Ecommerce payment processors

For an online store, the card rate is only part of the cost. Card-not-present sales usually carry a higher rate than in-person ones, and the processor also decides how checkout looks, which wallets and local methods buyers see, and how fraud is screened before an order ships.

Start with the pricing model. A flat rate, such as the 2.9% + $0.30 that Stripe publishes for online cards, is easy to forecast and suits a new or smaller store. Interchange-plus passes through the card networks' cost and adds a fixed markup, which tends to cost less as order volume grows. Some processors add a monthly fee in exchange for a lower markup, which only pays off once volume is high enough to spread it.

Then check what each profile lists beyond the rate: monthly fee, payout speed, contract length, supported payment methods and integrations with your store platform. If you ship abroad, fees on foreign cards matter too, and our international payment processors page compares those.

Our picks

How we picked: the lowest published online percentage in US dollars within each pricing model. Small and growing stores need no monthly fee and no long-term contract; for higher volume we take the lowest published markup over interchange. Listing tier plays no part.

• Small or new store, flat rate: Airwallex, 2.80% + $0.30 on US cards, $0 a month on the US Explore plan, no long-term contract.
• Growing store, interchange-plus: Helcim, interchange + 0.50% + $0.25 online, no monthly fee, no contract and next-day payouts.
• Higher-volume store: Dharma Merchant Services, interchange + 0.20% + $0.11 online for $20 a month, on month-to-month terms.