Choosing the Best Payment Gateway for WooCommerce Stores

Optimize Your Checkout with 8 Best Payment Gateways for WooCommerce Stores

Once your website is up and running, the only thing you may be overlooking is a reliable payment gateway. Reliability is key because no merchant wishes to manually process online payments while navigating the strict regulations of PCI DSS. 

To ensure the safety of your customers and the long-term sustainability of your WooCommerce store, setting up a secure payment gateway is essential. The best payment gateway meets your customers’ needs without compromising your store’s security.

Settling for a cheap or even free payment gateway that performs poorly can damage your store’s reputation and deter potential customers from making purchases.  

Are you unsure which payment gateway is right for your business? WPX is here to help with our in-depth review of the top gateways.  

What Is a Payment Gateway in WooCommerce?

A payment gateway is a third-party software that is integrated with your WooCommerce store and automatically processes online payments at any time of the day. Depending on the tool, it can feature either one or many payment options, but the most common ones are credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets. 

What Do You Need a Payment Gateway for?

A payment gateway is a bridge between your store and your customer. When a customer makes a purchase on your website, they provide their card information to a third-party tool that, in turn, sends a request to your bank. 

What does a payment gateway do that you can’t? As a small or medium-sized store, you are likely to be a target of numerous hackers, especially if you store card details on your computer locked under an easy-to-guess password.  

A WooCommerce payment gateway offers a number of benefits, from multiple payment options supporting many currencies to a streamlined and easy-to-navigate checkout process, but the most important one is undeniably security. Alongside encryption and secure payment transactions comes compliance, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity of purchases. 

Our Criteria for Choosing the Best Payment Gateways for WooCommerce

When selecting the best WooCommerce payment gateways, we have looked at four main factors:

  • Transaction fees (both domestic and international)
  • Security (whether the payment gateway is PCI-compliant and offers other security features)
  • Supported currencies (an especially important factor for international merchants)
  • Supported countries 

Since WooCommerce stores operate globally, we have also included in our review payment gateways that are focused on Europe, Africa, and India – some of the biggest markets with lots of potential. 

8 Best WooCommerce Payment Gateways

Here is a comparison table of the best payment gateways for WooCommerce stores:

Stripe 

Rating: ★★★★★

Perfect for global eCommerce merchants who seek extensive customization and support for various currencies.

Stripe is a top-notch choice for businesses looking for a highly customizable and globally accessible payment gateway, especially if you have the technical resources to leverage its full potential.

The provider offers a very flexible API so that you can tailor the solution according to your store’s needs and business model. Not many payment gateways allow for that much customization. 

In addition to versatility, Stripe can be the best payment gateway for WooCommerce that supports a wide range of currencies all around the US and Europe.  

Key Features

  • Same prices across different payment methods 
  • 10+ payment methods available (Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, AmExpress, Discover, and more)
  • No need to set up a merchant account 
  • Optimized for mobile use 
  • Affordable add-on for fraud prevention 

Drawbacks

  • To install advanced features, you need to have some API knowledge 

Transaction Fees

  • 2.9% + 30¢ per charge for domestic cards 
  • + 0.5% for manually entered cards 
  • +1.5% for international cards 
  • +1% for currency conversions  

Available in Countries 

Stripe supports 46 countries, mainly in North America and Europe. 

Supported Currencies

Stripe supports more than 135 currencies and can receive refunds in your currency. 

Security Measures  

Stripe is a PCI-certified payment gateway, and all card numbers are encrypted with AES-256 encryption. 

Square

Rating: ★★★★☆

Perfect for merchants who want a user-friendly interface and seamless integration with WooCommerce.

Square is an ideal payment gateway for those merchants who plan on opening a brick-and-mortat store. Although Sqaure still great for online small to medium-sized businesses, Square is very dependable on the region where you activate an account. 

Apart from geographical limitations, Square is a reliable tool with transparent prices and an easy set-up process. You don’t have to be tech-savvy to integrate the payment gateway into your store. 

Key Features

  • No extra fees 
  • A flat fee per online transaction
  • Fast deposits to your bank account within 1-2 days 
  • Active fraud prevention 
  • Free customer director 

Drawbacks 

  • Not all features are suitable for online stores 

Transaction Fees

  • 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction
  • 3.5% + $0.15 per manually entered transaction 
  • 3.3% + $0.30 per online invoice transaction 
  • 2.6% + $0.10 per in-person transaction 

Available in Countries 

Square is available in 50 United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, France, Spain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. 

However, once you activate your account in one region (e.g., the US), you will not be able to process credit card payments in another country (e.g., Canada). You can only process payments while you are physically present in the country where you activated your Square account. 

Supported Currencies

There is no possibility of charging customers in a different currency in Square. The currency you will operate in will depend on your country’s currency. 

Security Measures  

When integrating Square into your WooCommerce website, you will benefit from end-to-end encryption and a PCI-compliant payment gateway. 

PayPal

Rating: ★★★★☆

Perfect for stores accepting online PayPal payments with the ease of use and widespread acceptance. 

PayPal is not new to the market and is trusted by many vendors and buyers. In fact, it is widely used, so your customers might actually find it convenient to pay with PayPal for your products. 

It’s fairly easy to integrate PayPal with WooCommerce, and the set-up process should take a little time. The only notable downside is that PayPal’s customer service has gotten a bad name over the years, and the responsiveness might not be as quick as many expect it to be. 

Key Features

  • Accepts international payments 
  • Customizable API
  • Active fraud protection round the clock 
  • Instant fund refunds 
  • Streamlines checkout process 

Drawbacks 

  • Extra fees are involved in international transactions, including currency conversion fees 

Transaction Fees

  • 2.9% + $.30 fees for each transaction 
  • +1.5% charge for international transactions 

Available in Countries 

PayPal is available in more than 200 countries.

Supported Currencies

PayPal supports 25 currencies and accepts international transactions that are subject to extra fees. 

Security Measures 

In addition to being PCI-compliant, PayPal offers many security features for merchants, such as 24/7 monitoring, dispute resolution, and fraud protection. 

Authorize.Net

Rating: ★★★★☆

Perfect for stores looking for robust security features and extensive merchant support.

If security is your number one concern, Authorize.Net is the best payment gateway to keep sensitive information locked under advanced security. The merchant support is also great, along with resources you can find to make your business more secure. 

Other than that, Authorize.Net is compatible with a range of shopping carts and platforms, yet it may be a bit complicated to set up. 

Authorize.net charges an additional $25 monthly to maintain your account. However, on the bright side, you get access to comprehensive support and many helpful features. 

Key Features

  • Invoice processing 
  • Advanced Fraud Detection Suite available 
  • Recurring payment option present 
  • Customer Information Manager (CIM) for easy checkout for recurring buyers 

Drawbacks 

  • Limited currencies available 

Transaction Fees

  • $25 monthly gateway
  • 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction or $0.10 + daily batch fee $0.10 per transaction if you have a merchant account
  • +1.5% for international transactions   

Available in Countries 

Authorize.net is available in over 50 countries, namely the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Europe. 

Supported Currencies

Authorize.net supports 13 currencies.

Security Measures  

Authorize.Net offers the Advanced Fraud Detection Suite feature that prevents or minizes authorization and chargeback fees, restrics transaction coming from specific counties or IP addresses, and more. 

Amazon Pay

Rating: ★★★★☆

Perfect for businesses in Amazon-supported countries, leveraging Amazon’s trusted payment system.

Amazon Pay may not the universal payment gateway but it is suitable for businesses looking to leverage Amazon’s trusted brand and infrastructure. There are some geographical restrictions as the payment gateway solution is available only in 18 countries. Moreover, Amazon Pay will appeal more to existing Amazon customers. 

Overall, Amazon Pay is the best payment gateway if your WooCommerce wants to benefit from strong security measures and if your customer base already includes Amazon users. 

Key Features

  • Integration with Prime members’ stored customer data 
  • In case of refunds, the transaction fees are also returned to your bank account 
  • Multi-currency payment gateway 
  • Guarantee to minimize or prevent chargebacks, frauds, and more

Drawbacks 

  • Rigorous acceptance use policy 

Transaction Fees

  • 2.9% + $0.30 per domestic transaction 
  • 3.9% + 0.30 per international transactions  

Available in Countries 

Amazon Pat is available in 18 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and many countries in the EU.

Supported Currencies

Amazon Pay supports more than 80 currencies

Security Measures  

Amazon Pay is PCI-compliant and provides merchants with anti-fraud technology

Mollie

Rating: ★★★★☆

Perfect for European-based merchants, offering extensive local payment options.

Mollie is the best payment gateway for European merchants who look for supported local payment options and currencies. It has a quite simple setup process and integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce stores. 

Although it is not as feature-packed as other competitors on this list, Mollie is an excellent choice for European merchants and customers. 

Key Features

  • An intuitive payment gateway with many payment methods 
  • Payment links available 
  • Optimized checkouts 
  • Recurring payment options available 
  • Pre-built integrations and ready-to-use libraries available 

Drawbacks 

  • Suitable only for merchants operating across Europe

Transaction Fees

  • 1.80% + €0.25 per European online transaction 
  • 3.25% + €0.25 per international transaction 
  • 2.90% + €0.25 for Americal Express holders 

Available in Countries 

Mollie is available in 32 countries within the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.  

Supported Currencies

Despite Mollie focusing on the European market, the payment gateway supports 15+ currencies, including the US dollar, UAE dirham, and other European currencies. 

Security Measures  

Mollies complies with industry standards and is PCI-compliant at all times. The payment gateway also offers fraud detection, encryption, and other security features. 

Paystack

Rating: ★★★★☆

Perfect for Africa-based merchants, providing localized payment solutions.

Paystack is another great payment gateway that is suitable for African-based merchants. The tool offers a reliable and easy-to-use payment system, and it supports local currencies. It also has clear pricing with no hidden costs and good customer support for local businesses. 

Despite its limited global reach, Paystack is an excellent choice for local payment support in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and more. 

Key Features

  • Discounted transaction fee on large volumes of transactions
  • Automated chargeback alerts 
  • 24/7 support 
  • Short processing times (usually within a day)
  • Multiple payment methods 

Drawbacks 

  • Suitable for merchants operating in the African region 

Transaction Fees

For Nigerian businesses: 

  • 1.5% + NGN 100 for local transactions 
  • 3.9% + NGN 100 for international transactions 

For Ghanian businesses:

  • 1.95% + GHS 0.50 per any transaction

For South African businesses:

  • 2.9% + R1.00 per any transaction 

Available in Countries 

Paystack is available only in Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, but it accepts international transactions seamlessly. 

Supported Currencies

As an African-based payment gateway, Paystack supports only 4 currencies: NGN, USD, GHS, and ZAR. 

Security Measures 

Paystack has a combination of manual and automated fraud systems to prevent and minimize fraudulent transactions and chargebacks. The provider is also PCI-compliant. 

Razorpay

Rating: ★★★★☆

Perfect for India-based merchants, supporting a variety of local payment methods.

Razorpay has its primary focus on the Indian market at the moment, so if you are doing business there, the tool supports a wide range of local payment options. 

Unlike other local payment gateways, this one actually boasts many features and integrations. As for merchant support, the situation is similar to PayPal, where the responsiveness could be improved. 

Key Features

  • Supports numerous payment methods 
  • Feature payment links 
  • Offers real-time currency conversions 
  • Can be integrated with many platforms 

Drawbacks 

  • Oriented on merchants operating in India only 

Transaction Fees

  • 2% + GST for domestic transactions
  • 3% + GST for international transactions 

Available in Countries 

Razorpay is currently available only in India

Supported Currencies

Despite the payment gateway operating only in India, it accepts and processes nearly 100 currencies globally. 

Security Measures

Razorpay is a PCI-compliant payment gateway, offering the highest assurance of SSL certificates and best encryption practices. 

What Woocommerce Payment Gateway Is the Best for You?

Selecting the right payment gateway for your WooCommerce store depends on your specific needs, including your target market, preferred features, and budget. Whether you need Stripe’s global versatility, Square’s user-friendliness, PayPal’s trusted reputation, or Razorpay’s and Paystack’s local expertise, there is a perfect solution for your business.

For a seamless and reliable online store experience, consider using WPX hosting plans. 

Our services are user-oriented, meaning we assist you throughout your eCommerce journey and ensure your WooCommerce store runs smoothly. 

In addition to custom-built CDN and proactive malware protection, WPX takes care of the technical aspects of your website while you can focus on scaling your business. 

Choose WPX hosting today and take your website to the ultimate level!

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Vladimir Nenkovski
Vladimir Nenkovski

Vladimir is the lead of the WPX WooCommerce project. His long journey as a Technical Support Team Manager introduced him to all kinds of WordPress and WooCommerce services and their impact on your website. If there is a solution to a better performing website, he will find it.

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