One key aspect of running a WooCommerce store is having a payment system that is secure and convenient for your customers. By doing so, you can automate customer purchases, reduce the risk of fraud, and comply with regulatory standards.
However, with hundreds of options available, finding the right payment gateway might be challenging. To help out, this article will compare seven of the best payment gateways and their pros and cons. But before that, let’s discover what a payment gateway is in the first place.
What is a WooCommerce Payment Gateway?
If you’ve ever tried to pay for a product online, and they offered multiple options like Mastercard or Paypal, that was a payment gateway at work.
Put simply, this “payment gateway” is a platform you integrate into your sales channels to accept payments.
Instead of handling the financial and legal hassles involved in processing money, you should set up a third-party gateway to automate certain processes, including authentication of payment details (.e credit card numbers, etc), encryption of customers’ personal details, and accepting or declining the transaction.
With this definition in mind, there are two basic types of payment gateways you can have on your site;
- The first is a payment form on the payment gateway’s site. For customers to pay, they have to click a link that goes to your payment gateway’s website. An example of this is PayPal.
- The second is a payment gateway directly on your site. In this circumstance, the customer never leaves your site to complete payments. Integrated payment gateways are favored more often because you don’t have to send customers elsewhere to make payments. Most e-commerce sites work this way, including Shopify and Amazon.
90% of the time it’s better to have the payment form directly on your site as it reduces the number of steps or friction required to complete purchases at your store.
The less complicated you can make your shopping process, the more likely customers are to complete purchases and avoid abandoned carts.
7 Best WooCommerce Payment Gateways
Since most payment gateways offer different policies, features, and transaction fees, how can you know which works best for you? Worry not! We’ve done the research for you and discovered 7 of the best payment gateways you could choose:
1. Stripe
Stripe is a powerful payment gateway with millions of users. One reason why is that WooCommerce’s store builder comes with built-in support for Stripe. This makes it (benefit).
Another reason why Stripe is so popular is that it supports all top credit and debit cards, Google Pay and Apple Pay, and several local payment methods like Alipay, iDEAL, and SEPA direct debit. Moreover, Stripe is available in more than 45 countries and it currently supports over 135 currencies.
As for fees, there are no setup or annual costs for Stripes Payment gateway extension. Instead, it operates a pay-as-you-go model of 2.9% + 30¢per transaction.
Stripe offers a convenient user experience. Instead of sending customers outside your site, stripe integrates seamlessly so your customers can stay on your site during checkout.
Its extensive features also allow you to collect one-time and regular payments, calculate tax automatically, and handle your invoicing, in addition to more features.
Key features:
1.Stripe Elements: You can use Stripe’s suite of UI building blocks to design a checkout experience that matches your brand requirements and remains PCI compliant.
2. Payment Links: Customers can save their favorite payment methods for easy one-click checkouts in the future.
3. Stripe Radar: This fraud protection feature uses machine learning to detect and prevent fraud. It also has 3D Secure technology, which reduces the likelihood of fraud in high-risk transactions.
Cons:
1.Its functionality is complicated and requires API understanding. If you cannot configure it independently, consider hiring a developer.
2. Additional services are expensive. For instance, using a custom domain to host your checkout page costs $10 per month, whereas installing a POS system for mobile transactions costs $249 per setup.
Service Statistics:
- Transaction fee: 2.90% + $0.30 for each card or digital wallet transaction.
- Supported currencies: 135+
- Supported Regions: 46 countries
2. Paypal
The PayPal payment gateway for WooCommerce is the most popular choice among businesses due to its user-friendly interface and smooth interaction with most e-commerce platforms.
They are pioneers in the payment industry and serve as a redirect payment gateway. With PayPal, transactions are as simple as a few clicks. You only need to create a PayPal account on the PayPal website.
This payment gateway allows you to take payments using various methods, including Alternative Payment Methods (APM) and digital wallets.
PayPal doesn’t charge you monthly or setup fees. Furthermore, you can request reduced rates according to your sales volume. This function is available to merchants making more than $3,000 per month with a PayPal account older than 90 days.
PayPal is an excellent way to make payments for WooCommerce stores that serve foreign customers, as it works in over 200 countries.
However, certain nations have restrictions on using PayPal. So make sure it’s available in your country and your customers.
Key Features:
1.PayPal Invoices allow clients to pay online in full or installments without opening a PayPal account.
2. With PayPal.Me, you can request payments without connecting to your PayPal account or providing your bank account information. You can also personalize the link to match your brand.
3. Merchants are safeguarded against fraudulent claims and chargebacks with fraud prevention, 24/7 monitoring, and dispute resolution. You can check the payment gateway’s website for information on the criteria for this function.
Cons:
1. PayPal accepts international transactions but charges additional payment fees, including transaction and currency conversion fees. The total cost varies according to the transaction amount and payment method.
2. PayPal’s one-size-fits-all payment system may not suit all businesses’ needs. Furthermore, coding skills are necessary to customize sophisticated features.
Service Statistics
- Transaction Fee: 2.99% + fixed fee for each card transaction
- Supported Currencies: 25
- Supported Regions: 200+ countries
3. Square
Square is a standard WooCommerce payment gateway for small- and medium-sized businesses that have physical locations, offer delivery, and provide other selling choices.
Its mobile point-of-sale technology enables merchants to take debit and credit card payments using mobile devices. Numerous tracking, shipping, and in-person pickup options are available at physical establishments.
While its worldwide reach is less extensive than other payment gateways on our list, its customized business strategies make it the ideal payment gateway for restaurants, retail sites, and appointment-based businesses.
You may also add products to your Square account that instantly integrate with your WooCommerce store.
Key Features
1.Square offers an online terminal. You can process debit and credit cards with a web-based payment processor remotely or in-person using a computer, which saves you money on hardware.
2. Square provides end-to-end encrypted, safe, PCI-compliant payment processing without extra costs.
3. Receiving a payment dispute on your Square account does not incur additional costs.
Cons:
1.Numerous add-ons have monthly costs per location, which mount up over time.
2. Essential services like customer accounts and phone support are limited to the $29/month Plus and Premium plans.
Service Statistics
- Transaction fee: 2.90% + $0.30 per transaction for Free and Plus members.
- Supported currencies: based on supported countries.
- Supported Regions: United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, France, and Spain.
4. Amazon Pay
Amazon Pay makes paying for items easier by allowing users to use the address and payment details saved in their Amazon account. Compulsory account setup frequently deters users from completing their purchases: therefore, this feature is handy.
However, this function majorly benefits merchants in nations with a strong Amazon presence and reputation, as users without an Amazon account might find it stressful to open an Amazon account just to make a payment.
Amazon Pay accepts numerous transactions, such as pre-orders and micropayments. Customers can also make purchases in the currency of their choice. To use this function, register your Amazon Pay account in the UK or the EU.
Service Statistics
- Transaction Fee: 2.90% + $0.30 for domestic transactions.
- More than 80 currencies are supported.
- Supported regions include 18 countries.
5. AliPay
If your WooCommerce store has a significant demographic of Chinese customers, adding Alipay as a payment method is a smart choice.
The Alipay Cross-Border Payment Gateway seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce, making setup and maintenance easier. Its security feature is reliable as Alipay safeguards your clients’ payment information during the transaction, resulting in a secure shopping experience.
Key Features
1.This feature allows buyers to scan QR codes at the participating stores to make payments more convenient. Funds are withdrawn from their Alipay account using linked bank accounts, cards, or other payment methods.
2. Customers can make payments on PCs, game consoles, and smart TVs by scanning the authorization code with their mobile phones.
3. Customers can produce a payment code that retailers can scan if their internet connection is slow.
Cons
1.You might not be able to use certain services for overseas transactions unless you have a Chinese bank account and phone number.
2. The FDIC does not offer insurance for Alipay. If the platform collapses, your funds are not protected by government insurance.
Service Statistics:
- The transaction fee is 3% for every card transaction.
- Supported currencies: 27.
- Supported regions: 110+ nations.
6. Authorize.net
Authorize.net is a reliable payment method that accepts payments online, in-store, and on mobile devices. It accepts most credit cards, eChecks, and common payment systems like Apple Pay and PayPal.
This WooCommerce payment gateway provides All-In-One and Payment Gateway Only options. The former contains a merchant account that allows you to accept credit card payments, recurring payments and deposit earnings into your bank account.
Customers can also use the WooCommerce integration to keep their credit card and bank information, saving time and making checkout easier.
Service Statistics
- Transaction Fee: 2.90% + $0.30 for each credit card transaction.
- Supported currencies: Twelve.
- Supported Regions: USA, Canada, UK, Europe, and Australia.
7. WooPayments
WooCommerce Payments, often known as WooPayments, is a built-in payment gateway that accepts major credit and debit cards and local payment options without any setup or monthly costs.
It accepts standard payment methods such as Google Pay and ApplePay. In some areas, you can also buy now and pay later (BNPL). You can also make in-person contactless payments on your iPhone or Android device.
This WooCommerce payment plugin is a native payment solution that is simple to use and integrates seamlessly with your WooCommerce business. You can accept payments, track cash flow, and handle disputes from your store’s dashboard.
Service statistics
- Transaction Fee: 2.90% + $0.30 for each local transaction via US-issued cards
- Supported Currencies: 135+
- Supported Regions: 38 countries
How To Pick The Best WooCommerce Payment Gateway
The best payment gateway will be unique to your needs, region, customer base, and preferences. If you’re choosing a WooCommerce payment gateway, consider the following.
Costs and Fees
Each payment gateway imposes varying fees, such as transaction fees, setup fees, monthly fees, etc. While some provide reasonable prices for each transaction, others use a pricing approach that lowers transaction fees as volume increases.
As an online merchant, you must understand and weigh these charges because they might cut your profits, especially if your company processes many transactions.
In contrast, decreasing fees can help to increase profit margins. So, look for a payment gateway with transparent, reasonable, and controllable pricing.
Security
A secure payment gateway protects your clients’ private financial information by ensuring that all transactions and customer data are encrypted.
This safeguards your clients and increases their confidence in your WooCommerce store, essential for encouraging recurring business and client loyalty.
Thus, consider a payment gateway that uses cutting-edge security protocols like Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption and PCI compliance.
Setup and Management Simplicity
Handling a challenging payment gateway doesn’t have to be another duty added to the already extensive list of responsibilities involved in running an online store.
As a result, the perfect payment gateway should be simple to set up and maintain for both you and your clients.
Your payment routine can be significantly simplified with a dashboard that makes monitoring and handling payments, refunds, and dispute resolution simple.
Numerous payment gateways provide plugins explicitly made for WooCommerce and WordPress. You’ll save time and eradicate headaches with these plugins, facilitating a more seamless setup process.
Search for Extra Features
Take into account extra features that can improve the functionality of your store when selecting a WooCommerce payment gateway.
Some significant features include recurring billing for subscription-based models, seamless connection with your current system, and support for mobile transactions.
These capabilities enable you to give your consumers more options, expedite the payment process, and easily adjust to various business types. As a result, you can improve your eCommerce platform’s adaptability and usability, increasing its attractiveness and efficiency.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this guide has been useful in helping you choose a payment gateway for your WooCommerce store.
We know how confusing it can be to compare and validate all your available choices, so find comfort in knowing that the best WooCommerce payment gateway is the one that’s available in your target regions, charges competitive fees, and offers a frictionless user experience to your customers.
Considering this statement, our top recommendations are Stripe for its native WooCommerce support, PayPal for its trusted reputation, and Square because it bridges seamless integration between online and in-person sales.
Before now, which payment gateways have you been using and what have your experiences been? Please share with us in the comments!
