Running an online business? Then you already know — the right payment service provider (PSP) is like a trusty sidekick. They make sure your customers can pay easily and securely, no matter where they are or which card they whip out.
But with so many options out there, how do you pick the right one? To help you decide, we’ve rounded up the top 11 PSPs in the world for 2025, looking at what they offer, what makes them shine, and who they’re best suited for.
Quick note: the list below is not a ranking: it’s not about who’s “best” overall but about which provider could be the best fit for you. Every business is different, and each of these PSPs brings its own strengths to the table.
Let’s dive in (coffee optional, curiosity required).
In plain English: a PSP helps your business accept payments online, in-store, or both. They connect your store to the banks, card networks, and payment methods your customers want to use.
Good PSPs do more than just move money — they help reduce fraud, offer useful dashboards, and support both local and global payments.
Checkout.com
Checkout.com offers a full-stack payment platform with global coverage, AI boost for higher authorisations, local credit card processing in 55+ countries and modern API tooling.
Checkout.com is built for ambitious, fast-growing brands that sell globally — think online retail, marketplaces, digital services, and subscription businesses. Their strengths really come out when you need fast settlement in multiple currencies, operate in regions like Europe, Asia-Pacific, or the Middle East, and want direct relationships with local acquiring banks. Big names in fashion, luxury, and SaaS love their customizable APIs and localized expertise.
Unique USPs:
Ultra-fast settlement (often the next day)
Highly customizable for complex checkout flows
Transparent pricing for enterprise-scale businesses
Pricing & fees:
Typically, Checkout.com offers interchange++ or blended pricing, negotiated per merchant. No public rates — expect rates to start around 2.5% + 10¢ per transaction for SMBs but much lower at scale. There are no setup fees.
Pros:
Modern, developer-friendly platform
Superb global reach & alternative payment options
Enterprise-level reporting & risk tools
Cons:
Overkill for very small businesses
Requires a dev team to fully unlock value
Nuvei
Nuvei offers a single platform with over 600 payment methods and multi-currency support – ideal for international webshops looking to scale up into new markets.
Nuvei caters to businesses that need to reach customers in hard-to-crack or highly-regulated markets. This includes online gaming, gambling, crypto exchanges, financial services, and forex. They shine when your customers want to pay with obscure or hyper-local methods — they support over 600 APMs worldwide. They also offer fast onboarding and fraud tools suited for high-risk verticals, where others might hesitate.
Unique USPs:
Largest portfolio of alternative payment methods
Friendly to high-risk industries
Local acquiring in many niche regions
Pricing & fees:
Custom, based on your risk profile & industry. Rates for low-risk merchants can start around 2.9% + 30¢. High-risk verticals will pay more due to chargeback exposure.
Pros:
Excellent for global & high-risk markets
Huge payment method coverage
Solid fraud prevention
Cons:
UI is less polished than newer players
Higher fees for certain industries
Paysafe
Paysafe biedt 260+ betaalmethoden en 48 valuta’s, plus prepaid cash-opties en digitale wallets in één geïntegreerd platform.
Paysafe is especially strong in industries like iGaming, travel, and digital goods verticals, where managing compliance and fraud is just as important as processing payments. With their digital wallets (Skrill & Neteller) and experience in both online and POS environments, they’re ideal if you want to serve customers who already trust those brands, or if you operate in jurisdictions with complex licensing rules.
Unique USPs:
Deep expertise in gaming & high-risk businesses
Owns major digital wallets
Solid risk management built-in
Pricing & fees:
Blended pricing around 2.9% + 30¢/transaction, with higher fees for gambling & regulated sectors. Additional costs for chargeback protection and digital wallet funding.
Pros:
Trusted in sensitive industries
Wallets add flexibility & convenience
Omnichannel capabilities
Cons:
Not the prettiest or most modern interface
Not as API-friendly as Stripe or Adyen
Worldpay
Worldpay provides an integrated payment platform for omnichannel payments with global coverage in 145+ countries and local credit card acceptance in 190+ markets.
Worldpay is a true giant — ideal if you need reliable, global coverage, especially in retail and hospitality. They’re a solid choice for mid-size to large businesses in the U.S. or U.K. who want both online and in-person solutions under one roof. Whether you’re a chain of restaurants, a hotel brand, or a retailer with a growing e-commerce presence, Worldpay can handle scale while keeping transactions steady and secure.
Unique USPs:
Huge global acquiring footprint
Excellent POS + e-commerce integration
Local expertise in dozens of markets
Pricing & fees:
Opaque — typically blended rates around 2.6–2.9% + 20–30¢ for SMBs, with better rates at higher volumes. Contract terms and setup fees may apply.
Pros:
Time-tested reliability & scale
Omnichannel support for growing businesses
Strong service network in the U.S. & the U.K.
Cons:
Pricing & contracts can be confusing
Feels more “legacy” than agile competitors
Adyen
Adyen offers a single platform for online, mobile, and in-store payments. Ideal for fast-growing webshops with international ambitions.
Adyen is perfect for ambitious retailers, subscription platforms, and global brands that want everything — POS, online, mobile, subscriptions — from one contract. They’re favored in fashion, travel, and SaaS sectors for their unified platform, in-house acquiring, and powerful risk management. If you’re growing internationally and want data-driven insights on customer behavior, Adyen’s got your back.
Unique USPs:
Unified platform for all sales channels
In-house acquiring for better transparency
Advanced fraud tools + analytics
Pricing & fees:
Transparent interchange++ pricing starting around 2.9% + 12¢, decreasing with volume. No setup fees, but minimums may apply for smaller businesses.
Pros:
One platform for everything
Excellent analytics & risk tools
Competitive rates for scale
Cons:
Requires integration effort
Less SMB-friendly
Global Payments
Global Payments: E-commerce, Point of Sale & mobile payments in 100+ countries with 130+ currencies, tokenization and 99.99% uptime
With deep roots in North America, Global Payments is strong in education, healthcare, and SMB retail — verticals that often want industry-specific solutions. They offer both modern e-commerce and traditional POS services, making them appealing for omnichannel businesses that want flexible hardware options and good analytics.
Unique USPs:
Extensive U.S. acquiring network
Tailored solutions for specific industries
Advanced reporting tools
Pricing & fees:
Rates typically hover between 2.6–3.0% + 20–30¢ for SMBs, with negotiated lower rates at higher volumes. Setup and hardware fees can apply.
Pros:
Versatile hardware & software options
Industry-specific expertise
Good U.S.-based support
Cons:
Pricing can be opaque & complex
UI lags behind newer players
Stripe
Stripe is a flexible payment service provider (PSP) for online stores that want to integrate customisation, subscriptions, or international payment methods via powerful APIs and plugins for popular e-commerce platforms.
Stripe is adored by startups, SaaS platforms, and marketplaces that value flexibility and rapid deployment. They shine when you want to build a unique payment flow, support subscriptions, or embed payments directly into your product. Their innovation pace means you’ll always have the latest tools, like integrated tax and fraud services.
Unique USPs:
Developer-first platform
Rich ecosystem of add-ons beyond payments
Market leader in subscription & platform payments
Pricing & fees:
Clear pricing: 2.9% + 30¢ per successful card transaction, with discounts for volume and negotiated deals. Add-ons (e.g., Radar for fraud, tax, billing) may have extra costs.
Pros:
Super easy to set up & scale
Ideal for marketplaces & SaaS
Best developer documentation
Cons:
Not ideal for in-person retail
Can get pricey at high volumes without negotiation
Shift4
Shift4 provides an integrated platform with online & Point of Sale payments, advanced security, 100+ payment methods in 150+ currencies – perfect for multichannel growth.
Shift4 dominates U.S.-based hospitality, restaurants, and SMB retail. If you’re running a restaurant chain, bar, hotel, or small shop, they offer bundled hardware, POS software, and payments in a single package — often with no upfront costs if you sign a contract.
Unique USPs:
Free hardware (with contract)
Tailored hospitality solutions
Strong U.S.-centric customer service
Pricing & fees:
Blended rates around 2.6–3.0%, with hardware included under contract. Transparent if you dig into the details — better rates at higher volumes.
Pros:
Great all-in-one package for U.S. merchants
Strong hospitality focus
Localized, fast support
Cons:
Not quite suitable for global expansion
Long-term contracts can be restrictive
PayPal Checkout
PayPal Checkout offers Smart Payment Buttons for PayPal, credit and debit cards, Venmo and Pay Later, quick setup in 15 minutes, built-in fraud protection and conversion optimisation.
PayPal is ideal for boosting trust and conversions, especially if your customers are international or buying from you for the first time. They’re strong in SMBs, donation platforms, and marketplaces, thanks to their brand recognition and ease of use.
Unique USPs:
Consumer-trusted brand
One-click checkout
Works seamlessly with other PSPs
Pricing & fees:
Standard: 3.49% + 49¢ per transaction for PayPal payments in the U.S., with higher fees for cross-border transactions.
Pros:
Instantly recognized & trusted
Easy to add to your existing checkout
Fast setup — no contracts required
Cons:
Higher fees than most
Limited control over checkout UX
Only major payment methods are supported
Authorize.Net
Authorize.net offers e-commerce packages with 50+ currencies, hosted checkout, PCI Level 1 security, and real-time reporting.
Authorize.NET is best for SMBs looking for reliability over flash. It’s strong in retail, services, and nonprofits that just need payments to work without fuss — and without heavy upfront investment.
Unique USPs:
Long-standing reputation for reliability
Excellent customer support
Simple recurring billing options
Pricing & fees:
$25/month gateway fee, plus ~2.9% + 30¢/transaction. Discounts for nonprofits and larger volumes.
Pros:
Straightforward & dependable
Affordable for small volumes
Recurring billing support
Cons:
Outdated UI & tech stack
Not suitable for high-growth or complex setups
CyberSource
CyberSource: Global payments in 160+ countries, 50+ currencies, AI fraud, and one API for omnichannel e-commerce.
Cybersource is built for large enterprises that need bulletproof security, global acceptance, and fraud prevention. Airlines, major retailers, and financial institutions rely on them when stakes are high and volumes are massive.
Unique USPs:
Backed by Visa
Advanced fraud tools
Highly customizable for complex needs
Pricing & fees:
Custom, depending on volume and complexity — generally competitive at scale but opaque for SMBs.
Pros:
Enterprise-grade fraud protection
Global reach with Visa backing
Highly configurable
Cons:
Not SMB-friendly
Setup and maintenance can be resource-intensive
While these are the top players globally, the best PSP for you depends on:
Your target market & regions
Which payment methods your customers prefer
Your technical resources and integration needs
Your sales channels (online only? omnichannel? subscriptions?)
Pro tip: list out your must-haves and nice-to-haves before you talk to providers — it makes comparing them way easier. Read our full article on 'Choosing the right Payment Service Provider for your business'.
If all this still feels like a lot (because, well… it is), we’ve got you covered. Our free Provider Selector tool helps you quickly compare providers based on your business needs, preferred payment methods, and more.
It’s fast, unbiased, and saves you hours of research — so you can focus on running your business instead of reading endless spec sheets.
From startup to scale-up – our free tool helps you compare providers based on your current setup and future plans.
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