In today’s modern world, it is extremely important for any business to have a wide range of payment options. In fact, most people in the UK prefer to use multiple payment methods depending on their convenience, simplicity, security, and costs. If you are running a business in the UK eCommerce market, here are the top 5 best payment gateways to consider.
Overview
PayPal
According to a survey in 2019, PayPal was the most used online payment method in the UK which takes up 49% of all buyers. Every year, more than 20 million UK shoppers use PayPal. It is widely known for fast transfers thanks to its user-friendly interface and robust fraud protection.
PayPal has diverse options for payment methods, such as debit/credit cards, Android/Apple Pay and Bitcoin. In addition, it can be easily used to sell and buy products globally, with great security supported by encryption and PCI compliance.
Another plus for using PayPal is the operation speed – users can be able to see the money in their PayPal account almost immediately once they make the transaction.
When it comes to pricing, PayPal has no setup, monthly or gateway fees. However, it charges 2.9% + 20p/transaction for people in the UK.
Worldpay
Worldpay is one of the most popular payment processing companies with its headquarter in the UK. It accepts payments in over 116 currencies and all major credit/debit cards. In addition, Worldpay is equipped with Pay By Link, which allows users to make online payments via a link and without the need for a website. This helps to save time and decrease the cart abandonment rate.
Although Worldpay is not the cheapest option, its advancements in the integration with many eCommerce website builders and invoicing software are worth it. Worldpay offers users 2 pricing package:
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- Pay as you go: 2.75% + £0.20
- Fixed monthly: From £19/month, plus 2.75% (credit cards), or 0.75% (debit cards).
Stripe
Being a full-service payment provider, Stripe offers both a payment gateway and a merchant account. It is a customizable payment option that can be embedded into your website. Therefore, consumers do not get redirected to other platforms, which can improve the cart abandonment rate.
Stripe accepts more than 135 currencies around the world and is one of the most powerful payment gateways in the UK. It supports a wide range of mobile payments, subscription services and one-click checkouts.
Due to the lower pricing for European cards, Stripe is more suitable for merchants within Europe (such as the UK). Here is the specific pricing plan that Stripe offers:
- Integrated (pay-as-you-go pricing): 1.4% +20p for European cards; 2.9% + 20p for non-European cards
- Customized: flexible prices according to specific needs
Shopify Payments
Shopify is the most popular eCommerce platform in the UK, as in 2019 it took up 13.29% of the market share among all eCommerce software providers. This makes Shopify Payments the next choice on our list of the best payment gateways in the UK.
Apart from a payment gateway, Shopify also offers a complete eCommerce solution to businesses. As it includes everything they need to start selling their products online (such as a POS system), it is one of the easiest payment gateways that businesses can have a try.
It is important to note that any company operating their websites on Shopify will get a more favorable rate to use Shopify Payments, compared to those integrating a third-party payment gateway. In addition, Shopify Payments offers a 14-day free trial so that you can try it out without using a credit card.
Shopify now offers 3 pricing plans
- Basic Shopify: $29/month
- Shopify: $79/month
- Advanced Shopify: $299/month
SagePay
Founded in Newcastle, SagePay is widely known in the UK for its exceptional security levels and full customization. SagePay accepts payments in 30 different currencies with a fast and secured process.
Regarding customization, SagePay allows users to build their own checkout system that suits their websites or physical places. Moreover, they also offer an auto-invoicing function and a clear overview of how your payments are looking in MySagePay. Customer service is available 24/7 in the UK which is offered by knowledgeable and well-reviewed staff members.
SagePay has 3 options for merchants to choose from:
- Flex: £20.90/month
- Plus: £45/month
- Corporate: Bespoke pricing
Wrapping up
In any business, payment gateways are one of the must-have systems to complete the checkout process. We hope that our list of the 5 best payment gateways in the UK can offer you some basic information, and it depends on your needs to decide on the most suitable ones.
In addition to payment gateways, businesses nowadays should also integrate many other eCommerce features such as point-of-sale (POS) providers. Without any extra fee, ConnectPOS offers a point-of-sale provider that is compatible with different payment gateways. Contact us if you have any questions.