These days, Dropshipping is the buzzword of ecommerce industry. Cashless economies are now becoming mainstream.
Easy payment methods like ePacket are available in almost all countries. Hence, most of the online marketers are getting ready for a whole new start over in dropshipping.
- What is a Payment Gateway?
- How Does a Payment Gateway Work?
- What Factors Should You Consider When Choosing a Payment Gateway?
- Best Payment Gateways for Dropshipping Stores
- Why Dropshippers Need Ecommerce Payment Gateways?
- Which Payment Gateway Is Easy to Use with Dropshipping?
- Dropshipping Payment Gateway Combos
We have already discussed how users can start their dropshipping businesses with zero money. So, let’s go in detail and find out the top payment gateways for dropshippers.
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What is a Payment Gateway?
Technologies that help merchants receive payments from their clients are called payment gateways. These are usually third-party payment processors and can be used for transactions on physical stores and online marketplaces. Some popular payment gateways include Amazon pay, Skrill, Stripe, PayPal, and 2Checkout.
All you need to do is to enter the details of your credit card on the payment gateway page and make the purchase. The payment gateway will deduct the amount from your credit card and send it to the dropshipper’s bank account after deducting some fees. The dropshipper can then transfer this to his/her bank account. The gateway makes ecommerce payment processing easier and convenient.
How Does a Payment Gateway Work?
Source: StoreApps
1. Buyer finalizes the order and enters card details
Payment gateways come into play when a customer is done adding items to their cart and is ready to checkout. When they want to finalize the order, they move on to the payment stage. There, they are required to input their card details and other necessary information.
2. Payment gateway sends a request to the bank/credit card company
Once that’s done and the customer punches the pay button, the gateway takes in the information and sends it into the processing phase.
3. Bank/credit card company authorizes the transaction
Two processes happen here; the details are verified, and it’s ensured that enough funds are available for the transaction to happen. In the next step, the information is sent to the customer’s issuing bank to initiate the transaction.
4. Funds are deposited into the merchant’s account
From there, the money moves into the merchant’s bank account, and the merchant and the customer are both notified of the credit and debit, respectively.
The transfer of money into the merchant’s account can take anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of weeks. Sometimes, the payment gateways hold the payment for a specified period to keep a margin for fraud claims and chargebacks. At other times, unforeseen errors impede the transactions and cause delays.
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What Factors Should You Consider When Choosing a Payment Gateway?
There are several payment gateways, and each serves a different purpose. Your task is to select the one that serves your ecommerce needs the best. Down below are a few points to consider when choosing a payment gateway for the business.
1. Ease of payment
A good payment gateway brings convenience to you and the users. There’s no point in integrating a gateway that makes checkout payments difficult for your clients. You’ll have reduced sales and increased abandoned carts.
2. Payout times
Once the transaction happens, the payment gateways take some time to send money to the merchant’s account. The timeframes vary for each. Do research the payout times before you integrate a payment gateway.
3. Fee
Different payment gateways have different pricing models. You’ll have to pay this cost to integrate payment gateways at your online platforms.
Compare the fee structures for different payment gateways and choose the one that fits right with your business.
4. Transactions in several currencies
If you are targeting clients from around the world, then this is a crucial point to consider. Make sure you integrate a platform that offers clients to pay in their local currency. Or at least offers options that are widely accepted in different countries.
Best Payment Gateways for Dropshipping Stores
I have curated list of the best payment gateways that dropshippers use the most. From the list, you will get to know what countries are supported, and how much transaction fee they charge.
1. PayPal
Payment Processing Fee: 3.49% + $0.49 (fixed)
PayPal is the most commonly used payment gateway for ecommerce stores. It is an accepted payment gateway in more than 203 countries. It supports all prominent credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Citibank, and more. To start dropshipping, you will need a business PayPal account.
PS: It is not supported in all countries. This eligible countries list tells if it is available in your country or not.
Key Features: PCI compliance, easy payment options, you can track your inventory.
2. Stripe
Payment Processing Fee: 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction
Stripe is a US-based payment gateway that’s available in more than 25 countries. It supports all major credit cards. But, it is mostly used in Canada, Australia, and United Kingdom. It offers WooCommerce integration as well. It’s ideal if you sell on Facebook Marketplace as well.
Key Features: Dynamic 3D security, multicurrency payouts, 24/7 customer support.
3. 2Checkout
Payment Processing Fee: There are 3 payment processing packages offered by 2Checkout. Their names and payment processing fee are down below:
- 2 Sell: 3.5% + $0.35
- 2 Subscribe: 4.5% + $0.45
- 2 Monetize: 6.0% + $0.6
2Checkout is another payment gateway that’s available in more than 87 countries. It supports all major credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, American Express and others. It is available in many third world countries, where it is used in combination with another payment gateway. See the list of preferred payment gateway combinations below.
Key Features: PCI compliance, multi-currency payouts, multi-language support.
4. Authorize.net
Payment Processing Fee: 2.9% + 0.30 per successful transaction. If you already have a merchant account, you can sign up for the “Payment Gateway Only Plan” and pay $0.10 per transaction and a $0.10 daily batch fee.
Note: Authorize.net charges a monthly fixed fee of $25 regardless of your package.
Authorize.net is currently available in more than 33 countries. It is one of the oldest and most trusted online payment gateway providers. It also features multiple extensions for easy integration with WooCommerce stores. Authorize.net also has the lowest transaction fee or 2.90 + $0.30 for ecommerce and dropshipping stores.
Key Features: Advanced fraud protection, simple checkouts, digital invoicing.
5. Skrill
Payment Processing Fee: The fee charged ranges from 0.00% to 5.00%, depending upon the payment method used.
You can pay via Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and Diners Club International for free.
Finally we have Skrill, a payment gateway available in over 40 countries. It charges 1.9% checkout transfer fees. It also offers an official extension for integration with WooCommerce-based dropshipping stores.
Key Features: Chargeback and fraud protection, easy integration, PCI compliance.
6. Wepay
Payment Processing Fee: 2.9% + $0.30 per successful transaction.
WePay is an online payment option for dropshippers who would like to add a seamless and fast payment gateway to their website. Although WePay is a customizable payment solution it has a limited number of payment options available at this time.
Key Features: Apple pay and Android pay compatible, PCI compliance, direct bank transfers.
7. Google Pay
Payment Processing Fee: The fee you’ll pay depends on the transaction value.
- 2.9% + $0.30 for transactions less than $3000
- 2.5% + $0.30 for transactions from $3,000 to $9,999.99
- 2.2% + $0.30 for transactions from $10,000 to $99,999.99
- 1.9% + $0.30 for transactions of $100,000 or more
Google Pay is another great option for ecommerce store owners in western region. Many people in the US and Europe use Google wallet for storing money. Since they shop online, they can easily pay with Google checkout option. Not on this option is faster than other dropshipping gateways, but also much more reliable. Google checkout also deducts the least amount of money since the payment holder also works as a bank account.
Key Features: Easy online integration, simple checkouts, protection against fraudulent activities.
8. Apple Pay
Payment Processing Fee: 1.5% + $0.25 to $15 depending on the amount.
Apple Pay is one of the most widely used contactless payment gateways in the market. So, you can also use it for your dropshipping store. With Apple Pay, customers can easily pay with the click of a button. The contactless payment gateway accepts Visa, Master Card, American Express, Union Pay, QUICPay, and Suica.
Key Features: Secure payments, contactless payments, easy checkout options.
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Why Dropshippers Need Ecommerce Payment Gateways?
Dropship stores work just like ecommerce stores. The only difference is they don’t sell products from their warehouses directly. To sell products of manufacturers, they need a payment gateway to make transactions.
Please note: Payment gateway providers are different and people prefer the ones that they are familiar with. So, when looking for the best ecommerce payment gateway, choose one that your audience is likely familiar with.
For example, in the United States, PayPal is the most commonly used ecommerce payment gateway. In Canada, Payoneer and Stripe are mostly used. Even in Ukraine, Stripe is the most used online payment gateway. So, while targeting a country, choose a payment gateway that is already prominent or go with a combo of the two – we will discuss this later.
Which Payment Gateway Is Easy to Use with Dropshipping?
It is a tough question. The selection of a payment gateway depends on the owner’s preference and his target market. PayPal is the most used payment gateway. So, we recommend that dropshippers  that are in the initial stage, should start their dropshipping business with it.
Dropshipping Payment Gateway Combos
It is better to select at least two payment gateways, if you are dropshipping for the first time. It is hard to find a checkout method that works best for users. Experiment with at least two checkout methods at a single time and then decide which one is better.
Here are the best payment gateways for dropshipping.
- Stripe and PayPal
- 2Checkout and PayPal
- 2Checkout and Stripe
- PayPal and Skrill
- 2Checkout and Skrill
You can increase potential sales by using a payment method that suits your customers.
Bottom-Line
A payment gateway is an essential part of any ecommerce business. However, finding the right one is a problem. So, test with different payment gateways and choose the one that works the best.
Here’s a summarized list of 8 Best Payment Gateways of 2022.
- Authorize.Net: Best Connections With Merchant Account Providers
- Stripe: Best New Payment Gateway
- PayPal: Best for Ecommerce
- 2Checkout: Best for International Selling
- Apple Pay: Best Security Protocols
- Google Pay: Best for Faster Processing
- Skrill: Best for Crypto Investing
- WePay: Best Customization Options
If you are just starting out, go with popular ecommerce payment gateways such as Paypal, Stripe, and 2Checkout to decrease the risk of losing relevant customers to your ecommerce stores.
Have anything to add to this article? Or, have a question in mind that you want to ask? Simply comment below with your query and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Q1. What are the best payment gateways in terms of availability across the world?
Here’s our list of the top 8 payment gateways and their availability across the world:
| Payment Gateways | No. of Countries |
| PayPal | 200+ |
| Stripe | 44 |
| 2checkout | 200+ |
| Authorize | 33 |
| Skrill | 120 |
| Google Checkout | 30 |
| Apple Pay | 60 |
| WePay | US Only |
Q2. Is the payment gateway supported on your ecommerce platform?
All the platforms that we have provided in the list are supported on WooCommerce. However, if you are using any other ecommerce platform, there is a chance that the payment gateways will not support it. It is better to check first before setting up your store. Alternatively, you can use payment plugins to fulfill your need. We recommend to choose a payment gateway that is already available with the platform.
Q3. Are you in a ‘high-risk’ business?
Some businesses are high risk because of many factors attached to them. These include business volatility, high turnover rate, more upfront investment, public image issues. So, if your business is a high-risk one, then most payment gateways will be reluctant to work with you. In such a case, verify early so that you find a payment gateway that’s willing to work.
Here are some high-risk businesses:
- Tobacco
- Debt Collection
- Diet Programs
- Credit Repair
- Gambling
Q4. Does the payment gateway support the payment methods your target market uses?
Before adding a payment gateway, ask yourself: Does it support the payment method of your target market? Is the currency supported? Let’s say you are targeting Ukraine. So, you need a payment gateway that supports Ukrainian currency. Paypal supports Ukrainian Hryvnia but Authorize.net doesn’t. This can become a real hurdle when processing payments in real-time. Ensure you have setup relevant gateways properly.
Raza Aslam Lakhani
I'm a digital content producer at Cloudways. I'm also a hodophile- always ready to explore new places and cultures. Other than that, I play guitar and love to indulge myself in deep, meaningful conversations. Always looking for opportunities to learn new things.
