Best Online Payment Processors For Small Business

Stripe is a good fit for businesses that need a customizable online checkout with strong developer tools.

Stripe supports online payments, subscriptions, invoicing, payment links, fraud prevention, international payments, local payment methods, and in-person payments through Stripe Terminal. It’s best for businesses that want more control over checkout design, payment flows, and platform integrations.

Airwallex is best for online businesses that sell internationally and want to manage payments across multiple currencies.

Airwallex supports global payment acceptance, local payment methods, multi-currency accounts, international transfers, payment links, shopping cart integrations, corporate cards, expense management, and bill pay. It’s best suited for online and cross-border businesses, not in-person sellers or high-risk merchants.

Durango Merchant Services is best for online businesses that need help getting approved for payment processing.

Durango specializes in high-risk and hard-to-place merchants, including businesses that may not qualify with mainstream payment processors. It offers online credit card processing, payment gateways, shopping cart integrations, eCheck/ACH support, fraud tools, and dedicated account support.

Square is best for new and low-volume businesses that want an easy way to accept online payments.

Square offers simple signup, flat-rate online processing, Square Online, payment links, invoices, subscriptions, inventory tools, and a free POS system for businesses that also sell in person. It’s a solid starter option for sellers that want low upfront commitment and room to grow.

Dharma Merchant Services is best for established nonprofits that want transparent online payment processing and donation tools.

Dharma offers interchange-plus pricing, discounted nonprofit rates, MX Merchant access, virtual terminal tools, payment links, recurring billing, customer data storage, and ACH/eCheck processing. It also integrates with 4aGoodCause for donation pages and event registration.

Helcim is best for established online businesses that want a full merchant account with transparent interchange-plus pricing.

Helcim includes online payment processing, hosted payment pages, a virtual terminal, invoicing, recurring billing, ACH/EFT support, inventory tools, and API options. It’s available to US and Canadian businesses and can also support in-person payments when needed.

Stax is best for higher-volume online businesses that can benefit from subscription-style payment processing.

Stax charges a monthly membership fee instead of a percentage markup on card transactions, which can help established businesses save as volume grows. It supports online payments, invoices, recurring billing, hosted payment pages, ACH, text payments, integrations, and in-person processing.

PaymentCloud is best for online businesses that need high-risk merchant account placement and hands-on support.

PaymentCloud works with multiple banks and back-end processors to help hard-to-place merchants get approved. It supports online payment gateways, virtual terminals, shopping cart integrations, ACH/eCheck processing, contactless payment requests, PCI compliance, data migration, and dedicated account management.

Host Merchant Services is best for SaaS, subscription, and web-based businesses that need recurring online payments.

HMS offers full merchant accounts with interchange-plus pricing, ACH/eCheck processing, payment gateways, virtual terminals, recurring billing, shopping cart integrations, and customer support. It’s a solid option for businesses that need online payments, subscriptions, and bank payment options from one provider.

CDGcommerce is best for online sellers who want pricing options that can change as their processing volume grows.

CDGcommerce offers flat-rate, interchange-plus, and membership-style pricing, with plans based on monthly sales volume. It also supports online payments, virtual terminals, recurring billing, shopping cart integrations, reporting, fraud tools, and gateway options including Quantum Gateway and Authorize.Net.

Shopify Payments is best for Shopify sellers that want built-in online payment processing across multiple sales channels.

Shopify lets businesses sell through an online store, social media, marketplaces, buy buttons, and in-person with Shopify POS. Using Shopify Payments also helps merchants avoid Shopify’s third-party transaction fees while keeping payments, orders, inventory, shipping, and customer data in one system.