Which Are Best WooCommerce Payment Gateways? (With Comparison)

Did you know that most online shoppers cancel their purchase if their preferred method of payment isn’t available? That is why you need to have right WooCommerce payment gateways on your WordPress + WooCommerce powered site if you want your business to thrive.

In the process of setting up a store with WooCommerce, at some point, you’ll need to enable payments. Accepting payments from your customers isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be complicated, either.

Since the checkout can make or break your customer’s payment experience, it’s important to choose the best WooCommerce payment gateway plugin for your store and your checkout.

With the right payment gateway, you can make it easy for customers to pay for your products. But choosing the right gateway takes time. There are many payment gateway providers for WooCoomerce, and depending on your needs, you need to choose wisely.

All payment gateways don’t support all countries. Fees depend on payment gateway, and some even charge a monthly fee or setup fee or both. You need to check their refund fee and chargeback policy.

Some payment gateways provide the customer with the option to check out while staying on your site, while some redirect to their site.

Depending on payment gateway provider, you could need SSL installed on your website.

But if you are selling products on your site, you should by now have SSL certificate installed. It is a simple process and thanks to Let’s Encrypt it can be easily installed on your website.

I have made an extensive guide so if you still don’t have SSL on your site check my guide how to install free SSL using Let’s Encrypt on your WordPress website.

 

What is Payment Gateway?

A payment gateway is a “tool” which allows website store to request payments from customers securely. When a customer chooses to buy a product, a payment gateway is what handles all the steps.

Your gateway verifies each customer’s billing information, checks funds for each client payment method, approves requests allowing your store to issue a confirmation number and most importantly, gets you paid.

 

 

Most gateways in the past used to require store owners to apply for a merchant account. Unless you had a merchant account, there was no way for the payment gateway to transmit money into your bank account (Authorize.Net, WorldPay, 2Checkout).

Now there are plenty of payment gateways that don’t require a merchant account at all. These gateways draw funds directly from your customer’s bank accounts or credit cards, validate them, and then deposit them right in your account ( PayPal payment variations, Stripe, Simplify Commerce).

Payment gateways that don’t require a merchant account usually charge larger per-transaction fees and mostly all send customers off-site to make a payment. This can reduce conversions for some stores.

All payment gateways have fees. It is usually per-transaction fees or monthly usage charges. The gateways can charge one or both, or scale their prices depending on how much you use it.

Per-transaction fee might not sound like much, but it could add up if you’re selling expensive goods. You need to find a gateway that has reasonable per transaction fee, and no monthly payment fees.

 

 

If your business is offering subscriptions or giving customers access to content via paid memberships, you’ll want to check if the gateways you’re considering support automatic payments for recurring plans. If they don’t, customers will need to renew manually each month, which can represent hassle.

Besides considering cost, it’s crucial to pick payment gateways that accept business from your country and your customers country of origin. Otherwise, you’re likely to see a drop in sales and increase in consumer complaints.

That’s why mixing and matching your WooCommerce payment gateways is a good choice unless you go with payment gateway which supports all countries.

 

Hosted vs Integrated Payment Gateways

Payment gateways are used by online businesses to authorize and process customer transactions. In other words, without a payment gateway business doesn’t get paid.

Even if you’ve never set up a payment gateway yourself, you probably used them before from a customer perspective if you’ve ever bought anything online.

If you’ve ever used PayPal, you’re already familiar with a hosted payment gateway. Hosted gateways redirect your customers to the payment processor platform to input their payment information credentials.

 

 

The biggest advantage of this setup is that the offsite provider is responsible for all PCI compliance and data security. You’ll need to know how your audience feels about a hosted gateway before choosing one.

Hosted gateways are easy to set up and are a great pick for new stores but can potentially hurt conversion rates if customers aren’t familiar with the processor.

Integrated payment gateway connects to your website online store via the gateway provided API. The biggest advantage of this is that customers never have to leave your store to input payment information and submit orders.

The disadvantage of this setup is that you’ll need to have the ability to integrate with the gateway and you are responsible for securely storing cardholder data and complying with your country rules and regulations, including the PCI Security Standards.

 

Popular WooCommerce Payment Gateways

A good practice for selling products through websites is offering a payment gateway that is user-friendly and helps quickly pay for the product.

At the same time, it should ensure security so that the customers feel safe when making payments. It is good practice to have multiple gateway options for users to decide which one they want.

Every business needs a payment gateway to handle payments from their website. However, not all payment gateways are created equally.

There are a few important things to weigh up when choosing a payment gateway:

• • Can you integrate payment gateway with your chosen eCommerce platform?
  • Is the payment gateway available in your country?
  • Is the payment gateway available in your country?
  • What is the checkout process like for your customers?
  • How much does the service cost?
  • How and in what time interval will your funds be available?

WooCommerce has few payment options built into the core plugin, such as PayPal Standard. But most stores will need more payment options like credit card processing. The good news is that WooCommerce supports 123 other payment gateways. Using multiple payment gateways has its pros and cons. But most buyers like when they have several options at disposal.

NOTE: For accepting crypto, you can check my list of best WooCommerce cryptocurrency payment gateway plugins.

 

#1 PayPal Payments Pro Gateway

PayPal Standard is by default integrated into WooCommerce. This is perhaps the easiest payment gateway to configure.

Customers are redirected to the PayPal website to make their payment. There is no processing, authorization, and security issues for you to worry about at your end.

PayPal Standard also supports subscription based payments. However, PayPal Standard does not support changes to recurring billing amounts.

It also does not support date changes for businesses that prefer to bill all customers on the same day of the month. When purchasing, buyers are redirected to the external PayPal website. This can be downside usually.

But PayPal is popular and trusted payment option, so I doubt many customers will be discouraged to purchase if redirected to PayPal.

It is free, has no setup costs or monthly fees to worry about, and when you install WooCommerce it is already there. PayPal Standard is ideal for small business owners just starting out.

PayPal Payments Pro is the premium, big brother of PayPal Payments Standard. It uses the same well-respected PayPal name, but here you can handle card payments directly from your website.

This gives you back control over the checkout experience, giving you the opportunity to customize and tailor your checkout to maximize conversions.

 

 

Another fantastic feature for PayPal Pro users is PayPal Virtual Terminal. The Virtual Terminal service lets your business accept customer payments over the phone, giving you an additional sales channel to target. This service is free, but slightly steeper transaction fees apply.

Like PayPal Standard, PayPal Pro comes with no setup fees. You will have to pay a $30 monthly fee plus transaction fees. The official PayPal Pro extension for WooCommerce will set you back a further $79, too.

There are more PayPal gateway payment options available depending on in which country they are available if SSL certificate is required, compatible with WooCommerce subscriptions and other factors.

Check PayPal WooCommerce payment gateways options in comparison table made by WooCoomerce.

 

Here are the key points of PAYPAL PRO gateway:

• PayPal Pro is only available in the US, UK, and Canada. (Doesn’t come near vs. what PayPal Standard offers when it comes to coverage)
• Fees are the same as PayPal Standard – 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, or 5% + $0.05 for microtransactions.
• No startup costs, but has a monthly fee of $30.
• Customers never leave your website, giving you full control of the checkout process.
• Accept payments over the phone using Virtual Terminal (fees of 3.1% + $0.30 per transaction apply).
• Add the PayPal trust symbol to your checkout.
• Withdrawals must be manually requested, taking 3-4 days for the funds to hit your bank.

 

Some other WooCommerce PayPal checkout gateway plugins you can use:

PAID: PayPal Pro Hosted $16.99 PayPal Pro Credit Card Gateway for WooCommerce $29 PayPal Pro for WooCommerce $79 YITH PayPal Adaptive Payments for WooCommerce $79 PayPal Express Payment Gateway plugin by WebToffee $59

FREE: WooCommerce PayPal Powered by Braintree Payment Gateway PayPal for WooCommerce WooCommerce PayPal Pro Payment Gateway

 

#2 Braintree Payment Gateway

Braintree is a PayPal company. If you like the idea of using PayPal, but want to be able to offer subscriptions, or you’re looking for an option without paying monthly fees, Braintree may be the solution for you.

 

 

There are no monthly fees with Braintree. You can accept payments from PayPal, all major credit cards, Apple Pay, Android Pay, Venmo, and even Coinbase (Bitcoin).

There’s a transaction fee of 2.9% plus 30 cents (this data is for the US and is different based on country), although, your first $50,000 is free (depends on your country).

Your customers also have the option to save their payment details for an easier shopping experience. There is a WooCommerce extension for Braintree, and it’s free which is also a bonus.

You can also use Braintree For Woocommerce plugin for integrating Braintree to your WooCommerce online shop.

 

#3 Stripe Payment Gateway

Stripe is most popular PayPal alternative. It gives you the opportunity to take on-site payments without the monthly fee. The stripe can handle recurring payments and can process refunds automatically. The most popular WordPress eCommerce plugins support it including WooCommerce.

Stripe processes all the main credit cards and debit cards. It also accepts Apple pay and customers can save their payment details. There’s no monthly fee, but there is a transaction fee of 2.9% + 0.30 cents.

 

 

Unlike PayPal, if a customer disputes a charge, it sets you back $15. If you win a dispute, you get this fee refunded. Stripe also has an efficient anti-fraud team on-hand to deal with any suspicious transactions and is one of the best solutions for international businesses. You can accept over 100 currencies, which are automatically converted to your default currency.

 

 Here are key points of STRIPE payment gateway:

• Stripe is currently available in 25 countries, with more expected to be added.
• 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee
• Transactions are handled on-site giving you complete control of the checkout process.
• No setup costs or monthly fees.
• Customers can pay using any major credit card.
• Money received is transferred into your bank on a two-day rolling basis.

 

Plugins you can use to integrate Stripe with your WordPress site:

PAID: YITH WooCommerce Stripe $79 Stripe Payment Gateway for WooCommerce $59 (there is also free version)

FREE: Stripe for WooCommerce Stripe Payment Gateway WooCommerce Addon WPPayForm

 

#4 Authorize.net Gateway

Authorize.net CIM is a popular choice for many businesses as it comes with various features. Authorize.net charges a $49 setup cost and a $20 monthly fee in addition to transaction fees which are  2.9% and 30 cents per transaction.

It accepts all major credit cards and debit cards, PayPal, and also handles refunds, subscriptions, and pre-orders. All transactions are on-site which means the buyer will never leave your site but also means you will need SSL certificate installed.

 

 

Customers also have the option to save their payment details for their next purchase. For the price, you also get an Advanced Fraud Detection Suite, and quick-sync with QuickBooks to make the accounting side of your business a little easier.

You can accept international transactions from customers worldwide and use plugin process refunds automatically from within WooCommerce.

 

AUTHORIZE.NET payment gateway key points:

• Available in US, Canada, Australia, UK, and Europe
• 2.9% + $0.30 transaction costs.
• $49 setup fee, plus $20 recurring monthly charge.
• On-site checkout process.
• Customers can pay using any major credit card and PayPal

 

Plugins you can use to integrate Authorize.net with your WordPress site:

PAID: WooCommerce extension for Authorize.net CIM $79 YITH WooCommerce Authorize.net payment gateway $79 Authorize.net Credit Card Gateway for WooCommerce $29

FREE: Authorize.net Payment Gateway For WooCommerce Authorize.Net Payment Gateway WooCommerce Addon

 

#5 2Checkout Gateway

2Checkout is another popular payment processor. You can accept credit cards, debit cards and PayPal with no additional fees. In the event of a chargeback, a fee of $25 will be charged. There are no monthly fees and no setup fees.

2Checkout’s international payment services are available to merchants and consumers in over 200 countries. 2CO lets customers make purchases in 15 languages and 87 currencies.

 

 

Conversion to your home currency incurs an average fee of 2-5%above the daily bank exchange rate. When the order goes through, the user is taken to 2CO to make a secure payment (there are also self-hosted options).

No SSL certificate is required on your site. After payment, the order is confirmed, and the user is taken to the thank you page.

 

Plugins you can use to integrate 2Checkout with your WordPress site:

PAID:

• 2Checkout Plugin $79  – no longer available
• 2Checkout Inline Checkout $79
• Woo-Commerce 2Checkout Gateway + Recurring + Inline Payments $29

 

PayPal Pro vs Braintree vs Stripe vs Authorize.net vs 2Checkout

 

Other WooCommerce Payment Gateways

There are many other payment gateways for WooCommerce. You can use WPSmartPay plugin if you need to integrate Paddle payment gateway to WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads WordPress store. Other payment gateways you can use include:

1. FirstData

Let your customers easily and seamlessly check out on your site with First Data. You can accept all the main credit cards, and customers can securely save their payment method to their account for easier checkout.

It supports WooCoomerce subscriptions and preorders, and you can process automatic refunds from within WooCommerce. An SSL certificate is required to ensure your customer credit card details are safe.

 

2. Payza

With Payza you can accept online payments from over 190 countries. It is free to sign up with no monthly or yearly fees.

Customers are automatically redirected to Payza’s secure servers for payment and redirected back to your site after paying, meaning that you don’t need to spend time installing and managing SSL certificates and undergoing costly PCI compliance and can focus on selling more goods and services.

 

 

Customers can pay using a Payza eWallet or by credit card. You can accept credit card payments from anyone using Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, Discover®, and JCB. Transaction fees are 2.90 % + $0.30 USD per transaction, and it seems they are same for every country.

 

3. Wirecard

Wirecard gateway combines the integration of more than 12 payment methods. Wirecard will allow you to accept and integrate payments from all major credit/debit cards, PayPal, GiroPay, iDeal, SafeCard, Mobile Payment (paybox, Orange, T-Mobile, tele.ring, A1) and much more. You can visit the Wirecard website for a full list of current payments.

After picking all needed products, the customer will choose the payment method he wants to use from the Wirecard options.

Then he will be redirected to Wirecard secure servers to make the payment. When the payment is completed, the customer is returned to your store and presented with a “Thank you/Receipt” page.

This means no SSL is required to be installed on your site. There are no setup costs or monthly fees. You just pay for what you use.

 

WooCommerce Payment Gateways Final Words

A payment gateway is a web-based program designed to accept and process payments such as credit and debit cards. If you’re planning to sell products or services on your site, chances are you need a payment gateway.

You have given a lot of thought to your business, but did you put a lot of thought into choosing the best WooCommerce payment gateways?

Bringing in sales is the most important part of any business. But it’s just as important to choose the right payment processor for accepting payments. If it’s too difficult for your customers to pay, they’re going to abandon their cart, and you’re going to lose sales.

Have you used any of these WooCommerce payment gateways? Which ones do you think are the best? Feel free to share your experience in the comments below.