Accepting Crypto Payments in the UK: How It Works and What It Costs

Crypto payment gateways are specialist services that let UK businesses accept cryptocurrency payments, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and stablecoins such as USDC and USDT, converting them into sterling automatically so you avoid holding volatile digital assets. Unlike traditional card processors, crypto gateways sit outside the Visa and Mastercard networks entirely, which means no interchange fees and no chargeback risk. Transaction fees typically run between 0.5% and 1% per transaction depending on the provider, the cryptocurrency accepted, and your monthly volume. This guide covers how crypto payment gateways work for UK businesses, which providers are worth considering in 2026, what they cost, and where they fall short.

Worth knowing before you invest in a crypto gateway: UK consumer crypto ownership has been shrinking, not growing.

Key Facts: Crypto Payment Gateways UK

Who Is This Page For?

This page is written for UK business owners and finance managers who want to understand whether accepting cryptocurrency payments makes commercial sense for them. It covers ecommerce retailers, subscription businesses, digital product sellers, and service providers who have customers asking to pay in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.

It is also relevant for businesses in sectors where crypto adoption is highest: gaming, software, VPN services, travel, and luxury goods. If your international customers struggle with cross-border card payments or high foreign transaction fees, a crypto gateway can remove those friction points entirely.

If you are simply looking for a standard card payment gateway, this page is not the right starting point. Compare Card Fees is a free, independent advisory service that has helped UK businesses find better card payment deals since 2012, and our best payment gateways for UK businesses guide covers conventional options in detail.

What Is a Crypto Payment Gateway?

A crypto payment gateway is a service that processes cryptocurrency transactions on behalf of a merchant, converting digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC or USDT into sterling and depositing the funds into your business bank account. It works in the same way a conventional payment gateway handles card transactions, but uses the blockchain instead of the Visa or Mastercard networks. Most UK providers complete GBP settlement within one to three business days.

The key difference from card processing is that the transaction is irreversible once confirmed on the blockchain. There is no chargeback mechanism, no issuing bank, and no card scheme. The gateway's job is to generate a payment address or QR code for each transaction, monitor the blockchain for incoming funds, confirm receipt, convert the crypto to GBP at a locked rate, and transfer the money to your account.

Who Are Crypto Payment Gateways For?

Crypto payment gateways suit businesses that sell internationally and want to avoid the 1.5%–3.5% cross-border fees charged by card schemes. A UK software company selling to customers in the US, Europe and Asia can receive payment in USDC or Bitcoin without currency conversion fees eating into margins on every transaction.

They also work well for businesses that sell high-value goods or digital products and want to eliminate chargeback fraud. Because crypto transactions are irreversible, a fraudulent customer cannot file a dispute with their bank and reclaim funds after receiving goods. For merchants losing £500 or more per month to chargeback fraud, this alone can justify the switch.

Crypto gateways are a poor fit for businesses whose customers are primarily older, less tech-savvy consumers, or those operating in regulated sectors such as financial services and healthcare where crypto payments may add compliance complexity. Most UK retailers and hospitality businesses will find a conventional card processor more practical for day-to-day trading.

Best Crypto Payment Gateways for UK Businesses in 2026

The four providers below have established track records with UK merchants and all offer GBP settlement. Each has different strengths depending on your transaction volume, ecommerce platform and the cryptocurrencies your customers use.

BitPay

BitPay is one of the longest-established crypto payment processors globally, founded in 2011, and is widely regarded as the most compliance-focused option for UK merchants. It charges 1% per transaction with no monthly fee on its standard plan. GBP settlement is available via bank transfer, typically within one to two business days. BitPay supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash and several stablecoins including USDC and USDT. It holds FCA registration as a cryptoasset business, which matters if your own compliance team needs a regulated counterparty. The main weakness is that BitPay's merchant onboarding process is more involved than competitors, and its customer support response times can stretch to 24 hours or more for non-enterprise accounts.

CoinGate

CoinGate is a Lithuania-based provider active across Europe and the UK. It charges 1% per transaction with a minimum of €0.10 per payment, and supports over 70 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple (XRP) and stablecoins. GBP settlement is available via SEPA and SWIFT bank transfers. CoinGate offers ready-built plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento and PrestaShop, and a REST API for custom integrations. Setup time for a WooCommerce plugin is typically under 30 minutes. Volume discounts are available for merchants processing over €50,000 per month, but require direct negotiation. The downside is that phone support is not available, and the company is not FCA-registered, which may matter for regulated businesses.

NOWPayments

NOWPayments is one of the cheaper options, charging 0.5% per transaction on its free plan. A paid business tier at $19.99 per month (around £16) reduces the rate to 0.4% and adds priority support. It supports over 300 cryptocurrencies, the widest selection of any mainstream provider, and includes invoice generation and pay-by-link tools useful for service businesses and freelancers. GBP settlement is available via bank transfer. The significant drawback is support quality: NOWPayments is a smaller operation, and merchant support response times are variable. Phone support is not offered.

Coinbase Commerce

Coinbase Commerce is the merchant-facing product from Coinbase, the US exchange that has operated in the UK since 2014. It charges 1% per transaction with no monthly fee. Settlement lands in your Coinbase account first, and you then transfer to a UK bank account, adding a step and an additional transfer fee. Coinbase Commerce supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash and USDC. Its main advantage is the Coinbase brand recognition, which some merchants find useful when explaining crypto acceptance to customers. The process of moving funds from Coinbase to a UK bank account adds friction that BitPay and CoinGate do not require.

Crypto Payment Gateways for High-Risk Businesses

Businesses in gaming, adult content, forex and other sectors that card networks price punitively or restrict altogether often look to crypto gateways as an alternative. BitPay and CoinGate both work with merchants in sectors that traditional acquirers decline. If you operate in a high-risk sector, you should verify the provider's terms explicitly before applying, as some crypto gateways also apply sector restrictions. Our guide to high-risk merchant accounts in the UK covers the full range of options including conventional acquirers that specialise in higher-risk categories.

Crypto Payment Gateways for Travel Businesses

Travel is one of the sectors where crypto payment adoption is most consistent, particularly for international bookings from customers in markets where card infrastructure is less reliable. BitPay and CoinGate are both used by travel businesses for this reason. Accepting stablecoins such as USDC removes exchange rate risk for both the merchant and the customer. If you run a travel business serving international customers, a crypto gateway can sit alongside your existing card processing without replacing it.

How to Set Up a Crypto Payment Gateway in the UK

Setting up a crypto payment gateway for a UK ecommerce business is straightforward with the major providers. The process typically takes less than a day for a WooCommerce or Shopify integration.

• Step 1 — Choose a provider: Select based on the cryptocurrencies your customers are most likely to use, your ecommerce platform, and whether FCA registration matters to your compliance requirements.
• Step 2 — Create a merchant account: All major providers require identity verification (KYC) for the business owner and proof of business registration. BitPay's process is the most thorough; NOWPayments is the most straightforward.
• Step 3 — Connect your bank account: You will need to provide UK bank details for GBP settlement. Most providers complete a small test transfer to verify the account.
• Step 4 — Install the plugin or API: For WooCommerce, install the provider's plugin from the WordPress plugin directory and enter your API key. For Shopify, add the provider as a payment method in your checkout settings. Custom integrations use REST APIs documented by each provider.
• Step 5 — Test the checkout: Run a small test transaction in the provider's sandbox environment before going live. Confirm the GBP settlement amount matches your expectations after the exchange rate spread is applied.
• Step 6 — Configure your accounting: Set up a record-keeping system for crypto receipts. You will need the date, crypto amount, and GBP value at the time of each transaction for HMRC reporting.

Crypto Payment Gateway Fees and Pricing

Transaction fees vary meaningfully across providers. BitPay charges 1% per transaction with no monthly fee for most merchants. CoinGate charges 1% per transaction with a minimum of €0.10 per payment. NOWPayments charges 0.5% per transaction on its standard plan, rising to a fixed monthly fee of $19.99 (around £16) on its business tier with a reduced 0.4% rate. Coinbase Commerce charges 1% per transaction with settlement in GBP to your Coinbase account, then an additional transfer fee to move funds to a UK bank account.

Most providers have no setup fee and no monthly minimum for their entry-level plans. Volume discounts are available from providers including BitPay and CoinGate for merchants processing over £50,000 per month, but you typically need to contact their sales teams to negotiate a custom rate.

Be aware of the exchange rate spread. When a gateway converts Bitcoin or Ethereum to GBP, it locks in a rate at the moment of payment. Providers typically apply a rate guarantee window of 10 to 30 minutes. If the customer pays late and the crypto price has moved, the merchant may receive slightly less or slightly more than invoiced. Most providers absorb small movements within their spread, but this is worth checking in the terms.

Crypto Payment Gateway Features

• Multi-cryptocurrency support: Leading providers such as BitPay and CoinGate accept 50 or more cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple (XRP) and stablecoins like USDC and USDT. You choose which you accept.
• Automatic conversion to GBP: Most gateways convert incoming crypto to sterling at the point of payment, credited to your bank account within one to three business days. This removes your exposure to price volatility without requiring you to manage a crypto wallet.
• No chargeback liability: Crypto payments are final and irreversible on the blockchain. There is no equivalent of a card chargeback, which removes a significant fraud vector for merchants selling digital goods or high-value items.
• API and plugin integrations: Major providers offer ready-built plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento and PrestaShop, as well as REST APIs for custom integrations. Setup time for a WooCommerce plugin is typically under 30 minutes.
• Hosted payment pages: Providers generate a payment page or QR code for each transaction. Your customer sees the crypto amount to send and a wallet address, and payment is confirmed on the blockchain within seconds to minutes depending on the network.
• Invoicing and pay-by-link: Tools such as NOWPayments and CoinGate include invoice generation, allowing service businesses and freelancers to send crypto payment requests directly by email or link without an ecommerce store.
• Partial payment and underpayment handling: Better providers handle the situation where a customer sends slightly less than the invoice amount, either accepting partial payment or prompting the customer to top up. This is a common friction point with less mature platforms.
• Real-time reporting and tax exports: Transaction dashboards show incoming payments, conversion rates applied and GBP amounts received. Most providers export data in CSV format, which your accountant will need for HMRC reporting of crypto receipts.

Crypto vs Card Payments: How the Fees Compare

For UK domestic transactions, crypto gateways are not obviously cheaper than card processing. A 1% crypto gateway fee is comparable to the blended rate many UK merchants pay for domestic debit card transactions. The fee advantage becomes clear on international payments, where card schemes charge cross-border fees of 1.5%–2% on top of the base interchange rate, taking the total cost to 2.5%–3.5% or more per transaction.

The maths works most clearly for a business with significant international revenue. A UK software company processing £30,000 per month in international card payments at 2.5% pays £750 in fees. The same volume through a crypto gateway at 1% costs £300. That is a saving of £450 per month, assuming all customers are willing to pay in crypto — which, for most businesses, they are not yet.

Cryptocurrency Merchant Services: FCA Regulation and Compliance

Any business that facilitates or arranges crypto transactions in the UK must register with the FCA as a cryptoasset business under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds Regulations 2017. This registration requirement applies to crypto payment gateway providers themselves, not typically to the merchants using them. However, you should verify that your chosen gateway holds FCA cryptoasset registration before accepting their terms.

The regulatory environment is tightening. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 gives HM Treasury powers to bring cryptoassets into the full UK financial services regulatory framework. Draft rules published by the FCA in 2025 propose that crypto payment service providers will be subject to conduct rules similar to those applying to conventional payment institutions. If you are evaluating a gateway for long-term use, choose one that is already engaging with UK regulatory requirements rather than operating from outside the FCA's reach.

HMRC treats crypto received as payment for goods or services as trading income. You must record the GBP market value of every crypto payment at the date received and include it in your corporation tax or self-assessment return. Most crypto gateways export transaction data in CSV format to help with this. Speak to an accountant with crypto tax experience before your first filing. Our guide to card fraud prevention for UK businesses covers the broader fraud risk landscape if you are weighing up crypto versus card acceptance.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• No chargebacks: Crypto transactions cannot be reversed, which eliminates a major source of fraud-related losses for digital goods sellers.
• Lower fees than international card payments: A 1% crypto gateway fee compares favourably with 2%–3.5% for cross-border card transactions plus currency conversion charges.
• Access to new customer segments: Some buyers actively prefer to pay in cryptocurrency. Accepting Bitcoin can open your business to customers who would not otherwise buy from you.
• No card network dependency: Crypto payments bypass Visa and Mastercard entirely, which can be useful for businesses in sectors that card networks restrict or price punitively.
• Fast international settlement: Cross-border crypto payments settle on the blockchain within minutes, regardless of the customer's country. Traditional international bank transfers can take three to five business days.
• Stablecoin payments avoid volatility: Accepting USDC or USDT rather than Bitcoin removes exchange rate risk for both parties, since stablecoins are pegged to the US dollar.

Cons

• Low consumer adoption in the UK: Most UK shoppers do not own cryptocurrency. If you add a crypto payment option, expect it to account for a very small percentage of total transactions for most retail businesses. Coinbase estimated in 2024 that around 5 million UK adults hold crypto, but far fewer use it for everyday purchases.
• Regulatory complexity: The FCA requires businesses that handle or facilitate crypto transactions in the UK to register under the Money Laundering Regulations. Compliance obligations are evolving rapidly as the government implements the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 crypto provisions.
• Tax reporting burden: HMRC treats crypto receipts as taxable income at the sterling value at the point of receipt. You must record the GBP equivalent of every crypto payment for corporation tax and VAT purposes, which adds administrative overhead.
• Conversion spread risk: The rate applied when converting crypto to GBP is set by the gateway, not by you. Providers are not always transparent about the spread they apply on top of the market rate, which can add an effective hidden cost of 0.1%–0.5%.
• Customer support is patchy: Several crypto payment gateway providers are small operations. Response times for merchant support queries can run to 24–48 hours, and phone support is rare. This is a meaningful risk if you have a payment processing issue during a busy trading period.
• Network fee volatility: On some blockchains, particularly Bitcoin and Ethereum, the cost of processing a transaction on the network (the "gas fee") can spike significantly during busy periods. For small transactions this can make crypto payments uneconomical. Stablecoin payments on lower-cost networks such as Polygon or Solana largely avoid this problem.

Is a Crypto Payment Gateway Right for Your Business?

For most UK small businesses, a crypto payment gateway is a secondary payment option rather than a replacement for card processing. The UK consumer base for crypto payments is still small, and you will still need a conventional merchant account or payment gateway to serve the vast majority of your customers. That said, if you sell digital products internationally, run a B2B software business, or have an existing customer base that has asked about paying in crypto, adding a gateway is low risk and low cost given that most providers have no monthly fee.

The strongest case for a crypto gateway is removing chargeback fraud and reducing cross-border fees. If your business currently loses £300 or more per month to chargebacks, or pays 2.5% or more on international card transactions, the maths can work in your favour quickly even at modest crypto volumes. The weakest case is a local, in-person business serving UK consumers who are unlikely to hold or want to use cryptocurrency.

Before committing to any provider, it is worth getting an independent view on whether crypto payments fit your specific transaction profile and risk appetite. Compare Card Fees is a free, independent advisory service that has helped UK businesses find better card payment deals since 2012. Compare merchant services through our free comparison tool, or explore our ecommerce payment gateways guide for a detailed breakdown of conventional alternatives.