Stripe is the best payment gateway for international transactions because of the number of supported currencies and countries and its customizations.
International payment gateways make it easy to accept cross-border payments in different currencies and pay you in yours. The best international payment gateways based on my evaluation are:
Ideally, these gateways should be able to process payments from credit cards and ACH transfers (especially for mid- to enterprise businesses) and come with APIs or integrations for enhanced operational efficiencies. They should be secure and equipped with additional anti-fraud measures to reduce chargebacks.
For international transactions, it’s essential to compare the number of currencies supported and whether a provider has a cross-border fee. My table compares my top picks based on these factors along with their ratings, monthly fee if any, and currency conversion.
| Our rating (out of 5) | Monthly fee (starts at) | Cross-border fee | Currency conversion fee | Number of currencies supported | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 4.79 | $0 | 1% | 1% | 135+ |
| Adyen | 4.58 | $0 | None* | 1.2%–3% | 37*** |
| PayPal | 4.45 | $0–$30 | 1.5% | 4% | 25 |
| Braintree | 4.39 | $0 | 1% | None | 134 |
| Helcim | 4.23 | $0 | None** | Based on card issuer | 2 |
| *Included in the processing fee. **Card issuer fees. ***Dynamic currency conversion, supported countries for local payouts and cross-border payouts also differ greatly. |
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Our rating: 4.79 out of 5
Stripe earned the top spot in my evaluation of the best international payment gateways because of the sheer number of countries (47) and currencies (135+) it supports, coupled with industry-leading security and anti-fraud measures in the payment processing industry.
Stripe has zero monthly fees, flat-rate pricing, and the best API and SDK tools among the featured providers in this list. You can integrate Stripe into just about any program that takes payments with the appropriate technical know-how. You can also choose between local currency or multi currency-based pricing when accepting international payments.
Stripe is also ranked first by my fellow experts when it comes to leading payment gateways and top international merchant services.
While Stripe only offers interchange pricing to high-volume sellers or enterprises, its flat-rate processing fees are average and can even come out cheaper than Adyen, known for its interchange pricing, when accepting non-Visa and non-Mastercard brands. I also like its global features, specifically for international merchants — the ability to present in local currency and the security ID recognition feature that can validate ID cards from more than 33 countries.
Its biggest strength, fully-customizable integrations and powerful APIs, can also be its weakest link, as you would likely need a developer to fully customize your business payment solution. But, when it comes to accepting payments, Stripe can be as fluid and provide everything you need — and that’s a win in my book.
Visit Stripe
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Highly customizable and versatile due to available integrations and well-documented APIs. | Coding skills required for customization. |
| Low-cost ACH processing. | Limited in-person sales and virtual terminal features. |
| Offers options for both multi currency and US dollar-based processing. | No native Level 2 and 3 card processing. |
| Free merchant account and instant account approval. | Non-refundable chargeback fees. |
Related: Best international merchant accounts
Our rating: 4.58 out of 5
When it comes to accepting international payments, Adyen is the cheapest option, especially for high-volume and B2B businesses. It has better ACH processing fees than Stripe (40 cents markup per transaction vs 0.8% with a $5 cap) and is one of two on my list that offers interchange pricing — which overall helps you save in the long run even with its $120 monthly sales minimum.
Adyen is also a dedicated merchant services provider and a direct processor with numerous partnerships with local banks, letting you save on cross-border fees because of local payouts and like-for-like settlements. Application is required and can take a while, compared to Stripe’s instant approval process, but you are less likely to experience frozen funds.
Adyen comes as a close second to Stripe, beating it in other areas such as affordability and security. As I’ve already mentioned earlier, Adyen just comes out as a cheaper option than Stripe, particularly for high-volume transactions, especially when it comes to international payments. Adyen ultimately lost points to Stripe because of its more global reach.
That being said, I really like Adyen’s dynamic currency conversion feature, as it gives customers the option to choose what currency to buy in. And as long as your currency is supported by Adyen, you can get like-for-like settlements — meaning no currency conversion and cross-border fees. And due to its local acquiring license in many countries as a direct processor, you are less at risk of being declined a payment request — which can be costly (like Stripe’s $4–$15 fees for failed transactions).
Security is also one thing Adyen is excellent at. You get a risk management dashboard as a client to monitor fraud and optimize risk procedures — you can set risk rules and block lists to stop synthetic subscribers and testing attacks, for example.
Visit Adyen
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Dynamic currency conversion. | Monthly minimum sales requirement ($120). |
| Interchange-plus pricing. | Application process required. |
| Robust omnichannel features. | Limited invoicing features. |
Our rating: 4.45 out of 5
PayPal is a global household name, being one of the most trusted and popular payment gateways in the industry. And because of this trust, studies have shown an increase in conversions whenever consumers see a PayPal button on a checkout page. It is not uncommon to see the PayPal button as an alternative button for payments on a checkout page — making it a great fit as an add-on gateway for websites, particularly those that have their own processors already.
And what’s even better is that PayPal has made it easy to add its checkout feature just about anywhere online — with one-click integrations with most ecommerce platforms, Buy Now buttons for social media and website pages, and “easy” checkout options for most marketplaces.
Even though PayPal is known for its complex fees and high currency conversion rates (4%), it scored high in my evaluation when it comes to security, payment, and most importantly, global features. PayPal is a highly-trusted provider because they simply made it convenient for consumers to pay because anyone with a debit or credit card can open a PayPal account and send and receive funds from there—even Venmo and cryptocurrency.
PayPal fees are not as competitive as Adyen or Helcim, but makes for an easy payment option for anyone anywhere in the world. I recommend having a main payment provider and including PayPal as a trusty backup or second choice for customers.
PayPal’s pricing is complex, with different rates based on the payment method and country of transaction. I recommend referring to the PayPal pricing page for complete details. Here is a general overview of its pricing:
Visit PayPal
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Widely-known and trusted platform by consumers. | High currency conversion rate (4%). |
| Easy integrations for other sales channels, including social. | Does not support ACH payments. |
| Seamless online checkout integration. | Notorious for holding and unpredictable freezing of seller funds and account closures with little recourse. |
Our rating: 4.39 out of 5
Braintree, a PayPal-owned payment gateway, is optimized for online sales. They specifically introduce themselves as a full-stack payments platform for one’s app or website. Similar to Stripe, it comes with developer tools to customize your checkout pages.
Its international payment fees are in the typical range, but unlike PayPal, Braintree does not charge any currency conversion fees. Its ecommerce (online) transaction fees are lower than Stripe. Its recurring billing feature is why I recommended it as one of the best B2B payment gateways, and this online payment feature also comes out cheaper than Stripe’s.
I like that Braintree comes with a dedicated merchant account (unlike Stripe and PayPal, which provide aggregated accounts). Dedicated accounts offer more security and stability for your funds. Braintree also has partnerships with local banks in other countries, like Adyen, so you can settle a transaction in multiple currencies. Braintree merchant accounts are set up as single currency by default, but you can request for a multi currency set up.
However, unlike Ayden that lets you get like-for-like payments, all international payments are automatically converted into US dollars and deposited into your bank account with an additional 1% fee per transaction.
Braintree depends on PayPal for in-person transactions. This means you also get to accept Venmo and cryptocurrency payments because of this full PayPal integration.
Custom flat rates and interchange-plus pricing are available for established businesses based on business model and processing volume. Discounted ACH debit rates available for enterprise businesses.
Transaction fees are not refunded for refunded transactions.
Visit Braintree
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Comes with a dedicated merchant account. | No instant payouts. |
| Optimized for online payments. | Dependent on PayPal for some features, such as in-person sales. |
| Sandbox account provision — try its tools for free. | Invoicing needs third-party integration. |
Our rating: 4.23 out of 5
Helcim comes in last due to its extremely limited supported currencies (US and Canadian dollars) as of this writing. However, Helcim still deserves a spot on this list, especially if you are a business handling large volumes of transitions between the mentioned currencies. Helcim provides automated volume discounts, interchange plus pricing, and ultimately lets you use its payment services for free — invoicing, virtual terminal, recurring billing, and Level 2 and 3 card processing for B2Bs.
Aside from savings, Helcim optimizes all the fees involved in accepting payments. This means everything is automatic — as you move along tiered levels based on transactions, discounts are given. Helcim is also the only one in this list that offers zero-cost processing through compliant surcharging.
I like Helcim because it is automated and cost-effective. Like Adyen, you can really keep your transaction costs low. But unlike Adyen, Helcim offers more discounts as you process more transactions. What’s even better is that everything is automated. I think Helcim can also be synonymous with savings because it is the only provider in this list that also lets you use all payment services without any additional transaction fee or subscription.
With Helcim, you automatically get discounts the more transactions you process each month, letting you save especially with high-volume transactions.
According to Helcim, the average processing fee for card-present transactions is 1.93% + 8 cents, while the average processing fee for card-not-present transactions is 2.49% + 25 cents.
Visit Helcim
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Automated volume discount. | Only available for those in the US and Canada; support only USD and CAD currencies. |
| Built-in compliant surcharging and Level 2 and 3 data optimization. | Slow deposit speed; no instant payouts. |
| Excellent 24/7 service. | Strict approval process. |
Global expansion can be daunting, and it is critical to efficiently and securely accept and manage transactions across borders in a way that also ensures cost-saving efficiencies are in place. Here are my recommendations on choosing the best payment gateway for international transactions.
Leveraging my experience helping retail businesses scale their operations globally, I looked at popular and equally highly-rated payment gateways that accept international payments. From my initial list, I graded them using an in-house rubric of 20 data points based on pricing, security and uptime performance, payment global features, API, and integrations, and real-world user reviews.
This article and methodology were reviewed by our retail expert, Meaghan Brophy, and payments expert, Anna Dizon.
Wire transfers and credit cards are the most commonly used payment methods for international payments for businesses. Ideally, local payment or cash advance collections are the safest, but they are not used as there are other secure methods that aren’t as limiting as the mentioned options.
A payment gateway is the front-end (customer-facing) part of collecting payments during checkout. Payment gateway accepts the payment and encrypts the customer’s data before sending it to a payment processor for fund transfer invitations.
The best international payment gateway is Stripe. Adyen comes a close second. Braintree, PayPal, and Helcim are great options, too.
Agatha Aviso is a seasoned expert in retail, eCommerce, and order fulfillment, with a specialization in payments, POS systems, and eCommerce software. She has collaborated with startups and service-based entrepreneurs on content strategy, offering digital marketing expertise and guiding small business owners in launching their online storefronts. Beyond consulting, Agatha applies her knowledge firsthand—building her own website as well as ecommerce sites for the platforms she reviews.
