9 Best Payment Gateways for E-Commerce Websites in 2024

E-commerce business owners often grapple with the drawbacks of inadequate payment gateways. High transaction fees, limited payment methods, the ever-present threat of fraud, and poor customer support can negatively impact your profits. Choosing the wrong payment gateway isn’t just an inconvenience – it can cut into your bottom line.

I researched dozens of different payment gateways for e-commerce and discovered that the best route is to choose a fully featured credit card processor that provides you with a payment gateway. While you might be familiar with standard payment gateway solutions like PayPal or Authorize.net, these options often don’t provide the comprehensive services that a credit card processor offers.

Plus, combining a gateway and a credit card processor gives you access to more features for your e-commerce business. And getting a payment gateway from a credit card processor is much more cost-effective.

Of all the credit card processors I evaluated, Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) is my top pick. It offers low fees and negotiable rates, essential e-commerce tools, and powerful security features like advanced fraud detection and a dedicated chargeback team. I recommend contacting LMS for a free quote or keep reading to see what the other payment gateways on my list have to offer.

What We Look For in the Best Payment Gateways for E-Commerce

In my search for the top payment gateways for e-commerce, I focused on the following key features and benefits:

• Ease of use. I made sure that merchants were saying positive things about their experience with the credit card processors I recommended. I also looked for processors with user-friendly payment gateways that are easy to set up and offer e-commerce solutions like recurring billing, prebuilt shopping carts, digital invoicing, and more.
• Affordable pricing. Cost-effectiveness is key, so I prioritized processors that offer competitive pricing for all types of businesses and sales volumes.
• Robust security. All my recommendations excel in e-commerce security. They offer features like fraud detection and protection, while some go as far as providing policies for reducing or preventing future chargebacks.
• Multiple payment methods. The services I recommend all accept various payment methods, including debit and credit cards, digital wallets like PayPal, and ACH so your customers can easily make payments with a method they trust.
• Support for international transactions. All my top picks support international transactions through their payment gateways, allowing you to reach a global audience and make more sales online.

1. Leaders Merchant Services: Affordable Payment Gateway for E-Commerce Businesses1

Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) uses Authorize.net and NMI, highly trusted payment gateways, as payment solutions for e-commerce businesses. Authorize.net provides diverse ways to connect your e-commerce website to its payment gateway — you can either do it yourself if you have the expertise, contract an Authorize.net certified developer, or use a pre-integrated solution. You can also receive help from your LMS account manager when needed.

LMS also integrates with CartManager to provide shopping cart integration for online stores. CartManager’s compatibility with any hosting platform and its user-friendly setup (requiring no programming skills) make it an ideal solution for your e-commerce business. It also comes with features like SSL security, eBay compatibility, and real-time shipping calculations, enhancing the shopping experience for both you and your customers.

Normally, you’d have to pay Authorize.net’s 10¢ per transaction and 10¢ per batch processing fee on top of your current processing fees but LMS waives this for you. You’ll only pay its standard processing fees, which include a low monthly fee of $9.00/month and ~0.15% + $0 per online transaction. Apart from cost efficiency, LMS also offers high approval rates, making it a good fit for new and high-risk businesses.

Features and Benefits

• Email customer receipts. CartManager automatically displays a printable receipt whenever your customer completes a successful order. You can also email a copy of this receipt to them.
• Worldwide transactions. While LMS does not support merchant accounts for e-commerce businesses that are not US-based, Authorize.net allows you to accept payments in other currencies for an additional fee.
• Meet-or-beat offer. If you’re currently using another payment processor, LMS promises to either meet or beat your current rates. If it can’t, you’ll receive a $200 gift card.
• Customer engagement solutions. LMS offers value-added services, including gift card and loyalty programs, which help increase customer loyalty and build stronger relationships. You can also create coupons and discounts for your customers using CartManager​​.

Our full Leaders Merchant Services review has more details.

2. ProMerchant: Best Payment Gateway for Retail E-Commerce Businesses and Restaurants1

I highly recommend ProMerchant’s zero-cost processing program for e-commerce (and brick-and-mortar) restaurants or retail businesses. As the name implies, you can avoid ProMerchant’s processing fees by shifting the cost of the transaction over to your card-paying customers. You’ll only need to pay a small monthly fee of $7.95.

Through its integration with the Authorize.net payment gateway, ProMerchant comes with an array of e-commerce business solutions, including digital invoicing, shopping cart integrations, advanced fraud detection, and more.

If your retail business offers subscription-based services or loyalty programs, you’ll like Authorize.net’s recurring billing feature. It allows you to automatically bill your customer monthly (or whichever time interval you set), so there’s no need to constantly re-enter billing information. If your customers prefer to pay when the invoice is due, Authorize.net can send out payment links and reminders for open invoices.

Features and Benefits

• No extra fees. ProMerchant doesn’t have any hidden fees and doesn’t charge you for services like PCI-compliance, cancellation, set-up, or application fees.
• Seamless checkout process. Through Authorize.net, you can add “Buy Now” or “Donate Now” buttons to your website that will automatically redirect your customers to the checkout page.
• Quick approvals. ProMerchant’s application process is very fast. Approval can take anywhere from 2 hours to one business day and you can start accepting e-commerce payments right away.
• High-risk merchant assistance. Not only does ProMerchant offer high-risk merchants the same features as low-risk merchants, but it also offers advanced fraud protection that can help reduce chargebacks.

Check out our full review to learn more about ProMerchant.

3. Stax: Fantastic Suite of E-Commerce Solutions for High-Volume Businesses1

Stax integrates with several payment gateways, including Authorize.net and NMI. It also offers several proprietary e-commerce solutions like Stax Bill for recurring payments and Stax Connect for large SaaS businesses. You’ll be able to increase payment collection, avoid clerical errors by automatically syncing your bookkeeping with QuickBooks or Xero, and reduce subscriber churn with its automated credit card updating system.

If your business doesn’t have an online shopping cart, Stax provides an excellent starting point. You can either use Stax’s pre-designed shopping cart templates or opt for a pre-built shopping cart that can be set up with just one click. One thing I like about both these options is that they require no coding experience at all. On the other hand, if your business employs an IT department, Stax’s robust API can further streamline the shopping experience.

While Stax’s subscription-style pricing can run high, there’s no markup on interchange fees and you’ll pay 15¢ + interchange (online) per transaction. This pricing model is ideal for businesses processing at least $8,000 monthly and can save you up to 40% compared to traditional interchange-plus models. While you won’t have to pay Authorize.net’s full payment gateway fee of $25/month, you’ll still have to pay a monthly fee of $10/month to use Authorize.net with Stax.

Features and Benefits

• Text2Pay. This feature allows your customers to make payments through mobile text messages, streamlining payment transactions and making them convenient.
• One-click payment. Stax allows your customers to make payments with just a click. You can create custom QR codes or Pay Now buttons for each invoice to provide your customers with an additional way to pay.
• Stax mobile app. Stax’s mobile app is ideal for e-commerce businesses that also engage in occasional in-person events. The app supports on-the-go payment transactions, including swiped, keyed, or tapped payments.
• Multiple e-commerce integrations. Stax can integrate with a wide range of e-commerce platforms, including Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento, and HubSpot. Its integration with Zapier allows you to further automate your workflows.

To learn more, check out our comprehensive Stax review.

4. Helcim: Free Payment Gateway and Software for E-Commerce Startups1

Helcim has its own payment gateway, which you can use for free. Helcim also offers its Online Checkout software for free, which provides a hosted e-commerce system and an intuitive online store builder. This is massively helpful for startups that want to quickly launch and manage their e-commerce store. You can easily customize your store’s look, handle product listings, and process transactions from one platform.

Helcim’s card vault feature is another significant tool used to efficiently manage customer information and securely store e-commerce payment details. Card vault securely stores your customer’s payment information in Helcim’s database, allowing you to easily process a transaction remotely or set your customers up on a recurring payment plan. ​​

Helcim’s pricing model is super transparent as it lets you know about all the fees you’ll need to cover, such as its $15 chargeback fee or its 0.5% + 25¢ per-transaction fee for ACH/EFT bank transfers. Helcim’s per-transaction rates start from 0.50% +25¢ (online), but they can drop to as low as 0.40% + 20¢ (online) if you process more than $50,000 monthly. While Helcim’s pricing transparency is great, it lacks options for same-day or next-day payouts.

Features and Benefits

• PCI compliance support. Helcim is a Level 1 PCI-compliant service provider, and it provides you with free PCI compliance support through a video tutorial and written guide.
• E-commerce for restaurants. Helcim has an online food ordering system that restaurants and other related businesses can use in place of third-party food delivery apps, which typically charge a high fee for commissions. The system allows you to set up an online store and add a quick order menu with all your products.
• Fraud Defender. This tool helps to detect and prevent fraudulent transactions by analyzing 7 transaction factors (CVV security code, address verification, transaction size, billing & shipping, shipping location, bank bin, and IP address location) and providing an estimation of risk​​.
• Inventory manager. Helcim’s product and inventory manager offers real-time alerts for low inventory levels. It also generates detailed reports to identify your most and least popular products.

Read our full Helcim review for more benefits.

5. CreditCardProcessing.com: Best Payment Gateway for Subscription-Based E-Commerce Businesses1

If you sell subscription services, CreditCardProcessing.com’s (CCP.com) partnership with the Vindicia subscription management platform will help you handle complex billing scenarios. Not only will you be able to optimize the billing process, but Vindicia will also analyze your business model to make data-driven recommendations to grow your subscriber base.

What’s more, you’ll get access to Vindicia Retain, which automatically analyzes your online transactions and attempts to recover any failed ones to reduce churn and maximize recurring revenue. The best part is that both tools come at no extra cost.

CCP.com offers an interchange-plus plan with per-transaction rates as low as 0.30% + 0.10¢. The plan also gives you limited access to Authorize.net for $7.95/month. It’s worth noting that CCP.com comes with a slew of extra fees. If you need the essentials CCP.com is a viable option, but you’ll need to budget for extra for things like customer service, PCI compliance, and American Express card processing.

Features and Benefits

• Free training. CreditCardProcessing.com offers free training for its e-commerce features to anyone who’s new to accepting payments online.
• Breach security. CreditCardProcessing.com includes data breach insurance in every plan. With coverage up to $100,000, this feature isn’t just a safety net — it’s a robust shield against financial losses from breaches.
• Account updater. Through Authorize.net, CreditCardProcessing.com provides an account updater service to keep card information current, maintain uninterrupted service, and prevent lost sales.
• PCI-compliant checkout. CreditCardProcessing.com provides a PCI-compliant checkout system that supports all major payment methods and is customizable to fit your e-commerce brand.

Our full CreditCardProcessing.com review has more pricing information.

6. Paysafe: Best for International E-Commerce Businesses1

Paysafe accepts over 40 currencies and more than 250 payment methods, including credit and debit cards, digital and virtual wallets, ACH, EFT, Venmo, Skrill, and bank transfers. What’s more, it provides various payment channels like digital invoicing, MOTO (Mail Order/Telephone Order), pay-by-link, and QR code payments. This wide variety of payment solutions makes it possible for your e-commerce business to cater to various consumer preferences globally.

Through Paysafe’s advanced APIs, you can integrate a checkout page directly into your e-commerce site. Paysafe also integrates directly with WooCommerce and Magento, making it a great option if you’re currently using any of these e-commerce platforms. Through Authorize.net, you can also set up recurring payments and accept eCheck payments.

Paysafe offers competitive tiered transaction fees starting from 1.99% + 25¢ (credit cards) for qualified cards. This is best suited for e-commerce businesses that deal with low-volume, high-ticket items. If you run a small business, you’ll most likely benefit from its interchange-plus payment program instead. While transaction fees are low (0.30% + 10¢), keep in mind that Paysafe charges several additional fees for PCI compliance, customer service, and chargebacks.

Features and Benefits

• Pay with cash online. Paysafe is one of the few credit card processors that allows you to accept cash payments on your e-commerce website. Using Paysafecash as a checkout payment method, your customers can generate a QR code and present this at their nearest in-store payment point, where they complete the transaction by paying in cash.
• Online dashboard. You can track and monitor all your payment transactions, process refunds, and generate reports — all within Paysafe’s user-friendly, centralized dashboard.
• Risk management team. Paysafe provides you with a dedicated risk management team that ensures all your transactions are secure. You’ll also be able to set up custom fraud rules and alerts for your e-commerce transactions.
• MobilePay app. Paysafe’s mobile app allows you to manually key in card information, prepare receipts, and send digital invoices – all from your phone.

For more about Paysafe, read our expert review.

Other Notable Payment Gateways for E-Commerce

7. Flagship Merchant Services1

Like CCP.com, Flagship will give you limited access to the Authorize.net payment gateway for $7.95/month, with additional fees for support and certain functionalities. If you consider the fact that you’re only paying around 25% of what Authorize.net typically charges and only need a reliable payment gateway to process straightforward online payments, it’s a pretty fair deal.

Flagship also provides an iAccess Business Management Portal that can help you track the sales volume and chargebacks for your e-commerce business. It can also manage invoices, recurring billing, and more. That said, Flagship lacks transparency on its website, so I suggest you contact sales before making any commitment.

8. Chase Payment Solutions1

Chase Payment Solutions integrates seamlessly with Authorize.net and is a solid option for SMEs and new e-commerce businesses. There are no monthly or hidden fees — just a simple interchange-plus pricing model of 2.9% + 25¢. That said, I wouldn’t recommend Chase’s rates for high-volume businesses – a more suitable option would be Stax.

You can also get next-day funding as standard when you sign up with Chase Payment Solutions. But to get same-day payouts, you’ll need to sign up for a Business Banking account, which comes with a $15/month fee. Chase also provides over 10 powerful proprietary software tools, including Customer Insights, a business analytics tool for tracking your online sales and identifying the time of day your customers are most likely to buy from you.

9. Square1

Square is the best option for new e-commerce businesses. Not only does it let you sign up for a free account, but you can also start receiving e-commerce payments with its proprietary payment gateway solution on the same day. Plus, you can also use its free Square Online tool to create and launch your e-commerce store. Not ready for a store yet? Square lets you sell online without a website by using payment links and QR codes.

While Square’s sign-up process is swift, I wouldn’t recommend it for high-risk e-commerce businesses due to the complaints about unexpected account closures and frozen payments. What’s more, Square’s customer support is very hard to reach, so if you ever experience an account termination, it might take a while to resolve the issue. Square’s e-commerce rates start from 2.5% + 10¢, which can quickly add up when your store grows.

Pick the Best Payment Gateway for Your E-Commerce Business

Every e-commerce business has unique needs, but some payment gateways are better suited than others, especially when combined with a reliable credit card processor.

If you prioritize low fees and high approval rates, Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) is a great choice1. It seamlessly integrates with Authorize.net and CartManager, a beginner-friendly shopping cart solution that’s compatible with all hosting platforms and provides advanced features like real-time shipping calculations and SSL security.

If you operate a retail business or a restaurant with an online presence, go with ProMerchant1. Its zero-cost processing program shifts processing fees to customers, minimizing your costs. Plus, it streamlines your transactions with features like automatic recurring billing and digital invoicing via Authorize.net.

Or if your e-commerce business processes over $8,000/month, then I highly recommend Stax1. Its subscription-style pricing model includes no markup fee and allows you to save up to 40%. Stax also provides multiple payment gateway integrations, including Authorize.net and NMI.

FAQ

What is the best payment gateway for online businesses?

Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) integrates with Authorize.net to provide the best payment gateway through Authorize.net. LMS also offers a blend of negotiable fees, effective e-commerce tools, and powerful security features. It also integrates with CartManager to provide you with a feature-rich shopping cart.

What’s the best payment processor for e-commerce?

The best payment processor for e-commerce is Leaders Merchant Services (LMS). I recommend it for its low fees, effective e-commerce tools like CartManager, and robust security features, including advanced fraud detection and chargeback management team. What’s more, LMS offers high approval rates for new and high-risk businesses.

How do I get a payment gateway for my e-commerce website?

To get a payment gateway for your e-commerce website, choose a fully-featured credit card processor that offers a payment gateway. I recommend this approach because it’s more cost-effective and provides access to additional features crucial for your e-commerce business.What is the best payment gateway for large payments?The best payment gateway for large payments is Stax. It uses a simple monthly subscription model that’s suitable for businesses generating over $8,000/month. What’s more, Stax provides advanced features like fraud protection, customer data management, and integration with various e-commerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento, and many more.