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Exploring the Best Online Payment Systems in the UK
Take payments online with confidence. Get expert advice and compare the best UK payment solutions for your business, with no pressure or pushy sales.
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Exclusive Rates From as Low as 0.26%
Understanding Payment Processors
A payment processor is at the heart of every successful online payment system, acting as the bridge between your business, your customer’s bank, and your own bank account. Payment processors handle the technical side of payment processing, ensuring that card payments and other digital transactions are securely authorised, funds are transferred, and your business gets paid quickly and reliably.
When evaluating payment processors, UK businesses should pay close attention to transaction fees, security standards, and how well the processor integrates with their chosen ecommerce platform. Lower transaction fees can make a significant difference to your bottom line, especially as your payment volume grows. Security is equally crucial—look for processors that offer robust fraud protection and PCI DSS compliance to safeguard your customers’ payment details.
Popular payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, and WorldPay each bring unique strengths. Stripe is renowned for its flexible, developer-friendly payment solutions and transparent pricing, making it ideal for businesses seeking custom payment options. PayPal stands out for its global reach and user-friendly interface, allowing you to accept payments from millions of users worldwide. WorldPay, a long-standing name in the UK, offers a wide range of payment options and strong support for local businesses.
Choosing the right payment processor can help you streamline your payment processing, reduce transaction fees, and deliver a seamless customer experience—whether you’re handling one off payments, recurring payments, or scaling up your online business.
The top 6 payment systems in the UK
Multi-Currency Support, Expanding Your Reach
As online businesses increasingly serve customers across borders, the ability to accept payments in multiple currencies has become a must-have feature. A payment gateway with multi-currency support allows your business to accept payments from international customers in their local currency, eliminating friction at checkout and reducing the need for manual currency conversion.
Payment gateways such as Airwallex and WorldPay offer robust multi-currency conversion capabilities, supporting payments in over 100 currencies. This means you can process international transactions with ease, offer dynamic currency conversion at the payment page, and display prices in your customers’ preferred currency—helping to boost conversion rates and reduce cart abandonment.
Multi-currency support isn’t just about convenience; it also helps businesses manage the risks and costs associated with currency fluctuations. By settling payments in different currencies or using real-time exchange rates, you can better control your margins and avoid hidden fees. Additionally, advanced payment gateways provide valuable data insights and analytics on international payments, enabling you to understand customer preferences and optimise your global payment strategy.
By choosing a payment gateway with strong multi-currency support, UK businesses can expand their reach, improve customer satisfaction, and unlock new revenue streams in the global marketplace.
Why Online Payment Systems Matter More Than Ever
UK consumers and B2B buyers now expect secure, seamless digital checkout experiences, whether they’re booking services, shopping on mobile, or paying subscriptions. That’s why choosing the right online payment system isn’t just a technical decision it’s a core part of your business growth strategy.
Offering a variety of digital payment options can help attract new customers and boost conversion rates.
In this guide, we’ll break down the essentials of online payment systems in the UK, explain how to choose the right provider, and show how to keep costs under control as you scale.
What Is an Online Payment System?
An online payment system allows businesses to accept digital payments through a website, mobile app, or online checkout. It connects a customer’s card, bank, or wallet to your business bank account in a secure and compliant way. Most UK online payment systems include:
- Payment gateways securely transmit customer data (e.g. Stripe, Opayo, Worldpay)
- Merchant accounts hold funds before deposit
- Checkout interfaces hosted or integrated into your website
- Fraud prevention tools PCI DSS compliance, 3D Secure, etc.
- APIs or plug-ins to connect with ecommerce platforms or CRMs
- Integration with ecommerce platforms for seamless online shopping experiences
- Support for mobile apps enabling cashless transactions on smartphones
- Digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay
- Virtual terminal for accepting remote or phone payments without a physical card reader
- Hosted payment secure, customisable payment pages hosted externally
- Payment pages online interfaces for customer payments
- Payment links to request payments via email, SMS, or social media
- Card reader hardware for in-person card payments
- Card terminals devices for accepting Chip and PIN, contactless, or swipe payments
- Debit cards support for both credit and debit card transactions
- Direct debit for collecting one-off or recurring payments
- Alternative payment methods to accommodate different customer preferences and currencies
- Local payment methods supporting region-specific payment options
Some systems allow you to accept payments even without your own website, and linking bank accounts is essential for secure fund transfers.
Online payment systems enable customers to pay using their card, including debit cards, and supporting a wide range of payment options is key to meeting customer preferences.
Online Payment Systems vs. Payment Gateways, What's the Difference?
A payment gateway is one part of an online payment system. It handles the secure transmission of payment data, often embedded in your checkout page.
A full online payment system includes the gateway, the merchant account, compliance services, fraud tools, and often integration with your shopping cart or billing platform. Providers like Stripe or Square bundle everything; these providers act as a one stop shop payment solution, offering all the necessary tools and integrations in one package. Others like Worldpay require you to set up separate components.
Features to Look for in an Online Payment System
When choosing a system, UK businesses should focus on the following six areas:
- Security & Compliance Look for PCI DSS Level 1 compliance, 3D Secure authentication, and fraud screening tools. These are essential for customer trust and legal requirements.
- Payment Methods Supported Does it accept all major UK and international cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Open Banking, or even Buy Now Pay Later services?
- Ease of Integration Whether you’re on Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or a custom site, your system should integrate smoothly, preferably with plug-ins or flexible APIs.
- Settlement Times Check how long it takes to receive funds. Next-day or 2-day settlements are now standard. Avoid providers with excessive holds on payouts.
- Customisation Can you customise the look and flow of your checkout to match your brand and improve conversions? Look for features that allow you to store card details securely for returning customers, enabling faster repeat purchases and encouraging customer loyalty.
- Reporting & Insights You should be able to track transactions, identify trends, manage disputes, and export financial data with ease. Advanced data analytics can help uncover valuable business insights to drive growth and optimise performance.
- Inventory Management Consider systems that offer inventory management features to help you track stock levels, generate sales reports, and improve overall operational efficiency.
Features to Look for in an Online Payment System
Online payment systems in the UK typically charge:
Transaction fees - e.g. 1.4% + 20p (domestic cards), or more for international. Some providers also charge a fixed fee per transaction or for disputes, such as chargebacks.
Monthly fee or monthly fees - Some providers charge a single monthly fee, while others may have multiple monthly fees for different services. These can range from £15–£30/month, or be waived under certain conditions.
Chargeback fees - £15–£25 per chargeback, often as a fixed fee.
Authorisation fee - Some providers add an authorisation fee for each transaction, which is a small, fixed per-transaction cost.
Hidden fees - Watch for PCI non-compliance charges, refund fees, or early termination penalties.
Pricing plans may also vary based on your annual card turnover, with lower rates often available for businesses processing over £75,000 per year. For high-volume businesses, custom rates and volume discounts may be available, offering more competitive pricing tailored to your needs.
Online payment systems eliminate the need for physical cash, reducing handling costs and risks.
That’s why we help you compare real quotes not just advertised rates and find solutions that actually lower your card processing fees.
How Compare Card Fees Helps UK Businesses
At Compare Card Fees, we do more than show you a list of providers we offer real, expert advice based on your business.
Independent We’re not tied to one provider and never sell your data
Tailored Quotes We ask about your setup and payment needs to match the right systems
Efficient Payment Collection We help businesses collect payments efficiently through tailored payment solutions and integrations, ensuring seamless and secure transactions.
Focus on Saving You Money Whether you process £2K/month or £2M, we find ways to cut unnecessary fees
Smooth Switching We help you move providers with minimal downtime or disruption
Trusted by Thousands Our clients process over £1 billion a year through providers we’ve recommended
Free to Use No obligation, no pressure, no sales calls
FAQs, Online Payment Systems in the UK
Stripe, Square, and PayPal are great options for small businesses in the UK due to easy setup, low monthly costs, and good plug-in support.
Yes. Stripe, GoCardless, and others offer recurring billing tools. These are ideal for subscriptions or instalment payments.
Some providers (like Worldpay) require one; others bundle it in. Aggregators like Stripe or Square handle this behind the scenes.
This depends on your volume. Pay-as-you-go services may suit startups, while negotiated rates help larger businesses. We help you compare.
Setup can take as little as a few hours with Stripe or Square, or several days with traditional providers like Barclaycard.
Use PCI DSS Level 1 certified providers, enable 3D Secure, and ensure SSL is enabled on your site.
Yes. Many systems now offer multichannel setups that sync in-store and online sales. Let us help you find one that fits.
Yes, especially once your volume grows. We help you benchmark providers and request better rates.
Yes , some charge extra for things like refunds, monthly PCI non-compliance, or chargebacks. We help spot and avoid these.
We can assist with the whole process from identifying a better fit to managing the transition smoothly and securely.
Choose an Online Payment System That Works for You
Whether you're launching a new e-commerce store, expanding your online sales, or looking to reduce fees, choosing the right online payment system is vital. We help UK businesses cut through the jargon and get the tools you need, without wasting money or time. No sales calls, no pressure. Just honest, expert help to find the best-fit payment system for your UK business.
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