How to Choose the Best E-Commerce Payment Gateway for Your Business (Compared)

Choosing a payment gateway at €1 million to €5 million or more in annual online card payments is a commercial decision, not just a checkout decision. Fees, approval rates, settlement, fraud controls and the work required to connect the system to your business can all affect the result.

There’s no single gateway that suits every merchant. The right choice depends on your transaction mix, markets, technology and support needs. This guide compares four providers and sets out what to test before you sign.

Compare the full payment setup, not just the gateway

A gateway sends payment data through the payment process. Your acquirer is the provider that processes card transactions with the card networks and arranges settlement. Some suppliers provide both services; others connect you to separate providers.

That distinction matters if you sell across multiple markets, use more than one acquirer, or need a specific settlement arrangement. Ask each provider to explain which services it supplies, which parties handle the rest, and where responsibility sits when a payment is delayed or disputed.

Compare four established options

These providers offer different approaches. The notes below are a shortlist, not a ranking: confirm current Irish pricing and feature availability against your own requirements.

Provider	What to examine	May suit businesses that…
Stripe	Its Ireland pricing page publishes standard rates, including 1.5% + €0.25 for standard EEA cards; card type and transaction details can change the rate. Stripe also offers custom pricing for some larger or unusual payment volumes.	Want a broad developer toolkit and a clear published starting point. Compare the standard rate with a negotiated offer using your actual card mix.
Adyen	Its pricing structure can include a processing fee plus a payment-method fee. Ask for a like-for-like proposal showing how interchange and card-scheme costs are treated, and what the provider adds.	Need to assess more complex international, risk or acquiring requirements.
Worldpay	Offers e-commerce payment services, integrations and fraud and authentication tools. Public examples may be for other markets, so request an Ireland-specific quote rather than applying another country’s rates.	Want to evaluate an established acquiring provider and packaged online payment capabilities.
Mollie	Promotes pay-as-you-go pricing. Check its current Irish rates by payment method, as well as any features and payout terms relevant to your setup.	Prefer to assess a straightforward European payment setup and a range of local payment methods.

Provider pages can help you understand their models: Stripe Ireland pricing, Adyen pricing, Worldpay eCommerce and Mollie pricing.

Published rates are useful reference points, but they aren’t a fair comparison on their own. Rates and features can depend on card type, transaction location, volume, integration and contract. Ask for a written quote based on the same information for each provider.

Calculate the cost per successful order

Ask each provider to show the full cost, not just a headline percentage. Include:

• Percentage and fixed transaction fees
• Interchange and card-scheme fees, where charged separately
• International-card, foreign-exchange and multi-currency costs
• Refund, dispute and chargeback fees
• 3D Secure or other authentication charges, if applicable
• Monthly, minimum-volume, payout or contract fees

Model those costs against your own transaction history. For example, a €0.25 fixed charge is 0.5% of a €50 payment before the percentage fee is added. That fixed amount has a different effect on a €20 order or a €500 order.

A blended rate is simpler to forecast, while interchange-plus pricing shows more of the underlying cost components. Neither is automatically cheaper. The better comparison is the total cost for your mix of consumer, commercial, domestic and international cards.

Test approval rates and fraud controls together

A provider’s headline approval rate won’t tell you how it will perform for your customers. Ask how the rate is calculated and whether it refers to payment attempts, transactions reaching the issuer or completed orders.

Compare results by country, card type, device, first-time or returning customer, and whether authentication was requested. Look at approval rate alongside completed sales, fraud, chargebacks and false declines. A stricter fraud rule may block some fraud, but it can also block legitimate customers.

Ask how the provider handles 3D Secure (a cardholder authentication step), retries, suspicious activity and dispute evidence. Clarify which settings you can manage and what happens when a transaction is challenged or declined. Treat claims about improved conversion as something to verify with your own data.

Check integration, settlement and compliance

The technical fit can matter as much as the rate. Before choosing, confirm how the gateway will connect with your website, finance systems and order process. Check support for webhooks (automated messages about payment events), refunds, partial captures and reconciliation: the process of matching payments to your business records.

Then establish:

• Who the acquirer is and which entity holds the merchant account
• Settlement currency, timing, cut-off times and any reserve or payout conditions
• How customer payment tokens can be handled if you change provider
• What support is available when payments or payouts fail
• Which PCI DSS responsibilities apply to your chosen integration

A hosted checkout can reduce how much sensitive card data your systems handle, but it doesn’t remove all merchant security responsibilities. Confirm the exact requirements for your setup with the provider. Adyen’s PCI DSS guide explains the responsibilities around its service.

Run a like-for-like comparison before switching

A practical review starts with the same information for every provider. Prepare a recent 12-month summary of transaction value and count, average order value, customer countries, card types, refunds, chargebacks and any recurring payments. Add your integration and settlement requirements.

Then:

1. Request itemised proposals. Ask each provider to price the same payment mix and list any variable or conditional charges.
2. Review the operating model. Confirm how settlement, reporting, disputes and support will work day to day.
3. Test the customer journey. Use a sandbox or controlled pilot to check checkout behaviour, authentication, failure handling and reporting.
4. Agree the changeover plan. Understand data and token migration, contract notice, testing and who owns each implementation task.

A pilot can show how a configuration works, but don’t assume a short test proves long-term approval or fraud performance. Agree what you’ll measure and how results will be reviewed before changing live traffic.

Where CFS Ireland fits

CFS Ireland compares payment options across multiple providers and merchant acquirers rather than pushing one gateway. Our current online payment gateway is NMI-powered, with integration capability across 213 acquirers, as described on our site. Which options are available depends on your business and setup.

We can review your current processing costs through a free rate analysis and explain the pricing and trade-offs in plain English. We aim for transparent pricing with no hidden fees, with charges set out for your proposed arrangement before you decide. There’s no obligation to switch; if your existing setup is already suitable, we’ll tell you.

For a suitable, straightforward setup, our go-live process can take 48 hours once approvals, documentation, banking connections and technical requirements are in place. More complex integrations can take longer. You’ll also have direct personal support, with access to our founder rather than being routed through a call centre or bot.

Choose on evidence, not a generic “best” list

The best e-commerce gateway is the one that fits your business’s payment mix, systems and operating needs at a fair, clearly explained cost. Compare like with like, verify what’s included and test the customer and finance workflows before committing.

If you’d like to assess your current costs or discuss a gateway shortlist, contact CFS Ireland. We’ll review your requirements and explain the next steps without pressure to change.