPress is one of the most popular website builders, and its plugin WooCommerce is one of the most used e-commerce platforms. In fact, at least 3,876,748 live websites are using WooCommerce at this moment (Source: BuiltWith).
See the related article: How to set up a WooCommerce store fast: step-by step-guide
These numbers can not be ignored. No wonder almost every single payment service provider has prepared integration plugins for the WooCommerce platform.
Still, choosing a payment processing solution that matches all of your requirements is not an easy task. For many new entrepreneurs, making a decision becomes overwhelming due to the many potential outcomes and risks that may result from making the wrong choice.
This article may serve as a helpful guideline if you wish to find a new WooCommerce payment processing solution to get the most out of your online business.
This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional costs to you.
Table of Contents
What exactly is online payment processing?
Let’s start with the fundamentals. There are three critical components of any payment processing solution – payment processor, payment gateway, merchant account.
These three elements work together, and if any of them is absent, the entire system will stop working.
The payment processor runs the card transaction process by transmitting information from your customer’s credit/debit card to your bank and the customer’s bank. Payment processors deal with subjects like card limits, credit card validity, security, and so on. In a way, you can think of the payment processor as being like a mediator between the bank and the merchant.
The payment gateway is actually an online version of a card scanner, connecting your website and the payment processor. In a nutshell, the payment gateway deals with the technical side of the transaction. It ensures that you’ll be able to receive your customers’ payments.
The merchant account is a specific type of bank account that allows your business to accept online payments. Without a merchant account, there’s nowhere for the money that your customers have transferred to you to go. Your merchant account is not your primary business account, nor can you merge these.
But although you won’t have direct access to the account itself, funds from your merchant account will be automatically transferred to your business bank account within a couple of days.
Some online payment processing solutions provide an all-in-one package that joins the payment processor, payment gateway, and merchant account in one bundle. In other cases, the payment gateway and merchant account will be linked with a third-party payment processor.
Payment service providers (PSPs) vs. Merchant Service Provider (MSP)
A payment service provider or PSP is a third party provider which allows merchants to accept a wide variety of payments through a single channel. You can take PayPal or Stripe as an example.
PSP takes on the full financial risk of each business under its account. For the most part, this scenario is beneficial to the merchant because it makes accepting credit cards more accessible. The sign-up and approval process is practically instantaneous!
PSPs usually operate on a pay-as-you-go or monthly basis, and there’s no penalty for canceling the service. Sounds sweet, right? But there is no candy for free. Because PSPs aggregate all the accounts into one massive account, they have to be extra vigilant about staying within an acceptable risk threshold. They will terminate accounts for merchants who engage in risky behavior or put the funds on hold while evaluating your processing history.
Merchant Service Provider (MSP) provides a merchant with an account, processing, and report tools to enable that merchant to process online transactions. Each transaction is facilitated by the MSP on behalf of the merchant.
Usually, rates with a merchant service provider, you have to negotiate individually. The biggest downside of MSP is that the negotiations process can take weeks. Comparing to PSP services, it is definitely harder to get one, and you probably will have to have a high volume of sales. But merchant accounts give you the benefit of the doubt with something changes in your account.
The main difference between these two is that a payment service provider facilitates one large merchant account, with individual business users being sub-users. While MSP gives merchants their own account, a PSP combines various merchants under a single roof.
See the related article: Payments 101 – Common online payment industry terms and definitions
Which WooCommerce payment processing solution to choose from?
If you’re opening a business for the first time, it is possible to accept payments online without a merchant account. A payment service provider (PSP) is an excellent alternative to a full-service merchant account. Generally, suppose you are not in a high-risk business. In that case, payment service providers are recommended for merchants processing less than $5,000 per month. Above that amount, or if you are in the adult entertainment industry, e-cigarette and vape shops, or online gambling industry, you’ll have to look for an online merchant account straight away.
Payment service providers (PSPs) for WooCommerce store
So far, we covered the basics, and by now, you already understand that both – Merchant accounts and Payment service providers are part of online payment processing solutions. However, we will start with payment service providers. To make your life a little bit easier, down below, I have created a shortlist of payment service providers (PSPs) suitable for the Woocommerce store.
WooCommerce Payments review
Features:
- Fully integrated with WooCommerce
- On site payment processing
- Pay out un Chargeback tracking from WooCommerce dashboard
- Powered by Stripe
In May 2020, WooCommerce launched its own payment processing solution called WooCommerce Payments. At least for now, it is available for US merchants only. WooCommerce Payments is powered by Stripe. However, you don’t have to connect to your Stripe account or any third-party site. It is fully integrated with the WooCommerce platform. You can control payments directly in the WooCommerce back end. There’s a new payment tab that lets you view charges, issue refunds and deal with disputes.
WooCommerce Payments pricing
WooCommerce Payments uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model. You pay only for activity on the account. WooCommerce Payments is free to install, with no setup fees or monthly fees. The fees include:
- 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction for U.S. issued credit or debit card
- +1% for transactions paid using a card issued outside the US
- $15 fee per dispute (refunded if you win the dispute)
So basically, these are the same rates which you pay using Stripe.
WooCommerce plans to add the ability to save cards and subscription and in-person payment support in the future. Furthermore, the company plans to roll out WooCommerce payments to more countries.
WooCommerce payments integration with Woocommerce
With new WooCommerce installations, WooCommerce payments are offered by default.
If you already have WooCommerce installed, you can download the plugin and activate it manually. Complete instructions are provided on the WooCommerce Payments Start Up Guide.
Conclusion about WooCommerce Payments
Plus:
- Excellent integration with WooCommerce store
- Payment gateway to accept credit and debit cards directly onsite
- Predictable flat-rate pricing.
- Advanced reporting tools
Cons:
- Powered by Stripe
- Not suitable for high-risk industries
Since service is just launched, there are no customer reviews on Trustpilot. Actually, I couldn’t find any live customer review at all.
Like Stripe, WooCommerce Payments has quite a long list of prohibited businesses. On the FAQ page it is stated that some businesses and product types are not allowed to transact using WooCommerce Payments, including but not limited to:
- Virtual currency, including video game or virtual world credits
- Adult content and services
- Drug paraphernalia (including e-cigarette, vapes and nutraceuticals)
- Multi-level marketing
- Pseudo pharmaceuticals
- Social media activity, like Twitter followers, Facebook likes, YouTube views
- Substances designed to mimic illegal drugs
To see the full list, you have to visit Stripe’s Restricted Businesses list.
Easy installation and complete integration make WooCommerce Payments great online payment processing solutions for WooCommerce site for small startups with save and not a high-risk business, but if you are in a high-risk industry, look elsewhere.
Read also: WooCommerce Payments. Real Deal Made By WooCommerce!
PayPal review
Features:
- Multiple payment methods
- Multi-currency support
- Multi-language support
- Integration with more than 100 online shopping carts and invoicing systems
- Recurring Billing
PayPal is one of the oldest and well-known online Payment service providers out there. It is the obvious first choice for many first-time entrepreneurs. Since then, the company was established in 1999 and has become the most popular payment method in the online space. PayPal markets itself as a quick and easy, hassle-free payment solution for both users and business owners.
In the first quarter of 2020, there were 325 million active PayPal accounts worldwide.
The service is often considered the leader of the online and mobile payment market. Anyone with an email address can sign up to send and receive payments from other individuals. Additionally, PayPal operates as a payment service provider, allowing businesses of all sizes to accept credit card payments, much like a regular merchant account.
PayPal’s pricing
With no monthly fees, merchants’ PayPal service comes at a higher-than-average processing rate compared to other payment processing solutions for WooCommerce sites. If you are using PayPal Payments Standard and PayPal Checkout through an online transaction:
- for sales within the US fees are 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.
- for international sales it goes up to 4.4% transaction fee plus a fixed fee based on currency received.
Volume discounts may also be available on an individual basis. PayPal also has a special plan for companies with transactions under $10. This plan goes for 5% + $0.05.
If you are a US PayPal account holder, you can transfer money out of your balance in two ways. Standard transfer to a linked bank account is free. The fee for Instant Transfer with an eligible linked debit card or bank account is 1% of the amount transferred, with a maximum fee of $10.00.
The chargeback fee for transactions in US Dollars is $20.00.
PayPal’s integration with WooCommerce
PayPal standard checkout extension comes with a fresh WooCommerce installation. You don’ t have to do any additional steps. There also list of third-party extensions available, such as WP Easy PayPal Payment Accept, WooCommerce PayPal Checkout Payment Gateway and Angell EYE-PayPal for WooCommerce among the others.
Conclusion about PayPal
There are literally thousands of complaints about PayPal on Trustpilot. The most common ones are about account sudden hold or termination and about poor customer service. Merchants who complain of experiencing account holds often report difficulty explaining why the hold was established.
Trustpilot score:
Plus:
- Trusted by consumers
- Predictable flat-rate pricing
- Multiple pricing plans available
- Extensive integrations
- Good developer tools
- All-in-one payments system
Cons:
- Held funds
- Account stability issues
- Inconsistent customer support
- Not suitable for high-risk industries
With its reputation, PayPal might be an ideal Payment service provider for low-volume merchants. It also could serve as a backup form of payment if you sell online. Still, there are serious reasons why you shouldn’t use it as your primary payment service provider even If you are a Startup. If PayPal notes any suspicious behavior on your account, it will freeze or even terminate your account. PayPal also has an extended list of prohibited products and industries. If you are in a high-risk industry, you definitely should check other online payment processing solutions for the WooCommerce store from this list.
Stripe review
Features:
- Custom UI Toolkit
- Embeddable Checkout
- Open-Source Plugin
- Mobile Customer Interface
- Financial Reporting
- Consolidated Reports
- Multicurrency Payouts
Probably Stripe is one of the most popular WooCommerce payment processing options, especially among beginners.
Stripe is a payment service provider that allows merchants to accept credit card payments through their websites. It’s a choice pick for small businesses, but it is also used by big names, such as Lyft, Under Armour, Pinterest, Wish, TaskRabbit, and more.
Stripe pricing
Stripe costs and fees are quite simple. The company charges a fixed transaction fee of 2.9% + USD 0.30 regardless of the type of card. It adds 1% for international payments. European merchants’ fees are even lower – 1.4% + €0.25 for European cards and 2.9% + €0.25 for non-European cards. It also offers an Enterprise package, which comes at a price quote basis.
The Company does not have an early termination fee, a CPI compliance fee or a fee for failed payments; however, there is a $15 Chargeback fee per incident (refunded if the chargeback is reversed).
According to the Stripe Services Agreement, the Company reserves the right to “suspend Instant Payouts to you at any time, including:
- Due to pending, anticipated, or excessive Disputes, Chargebacks, Refunds, or Reversals.
- In the event of suspected or actual fraudulent, illegal or other malicious activity.
- Where we are required by law or court order,” according to its terms of service.
Be aware, that Stripe does not effectively communicate its reserve policies to merchants or warn them when a cash reserve might be withheld.
Stripe integration with WooCommerce
The Stripe payment gateway for WooCommerce lets you accept payments directly onsite, and includes the option to offer Payment Request buttons (such as Apple Pay and Google Pay), iDeal, SEPA, SOFORT etc. Complete documentation about Stripe payment gateway for WooCommerce can be found here.
Conclusion about Stripe
Like with all big payment service providers, there are many negative comments on Trustpilot. The company’s policies regarding fraud prevention and prohibited business activities seem to cause complaint among many merchants.
Another issue widely reported is unresponsive Customer Service.
Trustpilot score:
Plus:
- Excellent developer tools
- Predictable flat-rate pricing.
- Advanced reporting tools
- Ideal for international merchants
- Excellent marketplace tools
- Multi-currency support
Cons:
- Held funds
- Account stability issues
- Inconsistent customer support
- Not suitable for high-risk industries
Stripe offers a pay-as-you-go model, flat-rate pricing cheaper than PayPal and some other competitors. That makes it great for small startups with a safe and not high-risk business model. Though you are in the adult industry, cryptocurrency trade, or operating any other high-risk business model, Stripe is definitely not for you.
Amazon Pay review
Features:
- On-site checkout
- Mobile-friendly
- Multi-language support
- Voice Solutions
- Users which are Amazon clients don’t need to enter their payment details all over again
- Recurring Billing
Amazon Pay might be the best payment gateway for small businesses, especially for entrepreneurs already selling products through the online giant. It offers plenty of integration options – from a custom API to eCommerce plugins – while remaining relatively inexpensive.
Most importantly, they offer On-site checkout. It means with Amazon Pay, customers can pay without ever leaving your site.
Amazon Pay pricing
Amazon Pay uses a flat-rate pricing structure which is simple and easy to understand. All fees are disclosed in detail on its website. All price fees are transaction-based. The transaction fee is structured of a domestic processing fee and an authorization fee, plus tax where applicable, charged when the purchase is successfully authorized and processed:
Web & mobile
2.9% processing fee + $0.30 Authorization fee
3.9% processing fee + $0.30 authorization fee (for cross-border transactions)
Alexa Voice activated purchases (real-world goods, services)
4.0% processing fee + $0.30 authorization fee per transaction (for domestic US transactions)
5.0% processing fee + $0.30 authorization fee per transaction (for cross-border transactions)
Amazon Pay has a rolling reserve for new merchants. When you first begin accepting payments, all initial transactions will be held in Amazon’s reserve for 14 days. After that point, Amazon will hold your funds for seven days. Payouts are scheduled daily.
In the event of a chargeback, you’ll have to pay a $20 disputed transaction fee, plus tax.
Amazon Pay integration with WooCommerce
Amazon pay WooCommerce plugin is free and easy to install. It allows merchants to accept credit card payments through the Amazon platform. Plugin download page and detailed instructions are provided by Worldpress.org.
Conclusion about Amazon Pay
There are mixed reviews about Amazon Pay on Trustpilot. Although closer inspection highlights the trend that most negative comments come from buyers or merchants who did not read amazon’s policies about rolling reserve carefully.
In total, Amazon pay scores 1.9 stars on Trustpilot.
Plus:
- Easy to use
- Predictable flat-rate pricing
- No early termination fee
- Amazon brand recognition
- Good developer tools
- All-in-one payments system
Cons:
- Mixed customer service reviews
- No PayPal support
- Not suitable for high-risk industries
With its brand recognition, Amazon Pay is ideal for new merchants. In fact, probably this is the best payment gateway for small businesses. It offers reasonable prices and doesn’t come with hidden costs that make it perfect for companies that are just starting out and want a simple, low-cost solution.
Skrill review
Features
- PCI compliant
- Enhanced fraud management
- Tokenised payment facility
- Advanced reporting and analytics
- Multilingual customer care
- Single click payment platform
- Simple integration
- Chargeback protection
- Mobile optimized
- Supports a wide range of shopping carts
Skrill, previously known as Moneybookers, is another payment service provider and transfer service which uses a similar concept to PayPal. Still, unlike Paypal, Skrill allows payments for more risky industries such as gambling and adult services. The company offers a wide range of different payment options. Merchants working with Skrill can accept payments via cards, wallets, instant bank transfers, cash payments and other alternative payment methods, all via a single integration. Customers don’t need to register for a Skrill account to make payment. Skrill operates worldwide, except Japan, Angola and other countries listed here.
Skrill pricing
The opening of the Skrill account is free of charge. You can also close your Skrill Account at any time and free of charge. According to information provided on the company’s FAQ page, if you have a business account with Skrill, fees may apply depending on your account status and your business’s nature.
Several online payment option review sites mention that for US merchants with processing volume up to $3,000, Skrill charges a 2.90% processing fee plus a $0.29 transaction fee. The processing fee goes down for larger monthly sales volumes.
Additional fees
The company also charges a currency conversion fee for all transaction types (deposits, withdrawals, send/receive money transactions, Skrill card products transactions etc.) involving currency conversion. This fee is often applied automatically and without prior notice.
Withdrawing funds from a Skrill account costs $ 5.50 while sending money to another Skrill user costs 1.9% of the transaction (maximum fee $ 20). If your account stays inactive for more than one year, a monthly inactivity fee of $ 3.00 will also be charged. These costs are subject to change, so US merchants are advised to check the company’s current prices.
Merchant accounts are also charged a fee of $0.49 for each refund and $20 for chargebacks. Be aware that according to Skrill merchant agreement, if Skrill elects that the relevant Security shall include the establishment of a Reserve, then: Skrill shall be entitled to prevent the Merchant from withdrawing a sum determined by Skrill (in its sole discretion) from the Merchant Account.
Skrill integration with WooCommerce
With their official plugin for WooCommerce, Skrill offers reduced processing fees on Debit Card/Prepaid Card/Credit Card transactions (VISA, MasterCard, Maestro only) within the Promotion Period. The reduced fees promotion lasts until 01.03.2021 23.59 GMT. You can download the plugin and installation instructions here.
Conclusion about Skrill
Plus
- Simple platform that’s easy for even those new to e-commerce.
- Services many countries
- Focus on startups
- Operates in more than 130 countries
Cons
- Not transparent pricing
- High fees
- Held funds
The company has overall positive reviews on Trustpilot. Still, most of them are from customers who use their money transfer service.
Skrill merchants typically complain about the withholding of funds and poor customer support.
Trustpilot score: 4.4, generated from 13,758 reviews.
With limited information on pricing and fees, it’s no wonder that Skrill has a reasonably large proportion of dissatisfied customers. Skrill’s mishandling on suspicion of fraud is a particularly acute issue for a company that openly markets its services to high-risk traders such as online games, Forex and digital content. Despite this claim, Skrill has a long list of prohibited businesses. It is not suitable for those looking for a CBD merchant account or operating in other high-risk industries.
BlueSnap review
Features:
- Merchant account
- Payment gateway
- Payment processing
- Virtual terminal
- World-class fraud prevention
- PayPal integration
- Subscription and recurring payments
- Hosted global checkout pages
- Online and mobile checkout
- Account management and dedicated support
- Plug-ins to eCommerce platforms
- Intelligent payment routing
- PCI compliance
BlueSnap is a global payment processing service designed to help businesses find a better way of accepting payments by simplifying complex payment processes. The company markets itself as a perfect solution for Startups that are growing away from mainstream payment service providers like PayPal and Stripe.
With the BlueSnap All-in-One Payment Platform, businesses enjoy a vast global network of 30+ acquiring banks. This feature ensures that they get the highest payment conversion rates and generate more significant revenues while reducing cross-border fees.
The platform also comes with an innovative and subscription billing engine capable of generating accurate invoices and reaching out to subscribers and clients worldwide.
BlueSnap pricing
BlueSnap pricing is transparent and shown on the company’s web page. For businesses unable to provide existing processor statements (like Startups for example) BlueSnap fee are 2.90% + $0.30 per successful transaction (or 1,40% + €0,25 for merchants from Europe). There are no monthly fees during the first 12 months. It continues without monthly fees if processing volume is >$2500/month. If you do not meet these requirements, they charge a $75.00 per month account maintenance fee. There are no additional fees for processing eWallets. Interchange plus and custom pricing plans available for businesses with high sales volume and charitable organizations.
Additional fees
BlueSnap doesn’t charge an early termination fee, nether set-up fees. So, if later down the road you find a better deal with a different processor, you’re free to leave without any penalty. The default minimal payout amount is $35.00. BlueSnap offers several payout methods, such as ACH credit, Wire Transfer and SEPA Credit Transfer, among others. Additionally, there is a $25 chargeback fee BlueSnap may, in its sole discretion, set a six-month Rolling Reserve from each payment due to Merchant to meet potential Refunds and Chargeback requests. For more information about BlueSnap’s contracts, check their Merchant Terms and Conditions.
BlueSnap integration with WooCommerce
BlueSnap offers a merchant account and WooCommerce payment gateway solution all-in-one. Their plugin for WooCommerce brings an embedded checkout form directly into your checkout page so that shoppers never leave your site. And the module is free!
Conclusion about BlueSnap
Plus
- Available in US, Canada, and 178 other countries
- Quick set up
- Month-to-month contracts with no early termination fee
- Fully-featured easy to use payment gateway
Cons
- $75 per month account maintenance fee for merchants processing less than $2,500
- Customer support only available during US business hours
- API docs difficult to use
There are mixed comments about BlueSnap in Trustpilot. Most of the complaints are about customer service, which is quite common to all Payment service providers.
Some merchants are complaining about BlueSnap decision to hold their funds for Rolling Reserve without prior notice.
On another side, there are also plenty of positive comments about the BlueSnap service.
Overall, Bluesnap has a Trustpilot score of 2.4 generated from 79 reviews.
With simple, flat-rate pricing, no long-term contracts, and no early termination fee, BlueSnap has a lot to offer.
It seems to be the right choice for new Startups with expected businesses processing above $2,500 per month. Simultaneously, its long list of prohibited businesses makes BlueSnap, not suitable for high-risk merchants. For smaller businesses or merchants from high-risk industries, there are other WooCommerce payment processing solutions out there.
2Checkout (2CO) review
Features:
- Multiple payment methods: MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, Diner’s Club, JCB, debit card, and Paypal
- Multi-currency support of up to 87 currencies
- Multi-language support of up to 15 languages
- Level 1 Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard
- Integration with more than 100 online shopping carts and invoicing systems
- Customized checkout options: Standard and Inline
- Recurring Billing
- Account Updater
- Create customized subscription plans
2Checkout.com is an electronic payment service that allows merchants to accept online credit card payments. It is similar to Stripe and PayPal and competes for much of the same market share. They claim to be the all-in-one monetization platform that maximizes your revenues and makes global digital sales easier.
2Checkout’s pricing
The 2Checkout bases its pricing on a pay-as-you-go model, and it is listed on the company’s pricing page. 2Checkout’s pricing is divided into three pricing plans. Each step up in pricing includes access to more features.
2Checkout’s pricing is divided into three pricing plans. Each step up in pricing includes access to more features.
- “2SELL” – 3.5% plus $0.35 per successful sale,
- “2SUBSCRIBE” – 4.5% plus $0.45 per successful sale
- “2MONETIZE” – 6% plus $0.60 per successful sale.
There is also an enterprise plan available for high-volume sellers. If you sign up for this plan, you’ll be able to negotiate your pricing and features. According to the company’s policy, for every open dispute, 2Checkout applies a fee, set in your account’s default currency. Chargeback rates formula:
Chargeback rate = no. of opened chargebacks (regardless of their current status) in the selected chargeback interval divided by the number of transactions in the previous month.
Be aware that 2Checkout will withhold 5% of your transactions for 90 days, on a rolling basis. 2Checkout also maintains the right to raise the reserve rate (hold more of your money) if your business experiences too many chargebacks or refunds.
2Checkout (2CO) integration with WooCommerce
WooCommerce integration is available through 2Checkout Payment Gateway for the WooCommerce plugin. It is free and fully supported by WooCommerce and WordPress. The full installation and setup manual are provided here.
Conclusion about 2Checkout (2CO)
Most negative comments on Trustpilot originated from people that did not understand the 2Checkout restricted products and services policy. Some users accuse 2Checkout of holding a merchant’s funds, canceling a merchant’s accounts, and/or offering poor customer service.
Trustpilot score:
Plus:
- Predictable flat-rate pricing
- Month-to-month agreement
- Ideal for international merchants
Cons:
- Held funds
- Not good for high-risk merchants
Overall, 2Checkout is an excellent all-inclusive provider with an international reach. It is a good option for small or medium-sized businesses as you can get started with a nice set of features for no additional charge and no monthly maintenance fees. However, if your business falls into a high-risk merchant zone, better look elsewhere.
CyberSource review
Features:
- Cross-Channel Payments
- Gateway & Processing Connections
- Payment Cards
- Direct Debit & Bank Transfers
- Global Tax Calculation
- Secure Acceptance Web/Mobile
- Decision Manager
- Managed Risk Services
- Export Compliance
- Payer Authentication
- Online and Mobile Digital Payments
- Secure Acceptance Web/Mobile
- Payment Tokenization
Once upon a time, CyberSource was the world’s first eCommerce payment management company and provided medium to large businesses with an excellent payment processing option. CyberSource covers a complete portfolio of services that simplify and automate payment operations. It provides enterprise-class solutions to merchants worldwide in various industries, whether in retail, travel, business services, education, non-profit agencies, or e-government. The company had strengthened as an eCommerce leader when it acquired Authorize.net in 2007. Since 2010, it is a part of Visa Inc.
CyberSource pricing
Unfortunately, CyberSource hasn’t published its prices online. There is no free trial offered, and for a quote-based plan, you should contact the company directly.
The company also does not give clear information about chargeback prices. It is only stated on the company’s wiki page that the average chargeback potential loss is $60.00.
CyberSource integration with WooCommerce
CyberSource Payment Gateway plugin allows you to take credit card payments via CyberSource directly on your WooCommerce site. Still, it is a paid service and costs $79.00 per year. The plugin is developed by SkyVerge. For more information, look here.
Conclusion about CyberSource
There are no comments about CyberSource on Trustpilot, and there are 5 customer complaints on the Better Business Bureau.
Plus
- Reliable product
- Secure payment solution
- Great tool for managing an e-Commerce site
- Low cost
- 24/7 support
Cons
- Large volumes of payment can incur high fees
- Transaction information only available for 6 months
- Interface of Virtual Terminal
- Long contract – hard to get out of
- Accounting errors
It seems that Cybersource might serve well for large or media size companies, but for startups, there many other online payment processing solutions for Woocommerce store.
Due review
Features
- Accept payments online
- Get paid faster
- Experienced customer service
- Send and receive money instantly
- Reliable security
- Automate your payments
- Credit and debit card processing
- International payment processing
- eCheck and ACH payments
- Digital wallet
Due started as an online invoicing software that assists small and medium-sized businesses with invoice creation, payment customization and data export. Today the company also offers credit and debit card processing solutions for merchants.
Due pricing
One of the main selling points of the company is its simplicity and hassle free set up. Within minutes, you can sign up for a free account. The company has full credit card processing features with minimal transaction costs. Their rates start at 2.8% with no hidden or monthly fees.
Depending on the volume of your business, Due has three tariff plans:
All tariff plans include a wide array of features, such as:
- Reports and analytics
- Fraud prevention
- Live account monitoring
- Chargeback protection
Due integration with WooCommerce
Platforms integration with Woocommerce is pretty much straight forward. You have to download and activate Due Payment Gateway plugin for WooCommerce. Detailed instruction can be found here.
Conclusion about Due
There is limited information about Due.com, and the company has no reviews on Trustpilot.
Plus
- Cloud-based
- Easy to use
- Competitive pricing plans
Cons
- No mobile apps
- Limited integrations
Looks like Due.com is excellent for freelancers and small startups. However, if you have a larger business with multiple clients, want more advanced features, customization options, or strong customer support, better look elsewhere.
G2A PAY review
Features
- 200+ online payment methods
- Fast integration
- Dedicated account manager
- five payout methods like PayPal, bank transfer, WebMoney, Skrill and Bitcoin in multiple currencies.
- Focus on digital gaming and high-risk industry.
G2A PAY is a relatively new online payment gateway. It offers over 200+ global and local payment methods in more than 80 currencies.
As stated on their website, G2A PAY is an expert in payments for digital business with a strong focus on digital, gaming, and high-risk industries. They have customized checkout, which automatically changes to be in line with local preferences.
Despite claims to focus on high-risk industries, the company has quite a big list of Restricted & Prohibited businesses, which includes CBD products, circumventing software, modchips, and cheat-codes game emulators, boot disks and devices, among other.
G2A PAY pricing
All fees are listed on the G2A PAY merchant-terms-and-conditions page and are about average industries standard. Company reserves the right to block up to 10% of the amount accumulated by the Merchant on the G2A Balance for 6 months if G2A.COM states that a bank, Card Organizations or a financial services company may request from G2A.COM any chargeback connected to the Merchant’s financial or business activity.
G2A PAY integration with WooCommerce
Free G2A PAY plugin for WooCommerce features a checkout translated into 20 languages and processes transactions in 80 currencies. The selection of 200+ global and local payment methods allows merchants that use WooCommerce to fully localize the checkout process. Therefore, apart from PayPal, credit and debit cards, Skrill or bank transfers, entrepreneurs can offer multiple local ways to pay that alter depending on the country. Full documentation can be found here.
Conclusion about G2A PAY
G2A PAY has no user reviews on Trustpilot.
Plus
- Easy to use payment platform
- Large selection of payment methods including cryptocurrencies
- Works with high-risk industry
Cons
- Poor customer service
- High chargeback fees
G2A PAY is worth considering for those who fall into the high-risk industry category. After all, there are not many WooCommerce payment processing solutions which deal with high-risk industry. But if you have a low-risk business model, there are some cheaper solutions available.
PaySpacelv review
Features
- Credit card processing
- Multiple Currency Processing
- Mobile Payments
- Chargeback prevention
- Industry compliance
- Recurring billing
Not everyone sells fashion items or flowers, for example. High-risk merchants know how difficult it might be to get accepted. European company PaySpacelv aims to be a solution for merchants from high-risk industries.
They use cutting-edge payments technology to satisfy the needs of even the most demanding clients. Besides credit card processing, Payspacelv also offers alternative payment methods tailored for each region separately.
Payspacelv pricing
Payspacelv has a quotation-based pricing model. The company does not disclose their fees on their website; however, it is stated on their website that their pricing starts at 1.2% + $0.3 per transaction. They claim to be flexible and can offer you a customizable payment environment to meet your specific needs. Unfortunately, there is no information about chargeback fees and the rolling reserve policy on the company´s website, so you have to contact them directly for more.
Payspacelv integration with WooCommerce
According to the company´s website, they have a plugin for WooCommerce. However, I couldn´t find more specific details about installation and further integration.
Conclusion about Payspacelv
Plus
- High-risk merchant services
- Flexible pricing
- Focus on startups
- Operates in more than 130 countries
Cons
- Not transparent pricing
- Limited information about integration with WooCommerce integration
There are overall positive reviews on Trustpilot. Some of the negative comments I located was about slow customer service and poor communication.
On the other side, most of the PaySavelv customers are satisfied with their services.
In total, PaySpacelv ar getting a Trustpilot score of 3.9 generated from 20 reviews.
According to information from their website, PaySpace offers its services to merchants involved in almost all high-risk industries Adult, CBD and Forex included.
PaySpacelv might be a reasonable online payment processing solution for WooCommerce store, which operates in high-risk industries that need a scalable payment gateway.
Merchant account Providers
If you are a startup or want to test your new eCommerce venture, probably Payment Process Providers will do just fine. However, as you can see from the given examples above, if your business starts to grow, there are too many risks involved. The possibility that somebody can put your accounts on hold without prior notice is terrifying. To minimize the risks, you should look towards a full merchant account.
Fully serviced merchant accounts are another WooCommerce payment processing solution.
Down below, I have created a shortlist of merchant account providers with easy WooCommerce integration.
Ayden review
Features:
- Global Reach
- Risk Management
- Data Driving
- One- Click Recurring Payments
- Personalized Service for Local Buyers
- Revenue Protect Feature
- Dynamic Card Validation
- Reporting and Analytics
Adyen is an international merchant account provider founded in 2006. With headquarters in the Netherlands, Adyen operates 20 offices around the world. They offer an all-in-one solution for merchants that include merchant account and tools for payment processing, such as payment gateway for online payments, point of sale for in-person transactions, and integration abilities for in-app or mobile payments.
Adyen payment services allow business owners to accept a variety of payment methods. Basically, they are a proper end-to-end solution, handling the entire payment flow. In 2018 eBay has signed an agreement with Adyen to become its direct payments, processing partner.
Adyen´s pricing
Adyen´s Pricing models are organized by global region, country, and payment type. Unlike most merchant account providers, Adyen does not charge annual fees, early termination fees, setup fees, PCI compliance charges or gateway fees. However, Adyen has a minimum invoice of $120 per month, depending on transaction volume and region.
Adyen’s processing fees can undoubtedly be considered confusing. US merchants will find a mix of interchange++ fee (for Visa and Mastercard) and flat rates (3.95% for American Express and Discover and 3.75% for JCB). Interchange++ fee refers to the processor markup and any card network fees that apply to the transaction. For all cards and payment methods, there is also an added $ 0,12 processing fee. According to the company’s terms and conditions, Adyen determines the deposit level that Adyen might apply to account for and cover the merchant’s possible debts for fees, penalties and chargebacks. There is also stated that the amount of chargeback fee is determined by card networks, so it might variate.
The company also states that the acceptable chargeback level must not be higher than 0.5%. For every Chargeback, a non-refundable Chargeback Fee will be charged to the Merchant as set out in the Merchant Agreement.
Adyen integration with WooCommerce
Albeit Adyen doesn’t have their own WooCommerce extension, there are plenty of third-party plugins available. Probably most popular is Payment Gateway for Adyen and WooCommerce By WPRuby.
It is a free plugin created and maintained by WPRuby.com using the publicly available API of Adyen and WooCommerce. Setup instructions are provided here.
Conclusion about Adyen
Plus:
- Ease of Use
- Good Fraud Tools:
- Ideal for international merchants
- No Monthly/Early Termination Fees
Cons:
- Confusing pricing model
- Monthly minimum fee
- Long list of prohibited businesses
Adyen has a low Trustpilot ranking of 1.7 stars.
Most of the complaints on Trustpilot highlights unsatisfactory customer service.
There also is a misunderstanding of Adyen’s prohibited items policy.
Overall, Adyen is a reputable all-inclusive service provider with an international reach. However, the company might not be the most affordable solution for low-volume merchants. Although Adyen offers excellent functionality and flexibility, smaller businesses that don’t need everything Adyen includes might find a more specialized service at a lower cost. With its long list of restricted items and businesses, Adyen is not for merchants who operate in high-risk industries.
Instabill review
Features:
- International (overseas) merchant accounts and gateway
- High-risk merchant accounts
- AVS fraud protection
- Local payment processing solutions
Instabill is a high-risk merchant account provider and credit card processor with a wide range of payment solutions for accepting payments over the phone, face to face, and online. The company accepts most major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club, etc.
They also offer PCI compliant solutions, including the online payment gateway. Additionally, the company gives access to fraud tools, including Address Verification System (AVS) checks, Visa’s 3D secure, and MaxMind fraud prevention database.
Instabill pricing
Like almost all merchant account providers, Instabill doesn’t list their fees online. Fees will vary considerably depending on the merchant’s industry type, processing history, and expected sales volume. You can request a free quote on their web page.
Be aware, high-risk merchants will always have higher rates than medium or low-risk accounts. You should expect:
- Merchant Account Fee
- Transaction Fee
- Monthly Statement Fee
- Chargeback Fee
- Refund Fee
It is stated on the company’s web page that the rolling reserve fund only applies to high-risk and international merchant accounts. Usually, it is only 5-10% of weekly sales volume. Rolling reserves capture a percentage of processing volume from each transaction processed.
Instabill integration with WooCommerce
Currently, there are no free WooCommerce extensions or WordPress plugins for Instabill integration. You can opt between Instabill Payment Gateway For WooCommerce ($40.00) and Instabill Gateway For Easy Digital Downloads ($39.00) plugins. Complete installation guides are provided on respective pages.
Conclusion about Instabill
Plus:
- Ideal for high-risk merchants
- Fast application process
- Ideal for international merchants
Cons:
- Not the cheapest option in the market
- Monthly Statement Fee
Instabill has few customer reviews overall. Trustpilot features only one positive review of the company.
That’s enough to get a Trustpilot score of 3.7.
Also, on forums dedicated to online payment options, Instabill has mostly positive comments.
Since they have a concise list of prohibited goods and businesses, Instabill can often get approved for accounts that other merchant providers would turn down. If you are not eligible to get a merchant account from a traditional bank, giving Instabill a chance makes sense.
Soar Payments review
Features
- Instant online quotes
- Chargeback Management & Fraud Prevention
- Integration with all major eCommerce platforms
Soar Payments is a merchant account provider founded in 2015 specializing in high risk and offshore credit card processing for U.S based businesses. Due to its good reputation, you will often find Soar Payments listed among the top-recommended merchant account providers. Despite the focus on high-risk industries, the company works with a variety of types of businesses. It offers the most direct integrations with accounting, CRM, and eCommerce platforms.
Soar Payments pricing
Soar Payments does not charge any one-time setup or application fees for getting a merchant account through. Unfortunately, pricing details are not displayed on the company’s website. It seems that Soar Payments has different pricing conditions for low-risk and mid-to-high risk merchants. The company claims that they offer industry minimum pricing. It takes about five minutes to receive an instant price quote to DocuSign. So, to get a more accurate idea about expected fees, you’ll have to apply for a rate quote on the company’s website.
You should also expect:
- Merchant On-File Fee
- Minimum Processing Fee
- Chargeback fee
- Transaction Fee
- Rolling Reserve (5-10%)
Soar Payments integration with WooCommerce
Soar Payments offers eCommerce merchants the option of choosing from either Authorize.net, NMI, or USAePay as their payment gateway, which seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce via a “premium” payment gateway extension. You can find the complete installation and setup guide here.
Conclusion about Soar Payments
Plus:
- An Instant Online Quote.
- Ideal for high-risk merchants
- USA-Based Customer Support
- Suitable for CBD merchants
Cons:
- Works with US-based businesses only
- Not transparent pricing structure
At the moment, Soar Payments has only one negative review and a total score of 3.2 stars on Trustpilot.
There are also 7 positive and 0 negative reviews on the Better Business Bureau page.
Since overall, feedback for Soar Payments are positive, and it seems to be a reliable and not overpriced option for all kind of merchants out there. Soar Payments works with more than 70 types of businesses, including businesses selling collectibles and precious metals, firearms, antiques, vape products, CBD products, and more.
Again, while Soar Payments guarantees “industry minimum pricing,” without a transparent pricing structure, it’s not possible to confirm whether this is, in fact, true.
Crypto payment service providers for WooCommerce store
Cryptocurrencies like Ethereum or Bitcoin are becoming more common for online transactions. If you still don’t know, cryptocurrencies are virtual or digital currencies with no centralized regulating authority. It means that money is created and transferred without the intermediation of banks.
There are a lot of reasons why even small startups should also accept digital currencies. I have covered this in detail in my article The Best Cryptocurrency Payment Gateways For Merchants In 2020.
In comparing traditional payment types like a credit card or bank transfers, cryptocurrency offers a quick yet less expensive way to accept customer payment. Because there is no intermediary, cryptocurrency doesn’t have any processing fees. Transactions happen in real-time. It takes less than 10 minutes to verify and facilitate a trade from one digital wallet to another.
And finally, with cryptocurrencies, all transactions are final and cannot be reversed, so there are no chargebacks.
Most merchant wallets are not limited to accepting all forms of coins and automatically alter any sales transaction to the business’s base currency. For some time now, cryptocurrencies are also viable online payment processing solutions for the WooCommerce store.
CoinPayments review
Features
- Multi-Coin Wallet
- Shopping Cart Plugins
- Auto Coin Conversions
- Vault
- $PayByName
CoinPayments has been around since 2013 and is the most popular cryptocurrency payment gateways out there. Their headquarters are based in Vancouver, Canada.
With Coinpayments, you can accept 1935 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Altcoins, and many others. They offer a multi-cryptocurrency wallet, which ensures you can store your accepted currencies in a secure wallet. The company also has developed a simple payment technology that allows sellers to receive an abundance of coins and tokens.
CoinPayments boasts nearly 2.5 million sellers using its services in 182 countries. It is clearly the most comprehensive merchant settlement platform for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
CoinPayments pricing
The company claims to be the industry leader in low fees. Their pricing is transparent and listed on the company’s webpage. Basically, they charge only 0,5% transaction fee.
In addition to that, there are wallet fees for some services. Conversions carry the coin transaction fee and any partner fees. Withdrawals are subject to the coin transaction fee. The wallet’s deposits are free up to $15,000 equivalent value monthly, with amounts above that subject to the 0.5% fee.
CoinPayments integration with WooCommerce
Official CoinPayments.net Payment Gateway for WooCommerce, together with installation and setup instructions, is featured on WordPress.org. This is free an open-source plugin.
Conclusion about CoinPayments
Plus:
- Easy integrations with prebuilt plugins
- Multi-Coin wallet
- Low fees
- Ideal for high-risk merchants
Cons:
- Only ticket-based support system
CoinPayments is undeniably a legitimate payment processing service. Although they have quite many negative comments on Trustpilot and score only 1.9 stars, most of them come from people who do not understand how digital currencies work.
One of the merchants explains it perfectly on his comment.
Merchants who want to accept cryptocurrencies have an easy way to do so with the CoinPayments platform. It operates almost worldwide. If you’re in search of an excellent and easy-to-use cryptocurrency wallet, be sure to give Coinpayments a try!
CoinGate review
Features
- Fast – quick registration
- Flexible – multiple tools
- Easy – user-friendly experience
- Accept Over 50+ Altcoins (Alternative crypto currency)
- Instant conversion to EUR/USD
CoinGate is a crypto payment service provider, founded in 2014 and incorporated in Europe, Lithuania. The company provides eCommerce websites, online traders, and businesses with an intuitive, user-friendly platform that lets them accept Bitcoin and other digital currencies. They also offer Bitcoin Point of Sale apps for Android and iOS for a seamless mobile shopping experience for customers and faster and safe payment processing to businesses. Just three years after its creation, in 2017, CoinGate received the “Great User Experience” award from FinancesOnline.
CoinGate pricing
CoinGate pricing for merchants is transparent and listed on company´s webpage.
The company charges only a 1% fee per transaction. There are no setup or recurring payments and no fees charged to shoppers. They also offer free SEPA transfers and Bitcoin payouts. CoinGate allows for withdrawal in fiat currencies through several different options, including PayPal.
For large enterprise clients, CoinGate offers volume-based discounts and a dedicated account manager.
CoinGate integration with WooCommerce
There is an official CoinGate payment getaway plugin for WooCommerece available. The extension allows stores that use the WordPress WooCommerce shopping cart system to accept Bitcoin payments as well as Altcoins via the CoinGate API. It features:
- Fully automatization
- Payment amount is calculated using real-time exchange rates.
- Sandbox environment for testing with Tesnet Bitcoin.
- No setup or recurring fees.
- No chargebacks – guaranteed!
Conclusion about CoinGate
Plus:
- Easy integrations
- Easy to use
- Ideal for high-risk merchants
Cons:
- More expensive than some competition
Despite being a crypto payment processor, CoinGate is a legit company and regulated by European laws. All merchants who use their payment getaway must be verified. Basically, the procedure is almost the same as if you use any other merchant account provider services. Currently, there are 184 feedbacks accumulated on Trustpilot. The majority of negative feedback came from merchants who did not read CoinGate terms and conditions.
However, most of the comments are positive.
On Trustpilot, CoinGate scores 3.2 stars from 5.
CoinGate is an excellent European Fintech company that is continually growing. As it is with all crypto payment service providers, also CoinGate is a superb solution for high-risk merchants from CBD, gambling, or Adult industries.
NOWPayments review
Features
- Auto Coin Conversion
- Instant Withdrawals
- Stablecoin Support
- Regulatory Compliance
- 24/7 Support
NOWPayments is a crypto payment service provider that simplifies accepting and making crypto payments from across the world. The company was created in 2019 by ChangeNow group, owned by CHN Group Limited., a company incorporated in Seychelles.
The company describes itself as the easiest way to accept cryptocurrency payments, and it is hard to argue otherwise. Unlike other crypto payment service providers from this list, NOWPayments don’t hold merchant funds as intermediaries. It goes directly from the customer to the merchant’s crypto wallet. Currently, NOWPayments supports 51 coins, and the list is continuously growing. Some of the most prominent cryptocurrencies backed by NOWPayments include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and BinanceCoin, among several others.
NOWPayments pricing
NOWPayments offers a volume-based pricing model. Their fees are transparent and disclosed on the company’s web page.
For merchants with a monthly processing volume of 0-49 BTC/month company charges a 0.5% transaction fee. As your monthly asset flow increased up to certain amounts measured in BTC, NOWPayments will reward you with even smaller fees! For processing volumes 50-99 BTC/month the Transaction fee drops to 0.45% and from 100-199 BTC/month – 0.4%. Tailored discounts are available for merchants processing over 200 BTC/month.
The company ensures the payment and receipt of funds is settled in as less as 5 minutes.
NOWPayments integration with WooCommerce
The company ensures the payment and receipt of funds are settled in less than 5 minutes.
NOWPayments provides a simple, hassle-free, and secure API that can be integrated into any platform to enable crypto payments and receipts. For WooCommerce users, NOWPayments offers a platform-specific plugin for merchants’ business needs. Plugin and complete installation guide are available on the company’s website.
Conclusion about NOWPayments
Plus:
- Multiple cryptocurrencies support
- Fiat conversion
- Low fees
- Non-Custodial wallet support
- Ideal for high-risk merchants
Cons:
- No Point of sale (PoS) support
- No mobile app
Despite being a new kid on the block, NOWPayments has mostly positive reviews on Crypto currencies forums and dedicated webpages. Also, their mother company ChangeNOW is highly rated among cryptocurrency traders. There is also only positive feedback left on Trustpilot.
Total Trustpilot’s score for NOWPayments is 4 stars.
Total Trustpilot’s score for NOWPayments is 4 stars.
NOWPayments protects users from the infamous price fluctuations observed in cryptocurrencies and benefits them by offering a rugged and time-tested crypto integration solution that can be deployed without undue difficulty. With NOWPayments, merchants get all the critical features of a mainstream crypto payment provider with a low transaction fee.
NOWPayments is for anyone who wants to accept cryptocurrency payments for goods and services. It is a perfect solution for merchants from high-risk industries. No matter if you are in CBD sales, gambling, or the adult industry, with NOWPayments, you will get high-risk merchant account instant approval hassle-free. No matter if you are just struggling to get on your feet or simply want to give your existing business more exposure and looking for a crypto payment gateway, give NOWPayments a try!
Let’s wrap it up!
Appropriate WooCommerce payment processing way can significantly impact customer satisfaction and the success of your business. There is no universal solution for everyone.
What best suits your venture depends on the type and requirements of your business. Therefore, a carefully selected option can drastically eliminate abandoned cart problems and keep costs per payment low on your end. I hope this article has shed some light on the matter.
Which WooCommerce payment processing solution are You using? Is it something that’s not on this list? I would like to hear your experience, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment….