Oops! We could not locate your form.
Payment gateways help to close the deal for e-commerce websites looking to attract and convert online customers. In this guide, we’ll cover both what to look for when finding a gateway and the best payment options to integrate into your WooCommerce website.
Edit: Although originally written in 2021, this post received a full update in 2026 to ensure it is current and still useful for those looking for payment gateway advice.
When running an eCommerce website using WooCommerce, finding the right payment gateway is a crucial part of the equation. You need to find the perfect mix between user experience and merchant optimisation to keep your payments running smoothly and minimise the dreaded abandoned cart problem.
Modern gateways have come a long way in tackling abandonment directly, solutions like express checkout and one-click payments mean customers can complete a purchase in seconds, removing much of the friction that causes people to drop off before buying.
Fortunately, you’re not on your own. In this guide, we’ll help you learn about some of the variables to keep in mind when finding the right plugin, along with some of the best payment gateway options available for WooCommerce today.
As its name suggests, a payment gateway processes the online payments of an online store. It verifies credit card and other payment information, deducts that payment from the customer’s bank account or card, and deposits it into the merchant account. In exchange, merchants pay a small fee.
Payment gateways can be direct, integrating into the site to improve user experience, or external, redirecting the user to their own website for the transaction.
While the latter can be more secure, it also disrupts the user journey and can lead to higher abandonment rates.
With a basic definition of payment gateways in place, let’s dig into some of the most important variables that should come into play as you examine the best option for your online store:
With those variables in mind, let’s take a closer look at the payment gateways you can choose to power your eCommerce store. The options below are listed in alphabetical order, keeping in mind that the ultimate best option depends on your situation, customers, and preferences.
Please note that payment gateway fees change regularly, always check the provider’s website directly for the most current pricing before making your decision.
Amazon pay shines through its integrations. Especially if you already have an Amazon merchant account, you can easily integrate its WooCommerce plugin, embedding payments directly on your site. Merchants won’t need to pay a monthly fee, and the integration is available in the UK and most European countries, making it a solid option for UK and EU-based businesses.
Amazon Pay also supports Buy with Prime for eligible merchants, which can be a useful conversion tool for customers already in the Amazon ecosystem. On the downside, transactions can periodically be slow, and Amazon’s merchant support is not always responsive. Always check Amazon’s website for current transaction fee rates, as these are subject to change.
A UK-founded gateway, GoCardless specialises in direct debit payments rather than card transactions, making it particularly well suited to businesses with subscription models, recurring billing, or B2B payment needs.
It connects directly to the bank networks of the UK (Bacs), Europe (SEPA), and several other regions, meaning lower processing costs than card-based gateways for recurring payments. It integrates with WooCommerce via its own plugin and pairs well with WooCommerce Subscriptions. If your business collects regular payments from clients, GoCardless is well worth considering alongside a card gateway like Stripe.
From Swedish company Klarna comes a checkout integration built around Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), a payment model that has moved firmly into the mainstream and is now an expectation for many shoppers, particularly for higher-value purchases. Customers can spread payments over time, pay in three instalments, or defer payment entirely, making it especially relevant for online stores selling more expensive goods and services.
Klarna’s fee structure varies depending on which of its products you offer (Pay Later, Pay in 3, and Financing each carry different merchant fees), so check Klarna’s website directly for current rates applicable to your business.
One thing worth noting for merchants already using or considering Stripe, is that Klarna is available as a payment method directly through Stripe, meaning you can offer Klarna to your customers without needing a separate Klarna integration. This simplifies your setup considerably.
Klarna works well in many cases but can become an issue with more advanced integrations, and there are documented compatibility issues with some WordPress themes. This should be less of an issue if your site is being built from the ground up with a custom theme.
You may know Opayo by its former name, Sage Pay. It rebranded in 2020 but remains one of the most established payment gateways in the UK market.
Opayo operates on a different pricing model to most gateways on this list, charging a monthly fee rather than a per-transaction percentage. This can make costs more predictable, particularly for businesses with higher transaction volumes.
The firm pricing makes Opayo a good choice for startups looking to budget. Opayo also shines in its advanced security features, and a 24/7 live support system. However, merchants have reported a complex and not always obvious user experience. The gateway currently supports 25 currencies.
In many ways, PayPal is the grandfather of payment gateways and needs little introduction. It’s evolved significantly in recent years, and its product lineup has changed. If you’ve looked at PayPal options previously, it’s worth revisiting as products like PayPal Pro have been replaced or updated with newer offerings such as PayPal Advanced and PayPal Complete Payments. Check PayPal’s current product pages to confirm which option is right for your business.
The fundamentals remain: PayPal is easy to set up, universally recognised by shoppers, and accepts all major credit cards alongside PayPal account payments. It supports businesses from more than 200 countries and a wide range of currencies, which makes it a strong option if you sell beyond the UK and EU. The trade-off is that fees can be on the higher side and customisability is limited compared to more developer-friendly options like Stripe.
This gateway shines through its integrations. It’s a highly customisable option that allows merchants to ensure the payment experience fits right into their online store. Stripe has been lauded for its UX for both desktop and mobile devices. It is the one we most commonly recommend to and integrate for our clients. It is the most widely used gateway among modern WooCommerce developers, and for good reason.
For UK and EU merchants, Stripe’s pricing is highly competitive. Current standard rates are 1.5% + 20p for UK cards and 2.5% + 20p for EEA cards, with international cards charged at a higher rate. As always, confirm current pricing on Stripe’s website as rates are subject to change.
Where Stripe really stands out is in the breadth and quality of what you get for that fee:
Stripe Link is Stripe’s one-click checkout solution. It remembers customers’ payment details across any Stripe-powered website, meaning returning customers can complete a purchase in a single click. This is one of the most effective tools available for reducing abandoned carts.
Apple Pay and Google Pay – these are supported out of the box, with no additional setup required. Given that a significant proportion of UK shoppers are now purchasing on mobile, this is a meaningful conversion benefit.
Klarna via Stripe – as mentioned above, Stripe allows you to offer Klarna as a payment method directly through your Stripe integration, without needing a separate Klarna account.
Developer experience – this is where Stripe is unmatched. Its documentation, APIs, and WooCommerce plugin are best in class, meaning integrations are cleaner, more reliable, and easier to maintain long term.
The main caveats are that some merchants have reported account freezes, and customer service, while improving, can sometimes be slow to respond. These are worth being aware of, but in our experience they are the exception rather than the rule, and Stripe’s overall offering comfortably outweighs these drawbacks for the vast majority of eCommerce businesses.
Worldpay is one of the UK’s most established payment processors, handling both online and in-store transactions, making it a strong option for hybrid merchants with both an eCommerce presence and a physical retail or hospitality operation.
It’s worth noting that Worldpay has gone through significant ownership changes in recent years, having been acquired by FIS and subsequently spun back out as an independent business. It remains fully operational and widely used, but it’s worth doing your due diligence on their current contracts and support offering before committing. Contract lengths have historically been a sticking point, with early termination fees to factor in. Worldpay operates on a monthly fee model rather than per-transaction pricing, so check their website for current plan details.
Online stores using WooCommerce have plenty of options to find a payment gateway that works for them.
For most businesses, our recommendation is Stripe. It offers the best combination of competitive fees, outstanding developer integration, built-in support for Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Klarna, and genuinely conversion-boosting features like Stripe Link.
For businesses with subscription or recurring payment needs, pairing Stripe with GoCardless covers both card and direct debit bases. And if your products are higher value and your customers expect flexible payment options, adding Klarna (whether directly or through Stripe) is well worth considering.
Ultimately, the best option is one that streamlines merchant processes while also creating a VIP experience for customers looking to buy your products or services.
In either case, we can help. If you’re looking to learn more about our experience in building successful eCommerce sites, check out our case studies to learn more about some of the payment gateways we have integrated into our builds. Of course, you can always get in touch to learn more about our expertise in developing successful online stores using WooCommerce.
If you’d like to learn more about our WordPress & WooCommerce Support & Maintenance plans, drop us an email or give James a call.
Our plans provide a holistic solution to your website’s performance, reliability and security, and are inclusive of premium tools and services.
