Top Payment Gateways For Online Payments

The rudiments of transaction gateways are complex, but in its simplest form, it is an online tool or technology that allows online businesses to accept and process customer payments. It cuts across the customer, merchant store, payment gateway, payment processor, bank, and merchant account.

The payment gateway uses any integration type on the site (client-side encryption or server-to-server) to encrypt the payment details and perform a systematic security check. Afterward, it sends the information to the acquiring bank before approving or declining the transaction request. The tendency for that payment to go through seamlessly and timely is a function of the quality of the payment gateway. For some top options, it happens in real-time, providing users with a wholesome experience.

PayPal is one of the most popular payment options that functions both as a gateway and a merchant account. As a payment gateway, it allows customers to perform online transactions seamlessly across different platforms. It is available in over 200 countries and supports popular credit cards like American Express, Visa, and MasterCard.

So how does it work? PayPal sends your card information to the credit card company or merchant bank for processing in real-time. The response from the merchant is sent back to the site, which comes at a cost. For businesses, PayPal provides two gateways, the Payflow Link and the Payflow Pro. The difference between them is that for the former, the checkout is hosted by PayPal. In contrast, the Pro is hosted by the business platform and offers different customizable checkout options.

The processing fee for a standard credit/debit card payment per transaction is 2.9% of the amount, plus a fixed price depending on the nature of the payment. The amount varies and could be as high as 3.49%. However, it is fast, secure, popular, and offers additional features like online invoicing, inventory tracking, Bill me later, and Barcode scanning.

Neosurf

Neosurf is a prepaid payment method — or in other words, it’s a secure and convenient way to make online purchases for those who don’t own a credit card or bank account. Users can buy Neosurf cards from various retail outlets or online vendors and receive a unique 10-digit code. Then, when making a purchase, customers can enter this code at supported online merchants — it’s accepted in various e-commerce websites, streaming platforms, travel agencies and even in the iGaming sector with Neosurf Casinos in Australia.

A positive aspect about this payment method is the fact that it provides a level of privacy and security since it doesn’t require personal or financial information to be shared during transactions.

Formerly known as Moneybookers, it is another renowned payment gateway seen on many online platforms. It allows customers to make faster payments in over 40 currencies across 200 countries. Skrill is easy to use, and a typical transaction can be completed in four simple steps. Just hit the send/pay button and enter the required information to send the payment. Skrill processes the transaction in real-time, which explains its growing popularity for many users.

Overall, Skrill allows you to do more for less. The transaction fees vary depending on the transaction type and payment method. For instance, deposits to your Skrill wallet via Bank Transfer are free. However, deposits using Paysafecard can be as high as 5%. For withdrawals, the fees are relatively higher. 

Stripe is another prevalent e-commerce payment provider that offers a broad range of features using a unique technology-first approach. Although some consider it quite tricky to set up, it is a suite of APIs that allows businesses to accept payments via multiple channels like digital wallets and credit/debit cards. It also integrates other functions that capture recurring revenue, accepts and optimize payments globally, and offers a financial infrastructure for the Internet.

The transaction fee depends on the country of operation. Typically, every successful transaction in the US is charged at 2.9% plus $0.30 for cards and wallets. However, other payment options like bank transfers only cost 0.8%. An overview of the pricing is available in the dedicated section on Stripe’s site.

Amazon Pay is another innovative API-driven payment provider that allows users to make payments using the details already provided in their Amazon account. Although only available in just a few countries, Amazon shoppers can enjoy a seamless experience during checkout on the site. Unlike most payments that might take you to the initiating site, it is possible to start and complete a payment using Amazon Pay. It is fast and secure and includes a fee of 2.9% per transaction.

Payment gateways serve as a link bridge between the merchant (business owners like Amazon) and the users. It follows a systematic approach to processing online transactions securely for authorization. They offer safe, fast, and reliable payment options for customers and e-commerce businesses. So far, we have discussed some of the most popular innovative tech solutions that can improve how customers make payments.