Top 7 payment gateways for eCommerce stores in 2025

If you sell anything online, payment is the moment of truth. In this guide, we compare payment gateways for eCommerce stores and show you how to pick the right one for your stack, your markets, and your customers. No fluff, just clear choices, simple explanations, and a few kitchen table metaphors to keep things friendly.

Why this matters now

Payment is not just a card form, it is a bundle of methods, wallets, risk checks, and tiny decisions that either keep money flowing or scare people away. In 2025 your buyers expect cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and local methods like iDEAL or Bancontact to just work. If your checkout stumbles, the sale walks.

Takeaway: the right gateway means more completed payments with fewer headaches.

Payment gateways for eCommerce, quick checklist

Before you pick a provider, run this fast filter. If a box is a hard yes for you, keep that gateway on the list.

• Coverage, countries and currencies you actually sell in
• Local methods, iDEAL, Bancontact, Sofort, and friends
• Wallets, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and BNPL
• Fees and payouts, per transaction costs, monthly fees, settlement speed
• Disputes and fraud, 3D Secure 2 support, risk tools, chargeback help
• Platform fit, great plugin for Shopify or WooCommerce, or clean APIs for headless.To ensure smooth integration and design, check out our website design process
• Reports, simple reconciliation so finance does not cry on month end

Takeaway: match the gateway to your buyers, your platform, and your finance workflow.

7 Best eCommerce payment gateways

There is no single winner, there is a best fit for your situation. Here is the short version, then we go deeper.

• Stripe, broad methods, strong APIs, subscriptions and marketplaces
• Adyen, enterprise grade, online and in store under one roof
• Braintree, PayPal native, strong for PayPal heavy audiences
• Mollie, European friendly, quick access to local methods
• Checkout.com, global coverage with routing control
• Shopify Payments, the native choice on Shopify
• Authorize.net, a reliable US classic with eCheck

Takeaway: choose based on markets, methods, and how much control you need.

1. Stripe, global coverage

Why stores like it, one integration with cards, wallets, and many local methods, plus subscriptions, retries, and great docs. If you want an API that feels like Lego, Stripe is your box of bricks.

Plain language corner, API is the waiter between your website table and the bank kitchen, polite waiters carry orders fast, rude ones spill soup.

Takeaway: Stripe covers a lot of ground with solid developer tools that help you increase eCommerce conversion rate through smoother checkout experiences.

2. Adyen, one contract

Why stores like it, strong risk controls, unified reports for online and in person, and broad method coverage. Larger brands love having everything in one place, website, app, and terminals.

Plain language corner, risk engine is the bouncer at your club door, it checks IDs, lets good people in, and sends trouble home in a taxi.

Takeaway: Adyen fits scale ups and enterprises that want one stack across channels.

3. Braintree, PayPal native

Why stores like it, a clean way to take cards and PayPal together, with PayPal Vault and PayPal Pay Later where supported. If your audience loves PayPal, this is a neat bundle.

Plain language corner, vaulting is a locked cookie jar for cards, you do not see the numbers, you just ask the jar nicely when you need to charge again.

Takeaway: Braintree is strong when PayPal is a big slice of your sales.

4. Mollie, EU local methods

Why stores like it, quick access to iDEAL, Bancontact, SEPA transfers, and more, with friendly dashboards and plugins for WooCommerce. If you sell across Europe, Mollie keeps it simple.

Plain language corner, local methods are like paying at a neighborhood bakery, familiar faces make checkout feel safe.

Takeaway: Mollie is a solid pick for European stores that need local trust.

5. Checkout.com, scaling control

Why stores like it, broad coverage and routing options that help with acceptance across regions. If you are expanding into EMEA, APAC, and the Americas, routing can be your quiet superpower.

Plain language corner, smart routing is the GPS for transactions, it picks the best road so
payments reach the bank without traffic jams.

Takeaway: Checkout.com suits fast growing brands across multiple regions.

6. Shopify Payments, native choice

Why stores like it, less setup, Shop Pay, and fewer moving parts inside Shopify. If your country is supported, start here, then add PayPal as a secondary method.
Plain language corner, native means it fits like a shirt from your own closet, not a borrowed jacket.

Takeaway: on Shopify, use Shopify Payments first if you can.

7. Authorize.net, US classic

Why stores like it, reliable gateway features, virtual terminal, and eCheck. Many US SMBs run on it because it is stable, even if the UI feels a bit retro.

Plain language corner, virtual terminal is a phone order pad inside your browser, you type the card details while the customer is on the line.

Takeaway: Authorize.net remains a dependable option for US merchants.

Costs, fees, payouts

You will see a mix of pricing models, a percentage plus a fixed fee per transaction, extra for Amex in some cases, method specific fees for local payments, and sometimes a monthly gateway fee. Watch payout schedules, daily or weekly, and check if the provider holds a reserve for a while.

Finance sanity, agree on a simple reconciliation routine, one report for orders, one for payouts, and a shared sheet for fees. Your accountant will bake you cookies.

Takeaway: know the fee mix and the payout rhythm before you sign.

Security and SCA basics

Card payments go through layers of checks. In Europe, 3D Secure 2 is the step where banks may ask buyers to confirm in their banking app. Good gateways minimize friction with exemptions and smart retries.

Plain language corner, SCA is the extra seatbelt, sometimes it clicks in automatically, sometimes you need to tug the strap.

Takeaway: pick gateways that handle SCA gently so good buyers glide through.

Platform fit, what to use where

• Shopify, start with Shopify Payments if available, add PayPal, consider Stripe, Adyen, or Checkout.com if you need methods or routing that the native setup lacks
• WooCommerce, Stripe or Mollie cover most needs, Braintree if PayPal is huge, Adyen for unified online and in store
• Headless, Stripe and Checkout.com for flexible APIs, Adyen for enterprise coverage, Mollie for fast EU methods

Plain language corner, frameworks are cake mixes for developers, you still bake the cake, you just do not milk the cow first. Backend is the kitchen, hot pans and secret sauces, not visible to guests. QA is the picky customer who sends food back until it tastes right.

Takeaway: Choose the gateway that matches your platform and your growth plan.

eCommerce payment gateways, quick match

Different stores, different needs. Use this mini map.

• Subscriptions, Stripe wins on tooling and retries
• High PayPal usage, Braintree
• EU cross border, Mollie or Adyen
• Omnichannel, Adyen
• Global scale, Checkout.com or Stripe
• Shopify first, Shopify Payments, then add PayPal
• US legacy setups, Authorize.net

Takeaway: match the use case first, then compare fees.

Integration tips that save time

• Keep your plugin list light, your checkout should not carry ten backpacks
• Turn on Apple Pay and Google Pay, taps beat typing
• Surface total costs early, no surprise fees at the last step
• Log declined payments with reasons, then fix the top two causes
• Test guest checkout first, then accounts, then loyalty

If you want help with the structure and the stack, we do this every week, see our eCommerce development approach for how we ship fast, tidy checkouts without chaos.

Takeaway: small setup choices make checkout feel quick and familiar.

What we consider together

When we choose payment gateways for eCommerce with clients, we look at five things, audience payment habits, regions, platform lock in, internal ops, and growth plan. That is it. Fancy features are nice, but if your buyers cannot pay with their favorite method, none of it matters.

Plain language corner, webhooks are little postcards from the gateway to your store, they say paid, refunded, or disputed, and your system updates itself.

Takeaway: choose for your buyers first, your roadmap second, features third.

Final words, then action

Picking eCommerce payment gateways is not a beauty contest, it is a fit test. Choose the provider that covers your markets, your methods, and your platform without turning month end into detective work. If you want a second pair of eyes, we are happy to look at your funnel and your checkout.

FAQs

Q. What is a payment gateway

A secure service that moves payment details from your checkout to the networks, then tells your store if the charge succeeded.

 Q. Is PayPal a gateway or a processor

Both, depending on the product. Braintree gives you cards plus PayPal in one setup, plain PayPal can also act as a separate method.

Q. Do I need more than one gateway

Sometimes yes, for redundancy, better acceptance in a region, or access to a local method your main provider lacks.

Q. Which gateway is best for Shopify

Use Shopify Payments if your country is supported, add PayPal, then consider Stripe or others if you need extra methods or features.

Q. How do fees usually work

Expect a percent plus a fixed fee, sometimes a monthly gateway fee, and different rates for local methods or Amex. Check payout speed.

Takeaway: FAQs are quick answers, the real choice comes from your buyers and your stack.