Payment gateway providers UK
Best Payment Gateways for UK Small Businesses: What Will You Really Pay?
Your customer has found what they want. Now make it easy to pay. Compare payment gateways by the things that affect your working day: the cost of each sale, how quickly money arrives and how easily you can deal with a refund.
You might sell spare parts online, take deposits for photography bookings or collect payment for a training course. Start with what the customer needs to do, then look at what happens on your side once they pay. This guide helps you narrow the choice without turning it into another project on your to-do list.
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Provider information checked 9 September 2026. Selected links and offers are affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you use them. These are practical shortlists, not a ranking based on hands-on testing or a comparison of every provider.
Why your checkout deserves attention
An awkward checkout is the online equivalent of a till that keeps your customer waiting. Before you spend more on advertising, try buying from your own website on a phone. Can you see the full price, use your preferred payment method and understand whether the order has gone through?
More than £1 in every £4 of retail sales is online
ONS figures put internet sales at 27.4% of Great Britain retail sales in 2025, compared with 19.2% in 2019. That is an increase of 8.2 percentage points. These figures describe retail sales value, not all business payments or the proportion of shoppers using a particular gateway.
Source: ONS internet sales as a percentage of total retail sales, series released 21 August 2026.
After the customer pays, you still have work to do. A useful setup makes it easy to find the order, return part of a payment and see which sales are included in the money sent to your bank. Those everyday jobs deserve a place in your comparison too.
Start with how you sell
Which payment gateway should you shortlist?
Choose the row closest to how you sell, then look at two or three options. A membership service collecting monthly payments needs something different from a photographer taking an occasional deposit. You do not need to compare every provider on the page.
A starting shortlist for different businesses
Your business
Options to investigate
Check before choosing
A small online shop
Stripe, PayPal Checkout or Mollie
Does your website have a maintained integration, and are refunds easy to manage?
A Shopify shop
Shopify Payments, plus any additional methods your customers need
Your plan, processing fees and any extra charges for using another payment provider.
A shop selling online and in person
Square, Worldpay or Elavon
Whether orders, stock and refunds actually connect across your chosen products.
A service business taking deposits
Stripe Payment Links, PayPal payment links or Square Online Checkout
How the payment connects to the booking, invoice and cancellation terms.
Memberships or recurring services
Stripe billing tools; GoCardless for bank collections
The total billing fee, failed payment handling and time to receive money.
A larger or international business
Adyen, Checkout.com, PayPal enterprise payments or Rapyd
Local payment methods, reporting, implementation work and commercial minimums.
These are starting points based on the jobs each service can help with. Check that your business can use the product and that it connects to your website before spending time on a detailed price comparison.
Already happy with your website? Find out which payment services it already supports. A small fee saving may not be worth rebuilding a checkout or losing a booking tool that saves you time every week.
What does a payment gateway actually do?
A payment gateway passes the customer’s payment details securely from your checkout so the payment can be approved or declined. Processing and receiving the money are part of the wider service you need. Providers often bundle these together, which is why you will see different names used for what looks like the same job.
For most owners, the useful question is: “Does this quote cover everything I need to accept a payment and receive the payout?” If the gateway and merchant account come from different companies, ask who connects them and who you contact when a payment does not go through.
Our guide to payment processing companies covers the broader service, while merchant account providers explains the account side.
A website checkout
This fits a website where customers choose products or book a service and pay there and then. Your website may already support a suitable checkout or plugin. Ask whoever looks after the site to show it working with your delivery choices, bookings and theme before committing.
A payment link
You send a customer a link to a page where they can pay. That can be enough for a deposit or a quoted job, without building a full online shop. Make sure you can tell which customer and job the payment belongs to when it arrives.
Look beyond the headline rate
What will online payments cost you?
Use a normal month’s online card sales and the number of payments you take. A percentage fee rises with the value of sales, while a fixed pence charge applies each time someone pays. Both go on the bill, so a business selling lots of small orders needs to watch the pennies as well as the percentage.
The following published rates are a useful starting point. They apply to the specified card and product categories, not every transaction a provider handles.
Selected online card processing rates checked 9 September 2026
Provider and product
Published rate
Important limits
Stripe online card payments
1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards
Premium UK cards are 2.8% + 20p. EEA and other international cards have separate rates; currency conversion can add a charge. Stripe pricing.
Square Online Store, Online Checkout and ecommerce API
1.4% + 25p for UK cards
Non-UK cards: 2.5% + 25p. Do not apply these rates to manually entered payments or invoices. Software plans may add costs. Square pricing.
Shopify Payments
Depends on your Shopify plan and payment details
Include the store subscription. Check additional platform transaction fees when using another payment provider. Shopify Payments.
Worldpay or Elavon gateway packages
Check the tariff and obtain a complete quote
Compare processing, gateway charges, contract terms and any minimum fees. Worldpay eCommerce; Elavon online payments.
The Lowest Payment Rate Could Still Cost You More
Imagine your shop takes £10,000 online each month. The table compares only the two specified processing tariffs above, assuming every payment qualifies for the stated UK rate. It excludes software, refunds, disputes, currency conversion and other charges.
Illustrative monthly processing charges on £10,000 sales
Average order
Payments per month
At 1.5% + 20p
At 1.4% + 25p
£10
1,000
£350
£390
£50
200
£190
£190
£100
100
£170
£165
At a £10 basket, the extra 5p per payment outweighs the lower percentage. At £50 the two examples break even. At £100 the difference is just £5 a month. That is why your order mix matters more than a rate considered on its own.
A useful scale check: an extra 0.1 percentage point costs £10 on £10,000 of sales, or £100 on £100,000. An extra 5p costs £50 across 1,000 payments. These are arithmetic examples, not promised savings.
Ask for the complete bill
Fees and terms to include in your comparison
Cost or term
Question to ask
Gateway, platform and billing fees
What is charged monthly, annually or on top of each transaction? Are subscriptions and payment links priced separately?
Refunds and disputes
Is the original processing fee returned after a refund? What are the fees for receiving or challenging a dispute?
International payments
How do overseas, business and premium cards change the price? When does currency conversion apply?
Payouts and reserves
When does the first payout arrive? What happens over weekends, and could some money be held back?
Commitment and tax
Is there a minimum fee or contract? Which quoted charges include VAT, and which have VAT added?
For a wider explanation of percentage charges and fixed fees, read our card payment fees guide. Online and in person tariffs are different, so keep them separate when comparing bills.
Try your own sales figures
Try the cost and fit finder with your own figures. Choose the online payment channel and enter your online card sales. If you also sell over a counter, keep those figures separate so you are comparing the right rates.
The calculator covers selected card tariffs. It does not calculate a complete Direct Debit or buy now pay later bill, and you should add any website, billing or other charges not included in its result.
Find the right fit
Payment gateway providers: what matters for your business
Here is what each provider brings to the decision. Start with the one that matches how you sell, then read the practical check underneath. The aim is to find a checkout you can manage comfortably, not collect the longest list of possible suppliers.
Stripe
For a flexible online checkout. Stripe offers website checkout tools, payment links and billing products. That gives you a few ways to collect money: a link for an agreed job, checkout for an online order or billing tools for a regular service. Start with the simplest option your website supports. If you later need something more involved, ask what can be added and what that would cost. You do not have to use every product just because it is available.
Before you choose: Ask your web designer which parts are ready to use and which need extra work or a paid product. Get them to show you how to find a payment and give a refund, so you are not left depending on them for every routine task.
PayPal Checkout
For customers who want to pay with PayPal. PayPal Checkout lets you offer PayPal alongside other supported ways to pay. If customers ask for PayPal, you may be able to add it to the checkout you already have rather than rebuild the shop. Think about the admin as well as customer choice: you still need to find orders, deal with refunds and understand where the money arrives.
Before you choose: Check which PayPal service your website uses and its charges for each payment method. Ask to see where you find a sale and issue a refund before making it available to customers.
Square
For connecting a small shop with online sales. Square combines online payment products with tools for selling in person. That may appeal if you run a shop and also take website orders, because keeping separate records can become a chore. Imagine selling the last item at the counter while someone is browsing it online. Ask how your chosen Square setup would handle the stock, order and refund jobs you need, rather than assuming every product shares everything automatically.
Before you choose: Ask for a demonstration using your website and chosen Square product. Check the online fees separately from the card machine rate, and include any paid software in the comparison.
Read our Square payment gateway guide · Explore Square offers
Shopify Payments
For businesses already using Shopify. Shopify Payments is built into the Shopify platform, so it is a natural starting point if that is where your shop already runs. You can assess payment costs alongside the store plan rather than treating them as unrelated purchases. Think about which additional ways to pay your customers would use, but keep an eye on the extra fees and admin another provider could bring.
Before you choose: Add the store subscription to your payment charges. Check that your business can use Shopify Payments and what Shopify would charge if you chose a different payment provider.
Mollie
For comparing several payment methods. Mollie offers online payment methods with pricing listed by method. It can be useful to compare when you sell to customers in different countries and want to offer the ways they prefer to pay. Start with where your orders actually come from. There is little reason to add a long list of payment choices nobody uses, especially if it makes the accounts harder to follow.
Before you choose: Check which methods work with your website, then price the mix you expect customers to use. Ask how refunds and any currency conversion appear on the bill.
Worldpay eCommerce
For a gateway quote alongside wider payment needs. Worldpay offers online payment services as well as options for taking money in person. It may belong on your shortlist if you want to discuss both sides of the business with a provider. Be clear about what you want to make easier, such as checking website sales alongside counter takings. Ask what the proposed products actually share rather than assuming a single brand means a single system.
Before you choose: Get a quote specifically covering online payments, including the website connection, monthly charges and payment fees. The rate you were offered for a card machine does not tell you what your website sales will cost.
Revolut Business
For businesses considering connected business banking and payments. Revolut Business offers customer payment services alongside its business account tools. If you already manage money there, you may like the idea of keeping more tasks in a familiar place. Check the payment product on its own merits, though. You need to know it works with your website and that your business is approved to use it.
Before you choose: Ask which account plan and payment service you need. Check approval, website compatibility and the rates for the cards your customers use before budgeting around an advertised fee.
Read our wider Revolut payments review · Check Revolut payment acceptance
Elavon
For comparing gateway and acquiring arrangements. Elavon provides online payment gateway services. It is an option when you want to discuss the checkout and the service behind it together. Ask for a walkthrough of the jobs you will do yourself, from finding a customer’s payment to returning money after a cancelled order. You also want to know who steps in if the checkout stops working.
Before you choose: Does the price cover both the gateway and the service for processing your payments? Check what your website supplier has to do and who you call if the problem sits between the two systems.
Explore Square or Worldpay offers
If either provider looks suitable, use these partner links to see the available offers. Check that the offer covers website payments before applying; a card machine deal may not include the online service you need.
Explore Square offers
Explore Worldpay offers
Affiliate links. Offers can relate to a wider range of payment products.
Options for more complex or larger businesses
The providers below become more relevant when your payment setup is genuinely more involved, perhaps because you sell across several countries or have systems to connect. If your existing checkout does what you need, a bigger platform is not automatically a step forward. Start with a problem you need to solve before taking on the work of changing it.
Providers to investigate for more complex requirements
Provider
Why investigate it
What to establish
PayPal enterprise payments / Braintree
Enterprise payment processing and integrations. PayPal payment processing.
The current product and integration offered to your business, particularly if you already use Braintree.
Checkout.com
Online payment processing for businesses with more demanding payment operations. Checkout.com.
Your implementation requirements, reporting needs, commercial terms and supported markets.
Adyen
A platform covering online and in person payments. Adyen pricing.
The processing fee plus payment method cost, any minimum invoice and integration work.
Rapyd
A broader international payment platform. Rapyd.
The exact countries, currencies and payment services available to your business, rather than assuming every feature is included.
Collecting regular bills or offering instalments?
These names often appear beside gateways, but they do different jobs. Look at them when you need regular bank collections or another way for customers to pay, rather than adding them to a standard card-fee comparison.
GoCardless: bank collections
GoCardless handles bank payments, including Direct Debit. If you collect regular payments for a club, maintenance service or membership, it may help with a different problem from online shopping: getting money in on an agreed schedule without repeatedly chasing the customer. Compare the collection service and its costs with the admin you do now.
Ask when money arrives and what happens if a collection fails. If you need payment confirmed before releasing an order or booking, check the timing carefully: a bank collection does not work exactly like an immediate card approval.
Klarna: an additional payment choice
Klarna offers payment options including instalments. It can be an extra choice at checkout if it suits your customers and products. The useful test is what it means for your business after fees and returns, not simply whether it puts another button on the page.
Check the margin left on an order and how you handle a return. Ask whether your existing checkout supports the option you want, so you understand the work involved before adding it.
A practical final check
Five checks before you switch on a new gateway
- Try a purchase on your phone. Check the total price, payment buttons, error messages and confirmation email. Ask someone unfamiliar with your website to try it too.
- Check the money trail. Ask when the first payout arrives and how you see the orders it covers. Find out whether a busy period or a change in sales could lead to extra checks or money being held back.
- Practise a refund. Try the kind of refund you actually need, such as returning one item from a larger order. Check how it appears in your accounts, what fees remain and what waiting time to give the customer.
- Ask who owns a problem. Your web designer, booking software company and payment provider may all have a part to play. Find out who you call first if customers cannot pay during your trading hours.
- Keep a copy of the complete offer. Keep the rates, monthly charges, contract and payout details together. Look at them again if your sales change, especially if you start taking more overseas orders or smaller payments.
Bring your sales figures to the comparison
Have your website platform, monthly online card sales and typical order value ready. If you take money in person too, note those sales separately. That gives a provider a clearer picture than your total turnover alone.
Also need card payments in your shop?
If you sell online and at a counter, compare the combined arrangement. Our card machine guide explains hardware choices, while merchant services comparisons cover broader provider packages.
Broader card payment and merchant account offers
The partner widget below includes offers across card machines and merchant services. It is not an online gateway price table: confirm the online product, integration and fees directly with any provider you contact.
Partner offers supplied by Appwiki. We may earn a commission. Prices and availability in the widget can change independently of this guide.
Payment gateway questions
Which gateway is cheapest for a small business?
It depends on the size and number of your orders, the cards customers use and any extra charges. The example above shows why a lower percentage can still mean a higher bill. Ask providers to price the same typical month, then include the software and other services you would need.
Can I accept online payments without building a shop?
Yes, a payment link can be enough for a deposit, quoted job or occasional sale. The customer pays on a hosted page rather than through a full shop. Check how you would send a receipt, refund the payment and match it to the right job.
Do I need a separate merchant account?
Not always. Some providers package the payment service together, while others use a separate gateway and account arrangement. Ask whether the quote covers everything needed to take the payment and receive the money, including any extra agreements.
Can I use the same provider online and in my shop?
Some providers offer both, but the practical question is how well the particular products work together. Ask to see a stock change, a refund and the sales reports. That will help you judge whether using one provider would actually save you work.
Should I keep PayPal alongside another gateway?
It may be useful if customers want that option. Check the fees and the extra admin, then see whether people use it. Adding PayPal does not necessarily mean replacing a checkout that already works well.
How quickly will the money reach my bank?
Ask the provider when the first payout arrives and what happens after that, including weekends. Check whether money can be held back for account checks or other conditions. A customer’s successful payment message does not mean the money is already in your bank.
Choose a setup you can run confidently
Start with what works with your website, compare the whole bill and try the tasks you will handle yourself. The right choice should be easy for customers to pay through and manageable for you after the sale.
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