Best International Payment Gateways

Selling to international customers? Remove the borders with an international payment gateway.

Process secure and seamless transactions across different countries and currencies.

Listing the best payment gateways

This list is based on our work comparison of features, cost and customer experience with each gateway.

8.5

Read review

Visit Sokin

Sokin is a global payments platform for businesses. Hold 75+ currencies with free IBAN accounts. Make up to 5,000 payments per batch transfer. Backed by Morgan Stanley.

Transaction Fee

from 1.20%

Refund Fees

£2 / $2.50 / €2.50

Settlement Timeframe

from 1 day

International Markets

75+ markets

8.8

Read review

Visit Airwallex

Transaction Fee

from 2.80% + $0.30

Refund Fees

$0.30

Settlement Timeframe

from 7 days

International Markets

60+ markets

7.7

Visit Fondy

Transaction Fee

3.2% + €0.25

Refund Fees

€0.60

Settlement Timeframe

Next working day

International Markets

35+ countries, 20+ currencies

7.5

Visit ZEN

Transaction Fee

Smart plan: market rate + 0.5%. Enterprise plan: market rate. Out-of-hours conversion: 0.4%

Refund Fees

€2.50

Settlement Timeframe

Instant

International Markets

57 countries, 28 currencies, 4 local accounts

7.8

Visit Payabl

Transaction Fee

Based on needs

Refund Fees

Varies by transfer

Settlement Timeframe

Within a few hours

International Markets

EUR and other currencies

7.9

Visit Flywire

Transaction Fee

$2 for receiving international transfers

Refund Fees

Settlement Timeframe

2-3 business days

International Markets

240+ countries & territories

7.8

Visit Rapyd

Transaction Fee

0.2% - 1.8%

Refund Fees

$25

Settlement Timeframe

2-10 days

International Markets

200+ countries

7.8

Visit GoCardless

Transaction Fee

2% + £/€0.20

Refund Fees

£/€0.50

Settlement Timeframe

5 days

International Markets

What an international payment gateway offers

Faster and easier scalability
A pre-built payment gateway that integrates with your existing site, simplifies market expansion.
Payment gateways with local currency accounts create the ability to streamline international finance. This includes paying staff, supplier payments and expense management.
API options are also available.
Lower overall transaction costs
Payment gateways with multi-currency support reduce overhead costs on international transactions.
Transactions land in a local account in the same currency used by the customer. These are then transferred to your central account as needed.
This means reduced fees and exchange rates on large business transfers as well.
Some providers may not charge any fees at all.
Use multiple balances to reduce costs
You can also leverage your income as part of a broader financial strategy. An examples would be paying suppliers in the same country where transactions occur.
This eliminates currency conversions in both directions, preventing banks from reducing your profits.

Our analysis

Our payment gateway analysis included over 20 providers offering international services. We believe this to be the most in-depth analysis on the market.

For this comparison we have included any features that international businesses might need. This includes access to multi-currency accounts and any currency risk solutions on offer.

For each provider we'll cover fees, exchange rates, online feedback, and supported currencies. This is to ensure you get all the possible information on each company. This allows you to make an informed decision on your international payment provider.

Every company is different. We always recommend comparing, or getting a quote, for your specific business needs.

Sokin

Sokin is one of our top recommendations for businesses seeking payment solutions.

Paired with their multi-currency business account, Sokin offers more than a standard payment gateway would. In particular, it caters to sending payments as well. These come with competitive exchange rates (from 0.3%) and and minimal fees (from 0.1%).

As for the Sokin payment gateway itself, here's the key points:

Integration: API, Self-hosted
Transaction fee: from 1.20%
Refund fees: £2 / $2.50 / €2.50
Settlement timeframe: from 1 day
International markets: 75 IBAN accounts, 4 local account options

The combination of payment gateway with a multi-currency account offers an end-to-end solution.

Using Sokin Pay, it's possible to take payments in a range of currencies and store them for later use.

There are options for WooCommerce, Magento and Shopify. Also, you can use the Sokin API to custom build a checkout using the gateway.

Read review

Visit Sokin

Airwallex

Like Sokin, Airwallex offers payment gateways, international money transfers and multi-currency accounts.

Airwallex customers can access 12 local accounts (compared to Sokin's 4). Use cases for these are receiving and sending international payments and storing currency.

Receiving payments includes those coming from online stores. Along with USD, GBP and EUR, customers will also get access to JPY, SGD and AUD accounts.

For the payment gateway itself, the key points are:

Integration: API, Self-hosted
Transaction fee: From 2.80% + $0.30
Refund fees: $0.30
Settlement timeframe: from 7 days with a 30 day reserve
International markets: 200+ countries, plus access to 12 local currency accounts

You also get one of best international expense management options on the market. This comes with virtual and physical cards and custom expense flows by team or person.

For companies in need of options beyond a payment gateway, Airwallex is a great choice.

Read review

Visit Airwallex

ZEN

Zen offers an international payment gateway with a wide range of payment methods. Also, Zen's price point is competitive.

The account has transactions which start at 0.5% with no exchange rate mark-up. This is on the enterprise plan. The free plan is subject to an exchange rate which starts at 0.5%.

Be aware that support for some payment methods can be up to 10% per transaction.

So the low starting point of the mid-market rate (enterprise) /0.5% (free) + 0.5% won't always be applicable.

There is also an instant settlement with Zen. Support for CMS includes Magento, Opencart, OsCommerce, Prestashop, Shoper and WooCommerce.

Integration: API, Self-hosted
Transaction fee: from mid-market rate + 0.50%
Refund fees: £2.50 / $2.50 / €2.50
Settlement timeframe: Instant settlement
International markets: 28 IBAN accounts, 4 local account options

Outside of a payment gateway, Zen has access to local currency management. This supports USD, EUR and GBP accounts.

Visit ZEN

Fondy

Fondy is a payment gateway provider with a higher price point compared to others on the list. Although, it does include some nice features.

With Fondy, payment gateways can be set up in apps and there's access to real time analytics. This can be particularly useful for pushing live sales and key events like Black Friday.

Integration: API, Self-hosted
Transaction fee: 3.2% + €0.25
Refund fees: €0.60
Settlement timeframe: Next working day
International markets: 35 countries supported across 20 currencies

You can also accept payments into multiple currencies. Like Airwallex or Sokin, there is local account support with Fondy. There are also IBAN account options.

The account is a great option for companies with particular reliance on in app purchases.

Visit Fondy

Payabl

Payabl is a provider suited to higher volumes and larger companies.

This is because the platform works in a similar way to a currency broker. You will get a quote for fees based on the amount, and value, of business transactions.

Integration: API, Self-hosted
Transaction fee: Custom fees based on needs
Refund fees: Varies based on agreement
Settlement timeframe: Often same day, within a few hours. Transactions made later in the day will clear the next working day
International markets: Strong EUR support

With Payabl it is possible to access multi-currency IBAN accounts.

There is support for ecommerce platforms with plugins for Wix, Magento, and WooCommerce. For any not supported there is SDK and API access.

Visit Payabl

Flywire

Flywire is an API driven, custom platform for ecommerce and embedded financial transactions.

The system is particularly strong for regular incoming payments, like subscriptions. There is support for custom product creation. This includes your own payment gateway, for end users.

Integration: API, Self-hosted
Transaction fee: $2
Refund fees: 1%
Settlement timeframe: 2-3 Business days
International markets: 240 countries supported for payments

Depending on the needs of the business there are automation options available. These include syncing automated invoices and CRM accounts to the software.

Visit Flywire

GoCardless

GoCardless offers international payments through a partnership with Wise.

The company offers transactions at the mid-market rate, plus a 2% + $/£0.20 fee. Settlements are a little longer than others on the list at 5 days.

Integration: API, Self-hosted
Transaction fee: 2% + £/$0.20
Refund fees: £/$0.50
Settlement timeframe: 5 days
International markets: 30 in total

As one of the bigger companies on the list, GoCardless offers a range of options out of the box which can be useful.

For some of the more helpful features transaction fees will be 2.4%.

With GoCardless you will notget access to local currency or IBAN accounts.

Visit GoCardless

Rapyd

Rapyd is a platform which supports integrated options, like live payments in apps.

Settlement timeframes aren't great, up to 10 days, although this is offset by the fees starting from 0.20%. Depending on a business model, a longer wait and lower overall cost may be suitable.

Integration: API, Self-hosted
Transaction fee: 0.20% – 1.80% per transaction, with Interchange, there's no markup fee
Refund fees: Up to $25
Settlement timeframe: 2-10 days
International markets: 200+ countries

Rapyd also offers API access which can be extensive. Solutions expand beyond payment gateways into gaming and trading. For any companies taking a lot of live payments, it is a great option.

Support for 'high risk' industries is available.

These include online gaming and trading. However, be aware you will pay higher fees for access.

Visit Rapyd

Payoneer

Payoneer, like Sokin and Airwallex, is traditionally money transfer company. Like its counterparts, the platform offers multi-currency accounts (7 in total).

For customers using Payonner, it can also be setup as a payment method in your payment gateway. This makes it a P2P payment and removes transaction fees.

Integration: API, Self-hosted
Transaction fee: From 3%
Refund fees: from 1%
Settlement timeframe: from 2 days
International markets: 200+ countries, plus access to 7 local currency accounts

Payoneer offers access to some harder to reach markets in Asia. Fees here are a little higher than other options.

However, it's a great option for smaller businesses, and one-person ecommerce stores.

Visit Payoneer

International Payment Gateways in Action

International payment gateways facilitate cross-border transactions by connecting businesses and customers worldwide. Here's a simplified guide:

Transaction Initiation: The customer selects products and proceeds to checkout, choosing their preferred payment method.
Payment Gateway Integration: The merchant's website or app uses an integrated payment gateway to securely capture payment details.
Authorization Request: The gateway sends an authorization request to the customer's bank. This will be through the relevant payment network (e.g., Visa, Mastercard).
Currency Conversion: If necessary, the gateway performs currency conversion at the current exchange rate.
Confirmation and Settlement: The gateway relays the transaction to the merchant and settles the funds into the merchant's account. This can be from instant to 14 days in some cases.

Choosing a payment gateway

Multiple payment methods
Gateway providers offer a variety of payment methods. This includes local payment methods in some instances.
The most commonly supported are Visa, Mastercard and PayPal.
Other frequently supported options include Paysafecard, Skrill, iDEAL, and others. Zen.com and Payoneer offer some of the widest selection on the market.
It's essential to understand which payment methods are needed for your specific market.
Multi-currency support
Payment gateways simplify multi-currency support and reduce overall costs.
Typically, a set fee is charged as a percentage of each transaction. The remaining amount is converted at the agreed exchange rate.
For larger companies, it may be possible to negotiate a better exchange rate. Smaller businesses may have a standard rate.
Of the companies we analysed, transactions fees started from 1%. Exchange rates in some cases were offered at the mid-market rate.
Additional marketplace support
Support for various marketplaces and CMS types is available.
WooCommerce, Magento, Shopify and Amazon Marketplace are the most common integrations.
Many payment gateway providers also offer APIs for further customization.
It is also possible, through companies like Payabl, to find support for Wix as well.
Also, any company offering an API can be used to build a custom gateway specific to your CMS, even if it is a custom build.
Take regular subscription payments
If your ecommerce site operates on a subscription model, recurring payments available.
For cross-border subscriptions, using a local account can lead to significant savings.
This avoids incurring fees and exchange rate conversions for each transaction. Funds can either be stored, or converted in bulk.
Physical POS support
Some providers offer physical POS support for payments, adding convenience to your operations.
You can accept physical orders in one currency and online orders in another.
Companies like Sum Up will offer these. One company that offers both online and POS transactions is Stripe.
We left them off of our list due to poor customer feedback and settlement timeframes of up to 14 days. However, for businesses with physical stores, they are a leader in the market.
Full-service offering
Payment gateway providers offer additional support for other aspects of your ecommerce business.
You can raise invoices, pay staff, and manage virtual cards within one platform.
To do this, you will need to work with a provider like Sokin or Airwallex. We have compared them to other multi-currency accounts in our related guide.
Compare multi-currency accounts for business

Things to be sure of...

Exchange rates and fees
Exchanges rates have the biggest mpact on your profitability when receiving cross-border payments.
Sending money to banks often incurs additional fees. For example, PayPal may charge up to $3.99 for US sales. Also, you may need to be exchange rates when sending to a bank if you need to switch currency.
Multi-currency business accounts reduce the cost of receiving local payments.
Payment fees can also vary by type. Visa and Mastercard transactions tend to be more cost-effective, while local payment methods in some countries may incur higher fees.
If you require support for a specific payment method in a particular country, it is advisable to compare providers to ensure both local accounts and the desired payment method are supported.
Each provider will have its own set of limits, exchange rates, and fees. It's essential to compare providers and choose one that aligns with your business needs.
Settlement Timeframes
Settlement timeframes determine how soon you receive your funds.
Some providers take up to 14 days to clear payments. Others offer instant settlement.
The difference here is usually in cost and scale. For large businesses a 14 day period might be fine, but smaller businesses may need quicker options.
Depending on your business model, this can have a significant impact. Opt for what makes sense for your business.
Payment Failure Rates
Payment gateways will provide an estimated failure rate for transactions. This is typically quite low but should always be monitored independently.
Ideally, you want a zero failure rate, but realistically, a small failure rate is to be expected.