9 best Stripe competitors in 2024
Updated 12:39 p.m. UTC April 29, 2024
Editorial Note: Blueprint may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured here on our site. This commission does not influence our editors' opinions or evaluations. Please view our full advertiser disclosure policy.
The best Stripe competitors enable seamless payment acceptance across multiple channels. Companies choose alternatives for lower rates, native point-of-sale software or to accommodate their business model.
We assessed 16 Stripe alternatives, spent over 20 hours speaking with customer service representatives and consulted with dozens of merchants. Our evaluation considered more than 35 factors, including pricing, ease of use and features. Find a top-rated solution by exploring payment processors like Stripe.
Featured credit card processing offers
Best Stripe alternatives
- Square: Best free POS and hardware for startups.
- PayPal: Most flexible solution for digital payments.
- Helcim: More affordable for growing companies.
- Paysafe: Best for high-risk industries.
- Elavon Payment Processing: Outstanding transaction analytics.
- Clover: Best hardware options for brick-and-mortar stores.
- ProMerchant: Ideal for personal support services.
- Intuit Payments: Better for integrated invoice payments.
- National Processing: Best for custom e-commerce integrations.
Why you can trust our small business experts
Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of business products and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best product for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.
- 25 companies reviewed.
- 40 hours of product testing.
- 1,025 data points analyzed.
Featured credit card processing offers
Top Stripe competitors compared
PAYMENT STRUCTURE | ACCEPTS HIGH-RISK MERCHANTS | OFFERS FREE POS SOFTWARE | 24/7 CUSTOMER SERVICE | LEARN MORE | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stripe
| Flat rate or custom
| Preapproval required
| No
| Yes
| |
Square
| Flat rate or custom
| No
| Yes
| No
| |
PayPal
| Flat rate and interchange-plus
| Preapproval required
| Yes
| No
| |
Helcim
| Interchange-plus or fee-saver
| Case-by-case basis
| Yes
| No
| |
Paysafe
| Interchange-plus and membership
| Yes
| No
| No
| |
Elavon Payment Processing
| Interchange-plus and surcharge
| Case-by-case basis
| No
| Yes
| |
Clover
| Flat rate
| No
| No
| Yes
| |
ProMerchant
| Interchange-plus fixed rate or zero-cost processing
| Yes
| No
| Yes
| |
Intuit Payments
| Flat rate and custom
| No
| No
| No
| |
National Processing
| Interchange-plus
| Yes
| No
| Yes
|
Methodology
We extensively research the key competitors within an industry to determine the best products and services for your business. Our experts identify the factors that matter most to business owners, including pricing, features and customer support, to ensure that our recommendations offer well-rounded products that will meet the needs of various small businesses.
We collect extensive data to narrow our best list to reputable, easy-to-use products with stand-out features at a reasonable price point. And we look at user reviews to ensure that business owners like you are satisfied with our top picks’ services. We use the same rubric to assess companies within a particular space so you can confidently follow our blueprint to the best credit card processing of 2023.
The best credit card processing companies have positive user reviews on customer review sites. Credit card processing companies should provide customers with fast and reliable support. Using a combination of phone support, live chat and knowledge bases, customers should be able to quickly resolve issues 24/7.
Credit card processing should be available to most business types (including high-risk merchants), affordably priced compared to competitors and various equipment options should be available to accept payments in various scenarios. Pricing should be competitive. Monthly fees should result in lower transaction fees. Volume-based discounts should benefit high-transaction businesses. And chargeback fees should be minimized.
The best credit card processing companies should offer free hardware to accept payments. Equipment and processing should uphold strict payment privacy and security standards. And the processor should guarantee PCI compliance.
All credit card processing companies should expand on a basic feature set that includes mobile apps, reporting dashboards, invoicing, data exports, contactless payments and software integrations.
What is Stripe and how does it work?
Stripe is an online payment processor known for its transparent pricing and e-commerce integrations. Aside from custom integrations, Stripe’s low and no-code solutions include pre-built Lightspeed and Squarespace connections, payment links and in-person payments. It supports over 100 payment methods, including buy now, pay later and digital wallets.
Small businesses and large enterprises use Stripe to sell cross-border to over 195 countries. Stripe provides predictable rates and pay-as-you-go pricing without monthly fees. More than 100 tools come with its integrated per-transaction pricing model, such as financial reporting, optimized checkout flows and a unified dashboard.
Learn more in our full Stripe review.
When should you look for Stripe alternatives?
Although millions of businesses use Stripe, alternatives may offer lower rates or more personalized support.
Consider Stripe competitors in cases such as:
- You need a built-in POS system: Stripe’s feature-rich platform doesn’t include POS software. Square and Helcim provide free POS tools for managing product and inventory data, viewing sales trends and processing in-person payments. Likewise, Clover offers all-in-one POS and processing solutions for retail, restaurant and service industries.
- You prefer an integrated accounting and invoicing solution: While Stripe has billing and invoicing options, you must sync it to a separate accounting program. Intuit Payments is a cheaper alternative to Stripe and syncs with QuickBooks bookkeeping software. Existing QuickBooks users can add this service to their account, which is easier than signing up for a third-party payment processor.
- You want to auto-scale processing fees: Although Stripe offers custom rates in certain instances, you must apply when your sales volume or circumstances change. Conversely, Helcim automatically switches your company to the next tier when you qualify for lower rates. This can result in greater savings, making Helcim a cheaper Stripe alternative.
- Your company is considered high-risk: Stripe must preapprove businesses that operate in some industries, such as travel and cryptocurrency businesses. User reviews suggest that some companies may face frozen or delayed funds. For these reasons, you may prefer working with a payment processor familiar with high-risk services. Paysafe provides the most transparency around accepted industries, but National Processing also considers high-risk businesses.
- Your business requires hardware: Business users can configure Stripe to work with existing hardware, but it only sells mobile card readers and terminals, not POS systems. If you want to equip your restaurant or retail store with countertop stations and give staff portable devices, consider partnering with Square or Clover. Both have a full range of solutions. Paysafe is a Clover reseller and can assist high-risk businesses with hardware purchases.
How to choose the best credit card processor
Accepting electronic payments can increase your sales. Indeed, a Fiserv survey found that “most banking consumers prefer to utilize cards as their primary payment method compared to other options like cash, checks or buy now, pay later (BNPL).”
However, the best credit card processing companies do more than enable payment acceptance. They can optimize check-out experiences, supply real-time insights and reduce fraud. Follow these steps to select a merchant account provider.
1. Determine where and how you will process payments
Since payment processors offer different types of hardware and online integrations, companies should assess their requirements. For instance, an online-only business doesn’t need to worry about buying physical terminals, but it must find a service that syncs with its current e-commerce platform.
Consider the following questions:
- Will employees need mobile card readers for iOS and Android devices, or will you use standalone portable terminals?
- Do you want an all-in-one POS and processing hardware, or does your payment processing service and hardware need to integrate with an existing POS system?
- How do your customers prefer to receive receipts (paper, email or text)?
- Do you require a virtual terminal, online payment gateway, payment links or invoicing tools?
- Do you need to integrate your credit card processing service with an existing e-commerce platform or want the provider to offer a checkout solution?
- Do you want to accept electronic payments when the internet isn’t available?
2. Consider your company’s transaction volume and payment types
Modern payment processors accept most major credit and debit cards. Many services allow businesses to add ACH processing. However, the best merchant services also support digital wallet apps, which help companies increase sales. Stripe alternatives like Intuit Payments accept PayPal, Venmo and others.
The payment processor’s rate structure also matters. Many Stripe competitors charge a flat rate based on the payment type (in-person versus online). It’s easier to estimate your processing costs than interchange-plus pricing. Therefore, this method is often favored by businesses with lower transaction volumes.
Companies with higher transaction volumes or sellers of high-ticket items may prefer the interchange-plus pricing model. It varies based on the card customers use and payment method. However, merchant service providers may offer volume-based discounts and more competitive rates than you’ll find with flat-rate service plans.
3. Review payment processing providers and services
Once you decide on a pricing model, hardware options and integrations, it’s time to evaluate services and features. Read through software reviews and user feedback. Also, see if your professional network or industry groups have any suggestions.
Although some Stripe alternatives provide rate information online, others require a custom quote. Follow up by interacting with the providers’ customer support teams and asking for clarification about rates, contract terms, integrations or PCI compliance.
Key features to look for
Credit card processing platforms provide essential tools for managing payments. Confirm that competitors to Stripe meet basic expectations.
At a minimum, reputable merchant account providers should offer the following features and services:
- An online portal. Merchants can access account and payment details through a user-friendly interface or mobile app.
- Virtual terminal. Merchants enter CNP transaction information through a web-based portal or mobile app to complete phone or mail-in orders.
- Integrations. Basic accounting, website and POS integrations sync payment information to existing software programs.
- Basic reporting. You can generate and export reports about payment methods and authorizations.
- Customer support. Service representatives should respond quickly and be knowledgeable about your account, merchant services and processing terms.
Add-ons and extras
Payment processors like Stripe offer far more than credit and debit processing. They supply tools to help your company succeed and overcome challenges.
Features vary by provider and may include:
- POS software. Native point-of-sale programs eliminate the need for integrating third-party tools. Square, Clover, Helcim and PayPal offer built-in POS systems.
- Fraud prevention. Sophisticated fraud detection systems can prevent online theft and platform manipulation, resulting in payment disputes.
- Invoicing tools. Built-in billing and invoicing tools allow companies to request and accept payments from a single platform.
- PCI compliance services. Credit card processors may handle PCI compliance on your behalf, which can alleviate the hassle of self-certifying or hiring a third party to manage your security.
- Chargeback support. Disputes can be time-consuming. Some processors like Elavon provide online portals and additional assistance to help you manage the process and reduce chargebacks.
Pricing and budget
STARTING MONTHLY FEE COST | FREE HARDWARE | IN-PERSON TRANSACTION FEE | ONLINE TRANSACTION FEE | CHARGEBACK FEE | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stripe
| $0
| No
| 2.7% plus $0.05
| 2.9% plus $0.30
| $15
|
Square
| $0
| Yes
| 2.6% plus $0.10
| 2.9% plus $0.30
| $0
|
PayPal
| Varies
| No
| 2.29% plus $0.09
| 2.59% plus $0.49
| $15 to $30
|
Helcim
| $0
| No
| 1.93% plus $0.08
| 2.49% plus $0.25
| $0 to $15
|
Paysafe
| $7.95
| No
| Varies
| Varies
| $25
|
Elavon Payment Processing
| $0
| No
| Varies
| Varies
| $20
|
Clover
| $14.95
| No
| 2.6% plus $0.10
| 3.5% plus $0.10
| $25
|
ProMerchant
| $5.95
| Yes
| Varies
| Varies
| $25
|
Intuit Payments
| $0
| No
| 2.50%
| 2.99%
| $25
|
National Processing
| $9.95
| Yes
| 2.5% plus $0.10
| 2.9% plus $0.30
| $35
|
Many Stripe competitors offer flat rate or interchange-plus pricing models. PayPal has lower flat rate fees for online and in-person transactions than other Stripe alternatives, whereas Clover costs more for card-not-present payments.
Fees are less predictable with the interchange-plus model and, therefore, harder to compare. Elavon, ProMerchant and Paysafe provide fewer pricing details than Stripe. Their rates differ by merchant, card type and capture method. Helcim stands out for its transparency, showing pricing tiers and average costs.
Featured credit card processing offers
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Square stands out from Stripe competitors as the best credit card processing company. Companies can begin accepting and tracking sales quickly with a convenient online approval process, a built-in POS system and no upfront costs.
Look for a payment processor that works where and when you need it. It should support your e-commerce or in-person sales objectives and provide online reporting tools. Remember to review terms carefully and avoid hidden fees that drive up the costs of accepting electronic payments, such as high chargeback fees.
Stripe is a Level 1 PCI Service Provider, the most rigorous payment sector rank. It undergoes regular audits and proactively monitors the internet for compromised API keys. Stripe safeguards its payment infrastructure with routine vulnerability scans, penetration testing and server upgrades.
Stripe charges 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction for all online credit card and wallet payments made online. It doesn’t have any setup or monthly fees.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
-
SumUp vs. Square: Differences, pros and cons in 2024
Credit card processing Sarah Li Cain
-
Square vs. Shopify: Differences, pros and cons in 2024
Credit card processing Lauren Swift
-
Cities and states with the most fraud complaints in 2024
Credit card processing Mehdi Punjwani
-
Junk fees Americans hate most
Credit card processing Mehdi Punjwani
-
Best credit card machine for small business in 2024
Credit card processing Sierra Campbell
-
Best retail POS systems in 2024
Credit card processing Sierra Campbell
-
Toast vs. Square: Differences, pros and cons in 2024
Credit card processing Gina Ponce
-
Best payment gateways in 2024
Credit card processing Alison Kilian
-
Best restaurant POS systems in 2024
Credit card processing Mehdi Punjwani
-
9 best Square competitors in 2024
Credit card processing Mehdi Punjwani
-
What is a merchant account? Everything you need to know
Credit card processing Sarah Li Cain
-
How to accept credit card payments in 2024
Credit card processing Joshmi Joseph
-
PayPal Braintree vs. Stripe: Differences, pros and cons in 2024
Credit card processing Eric Rosenberg
-
How to accept payments online in 2024
Credit card processing Blair Travers
-
Stripe vs. Square: Differences, pros and cons in 2024
Credit card processing Brynne Conroy