How to Accept Payments Online: 8 Methods to Use in 2025

For businesses selling across borders, the challenge goes beyond speed and security. Buyers want to pay in their local currency, using familiar options like digital wallets, credit cards, or bank transfers. Meeting these expectations is essential for building trust and converting sales.

This guide focuses on helping businesses at every stage, whether you’re launching an online shop, running a subscription model, selling internationally, or managing high-volume transactions. 

This guide will walk you through:

✅ 8 ways to accept online payments

✅ How to set up online payments for your business

✅ Benefits and drawbacks of accepting online payments

✅ How to evaluate and choose the right payment provider

Let’s get started.

Accepting payments online is no longer optional but rather a cornerstone of doing business in 2025. With global ecommerce sales estimated to climb up to  $7.4 trillion in 2025, customers expect fast and secure checkout experiences.

Your business needs to seamlessly process online payments while offering customers multiple convenient payment options. Without these capabilities, you risk losing sales during checkout and falling behind competitors.

Here are eight ways to accept payments online so you can keep customers happy and grow your business with confidence.

Consider this scenario: A shopper adds items to their cart on your website, only to find that card payments aren’t available. Faced with the choice of setting up a new wallet account or arranging a bank transfer, most will simply abandon the purchase and buy from a competitor that accepts cards instantly.

To prevent this, select widely recognised payment providers like Visa, American Express, or Mastercard®. Customers expect these options regardless of what they're purchasing, as these brands are universally trusted and accepted worldwide.

This is especially important for:

• Ecommerce stores – where most sales still come from credit and debit cards.
• Travel and hospitality businesses – where cross-border customers rely on cards for security and speed.
• Subscription services – where recurring billing through a card is simple and reliable.
• Professional services – where international clients can pay quickly without worrying about bank transfer delays.

Using online payment options such as direct debit through a bank account can be a direct approach to accepting payments online.

You can receive your payments through either electronic checks (eChecks) or the ACH payment option.

eChecks works by enabling your customers to input their bank information, such as an account number, amount, or bank routing number, in an online payment form. On the other hand, an ACH payment is an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) that allows your customers to make a direct deposit from one bank to another. Thus, with this method, your business will need to have a receiving bank account.

However, the slower processing time compared to credit cards makes it less ideal for immediate fulfillment in standard retail e-commerce. It is most suitable for:

• Recurring payments, like subscriptions and memberships.
• High-volume business-to-business (B2B) payments where cost savings outweigh the need for instant settlement.
• High-ticket consumer purchases where the lower processing fee is a major advantage.
  

Mobile payments have become essential for modern commerce, with numbers projected to exceed 7 billion by 2025.

Popular mobile payment options like Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, Amazon Pay, WeChat Pay, Alipay, Samsung Pay, Cash App, and Venmo dominate different regions based on local user preferences.

According to Statista, the number of users in the Mobile POS Payments market is projected to reach 3.81 billion by 2030. This growth is largely due to the convenience of mobile payments, which allow customers to make contactless payments and receive an instant email receipt.

Additionally, more than 90% of these mobile payment options also provide other useful features such as cash flow management, reporting, and account management, and for some, you can even send invoices from an app. These make them valuable tools for both consumers and businesses.

Adding a payment gateway will provide your online store with a more flexible option for payments from both consumers and your business.

Payment gateways are great for many types of online businesses, and they are also simple to set up.

Let's take a look at some of the payment gateways you can implement:

PayPal

PayPal is widely used to accept payments online by many organisations around the world. With its credibility, this payment gateway is pretty simple to use and contains all the basic features an online business will need, such as contactless payment checkout. It also supports invoice payments from your customers.

Best for: All types of business models

Fees: No monthly or setup fees

Online transaction fees: For online and invoice payments, PayPal's transaction fees vary based on the customer's payment method:

• PayPal Checkout, Venmo, or Guest Checkout: 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction.
• Standard Credit and Debit Card Payments: 2.99% + $0.49 per transaction.
• PayPal Pay Later options: 4.99% + $0.49 per transaction.

Connecting Stripe to your website is simple, and this payment gateway offers a customisable feature that you can embed within the checkout system for your website without any redirection. It also offers features such as 'Stripe Billing'.

Best for: Businesses with a subscription model or complex billing models

Fees: No monthly or setup fees

Online transaction fees: For domestic cards, it is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Additional fees apply for international cards (+1.5%) and currency conversion (+1%)

The Billing feature is charged at 0.7% of billing volume, with higher-volume or complex-need customers able to opt for custom pricing

Essentially, using payment gateways can benefit your business in many ways while also keeping your customers close to your payment page.

Digital wallets have emerged as the dominant and fastest-growing payment method globally in 2025. They are expected to reach over half the world's population, making them increasingly important for ecommerce platforms.

Services like Venmo have become very popular for peer-to-peer payments in the U.S., particularly among younger demographics, while PayPal remains a leading choice for international ecommerce transactions across more than 200 countries.

Even traditional retailers like Starbucks have created their own digital wallet ecosystems, demonstrating how businesses are embracing this payment revolution.

While still not a mainstream payment option, crypto adoption for transactions is growing. Businesses are increasingly accepting digital currencies via payment processors that handle the conversion to fiat currency.

The 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index shows APAC leading crypto growth, with India, Pakistan, and Vietnam driving the widespread adoption. 

For businesses, this data indicates a rapidly maturing ecosystem with growing consumer demand and strong institutional backing that validates cryptocurrency as a viable payment option.

This method of accepting payment on your website is particularly useful for complex business-to-business transactions.

Many customers still prefer invoice payment due to the ability to view transactions in detail while also getting a receipt online. Additionally, businesses can set up an automated email that sends an invoice to their customers directly and, in turn, records the payment in the system securely.

If you're a small business, it can be time-consuming to create custom invoices for each of your customers. For this reason, many businesses use automated invoicing software.

However, if your business is on a budget, consider using a free online invoice generator. Numerous free online tools are available to help you create and send professional-looking invoices quickly.

Another popular way to get paid online is through recurring billing, and this method is especially great if your business is based on a subscription model.

Keep in mind that while recurring billing automates the collection of payments on a set schedule, it often involves the automatic generation of invoices. The key difference is automation: recurring billing handles scheduled payments, unlike manual, one-off invoicing.

Accepting online payments is simpler than it appears. Here's everything you need to know to get started quickly and securely.

Payment Service Providers (PSPs) - Recommended for most businesses:

• Examples: Stripe, PayPal, Square
• Setup time: Minutes to hours
• Cost: Typically starts around 3.49% + $0.49 for online payments, with rates varying by PSP and payment method. While most don't have a monthly fee, additional costs can apply for international transactions or chargebacks.
• Best for: Small to medium businesses, or any business prioritising ease of setup over minimal transaction costs. Many high-volume businesses may also find PSPs sufficient as they can benefit from lower transaction rates and have the resources to manage the longer setup process and additional fees.

Dedicated Merchant Accounts - For larger businesses:

• Setup time: 1-3 weeks or more, depending on the business and documentation required.
• Cost: Monthly fees ($10-30) + lower transaction rates (1.5-2.5%)
• Best for: High-volume businesses (>$100K/month)

• PSPs: Sign up online, verify business details, connect bank account
• Merchant Account: Apply with documentation, complete underwriting and credit check

• Ecommerce platforms: Use built-in integrations (Xero, Shopify, WooCommerce)
• Custom websites: Add payment gateway plugins or code snippets
• Payment methods to offer: Credit/debit cards, digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay), bank transfers

1️⃣ Run test transactions with test card data

2️⃣ Verify funds settle correctly in your bank account

3️⃣ Test mobile checkout experience

4️⃣ Go live once everything works properly

• Track conversion rates and cart abandonment
• Monitor for fraudulent transactions
• Analyse payment method preferences
• Continuously improve checkout flow

An online payment involves the secure transfer of funds through multiple steps. After a customer's purchase, payment information goes to a payment gateway for encryption and routing, then a payment processor seeks authorisation from the customer's bank. 

Upon approval, the gateway informs both parties, and funds are transferred from the customer's bank to the business's bank. However, the settlement times can vary by provider and payment method. This entire process relies on the cooperation of the customer, business, gateway, processor, and both banks. 

Selecting a payment provider involves evaluating total costs, settlement speed, security, and integration capabilities, noting that total costs extend beyond transaction fees to include charges for international payments, chargebacks, and compliance. 

Faster settlement is more beneficial for cash flow than a lower percentage fee. High-risk industries such as CBD and travel may face provider restrictions. 

For example, consider a business comparing two different pricing models.

• Provider A (Flat-Rate Pricing): This provider charges a flat rate of 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction for all online payments. This model is straightforward, easy to understand, and often preferred by startups or low-volume businesses for its simplicity.
• Provider B (Interchange-Plus Pricing): This provider charges the actual interchange fees (which vary by card) plus a fixed markup, such as 0.25% + $0.15 per transaction. While more complex to calculate, this model can be more cost-effective for businesses with high sales volume or a mix of transactions, as the average total percentage can be lower than a flat rate.

Consider your business's current and future needs when prioritising features. While startups often benefit from simplicity and transparent flat-rate pricing for a faster start, others may prioritise a provider's scalability from the beginning.

As businesses grow, they may negotiate more favourable volume-based rates, though many continue to leverage PSPs for convenience and competitive flat-rate pricing.  For instance, enterprises typically demand a higher degree of customisation and dedicated support to meet their complex needs.

To ensure a provider is the right fit, thoroughly test the checkout experience yourself. Beyond personal testing, use the provider's test environment to test transactions and verify that funds are processed correctly before launch. In addition, read reviews from similar businesses on independent platforms or seek recommendations within your industry to understand real-world experiences. 

With these payment methods, you can expect your business to thrive in the right direction. With fewer consumers shopping and doing business in brick-and-mortar stores, these options will be invaluable for your business in the years to come.

All of the payment options mentioned in this post are seamless and effective, which will benefit your customers in a variety of ways. Nevertheless, it's also important to consider what your business sells and take advantage of the best options possible by understanding the benefits and challenges you may come across before you decide to implement them.

Choosing the right Payment Service Provider (PSP) is crucial for the success of your online business. Statrys offers tailored solutions to enhance customer satisfaction, mitigate fraud risks, and facilitate business expansion.