Best Online Payment Systems in the UK

Looking to sell online, or take customer payments digitally? You’ll need to find a secure, convenient and cost-effective online payment system for your business.

The good news is that there are plenty of online payment providers available in the UK, including the likes of Stripe, PayPal and GoCardless.

There’s also Wise Business, which helps you accept card payments online in currencies - this is perfect if you have customers all over the world.

Read on for the lowdown on all the best online payment systems in the UK.

💡 Learn more about Wise Business

What is an online payment system and how does it work?

An online payment system is a digital platform designed to facilitate payments from your customers, so they can quickly and conveniently pay for goods and services - through digital payment methods such as debit/credit cards and mobile wallets.

A number of technologies are used to make this kind of payment secure, including authentication and encryption.

In a typical payment, the following steps and parties are involved:

1. The customer initiates the payment - for example, by purchasing something on your website. They enter their payment information, which is then encrypted to keep them secure.
2. The payment data is transmitted by your payment gateway to the relevant card association/network (for example, Visa or Mastercard).
3. An authorisation request is made to the customer’s bank - or whichever provider issued the credit card.
4. The issuing bank approves the transaction - if it is declined, this may be because the customer has reached their credit limit or the account has been closed or frozen.
5. The approval is sent back through the chain until it reaches the card association and then the merchant.
6. The payment is confirmed.

As for how it works for a real business, let’s take the example of a small business wanting to sell tickets for an event. They’ll use their own webshop, which will be linked to their payment gateway for the facilitation of payments.

The customer will select the tickets they want and be taken through to the gateway to enter their card details. The steps above will take place, all in a matter of seconds. The payment is completed, and the customer receives confirmation and their tickets via email.

Best online payment systems in the UK - Overview

Now, let’s take a look at your options when it comes to online payment systems commonly used in the UK.

Provider	Trustpilot score	Transaction fee	Best known for
Wise Business	4.3/5	- 1% domestic cards - 2.9% international and business cards	International payments
Stripe	2.0/5	- 1.5% + 20p for UK cards - 2.5% +20p for EU cards - 3.25% +20p for international cards	Ecommerce solutions
PayPal	1.3/5	- 1.2% + fixed fee for card payments - Additional fees for international transactions	Ecommerce payments
Worldpay	4.3/5	1.3% + 20p for card payments	SME ecommerce solutions
GoCardless	2.4/5	- 1% +20p for domestic payments - 2% +20p for international payments	Global payment gateway services
Adyen	1.4/5	Fixed fee of £0.11 per payment + fee determined by payment method	Global payment solutions for large businesses

Comparing online payment providers: criteria

There are a few important things to look for when comparing online payment solutions, and these are the criteria we’ll be using to assess each provider:

• Features and services
• Fees
• Payment methods
• Security.

It’s also crucial to get the right fit for your business and its specific needs, now and in the future.

Wise Business

Best for: remote and mobile businesses, subscription services, international B2B service providers, global freelancers and consultants

Wise Business isn’t a payment gateway, but it does offer lots of ways to pay and get paid - and it’s especially good for international and multi-currency payments.

You can accept card payments online in currencies by sending payment links or QR codes, requesting payments or sending invoices. Alternatively, customers in other countries can make direct bank payments in their own currency to one of your local currency accounts.

Other Wise Business features include:

• Accounting software integration, including Xero and QuickBooks
• Business debit cards
• Batch payments tool
• Free invoicing tool
• Mid-market exchange rates on all currency conversions
• Multi-user access
• Powerful API for automating processes.

It costs £45 to register for an account, but there are no ongoing subscription fees to worry about. You’ll pay 1% to accept domestic card payments and 2.9% for all international and business cards. Currency conversion costs from just 0.33%.

Wise is regulated by the FCA and uses sophisticated security technology to keep your money safe. All customer funds are protected via safeguarding, which means they’re held separately from Wise’s own funds with licensed UK banks.

Wise has a Trustpilot score of 4.3 from over 259,000 reviews, which are a mix of both personal and business customers.¹

Get started with Wise Business 🚀

Stripe

Best for: e-commerce businesses

Stripe is a comprehensive payments processing platform aimed at businesses of all sizes.

Features of the Stripe platform include:

• Local and global card payments
• Physical card terminals
• Online and digital payment methods
• Invoicing and recurring billing solutions
• Payment links
• Low and no code solutions as well as more complex, tailored options
• Support with tax, user identification, business management and more.

You’ll sign up to per-transaction pricing when you join Stripe. This means no subscription fees, where instead Stripe charges fees for each payment and individual service you use.

These fees include 1.5% + 20p for standard UK card payments, 2.5% + 20p for EU cards and 3.25% + 20p for international cards (plus currency conversion fees, where required).²

Stripe’s secure platform is able to integrate with a wide range of tools, apps and services. This includes Xero, Salesforce, Constant Contact, Oracle Hospitality, HubSpot, WooCommerce and Wix.

As for what its existing customers think about Stripe, it’s not overwhelmingly positive unfortunately. The company gets a rating of just 2.0 on Trustpilot from over 15,900 reviews.³

New to Stripe? Read our guide to using Stripe for payments.

PayPal

Best for: online shops, service-based businesses and freelancers

The popular online payment platform PayPal offers payment processing for debit and credit cards, through a range of methods including invoicing, payment links and PayPal Checkout. The platform allows you to accept payments in 25 currencies.⁴

Other features include:

• Instalment payments, such as PayPal Pay in 3
• POS system to accept card payments in person
• Invoicing
• Payment links

Merchant fees charged by PayPal include:⁵

• 1.2% plus a fixed fee for card payments, additional fees for international transactions
• 2.9% plus a fixed fee for using PayPal Express Checkout.

PayPal is safe to use as a business, with built-in security features such as AI-powered fraud protection and Seller Protection on eligible purchases.

Unfortunately, PayPal only has a 1.3 score on Trustpilot at the moment, based on over 34,000 reviews.⁶ These are a mix of personal and business customers.

Worldpay

Best for: small-to-medium sized e-commerce businesses

Worldpay is a US-based payments platform, offering comprehensive payment gateway services to businesses and merchants worldwide.

Its core and add-on features include:

• eCommerce and Payment Gateway solutions, including direct website integration
• POS and EPOS for real-world payments
• WorldPay Dashboard for real-time insights and payment management
• Safer Payments, helping small businesses to comply with PCI-DSS.

Worldpay integrates with a number of third-party apps, tools and platforms, including accounting software like Oracle NetSuite.

For its payment gateway services, Worldpay has a pay as you go pricing model. This means no monthly fee or upfront costs, and you’ll pay 1.3% + 20p per card payment.⁷ It also has custom pricing plans, with variable pricing options tailored to the needs of larger businesses.

Worldpay is safe and secure, offering features such as encryption, fraud detection tools and a supported PCI DSS compliance process. Its parent company FIS is one of the largest payment processing organisations in the world.

Over on Trustpilot, the company has a rating of 4.3 based on over 8,700 reviews.⁸

GoCardless

Best for: international ecommerce businesses

UK-based fintech GoCardless offers both managed and integrated payment gateway solutions. It’s particularly popular with globally trading businesses, as it lets you accept payments from customers in multiple countries including the UK, Europe and the US.

GoCardless core features include:

• International payments
• Automated recurring payments via Direct Debit
• Direct bank payments via Open Banking, avoiding expensive card payment fees
• Collect and reconcile invoice payments automatically
• User-friendly interface.

The platform integrates with a large number of partners, including Salesforce, WooCommerce and Chargebee. You can also connect it to accounting tools like Xero, Sage and QuickBooks for automatic reconciliation.

Its cheapest option is the Standard plan, which charges 1% + £0.20 per transaction, and 2% + £0.20 for international payments.⁹ There are limits on this though, so you may want to upgrade your plan if it suits your needs better. It also offers custom pricing on request.

GoCardless offers numerous security features and credentials, including strong encryption, safeguarded bank accounts, ISO27001 certification and a GDPR-compliant global data risk management programme.

Over on Trustpilot, GoCardless has a rating of 2.4 based on over 2,160 reviews.¹⁰

Adyen

Best for: large, high-volume global businesses

Adyen is a Dutch fintech company which offers a powerful platform for businesses to accept online and in-person payments.

Features include:

• Support for a wide range of local payment methods, including cards, direct debit, e-wallet, mobile, vouchers, cash and buy now, pay later
• Online subscriptions, including one-click payments and recurring billing
• In-app payments
• POS solutions
• API, providing integration with business tools
• Dynamic currency conversion, so that customers can see prices and pay in their local currency.

Adyen doesn’t have upfront or monthly fees, but it charges a fixed processing fee of £0.11 per transaction - plus an extra fee which varies depending on the payment method.¹¹

It’s safe to use, with features such as AI-powered fraud prevention and risk management tools.

Unfortunately, Adyen currently has just a 1.4 score on Trustpilot, although this is only based on around 350 reviews.¹²

How to choose the right online payment system?

To choose the best online payment system for your business, you need to consider:

• Fees - comparing monthly plans, per transaction charges and costs for any other services you need
• Supported payment methods
• International payment and multi-currency support
• User-friendliness of the platform and/or app - for both you and your customers
• Integration with the business tools you use
• Security, including fraud protection and PCI DSS compliance
• Customer support options.

Accept online payments with Wise Business

Trade internationally? One of the most cost-effective solutions for accepting online payments from customers all over the world is Wise Business.

With your account, you can request payments from customers in just a couple of clicks. Send a Quick Pay link or QR code, or create an invoice, and select ‘Card’ as the payment method. The customer can simply enter their card details, and you’ll get a notification - the customer will also receive proof of payment by email. It’s easy, quick and convenient.

Best of all, it lets you accept card payments in currencies, so you can sell worldwide and let customers pay in their own currency.

It’s ideal for online sellers, remote and mobile businesses, subscription services, international B2B service providers, global freelancers and consultants alike.

Fees are low and transparent at just 1% for domestic (UK) cards, and 2.9% for all international and business cards.

Get started with Wise Business 🚀

FAQs - online payment systems

What are the benefits of using an online payment system?

The main benefits of using an online payment system are enhanced convenience, speed and security - for both you and your customers.

Can I accept recurring payments with an online payment system?

Yes, many online payment platforms support recurring payments, ideal for subscription-based businesses.

How do online payment systems handle refunds and chargebacks?

Each platform will have its own system for handling refunds and chargebacks, but there are likely to be fees involved.

Can online payment systems handle international transactions?

It depends on the platform, but most of the biggest solutions available in the UK offer support for international payments.

This includes Wise Business, which lets you accept card payments online in 18+ currencies.

---

After reading this, you should have a good idea of what’s out there in terms of online payment systems for UK businesses. Now it’s time to start comparing features and fees, to find the right fit for your company’s needs.

---

Sources used:

1. Trustpilot - Wise
2. Stripe - Pricing
3. Trustpilot - Stripe
4. PayPal - List of countries and currencies
5. PayPal - PayPal Merchant Fees
6. Trustpilot - PayPal
7. Worldpay - Worldpay eCommerce
8. Trustpilot - Worldpay
9. GoCardless - Pricing
10. Trustpilot - GoCardless
11. Adyen - Pricing
12. Trustpilot - Adyen

Sources last checked on date: 03-Jun-2025