Compare Multiple Payment Platforms Live

For domestic credit card processing in the US and Canada, interchange-plus processors like Helcim and Adyen offer the lowest rates (often 1.8% to 2.2% effective). For flat-rate online processing, Stripe is standard at 2.9% + $0.30. For high-ticket B2B invoices, native bank transfer rails like ACH Direct Debit (0.8% with $5 cap), GoCardless (£4 cap), and Interac e-Transfer ($1.50 flat) save up to 90% compared to credit cards.

A standard payment gateway (like Stripe or PayPal) processes payments, but your business remains the legal seller responsible for calculating, collecting, and remitting global sales tax/VAT across hundreds of jurisdictions. A Merchant of Record (like Lemon Squeezy, Paddle, or FastSpring) takes on full legal liability as the reseller, automatically handling sales tax compliance, invoicing, and cross-border currency regulations in exchange for a higher fee (typically 5.0% + $0.50).

Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 domestic with a 1.0% to 2.0% currency conversion spread. PayPal standard checkout charges 3.49% + $0.49 domestic and adds an aggressive 3.5% to 4.5% foreign exchange spread above the wholesale interbank rate for cross-border transactions, resulting in effective deductions exceeding 7.5% to 9.5% on international payouts.

BNPL providers like Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm charge merchants between 4.99% and 5.99% + $0.30 per order, which is approximately double standard credit card processing rates (2.9% + $0.30). However, merchants adopt BNPL because it systematically lifts average order values (AOV) by 20% to 45% and reduces cart abandonment on ticket sizes between $100 and $1,500.

When a customer pays with an international card or in a foreign currency, standard processors add two separate surcharges: a 1.0% to 1.5% cross-border fee for foreign-issued cards, plus a 1.0% to 3.0% FX currency conversion markup above the interbank mid-market rate. Platforms like Wise and Airwallex eliminate excessive markups by charging near-zero interbank spreads (0.3% to 0.5%) and offering multi-currency holding accounts.

Interchange-plus pricing separates the non-negotiable card network fee (interchange paid to card-issuing banks, plus card brand assessments) from the processor's markup (e.g., interchange + 0.20% + $0.10). Flat-rate processors charge a uniform fee (e.g., 2.9% + $0.30) regardless of card type. Interchange-plus is drastically cheaper for businesses processing over $10,000/month or handling predominantly debit and non-rewards credit cards.

Stan Store charges a flat $29 or $99 monthly SaaS fee with 0% platform transaction fees (you pay only underlying Stripe fees of 2.9% + $0.30). Skool charges $99/month plus a 2.9% transaction fee. Whop charges a 3% platform fee with 0 monthly subscription. Depending on your monthly revenue, choosing the flat subscription model saves thousands in recurring take rates once gross volume exceeds $5,000/month.

Processors like Stripe, PayPal, Braintree, and Adyen begin enterprise rate negotiations once gross monthly processing exceeds $80,000 to $100,000 USD (or $1M+ annually). Merchants should provide 3 to 6 months of processing statements demonstrating low chargeback ratios (under 0.5%) and high average transaction values to secure volume discounts or migrate to interchange-plus terms.