Merchant services
Online payment processing for UK businesses.
We compared 18 online payment processors on their published UK fees, read 27 October 2026. Here is what you pay, what changes the price and how to pay less.
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We compared 18 online payment processors on their published UK fees, read 27 October 2026. Here is what you pay, what changes the price and how to pay less.
Published online rates from the major processors serving UK businesses, plus the quoted rates that only come on request. You see them side by side, on your own sales.
The short answer
Online payment processing is the service that takes a customer's card payment on your website and pays the money into your bank. Published UK rates for standard UK cards run from 1.20% + 20p (Mollie) and 1.30% + 20p (Airwallex) to 1.5% + 20p (Stripe) and 2.9% + 30p (PayPal standard). European and international cards cost more. Prices read 27 October 2026.
Published prices read on 27 October 2026 from each provider's own pricing page. Quote only or not published means the provider gives rates on request; we obtain those for you.
| Provider | Standard UK card rate | European and international cards | Monthly fee | Payouts | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mollie Source | 1.20% + 20p UK consumer cards | 2.90% + 20p European and UK commercial; 3.25% + 20p other | £0 | 5 free a month, then 25p each | No lock-in |
| Airwallex Source | 1.30% + 20p UK cards | 2.40% + 20p EEA; 3.15% + 20p international | £0 or £19 (waived over £10k) | Not on pricing page | Not stated |
| Square Online Source | 1.4% + 25p UK cards | 2.5% + 25p non-UK cards | £0, or Plus from £29 | Next day; instant 1.95% | Not stated |
| Stripe Source | 1.5% + 20p standard UK cards; 2.8% + 20p premium UK cards | 2.5% + 20p EEA; 3.15% + 20p international; +2% if converted | £0 | Standard free; instant 1% (min 40p); first payout 7 to 14 days | Pay as you go |
| PayPal Source | 2.9% + 30p standard; 1.2% + 30p for advanced card payments | +1.29% EEA, +1.99% other markets | £0; £20 for Website Payments Pro | Free withdrawal to bank | Not stated |
| PayPal Braintree Source | 1.9% + 20p; Amex 2.4% + 20p | +1% for non-UK cards | Not published | Not published | Not stated |
| Adyen Source | £0.11 + interchange++ + 0.60% | Same structure; interchange is higher | £0, no setup fee | Flexible, you choose | Not stated |
| SumUp Online Source | 2.5% online payments | 2.5% (not split out) | £0, or Payments Plus £19 | Next day by 7am to SumUp account | None stated |
| Shopify Payments Source | 2% + 25p on Basic; 1.3% + 25p on Plus | 3.1% + 25p on Basic | Plan from £25 (£19 paid yearly) | Not on pricing page | Monthly or yearly plan |
| Viva.com Online Source | 2.19% + 24p UK consumer cards | 2.06% + 24p plus interchange and scheme fees | Not published for online | Not published | Not published |
| Paddle Source | 5% + 50¢ (merchant of record) | 5% + 50¢ | £0 | Not on pricing page | No lock-in |
| Checkout.com Source | Quote only (interchange++) | Quote only | No setup or account fees | Not published | Not published |
| Worldpay Source | Indicative quote, e.g. 1% debit, 1.8% credit + 4.5p | Quote only | £5 PCI fee; £15 minimum monthly charge | 24 hours | Not shown in tool |
| takepayments Online Source | Quote only | Quote only | Not published | Next working day (may differ online) | Not published |
| Elavon Online Source | Quote only | Quote only | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Trust Payments Source | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Paysafe Source | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nuvei Source | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Rates are for online card payments taken by UK businesses, before VAT where the provider states it. Premium, business and non-UK cards usually cost more. Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Tell us about your business. We compare the whole market, including the processors that only quote on request, and come back with the lowest total cost for your online sales and the right set-up. You keep a named account manager after setup.
Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
When a customer pays on your website, four parties are involved. The payment gateway is the secure form that collects the card details and sends them on. The acquirer, the bank that holds your merchant account, asks the card scheme (Visa or Mastercard) to get approval from the card issuer, the customer's bank. If the issuer approves, the money is collected and paid to you, from the next day at some providers.
Most small and medium businesses never deal with these parties separately. A payment service provider, such as Stripe, Square, Mollie or Airwallex, bundles the gateway, the merchant account and the payouts into one sign-up and one rate. Larger businesses often choose an acquirer and gateway that price each part separately, which can cost less once volumes grow.
Whichever route you take, you pay a percentage of each sale, often plus a fixed fee per payment, and sometimes monthly charges on top.
These are the standard rates each provider publishes for UK consumer cards taken online. Premium, business and non-UK cards usually cost more, and several providers quote rather than publish.
Take an online shop selling £20,000 a month in 500 payments of £40, all on standard UK consumer cards. At Mollie's 1.20% + 20p it pays £340 a month. Airwallex at 1.30% + 20p costs £360, with its £19 plan fee waived because more than £10,000 a month is processed. Stripe at 1.5% + 20p costs £400 and Square Online at 1.4% + 25p costs £405.
PayPal Braintree at 1.9% + 20p costs £480. SumUp at 2.5% costs £500. Shopify Payments on Basic, at 2% + 25p, costs £525 before the plan fee. PayPal's standard 2.9% + 30p costs £730, while its advanced card payments at 1.2% + 30p cost £390, subject to PayPal's approval.
Adyen prices differently: £0.11 per payment plus 0.60% comes to £175, and the card issuer's fee is added on top. For UK consumer debit cards that fee is 0.20%, as Viva.com's UK price list states, or £40 here. That makes about £215 plus card scheme fees, which Adyen passes on at cost and does not list.
The card your customer uses matters most. Stripe charges 1.5% + 20p on a standard UK card but 2.8% + 20p on a premium UK card and 3.15% + 20p on an international card, plus 2% if currency conversion is needed. Mollie charges 2.90% + 20p on UK business and European cards.
The fixed fee per payment matters for small baskets. On a £5 sale, Mollie's 20p is 4% of the sale on top of the 1.20%. SumUp has no fixed fee at 2.5%, so it costs less than Mollie on sales under about £15.
Then check the extras. Stripe charges £20 for each dispute received, also called a chargeback, when a customer asks their bank to reverse a payment. Worldpay's tool shows a £20 chargeback fee, a £5 PCI DSS fee (a charge for card security compliance) and a £15 minimum monthly service charge. Instant payouts cost extra: 1% at Stripe and 1.95% at Square.
All-in-one providers such as Stripe, Square, Mollie, Airwallex and SumUp suit most small and growing businesses. You can sign up online, pay no monthly fee and start within days. The trade-off is a fixed rate that does not fall as you grow unless you ask for custom pricing.
Platform payments, such as Shopify Payments, are built into your shop software. On Shopify they are usually the cheapest choice, because Shopify adds a 2% third-party transaction fee on the Basic plan if you use another processor.
Acquirers that quote, such as Worldpay, Checkout.com and Elavon, and interchange plus plus providers such as Adyen, suit larger volumes where small differences in rate add up to thousands of pounds a year. Merchant of record services, such as Paddle at 5% + 50¢, take on tax, fraud and chargebacks for software sold worldwide, at a higher price.
We compare the whole online payments market for you, including the processors that only quote on request, such as Worldpay, Checkout.com, takepayments and Elavon. We look at your real card mix, average sale and the countries you sell to, and work out the total monthly cost with each one, including monthly charges, dispute fees and payout costs, not just the headline rate.
We then negotiate the rate and terms, handle the application and the switch from your current processor, and give you a named account manager who stays with you after you go live and reviews your costs as your sales grow. Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Online payment processing is the service that lets your website or app take card and wallet payments. A provider checks the card, asks the customer's bank to approve the payment, collects the money from Visa or Mastercard and pays it into your bank account, usually after one or two working days.
On published rates read 27 October 2026, Mollie is lowest for UK consumer cards at 1.20% + 20p, then Airwallex at 1.30% + 20p and Square Online at 1.4% + 25p. For larger volumes, Adyen's interchange plus plus pricing and quoted rates from Worldpay or Checkout.com can cost less.
Stripe charges 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards, 2.8% + 20p for premium UK cards, 2.5% + 20p for European Economic Area cards and 3.15% + 20p for international cards, plus 2% if currency conversion is needed. There are no setup or monthly fees on standard pricing.
Not always. Providers such as Stripe, Square, SumUp and PayPal let you take payments under their own merchant arrangements, so you can start quickly. A dedicated merchant account from an acquirer such as Worldpay or Elavon is quoted individually and can cost less at higher volumes.
It depends on the provider. Square transfers as soon as the next day, SumUp pays into its business account by 7am the next day and Worldpay's tool shows settlement in 24 hours. Stripe says first payouts typically take 7 to 14 days, then follow its standard schedule.
Yes. Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay. We compare published and quoted rates, negotiate terms, handle the switch and give you a named account manager.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.