25 Money-Saving Alternatives to PayPal [2023]

PayPal has become a household name since its inception in 1998. The company offers a variety of services, including e-commerce payments, mobile payments, and person-to-person transfers.

PayPal was founded by brothers Peter and Max Levchin who wanted to create a secure way to send money over the Internet. In 2001, PayPal became the first online payment service to offer a free account option.

There are several other options out there, such as Venmo, Zelle, and Square Cash. These apps allow you to transfer money from your bank account to another person or business. They also provide a safe and convenient way to pay friends back.

If you’re looking for an alternative to PayPal, we have made this comparison chart that will help you decide which app is right for you:

Start with a Business Account Built for Cross-border Payments

Before you choose an alternative to PayPal, it's important to consider where the end destination of your incoming payments is ending up. Which normally means in some sort of business account or corporate bank account.

Pair up your payment portals with a truly cross-border business account that's digital-ready, and you'll see how improving the match between bank account and payment portal can make dealing with payments online a no-brainer.

Many businesses online choose Statrys for its multi-currency accounts based in Hong Kong, accessible from anywhere. That means while your customers can pay you in up to 11 different currencies, you can simply accept them as-is and skip the exchange rate fees.

1. Authorize.Net

Authorize.net is a global leader in online payment solutions. Its products include Authorize.net Merchant Services, which helps businesses accept credit cards online; Authorize.net Payment Gateway, which enables merchants to process credit card payments; and Authorize.net Billing Solutions, which provides billing software and customer relationship management (CRM) tools.

Authorize.net also offers a variety of APIs that allow developers to integrate third-party applications into their websites.

Authorize.net Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: US$25

Authorize.net Transaction Fees

All Transactions: 2.9% + US$0.30

2. Braintree

Braintree is a global provider of commerce platforms for ecommerce companies and mobile apps. Braintree empowers developers to build innovative business models and scale profitable businesses. For new ecommerce businesses, choosing a global payment solutions provider will ensure there is a payment option that they are familiar with.

Braintree has two primary offerings: Braintree Payments and Braintree SDK.

Braintree Payments is a cloud-based service that lets developers create secure checkout experiences on web and mobile sites. It supports more than 200 currencies and 30 languages.

The Braintree SDK integrates with Ruby, Java, PHP,.NET, Python, Node.js, Objective C, Swift, Go, Scala, Clojure, Groovy, Erlang, Haskell, Perl, Lua, Rust, and many others.

Braintree Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: None

Braintree Transaction Fees

Card & e-Wallet: 2.59% + US$0.49

PayPal: None

Venmo: 3.59% + US$0.49

ACH Direct Debit: US$0.75

3. Stripe

Stripe is a global technology company focused on helping businesses grow. Stripe connects millions of customers and hundreds of thousands of small businesses via digital banking, mobile phones, tablets, and the Internet.

With Stripe, businesses get access to powerful tools for processing payments, accepting payments from customers, and managing subscriptions.

With over $1 billion in annual revenue, Stripe is one of the fastest-growing startups in Silicon Valley.

Stripe Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: None

Payouts: 1%

Stripe Transaction Fees

Debit & Credit: 2.95% + US$0.30

Bank Transfers: 0.8%

4. Square

Square is an American financial technology company founded in 2009 as Square Inc., based in San Francisco, California.

Square is known for its eponymous point-of-sale hardware devices, which enable people to easily accept credit card payments at physical locations.

Square Connect is a platform that lets merchants connect to multiple channels like PayPal, Google Wallet, Apple Pay, etc.

Square Cash is a mobile application that lets users send money to friends or family members.

Square Card Reader is a device that plugs into a smartphone or tablet and turns it into a cash register.

Square Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: Starts Free, Upgrades incur a monthly fee on a scale.

Square Transaction Fees

All Transactions: 2.9% + US$0.30

5. Skrill

Skrill is a leading international electronic payments network offering instant bank transfers through its own branded prepaid MasterCard® debit cards.

It was launched in 2001 by the British multinational corporation Virgin Money.

In addition to being available worldwide, Skrill is accepted by most major banks and retailers around the world.

Skrill Account Fees

Set Up: None

Payout: US$5.50

Skrill Transaction Fees

Send Domestic Debit & Credit: 2.99%

Send International Debit & Credit: 4.99%

Receive Domestic Debit & Credit: Free

Receive International Debit & Credit: Free

6. Intuit

Intuit is a developer of consumer finance software, including QuickBooks Online, TurboTax Online, Mint, and other accounting and personal finance services.

QuickBooks Online is an online bookkeeping system used to manage your finances.

TurboTax Online is a free tax preparation program offered by Intuit.

Mint is a personal finance app designed to help you track your spending and make better financial decisions.

All of their products include a form of bill payments portal which helps bridge the divide for businesses between accounting and the actual transactions needed to be made.

Intuit Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: None

Intuit Transaction Fees

ACH Direct Debit: 1%

Keyed: 3.4% + US$0.25

Invoiced: 2.9% + US$0.25
Card Readers: 2.4% + US$0.25

7. ProPay

ProPay is a payment gateway service for small businesses. The ProPay solution provides small businesses with a simple way to process credit/debit card payments online.

ProPay allows businesses to add a variety of features such as recurring billing, multi-currency support, fraud protection, customer management, and much more.

ProPay Account Fees

Set Up: US$69.95

Subscription: US$69.95/year

ProPay Transaction Fees

Visa: 2.4%

MasterCard: 2.4%

Discover: 3.2%
Bank Transfer: 2.4%

8. Opayo

Opayo, once known as SagePay, is an online payment processor providing merchant account solutions to UK businesses. Opayo offers a range of payment methods including direct debits, standing orders, automatic payments, and invoicing.

Opayo also offers a number of different ways to collect payments including phone calls, text messages, email, faxes, post, and even snail mail.

Opayo Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: Starting at GBP25/mo on a scale

Limits: Starting at 350 transactions/mo on a scale

Opayo Transaction Fees

Credit Cards: 2.2%

Debit Cards: 1.2%

9. Dwolla

Dwolla is a digital currency exchange and peer-to-peer (P2P) payment provider headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Dwolla enables individuals and businesses to send and receive funds quickly and securely using their existing bank accounts.

The Dwolla Network consists of three core components: Dwolla.com, a P2P payment network; Dwolla Mobile, a mobile wallet; and Dwolla Debit, a low-cost, real-time ACH transfer option.

Dwolla Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: $250/mo

Dwolla Transaction Fees

Note: Dwolla’s platform API integrates any marketplace to an ACH network, there are no other transactions included as all will be Direct Deposit.

The average ACH transaction price is 0.5%.

10. Cardinity 

Merchants may accept credit and debit card payments for their goods and services with Cardinity. After your merchant account application is accepted, you may use the available easy-to-install modules and extensions to integrate your online store with Cardinity.

Your online business transmits the information to the Cardinity payment gateway once your consumer enters his or her credit or debit card information at the checkout.

Money is sent from your customer's credit card to your merchant account when the payment has been processed and authorized. Depending on your payout frequency, money is sent directly to your bank account every week or month.

Cardinity Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: None

Cardinity Transaction Fees

EU/EEA Credit & Debit: 1.35% + EUR0.25

11. Payoneer

Payoneer is a global company that specializes in processing payments via the internet.

Their platform includes a secure web application that lets users accept payments from anywhere in the world.

Payoneer has over 100 million registered customers worldwide, making them one of the largest providers of ecommerce payment gateways.

Payoneer Account Fee

Set Up: None

Subscription: US$29.95

Payoneer Transaction Fee

Credit Cards: 3%

ACH Direct Debit: 1%

12. Amazon Pay

Amazon Pay is a new Amazon Payments feature that makes it easy for people to pay for items they buy on Amazon.

With Amazon Pay, you can use your debit or credit cards to shop at millions of stores and apps like Netflix, Spotify, Uber, Lyft, Instacart, Whole Foods Market, DoorDash, Postmates, Shopify, Zulily, and many others.

You can set up Amazon Pay in just a few minutes and start accepting payments right away.

Amazon Pay Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: None

Amazon Pay Transaction Fees

Domestic Transactions (Web): 2.9% + US$0.30

Domestic Transaction (Alexa): 4% + US$0.30

International Transactions (Web): 3.9% + US$0.30

International Transactions (Alexa): 5% + US$0.30

13. Wise

Wise is a leading provider of cloud-based business software for small and medium-sized businesses.

Wise’s suite of integrated tools allows businesses to manage sales, marketing, operations, and finances all within one place.

Wise‘s platform integrates seamlessly into most CRMs and ERPs, allowing businesses to automate processes across multiple channels.

Wise's platform also includes a robust API that developers can leverage to integrate Wise’s tools directly into their own applications.

Wise Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: None

First Time to Retrieve Bank Details: $31 (one-time fee)

Wise Transaction Fees

All Transactions: US$1.40

Exchange Fee: Depends on daily currency pair prices in the market.

14. PayLine

PayLine is a free service that connects businesses with freelancers who want to get paid by offering their services through websites like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr.

Businesses are able to search for freelancers based on skillsets and location, and then choose which freelancers they would like to work with.

Freelancers bid on projects, and once a project is accepted, both parties enter into a contract.

Once the project is complete, the client pays the freelancer through PayLine.

PayLine Account Fees

Set Up: US$10

Subscription: US$20/mo

PayLine Transaction Fees

All Payments: 0.4% + $0.20

15. Shopify Payments

Shopify Payments is an online payment gateway developed specifically for merchants selling products and services on Shopify.

It provides a simple way for Shopify merchants to process transactions and collect payments.

Shopify Payments supports credit card and PayPal payments as well as recurring billing and subscription plans.

Shopify Payments Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: US$29/mo on a scale

Shopify Payments Transaction Fees

Credit & Debit: 2.9% + US$0.30

16. BlueSnap

BlueSnap is a global leader in digital commerce solutions.

They offer a full suite of merchant services including point-of-sale (POS) systems, online marketplaces, and mobile POS.

BlueSnap offers a variety of payment options including credit card payments, bank transfers, ACH payments, and prepaid cards.

BlueSnap Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: $75/mo for merchants processing less than $2,500

BlueSnap Transaction Fees

All Transactions: 2.9% + US$0.30

17. Viewpost

Viewpost is a SaaS solution that enables retailers to sell physical goods using smartphones.

The Viewpost app works with existing Point of Sale devices such as cash registers and barcode scanners.

Customers scan QR codes displayed on receipts and view product details before paying.

This is the main option for those few “big businesses” reading this.

Viewpost Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: US$14.99/mo

View Post Transaction Fees

All Transactions: Fluctuates between banks in the 3% - 6% range

18. FastSpring

FastSpring is a leading provider of electronic payment processing solutions for independent artists, musicians, filmmakers, authors, publishers, and other content creators.

Through FastSpring, individuals can create accounts and receive funds quickly and securely via credit card, bank transfer, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, AliExpress, and more.

FastSpring Account Fees

Set Up: None
Subscription: None

FastSpring Transaction Fees

All transactions: 5.9% + US$0.95

19. Adyen

Adyen is a global company providing enterprise-level technology for the financial industry.

Their mission is to provide innovative technologies that enable companies to accept, process, and pay for any type of transaction in real-time.

Adyen has over 1,700 customers around the world, including eBay, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover Financial Services, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank, UBS, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered Bank, and many others.

Adyen Account Fees

Set Up: None
Subscription: None

Adyen Transaction Fees

Variable Rates + US$0.10

20. Stax Pay by fattmerchant

Stax Pay is a cloud-based software system designed specifically for small business owners.

Founded in 2009, Stax Pay was built from the ground up to be easy to use, affordable, and scalable.

Stax Pay allows users to accept credit card payments directly from their website or mobile app.

Users also have access to tools to automate customer support, manage subscriptions, and track sales.

Stax Pay Account Fees

Set Up: None
Subscription: Starting at $99 on a rising scale

Stax Pay Transaction Fees

Variable Interchange Rates

21. WePay

WePay is a peer-to-peer payment system that allows you to pay for anything using your bank account.

It’d be great if WePay added support for international transactions. However, the app does let you pay for items without entering any personal information.

WePay Account Fees

Set Up: None
Subscription: None

WePay Transaction Fees

Credit & Debit: 2.9% + US$0.30

ACH Direct Debit: ​​1% + US$0.30

22. Klarna

Klarna is a Swedish peer-to-peer payment system that allows you to pay for things using your bank account. The company offers a free trial period so you can test its services before making a purchase.

Klarna Account Fees

Set Up: None
Subscription: None

Klarna Transaction Fees

All Transactions: 3.29% - 5.99% + US$0.30

23. CheckOut

CheckOut is a peer-to-peer payment system that allows users to pay for things using their bank accounts.

It’s free to sign up and you’ll only need to enter your bank account information once. Checkout makes sure that all transactions are verified by the issuing bank.

ChackOut Account Fees

Set Up: None

Subscription: None

CheckOut Transaction Fees

Interchange Rate: 0.10% - 0.40% + US$0.08

European Cards: 0.95% + US$0.20

Non-European Cards: 0.90% + US$0.20

24. Chime

Chime is a peer-to-peer payment system that allows you to pay for things using your phone number.

All you need to do is add your phone number to the app and then select what you want to pay for. Chime will take care of the rest.

Chime Account Fees

Set Up: None
Subscription: None

Chime Transaction Fees

All transactions: US$2.50 per transaction

25. 2CheckOut

2Checkout is a merchant account alternative that allows merchants to accept credit cards online from customers in their home countries and abroad.

FastSpring Account Fees

Set Up: None
Subscription: None

2CheckOut Transaction Fees

All Transactions: 3.5% + US$0.35 on a scale

Get the right bank account for your payment portal

Many times the right pairing of a bank account with a payment portal ends up being the make-or-break-it for many online businesses and e-commerce shops. At Statrys, we offer a truly multi-currency experience with a virtual business account in Hong Kong, accessible anywhere online.

Open a Statrys account today and skip the exchange rates of up to 11 different currency payments.