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BitPay review

Longest-running major crypto payment processor: accept 100+ cryptocurrencies, settle in fiat daily, with no chargebacks.

No reviews yetFounded 2011Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Starting rate
No card payments
Monthly fee
None
Payout
2-day
Contract
No contract
PCI level
N/A
Regions
US, CA +3

Overview

BitPay was founded in 2011 in Atlanta and is the longest-operating major cryptocurrency payment processor, with rare regulatory footing for the niche: an NMLS money-transmitter registration and a New York BitLicense. Merchants accept more than 100 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin and the major stablecoins, while customers pay from any wallet. The exchange rate locks when the invoice is created and BitPay converts instantly, so the merchant never holds crypto or takes volatility risk unless they choose crypto or stablecoin settlement.

Pricing and how it works

Fees are tiered by monthly paid-invoice volume: 2% + 25 cents below 500,000 dollars a month, 1.5% + 25 cents to 999,999 dollars, and 1% + 25 cents at a million dollars and above, with higher rates for high-risk industries. There is no monthly or setup fee, and because blockchain payments are push transactions there are no chargebacks at all. Buyers pay a separate network cost fee on top of the invoice. Settlement is calculated every business day, with fiat arriving in about one to two business days across eight currencies including USD, EUR and GBP, in 37 countries by bank transfer; crypto and stablecoin settlement reach 200+ countries. Refunds are possible but clunky: the merchant covers the network fee on a refund and the buyer's original network cost is not returned.

Who it is for

BitPay fits ecommerce, luxury goods, electronics, travel and precious metals sellers that want a no-chargeback payment rail for international customers, added alongside card processing rather than replacing it. Plugins cover Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento 2, BigCommerce, Wix and WHMCS, plus email billing and a retail app. Onboarding involves real KYB scrutiny, some verticals such as cannabis, weapons and MLM are prohibited, and demand is inherently niche: it is an additional payment option, not a primary processor.

Best for

Crypto checkout
International sales
High-ticket goods
No-chargeback payments

Regions

US
CA
UK
EU
Global

Industries

Ecommerce
Luxury goods
Electronics
Travel
Precious metals

Pros

  • Operating since 2011 with real US licensing, including an NMLS registration and New York BitLicense, rare regulatory footing among crypto processors
  • Full volatility shielding: the rate locks at invoice time and fiat settles to the bank in about one to two business days, so merchants never hold crypto
  • No chargebacks and no monthly or setup fees, with 1% to 2% + 25 cents undercutting typical card processing, plus a broad plugin catalog

Cons

  • Crypto-only with no card fallback, so it works as an additional payment rail rather than a primary processor
  • Strict KYB onboarding, and accounts can be flagged or held for compliance review, the dominant complaint in consumer reviews
  • Refund experience is clunky: the merchant eats the network fee on refunds and the buyer's original network cost is never returned

Pricing

Pricing at a glance

Processing is tiered by monthly volume: 2% + $0.25 under $500,000, 1.5% + $0.25 to $999,999 and 1% + $0.25 from $1 million, with no monthly or setup fees. Buyers pay a separate network cost fee, and high-risk industries pay elevated rates.

Pricing model
Flat rate, Tiered
Contract
No contract
Free trial
No
Monthly minimum
None

Fee breakdown

Online card rateNo card payments
International surchargeSame crypto rate worldwide, crypto settlement available in 200+ countries
Monthly feeNone
Setup feeNone
Monthly minimumNone
Chargeback feeNone, blockchain payments cannot be charged back
Early termination feeNone
Refund policyMerchant-initiated refunds deduct the blockchain network fee, and the buyer's original network cost fee is not returned

Features

Payment methods

  • Crypto

Integrations & deployment

  • API
  • Hosted checkout
  • Payment links
  • Invoicing
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • Magento
  • BigCommerce
  • Wix

Capabilities

  • Multi-currency
  • Chargeback protection
  • Reporting dashboard
  • Developer-friendly

At a glance

Currencies
Accepts 100+ cryptocurrencies, settles in 8 fiat currencies including USD, EUR and GBP across 37 countries, or in 15 cryptos and stablecoins worldwide
Payout
2-day
PCI level
N/A
High-risk friendly
No

Reviews

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Frequently asked questions

How much does BitPay cost?
Fees are tiered by monthly paid-invoice volume: 2% + 25 cents per transaction under 500,000 dollars a month, 1.5% + 25 cents between 500,000 and 999,999 dollars, and 1% + 25 cents at a million dollars and above. There are no monthly or setup fees and no chargeback fees. Buyers additionally pay a network cost fee that covers blockchain miner fees, and high-risk industries pay elevated rates.
How does BitPay protect merchants from crypto volatility?
The exchange rate is locked the moment an invoice is created, and BitPay converts the payment instantly. Merchants receive the full fiat value regardless of what the coin does afterwards, with settlement calculated every business day and funds arriving in about one to two business days in USD, EUR, GBP or five other fiat currencies. Merchants who prefer can settle in 15 cryptocurrencies or stablecoins instead.
Can BitPay payments be charged back?
No. Blockchain payments are push transactions and cannot be reversed by the buyer's bank, so the entire card chargeback mechanism does not exist. That makes BitPay attractive for high-ticket and international sales. Refunds remain possible, but they are merchant-initiated, and the blockchain network fee comes out of the refund.
Who should use BitPay?
Ecommerce and high-ticket merchants such as luxury goods, electronics, travel and precious metals sellers that want a no-chargeback option for crypto-holding customers, especially internationally. It suits businesses adding crypto alongside card processing. Merchants in prohibited verticals such as cannabis, weapons, MLM and derivatives cannot use it, and every account goes through KYB verification.
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