Developer-first payments infrastructure for internet businesses.
2.9% + $0.30
online rate
$0
monthly fee
2-day
payout
Developers
SaaS
Marketplaces
NOWPayments
NOWPayments is a non-custodial crypto payment gateway that settles 350-plus cryptocurrencies straight to your own wallet for a 0.5% service fee.
No reviews yetFounded 2019Tallinn, Estonia
- Starting rate
- 0.5% service fee
- Monthly fee
- $0
- Payout
- Instant
- Contract
- No contract
- PCI level
- N/A
- Regions
- Global
Overview
NOWPayments is a non-custodial cryptocurrency payment gateway launched in 2019 by the team behind the ChangeNOW exchange. It is registered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with a working address in Tallinn, Estonia, and it runs lean, with public sources putting the team at around 15 people. Non-custodial is the defining trait: NOWPayments never holds private keys to merchant wallets, so a confirmed payment moves on chain to an address the merchant already controls instead of sitting in a platform balance. An optional custody balance is available for merchants who want off-chain operations, but direct settlement is the default.
Pricing and how it works
The service fee is 0.5% when the customer pays and the merchant receives the same coin. It rises to 1% for multi-currency payments, fixed-rate payments and payments where the fee is passed to the buyer, because each of those routes through a conversion. Blockchain network fees are separate and vary by chain and congestion. On the non-custodial flow the customer pays a network fee on deposit and further network fees apply to processing and payout, so small transactions can carry a real cost well above the headline percentage. There is no setup fee and no monthly platform fee on standard usage, and NOWPayments says higher monthly volume can earn a reduced rate. Converting to fiat and paying out to a bank account costs extra and is only offered in some regions.
Who it is for
This fits merchants who actively want crypto revenue and prefer to hold it: online stores, SaaS and hosting companies billing through WHMCS, streamers, creators and nonprofits collecting donations. Integration options include a REST API with a sandbox, hosted invoices, payment links, a payment widget, a donation button, a point-of-sale terminal link, recurring crypto subscriptions, mass payouts and plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento 2, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Ecwid, Zen Cart and WHMCS.
What it is not
NOWPayments is not a card processor and does not provide a merchant account. No Visa or Mastercard rails are involved in the core product, there is no interchange, no acquiring bank and no chargeback process, because on-chain payments are irreversible. A third-party fiat on-ramp can let a shopper pay by card and have the merchant receive crypto, but that card leg is operated by an external provider rather than by NOWPayments. Anyone who needs ordinary card acceptance still needs a separate processor running alongside it.
Best for
Crypto-native merchants
Online stores
Donations
Regions
Global
Industries
Ecommerce
SaaS and hosting
Gaming
Nonprofits
Pros
- Non-custodial by default, so settled funds land in a wallet you control and NOWPayments never holds your private keys or your balance
- A flat 0.5% service fee with no setup cost, no monthly fee and no minimum is among the cheapest published pricing in crypto payments
- Very broad asset coverage at 350-plus coins and 30-plus stablecoins, with ready-made plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, OpenCart and WHMCS
Cons
- Crypto only, with no card, ACH or SEPA rails, so for most merchants it can only ever be a secondary checkout option next to a real processor
- Registered offshore in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with a team of roughly 15, and reviewers report inconsistent support response times
- Network fees are charged separately on deposit, processing and payout, and cashing out to a bank account costs extra and is limited to some regions
Pricing
Pricing at a glance
NOWPayments charges a flat 0.5% service fee on same-coin crypto payments and 1% when a conversion is involved, such as multi-currency, fixed-rate or fee-paid-by-user payments. Blockchain network fees are extra and there is no monthly or setup fee.
- Pricing model
- Flat rate
- Contract
- No contract
- Free trial
- No
- Monthly minimum
- None
Fee breakdown
| Online card rate | 0.5% service fee |
|---|---|
| International surcharge | 0.5% worldwide, crypto settlement has no cross-border surcharge |
| Monthly fee | $0 |
| Setup fee | $0 |
| Monthly minimum | None |
| Chargeback fee | None, on-chain payments are irreversible and cannot be charged back |
| Refund policy | Refunds are manual on-chain sends from the merchant wallet, with no built-in dispute process |
Features
Payment methods
- Crypto
Integrations & deployment
- API
- Hosted checkout
- Drop-in UI
- Payment links
- Invoicing
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- Magento
Capabilities
- Recurring billing
- Multi-currency
- Reporting dashboard
- No rolling reserve
- Developer-friendly
At a glance
- Currencies
- 350+ cryptocurrencies and 75+ fiat display currencies
- Payout
- Instant
- PCI level
- N/A
- High-risk friendly
- Yes
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience with NOWPayments.
Write a review
Share your experience with NOWPayments. Reviews are moderated before they appear.
Alternatives to NOWPayments
Compare theseRated 4.5 out of 5 from 4 reviews.
The widely recognised wallet and checkout button merchants trust.
2.99% + $0.49
online rate
$0
monthly fee
Instant
payout
Small business
Cross-border
Quick setup
Enterprise-grade global payments on a single platform.
Interchange + 0.60% + $0.13
online rate
$0
monthly fee
T+2
payout
Enterprise
Global
Omnichannel
A PayPal company offering developer-friendly online payments.
2.89% + $0.29
online rate
$0
monthly fee
2-day
payout
Developers
SaaS
PayPal users
Frequently asked questions
- How much does NOWPayments cost?
- NOWPayments charges a flat 0.5% service fee when the customer pays and the merchant receives the same coin, rising to 1% for multi-currency payments, fixed-rate payments and payments where the fee is passed to the buyer. There is no setup fee and no monthly fee. Blockchain network fees are separate and vary by chain, and higher monthly volume can qualify for a lower rate.
- Does NOWPayments accept credit cards?
- No. NOWPayments is a crypto-only gateway and does not process card payments or issue merchant accounts. A third-party fiat on-ramp can let a shopper pay by card and have the merchant receive crypto, but that card leg is run by an external provider. Merchants who need normal Visa and Mastercard acceptance will still need a separate processor alongside it.
- What does non-custodial mean for merchants?
- It means NOWPayments never holds your private keys or your funds. Once a payment confirms on chain it is forwarded to a wallet address you already control, so there is no platform balance, no rolling reserve and no freeze risk on settled funds. An optional custody balance exists if you want off-chain operations, but it is not the default behavior.
- Is NOWPayments good for high-risk merchants?
- Often yes, for a specific structural reason. Because no card networks are involved there is no interchange, no chargeback ratio to breach and no acquiring bank underwriting to fail, which is why merchants declined elsewhere turn to crypto gateways. Verification is light for basic crypto-only accounts, although fiat withdrawal features require identity checks and some regions are excluded.