Best Payment Gateways for Online Stores in USA, Canada, and Europe

Choosing the Best payment gateway for online store matters a lot even more than products. A secure and safe payment gateway can turn your visitors into customers. Quick, easy, and safe payment process enhances confidence, decreases the cart dropout and boosts the total revenue. Reports claim that over 70% of shoppers who visit leave their cart in case of a slow or complex digital shopping cart abandonment all over the world.

The same payment strategy cannot be applied to online stores in the USA, Canada, and Europe. Payment habits differ across regions. The USA is overdependent on credit cards and electronic wallets. Interac, Visa and Mastercard are used in Canada. Europe relies on domestic solutions, including iDEAL, Bancontact, Sofort and Giropay.

This guide will disaggregate the best payment gateway for eCommerce website by region, help you compare fees, payout times, and supported payment methods, and demonstrate how the right gateway increases cross-border conversions and minimises friction.

Best Payment Gateway for Online Store by Region

Web-based stores must have location-based gateways, as shoppers’ habits vary widely. Here is a clear comparison.

Regional Payment Gateway Table

Region	Best Choice	Why It Works	Alternatives
USA	Stripe	Wide card support, fast onboarding	PayPal, Square, Authorize.net
Canada	Stripe	Interac support, simple KYC	Moneris, PayPal
Europe	Adyen	Strong for cross-border, local EU methods	Stripe, Mollie

Quick Highlights

• Stripe is a global stores fitting tool and it supports currencies.
• Adyen has a strength in Europe due to its support of iDEAL, Sofort, Bancontact and Giropay.
• PayPal serves the global shoppers through an established brand image.
• Mollie includes local payment habits of EU making it ideal to the European audience.

Key Factors to Compare Before Picking a Payment Gateway

To decide on the most suitable payment gateway for the eCommerce website, many technical and business considerations must be taken into account.

Transaction Fees

The profit margins are directly influenced by the fees.

• The card processing charges are typically 2.9% or higher, with a 0.30 per region.
• International cards are more expensive than local cards.
• Apple Pay and Google Pay will have varying provider wallet fees.

Supported Payment Methods

Your gateway must provide:

• Cards: Visa, Mastercard, Amex
• Wallets: PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay.
• Localized solutions: iDEAL, Interac, Klarna, Sofort, Bancontact.

Payout Speed

Payout schedules affect cash flow.

• There are gateways with same-day payments.
• Others take 2-7 days, depending on the area.

Chargeback Rules

Each gate manages conflicts differently.

• The chargeback fees can be charged per case.
• Others provide higher-order dispute management applications.

Currency Support

The presence of a powerful multi-currency payment gateway of an online store enables:

• Accepting payment in a variety of currencies.
• Cashing into your bank account using your favorable currency.

Platform Support

Make sure that your gateway is compatible with:

• Shopify
• WooCommerce
• Magento
• Headless structures and custom stores.

Best Payment Gateways for Online Stores in the USA

The USA market is fond of credit cards, digital wallets and buy now pay later. The following are the most powerful options.

1. Stripe

Stripe is a one-stop shop of payment products and serves nearly all types of businesses.

• Supports all major cards
• Fast API integration
• Klarna and Affirm Buy now, Pay later.
• Supports 3D Secure
• Strong fraud prevention

2. PayPal

PayPal is among the most reliable Payment gateway methods all over the world.

• Best suited to first-time shoppers.
• One tap checkout for mobile
• International shoppers find it very easy to convert.

3. Square for Online Stores

Square is best suited to brands with both online and offline presence.

• Charging single payments, e-commerce.
• Strong for small businesses

4. Authorize.Net

An enterprise-grade payment solution.

• Strong for B2B
• Superb billing of subscriptions.
• Favorable of advanced fraud tools.

USA Gateway Fee Table

Gateway	Fee	Payout	Local Methods	BNPL	Notes
Stripe	2.9% plus $0.30	2 days	Yes	Klarna, Affirm	Best all round
PayPal	2.9% plus $0.49	Instant to 3 days	Yes	PayPal Pay Later	Trusted option
Square	2.9% plus $0.30	1 to 2 days	Yes	Afterpay	Ideal for online plus offline
Authorize dot net	2.9% plus $0.30	2 to 5 days	Yes	Limited	Great for B2B

Best Payment Gateways for Online Stores in Canada

Here are some of the most effective payment gateways for online stores in Canada, helping online store owners to rule without any hassle:

1. Stripe

• Supports Interac
• Multi-currency support
• Best suited to subscription-based stores.

2. Moneris

A leading Canadian gateway.

• Strong for enterprise
• Excellent customer support

3. PayPal

• Reliable to Canadian customers.
• Easy to support cross border transactions.

Canada Gateway Fees

Gateway	Fee	Payout	Local Methods	BNPL	Notes
Stripe	2.9% plus C$0.30	2 to 7 days	Interac	Klarna	Perfect for global stores
Moneris	Varies	2 to 5 days	Interac	Limited	Strong local presence
PayPal	2.9% plus C$0.49	1 to 3 days	Yes	PayPal Pay Later	Popular in Canada

Best Payment Gateways for Online Stores in Europe

Local payment modes are desired by European customers.

1. Adyen

• Relied upon by business brands.
• Digital payment service providers iDEAL, Sofort, Bancontact, Giropay.
• Superior cross border service.
• Strong fraud protection

2. Stripe Europe

• Multi-currency support
• Apple Pay and Google Pay works.
• Clean developer setup

3. Mollie

• EU merchants found them very popular.
• Easy onboarding
• Good preference to iDEAL, Sofort and Bancontact.

4. Klarna as a BNPL Gateway

• Mainstream in Germany, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
• Ideal in increasing conversions.

Europe Gateway Fee

Gateway	Local Payment Support	Payout	Fee	Notes
Adyen	iDEAL, Sofort, Bancontact, Giropay	2 to 7 days	Varies	Best for EU stores
Stripe	Cards plus wallets plus local EU	2 to 5 days	1.4% to 2.9% plus €0.25	All rounder
Mollie	iDEAL, Bancontact, Sofort	2 days	Varies	Easy onboarding
Klarna	BNPL	5 to 7 days	Varies	Strong EU adoption

Stripe vs PayPal vs Adyen vs Mollie — Which One Fits Your Store

Here we have put together a head-to-head comparison of the leading payment gateways to make the right choice for online stores:

Stripe

• Best for global stores
• Smooth checkout
• Subscriptions billing works.

PayPal

• Most trusted by new shoppers
• Strong mobile conversions

Adyen

• Best in EU stores where customers make local payments.
• Infrastructure on the enterprise level.

Mollie

• Ideal for startups in Europe
• A high degree of favor in local methods.

Payment Gateway for Cross-Border Stores (USA to Canada to EU)

International trade demands a currency-friendly gateway that facilitates foreign exchange and domestic payments.

Key Considerations

• FX fees
• Local acquiring and international acquiring.
• Acceptance with wallets in every area.
• Multi currency pricing support.

Recommended Setups

• Stripe and PayPal in international markets.
• Stripe and Mollie first stores in EU.
• Adyen and PayPal enterprise in Europe.
• Stripe and Klarna on heavy areas of BNPL.

Payment Gateway for Subscription-Based Stores

Businesses that offer subscriptions require automated recurring billing.

Important Features

• Unlimited subscription fees.
• Failed payment retry logic.
• API friendly setup
• Shopify customer care.

Best Options

• Stripe
• PayPal
• Chargebee integrated with Stripe.
• Sanction dot net on behalf of USA B2B subscriptions.

Payment Gateway for High Risk or Restricted Niches

Such industries as supplements, CBD, gaming and vape are more restricted.

Suitable Gateways

• Authorize.net
• PayKings
• Durango
• NMI

These gateways make chargeback more tolerant and more strict.

Payment Gateway for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento and Headless Stores

Below are payment gateway for shopify, woocommerce, magento and headless stores one must consider checking out:

Platform Matrix

Platform	Best Choices
Shopify	Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Klarna, Shop Pay
WooCommerce	Stripe, PayPal, Square, 2Checkout
Magento	Adyen, Stripe, Braintree
Headless	Stripe, Adyen

Gateway Comparison — One View Summary

Gateway	USA	Canada	Europe	BNPL	Multi Currency	Setup
Stripe	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Easy
PayPal	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Easy
Adyen	Partial	Partial	Yes	Yes	Yes	Medium
Mollie	Partial	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Easy
Square	Yes	Partial	No	Yes	Yes	Easy
Moneris	No	Yes	No	Limited	No	Medium

How to Pick the Right Gateway for Your Online Store

The selection of the appropriate payment gateway influences conversion rates, checkout rates, fraud protection and payout times. An appropriate gateway is one that favors how your customers want to pay, and at the same time guards your margins, and the overall trust is enhanced. The following factors can help you make the right decision about your store.

Understand Your Customer Region

Customers do not spend the same amount of money in various regions, and therefore they need a gateway that will allow them to maintain their spending habits. In the USA, the favorite payment methods are cards and wallets, in Canada it is Interac, and in Europe it is iDEAL, Sofort and others.

Compare Processing Costs and Fees

Examine fee arrangements of:

• Local cards
• International cards
• Wallet payments
• Buy now pay later

That is, even a 0.2% difference may affect your profit as your store grows.

Check Payout Speed and Cash Flow Needs

Quick payments enhance liquidity, particularly when you are advertising or clearing a stock. Stripe and Square have shorter payouts. Certain gateways require 2-7 days with regards to the region.

Review Fraud and Security Tools

Effective fraud systems minimise chargebacks and save your shop. Find such tools as automated risk scoring, address verification and 3D Secure.

Confirm Platform Compatibility

Your gateway must be compatible with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or headless installations.

Native integrations eliminate errors and make checkout easier.

Conclusion

Selecting the most suitable payment gateway to thrive as an online store requires comparing charges, settlement periods, and geographical preferences. What was a functionally working gateway in the USA might fail to achieve the same performance in Canada or Europe. 

A provider that is well-supported across multiple currencies and well-equipped will be chosen to secure successful payments and higher conversions.

CartCoders is the best eCommerce website development service offering payment gateway integration for online shops in the USA, Canada, and Europe. Whether you need Stripe, PayPal, Adyen, Mollie, or a fully multi-region configuration, our professional team will develop high-speed, reliable, and smooth payment flows to suit your eCommerce requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)