Can you take payments online with Wise?

Making sure your customers have easy, efficient and timely ways to pay you can hugely improve cash flow and client management. So for many businesses in the UK finding the most cost-effective ways for taking payments online is a true game changer. Remember that the more you pay in processing fees, the less profit you’ll make on each sale.

In this guide, we’ll cover how you can take online payments with your Wise Business account in currencies with low and transparent fees.

💡Learn more about Wise Business

Is Wise a UK payment gateway?

Below we'll explain in more detail what a payment gateway is, but before getting to that, we would like to clarify that Wise Business is a UK-based company that provides international banking alternatives, which offers a multi-currency account and other financial services to help businesses get paid in a more convenient way.

Since Wise is not a payment gateway you can not use Wise Business to receive card payments directly from your checkout or ecommerce. However, you can definitely accept online card payments with your Wise Business account using payment links, QR codes and adding the card payment method to your invoices. So accepting card payments in currencies can be a breeze.

What is a payment gateway?

Payment gateways are technological platforms used to enable businesses to receive payments through debit or credit cards¹. These can be in-store solutions, such as point of sales terminals, as well as digital payment processing platforms, used for ecommerce and other businesses taking payments online.

Payment gateways work as the consumer interface, collecting the payment information and communicating this data to a connected merchant account, where the payment is processed.

What are the ways to take payments online?

Direct debit and payment links are the two most common ways to collect payments online. Let's have a closer look into both these options.

Direct Debit

A Direct Debit agreement gives your business permission to take an agreed amount from your customer’s bank account. This could be a one-off payment, but it’s most often used for recurring payments such as bills. This also makes it useful for charities and other subscription-based businesses such as gyms.

Here’s how it works²:

1. Join the UK Direct Debit scheme, run by Bacs;
2. Contact your bank, to check if you meet all the requirements to be able to start accepting Direct Debit payments;
3. Use a Bacs-approved Direct Debit bureau (recommended for smaller businesses, although you can set it up yourself) to submit payment files to Bacs. These payment files contain your customer’s bank details and payment amounts, so that the transaction can be authorised.

Direct Debit can be quite cost effective, as you can avoid per-transaction fees charged on credit and debit card payments.

With Direct Debit, payments can be automated. This is more convenient and time-saving for you, but it may not be so for the customer who is used to paying by card on your competitors’ websites.

Read more about how to set up direct debit payments.

Payment links

Another helpful option for business accepting payments online are payment links, that can be added to invoices or sent directly to customers and linked with QR codes. For these types of online payments usually you can set up a mix of payment methods.

With Wise Business account for example you have the option to enable the following payment methods:

• Pay with Wise - for customers that also have a Wise Business account and can send you the payment easily and quickly within the app,
• Bank transfer - for incoming transfers from the customer's bank account
• Card - for credit or debit card payments, these can be local, international or business cards.

Simplify online payments with Wise Business

Complex payment gateway integrations are in the past, you can start accepting credit and debit card payments in currencies in minutes with Wise, no code required.

Just send a payment link, invoice, or QR code to your customers, and let Wise handle the rest, ensuring timely payments and improving your cash flow. This streamlined approach wipes out the technical challenges and time-consuming setup associated with traditional payment gateways, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: growing your business.

Say goodbye to high and complex payment processing fees. Wise Business offers a transparent, low-cost solution with just 1% fee for domestic cards and 2.9% for international and business cards.

And once the payment is done you can manage multiple currencies effortlessly, all in one account. Enhance your customer relationships and support your business's global expansion with a payment solution that prioritises simplicity and efficiency.

Get started with Wise Business 🚀

How to set up a merchant account and payment gateway for ecommerce card payments

If you run an ecommerce or online business that requires a connected checkout you will need a more complex set up in order to start accepting card payments directly on your website:

1. Open a merchant account – this is like an online bank account that temporarily holds money paid to you by a customer, until the payment is cleared by their bank. Think of it like a waiting room for customer payments, before the money is transferred to your actual bank account. Many major UK banks offer merchant accounts, along with WorldPay and other dedicated providers.

2. Set up a payment gateway – this is software that connects your e-commerce site with a payment processing network. It’s what you’ll use to capture customers’ card details and submit the payment. It can be integrated with your merchant account. You’ll know of many of the main merchant account providers – including Stripe, PayPal, WorldPay, Sage Pay and Braintree.

With both of these essential building blocks in place, you can set up your webshop and start accepting online card payments that are secure and reliable, however, there are costs involved.

Both merchant account and payment gateway providers charge monthly fees. For payment gateways, this can be between £10 to £20 a month, with a small per-transaction fee added on top.

Accepting online card payments with Wise Business - FAQs

How do I start accepting card payments with Wise Business?

To start accepting card payments, simply create a Wise Business account. Once you are set up and verified, you can send payment links, invoices, or QR codes to your customers, allowing them to pay with credit or debit cards in currencies without any complex integration.

What are the fees for processing card payments with Wise Business?

Wise Business offers transparent, low-cost pricing.

• The card processing fee is 1% for domestic cards.
• 2.9% for international cards.
• 2.9% for business cards, domestic or international.

There are no hidden fees, ensuring you keep more of your earnings.

Can I accept payments in multiple currencies?

Yes, Wise Business allows you to accept payments in currencies. You can manage these transactions effortlessly within a single account, simplifying your multi-currency management.

Do I need any technical skills to integrate Wise Business for card payments?

No technical skills are required. Wise Business eliminates the need for complex integrations. You can start accepting payments by simply sending a payment link, invoice, or QR code to your customers.

Get started with Wise Business 🚀

Online businesses and retailers have a huge amount of choice when it comes to payment processing and merchant accounts. In fact, there’s so much choice that it can be a little overwhelming.

And even though Wise Business is not a payment gateway, you can receive international payments with Wise's account details for 10 different currencies.

Hopefully, this guide has laid out a few of your best options for accepting payments online. We’ve covered convenience, costs, security, how to get set up and some of the main providers to look out for.

There’s no one perfect solution though. What works for one business may not be the right choice for yours. It’s important to find the setup that works best for your business, budget and of course, your customers.

Sources used:

Sources last checked on 05/06/2025.