Merchant services
Payment gateways in the UK: how they work and what they cost.
A payment gateway connects your website's checkout to the bank that processes the card. We explain how it works and compare UK charges read 27 October 2026.
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A payment gateway connects your website's checkout to the bank that processes the card. We explain how it works and compare UK charges read 27 October 2026.
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
A payment gateway is the secure link between your website's checkout and the bank that processes the card. It encrypts the card details, asks the customer's bank to approve the payment and returns the answer in seconds. Most UK providers include the gateway in one rate, such as Stripe at 1.5% + 20p, and Worldpay's quote tool shows the gateway as included. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Adyen Source | £0.11 + interchange++ + 0.60% | Same structure; interchange is higher | £0, no setup fee | Flexible, you choose | Not stated |
| PayPal Braintree Source | 1.9% + 20p; Amex 2.4% + 20p | +1% for non-UK cards | Not published | Not published | Not stated |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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.
A payment gateway is the software between your checkout and the card networks. When a customer clicks pay, it takes their card details, encrypts them, and sends an authorisation request, a request to approve the payment, through the acquirer and Visa or Mastercard to the customer's bank.
If the bank asks for extra proof, the gateway runs 3D Secure, the check where the customer confirms the payment in their banking app. UK and European banks use it to meet strong customer authentication rules. The bank then approves or declines, and the gateway returns the answer to your website, usually in a second or two.
Later, the approved payments are captured, meaning collected, and the acquirer settles the money to you. The gateway also stores card details safely if you offer saved cards or subscriptions, and gives you a dashboard to issue refunds and see each payment.
These three terms are often mixed up. The gateway is the technology that captures and sends the card details. The processor moves the payment messages between the gateway, the card schemes and the banks. The merchant account, held with an acquirer, is where the money is collected before it is paid to you.
Most providers now sell all three together. Stripe, Adyen, Checkout.com, Mollie and PayPal Braintree each give you a gateway, processing and acquiring under one contract. Worldpay's pricing tool lists the gateway as included in its quoted pricing.
Some businesses still use a separate gateway connected to a bank's merchant account, for example to keep an existing bank relationship or to route payments to more than one acquirer. Stripe, for instance, offers a Vault and Forward service that stores card details and routes payments to other processors, priced on request.
Where the gateway is bundled, you pay one rate per payment. On published prices read 27 October 2026, standard UK card rates are 1.20% + 20p at Mollie, 1.5% + 20p at Stripe and 1.9% + 20p at PayPal Braintree, which adds 1% for cards issued outside the UK. Adyen charges £0.11 per payment plus interchange, scheme fees and 0.60%.
Some providers charge for the gateway separately or add monthly fees. PayPal charges £20 a month for Website Payments Pro, which includes its Direct Payments API and Virtual Terminal. Viva.com charges £0.03 per 3D Secure attempt and says a 0.35% surcharge may apply when using certain official ecommerce plugins.
Worldpay, Checkout.com, takepayments, Elavon and Trust Payments do not publish online rates. Checkout.com says it prices on interchange plus plus, with no setup or account maintenance fees.
Take a business taking £15,000 a month in 300 payments of £50, all on standard UK consumer cards. At Stripe's 1.5% + 20p the monthly cost is £225 plus £60, or £285. At Mollie's 1.20% + 20p it is £180 plus £60, or £240. At PayPal Braintree's 1.9% + 20p it is £285 plus £60, or £345.
At Adyen, 300 payments at £0.11 cost £33, the 0.60% margin costs £90, and interchange on UK consumer debit cards at 0.20% adds £30. That is £153 a month plus card scheme fees, which Adyen passes on at cost.
If a third of those sales came from European customers, Stripe would charge 2.5% + 20p on them and Braintree 2.9% + 20p, so the gap between providers would widen. Always price on your own card mix.
Before you go live, test the whole checkout on a phone as a customer would, including a 3D Secure check and a refund. A slow or unfamiliar payment step can cost sales, so the experience matters as well as the rate. Check these points before you choose:
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.
A payment gateway is the software that takes card details from your website's checkout, encrypts them and sends them for approval to the customer's bank through the card networks. It returns the approve or decline answer to your website within seconds and records the payment for refunds and reporting.
The gateway captures and sends the card details from your checkout. The processor carries the payment messages between the gateway, Visa or Mastercard and the banks, and the acquirer collects the money. Most providers, such as Stripe and Adyen, now sell all of these together.
Most providers include the gateway in their rate: 1.20% + 20p at Mollie and 1.5% + 20p at Stripe for standard UK cards, read 27 October 2026. PayPal charges £20 a month for Website Payments Pro. Worldpay's tool lists the gateway as included in its quoted pricing.
For most small businesses, an all-in-one provider with no monthly fee and a published rate is simplest, such as Mollie, Stripe or Square Online. The best choice depends on your platform, card mix and where your customers are. We compare them on your figures.
You need both functions, but not always two contracts. Stripe, Mollie, Adyen, Checkout.com and PayPal Braintree provide the gateway and the merchant account together. A separate gateway is only needed if you keep a merchant account with a bank that does not supply one.
UK banks apply strong customer authentication to most online card payments, and 3D Secure is how the customer confirms the payment. Your gateway runs it automatically. Some providers charge per attempt, for example Viva.com at £0.03.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.