The Top 10 Best Credit Card Processing Companies of 2025 REVEALED
Payment processors are providers that enable merchants to accept credit card payments by facilitating the electronic fund transfers and serving as a go-between for cardholders, merchants, and the multiple other entities involved.
You have to work with a payment processor to accept credit cards. But, if you’re going to work with a payment processor, you need to find the one that works best for you… and your customers.
There are lots of highly rated payment processing providers offering reasonable rates, seamless integration with your current systems, accessible customer service, and more. Naturally, you’ll want to identify the best match for your specific needs before signing a contract. If you’re like most merchants, however, you probably have no idea where to start.
Lucky for you, we can help.
In this post, we’ll explore why you need a processor, what features you need to look out for, and what you can expect to pay for those services. We’ve even done some of the legwork for you, providing a list of some of the most respected providers in the business.
Now… ready to get started? Then let’s go.
Recommended reading
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- Why is My Bank Account is Under Investigation?
- Credit and Debit Card Processing: Explained & Compared
- Visa Interchange: 2025 Processing Rates & Fees, Explained
- Payment Process Flow: Who’s Involved in the Process & How?
Learn more about payment processors
What Should You Expect from Your Processor?
TL;DR
Processors perform a wide range of services, including customer validation and authorization, data encryption and security, and settling funds.
What sorts of things would you expect from a payment processing solution?
You want your processor to take care of things so you don’t have to. But, what does that look like? Here are some of the tasks that a processor will typically handle for you:
- Setting up (or providing) the merchant account needed to accept payments.
Handling integration and connecting your business software to that of the processor’s. - Collecting cardholder and transaction information at the point of sale.
- Validating the cardholder’s ID and ensuring they have sufficient resources.
- Encrypting personal data while maintaining compliance with data security protocols.
- Mitigating fraud risk by flagging unusual or potentially invalid transactions.
- Transferring (settling) money from the cardholder’s account to yours.
- Assisting with chargeback and dispute management.
- Monitoring, analyzing, and reporting process data for better decisioning.
Merchant accounts are a necessary component of credit card processing, but should not be confused with your regular business bank account. These are two separate accounts.
Click here to learn more about merchant accounts
As you can see, processors do a lot of work, and most of it is stuff you don’t even want to think about. Depending on your business model, you can also count on their help with things like managing recurring payments, handling different payment methods, and accepting/converting different currencies.
It’s worth your time to find the best processor for your business.
Evaluating Costs & Fees: Which Fee Structure Works Best For You?
As a rule, credit card processing fees typically total 1.5% to 3.5% of the transaction. There are four common pricing models: flat-rate pricing, interchange plus pricing, tiered pricing, or membership-based pricing. Specific pricing will differ based on the processor and pricing structure you select.
Payment processors are understandably going to charge fees, but their pricing models and specifics will differ. All in all, you’ll typically be charged between 1.5% to 3.5% of the total on every transaction you process, although the exact fee will vary.
Credit card processing fees can be divided into three groupings: interchange fees, assessment fees, and processor fees:
While the fee categories are largely the same, the way you’re billed can be different according to your needs. There are four typical billing methods for processors:
Learn more about processing feesFinding the best value goes beyond just finding the best credit card processing rates. The cheapest payment processors aren’t always the best; other factors come into play, such as your sales volume. The processor’s publicized rate may end up costing you more in the long run if you don’t carefully consider all the variables at play.
How to Choose the Right Processor for Your Needs
Major points to consider when talking to potential providers include rates and fees, payment and currency options, security, scalability, and customer reviews.
OK. Now that we’ve looked at some of the various aspects of payment processors, it’s time for you to start thinking about finding a provider for yourself. It can be tempting to go with the first one that sounds good, but picking something at face value could get you in trouble.
A provider advertised as the best payment processor online, for example, may not be the best payment processor for high-risk merchants. With all that in mind, here are eight major factors you should really be focusing on when evaluating the best credit card processing companies:
What to Avoid When Looking for a Payment Processor
Potential red flags for processing providers include hidden fees, lax security, poor reviews, and/or nonresponsive customer service.
With the large number of providers out there, it might be easier to narrow down your list by looking for red flags and deal-breakers. For example:
Hidden Fees
Payment processing contracts have many moving pieces, which can make them confusing to read. You need a clear understanding of what you’ll be paying. If you feel the provider isn’t being transparent, then move on.
Security Non-Compliance
Providers won’t go over tech security in detail (if they do, you don’t want to use them), but they should be eager to show off compliance certifications (like PCI-DSS) and a general idea of how they handle data security.
Poor Responsiveness
Particularly if you’re new to processing, you don’t want to be stranded when it comes to customer support. If the provider already seems hard to contact, that could be a good indicator of what you can expect as a client.
Bad Reviews
If most of the reviews you read are negative, or if you see the same topics being repeatedly complained about, that needs to be addressed. If the rep won’t talk about the issue or dismisses it, then walk away.
Top 10 Best Credit Card Processing Companies
All of the above is a lot to digest. And there are a lot of vendors out there to consider. To help give you a leg up, we’ve researched some of the best payment processors. This gives you an unbiased way to check out some reputable payment processor examples. Hopefully, you’ll find the perfect fit for your needs.
Ratings and reviews were averaged based on sources featured by Forbes, Nerdwallet, and TechRadar. The pros and cons listed are paraphrased directly from real, firsthand customer reviews on G2.com. Also, these entries are not listed in any particular order:
#1 | PayJunction
“Best Payment Processor for Balanced Service”
PayJunction provides small and medium-sized businesses with solutions that make it easy to accept credit and debit card payments in-store, online, and on the go. They deliver secure, innovative services, including a contactless payment system for in-person transactions, plus eco-friendly remote payment features like digital invoicing, signatures, and receipts.
PayJunction’s cloud-powered payment solution easily and securely integrates with industry-leading business software and management platforms. This is done via RESTful APIs for businesses seeking an integrated payments solution. Companies looking for a stand-alone, out-of-the-box solution should look no further.
Pros:
- Outstanding, personable customer support
- Clean and concise reporting
- Accurate and easy-to-use online portal and POS terminals
Cons:
- In some cases, processing fees are deducted daily instead of monthly
- For a multi-location business, transaction limits cannot be extended or applied to sister locations
- Limited mobile processing options
Pricing: Two-tier, volume-based pricing
Transaction Fees: Interchange + 0.75% per transaction. Additional fee of $0.07 for swiped credit card transaction, which may vary depending on card/transaction type.
Extra Perks:
- Month-to-month service
- Securely store and recharge cards on file
- Streamlined electronic invoice payments
- Automated sales reports
- Hosted checkout
#2 | Payline
“Best Payment Processor for Brick-and-Mortar”
Payline is a Pineapple Payments company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. They provide solutions to businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies, focusing on the payment experience.
Payline offers gateway payment processing, and its web solutions are designed to integrate with over 175 online shopping carts. The company also offers mobile solutions designed to accept payments via mobile apps. The Payline payment processing gateway also integrates with QuickBooks for ease of payroll management and business financials in general.
Pricing for brick-and-mortar stores includes a monthly fee, plus a small percentage fee per transaction. For online stores, the monthly and transaction fees are a little higher.
Pros:
- Easy to use and set up
- No early termination fees
- Excellent customer service and clarity are guaranteed
Cons:
- Occasional program glitches noted by customers
- Transaction costs are not fully transparent
- Not available outside the US
Pricing: Call for a free quote
Transaction Fees: In-person transactions are 0.2% + $0.20 per transaction, and a fee of $20 per month. CNP transactions are 0.4% + $0.20 per transaction, plus the $20 monthly fee.
Extra Perks:
- Built-in security and fraud protection
- Mobile app integration
- Lower monthly fee
#3 | Stripe
“Best Payment Processor for Payments Technology”
According to Forbes, Stripe outshines its competitors in terms of online payments because it accepts all types of mobile wallets. They take Apple Pay and Google Pay, plus popular international wallets like Alipay and WeChat Pay. Stripe also lets merchants accept payments or recurring charges with ACH debit, ACH credit or wire transfers for an 0.8% fee (capped at $5).
Stripe is designed for larger firms, and offers a plethora of APIs that allow merchants to create their own subscription services, on-demand marketplaces, or crowdfunding platforms. It supports a range of development languages, including Ruby, Python, PHP and Java.
The company also offers credit card readers that integrate with popular eCommerce and accounting software, including Shopify, WooCommerce and Xero. Payouts are typically available within two days but you can also choose instant payouts for an additional 1% ($0.50 minimum). Stripe also offers 24/7 email, chat, and phone support.
Pros:
- Faster, frictionless payments
- Seamless to set up and use, and comes with a variety of integration options
- One of the best tools for collecting payments from different countries/currencies
Cons:
- Requires fundamental tech savvy to operate (large learning curve)
- Stripe has slightly higher fees than Square, and takes a day longer to deposit funds
- Spotty customer service where troubleshooting is involved
Pricing: Flat rate pricing, with $0 monthly fees
Transaction Fees: 2.7% + $0.05 per transaction for card-present payments. 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for online or manually keyed-in payments.
Extra Perks:
- Global processing
- Omnichannel
- Instant payouts available
- Transparent pricing structure
#4 | Square
“Best Payment Processor for Small Businesses & Startups”
Square is a highly integratable payment platform that was established to empower small businesses and startups the ability to take physical and online credit card payments. The company has added a multiplicity of channels, integrations, and portals over time to empower and enable every type of business.
Square offers a complete suite of business tools for eCommerce and brick-and-mortar businesses, with an intuitive dashboard that centralizes all income streams and data sources with advanced analytics. Hardware and software options work seamlessly to provide stress-free, modern business solutions.
Square also offers register and payment hardware for retailers, restaurants and more, as well as loyalty, appointment scheduling, and inventory software.
Pros:
- Accepts multiple forms of payment that arrive in your bank account within one business day
- Pays out next business day
- Easy to setup and use
Cons:
- Pricing model makes it less cost-effective for bigger companies
- Deposit limits and add-on services are pricey
- Hardware can sometimes be buggy
Pricing: Flat rate pricing, with $0 monthly fees
Transaction Fees: Card-present payments are 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction. Card-not-present payments are 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Keyed-in payments are 3.5% + $0.15 per transaction.
Extra Perks:
- Next-business day transfers
- Account takeover protection
- End-to-end encrypted payments
- Active fraud prevention
- Dispute management
- Data-security (PCI) compliance coverage
#5 | ACI Worldwide
“Best Payment Processor for Online Payments”
ACI Worldwide delivers white label global payment gateway solutions to payment service providers (PSPs), independent sales organizations (ISOs), acquirers, independent software vendors (ISVs), and value-added resellers (VARs). They allow merchants to fully outsource payment transaction processing and integrate a gateway-to-gateway solution.
It’s a smart, agile payments orchestration platform for international growth. ACI Worldwide enables customer journeys, accepts all payments, prevents fraud and optimizes payments configuration for maximum conversion with minimum cost.
Pros:
- Best encrypted payment portal, with real-time alerts
- Superior analytics and conversion data
- Designed specifically with eCommerce in mind
Cons:
- Pricing and fees lack transparency
- Limited personalization with integration
- Payments are not frictionless; advanced security measures increase false negatives
Pricing: Call for a free quote
Transaction Fees: No data; call for clarification
Extra Perks:
- Omnichannel solutions
- Wide range of products to choose from
#6 | Authorize.Net
“Best Payment Processor for Flexible Payments”
According to G2, Authorize.Net (from Visa) supports all major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diner’s Club, and JCB. The platform is compatible with digital payment services such as Apple Pay, PayPal, and Visa Checkout.
The software can accept transactions made by customers all over the world. However, your business must be registered in the US, UK, Canada, Europe, or Australia if you’d like to use this service.
Plans start with the gateway-only offering, which has no setup fee; only a monthly gateway fee, plus a per-transaction fee and a daily batch fee. At the other end of the spectrum are enterprise solutions that offer comprehensive, tailored pricing for larger business needs.
Pros:
- Simple, easy-to-navigate interface
- Robust security protocols that help against fraud and chargebacks
- Merchant payouts are processed and finalized in just a few days
Cons:
- False positives and negatives are common
- The Authnet Dashboard has not changed in over a decade, and could use a modern facelift
- The platform is pricey
Pricing: $25 monthly gateway fee. Setup is $49.
Transaction Fees: All-in-one option with a per-transaction rate of 2.9% + $0.30, with no setup fee.
Extra Perks:
- Global merchant account provider
- Support for credit cards and digital providers
- Wide range of currencies supported
- Designed for any business
#7 | Payment Depot
“Best Payment Processor for High-Volume Sales”
Unlike other payment processor companies, which take a percentage of each transaction, Payment Depot uses a subscription pricing model based on a merchant’s monthly transaction volume. Merchants pay a flat fee per transaction, plus the interchange rate, regardless of the transaction type.
Payment Depot doesn’t charge any cancellation or hidden fees. At the same time, they provide access to funds within 24 to 48 hours of a transaction. The company also offers a variety of terminals, credit card readers, and POS systems with customer support available 24 hours a day.
Payment Depot works best with high-volume merchants or merchants who frequently process high-dollar products and services.
Pros:
- Saves merchants a ton of money in fees
- Customer care and support are top-notch
- Month-to-month billing
Cons:
- Hardware options are limited
- Pricey for businesses with lower volumes
- High-risk businesses may be denied
Pricing: A flat $79 to $99 per month (Enterprise membership starts at $199) with a monthly transaction limit of $25,000 to over $300,000 depending on the plan.
Transaction Fees: Fixed $0.07 to $0.15 per transaction, plus the interchange rate.
Extra Perks:
- Low transaction fees
- 24/7 customer support
#8 | Veem
“Best Payment Processor for International Payments”
Veem is a payment processor that “uncomplicates the end-to-end AP/AR process.” They offer seamless integrations to leading accounting software, real-time tracking on payments and cost-effective, and flexible payment options. Now businesses have the power to pay how they prefer and eliminate friction with customers to get paid faster.
Veem provides broad access to online global payment tools to send and receive payments in 100 countries and in over 70 currencies, all on one payment network. The company enables businesses to track international payments from start to finish, providing live updates on transactions at any time.
Pros:
- Transactions are easy and traceable
- All-in-one dashboard
- Low cost for international payments
Cons:
- Transactions can take 4-6 business days to process
- Not all countries are represented
- Setup and onboarding is dodgy
Pricing: Two-tier pricing scale—international and domestic (international wire transfers start at $29 per transaction)
Transaction Fees: Transaction Fees: 2.9% per transaction; 1% of total amount.
Extra Perks:
- Mass pay options for contractors and partners
#9 | BlueSnap
“Best Payment Processor for Vendor Partnerships & Split Payments”
BlueSnap supports payments through multiple sales channels such as online and mobile sales, marketplaces, subscriptions, invoice payments and manual orders through a virtual terminal. For businesses looking for embedded payments, the company offers white-labeled payments for platforms with automated underwriting and onboarding. This supports marketplaces and split payments.
With one integration and contract, businesses can sell in over 200 geographies with access to local acquiring in 47 countries, 110+ currencies and 100+ global payment types. These include popular eWallets and automated accounts receivable, all backed by world-class fraud protection and chargeback management, built-in solutions for regulation and tax compliance, and unified global reporting to help businesses grow.
Pros:
- New features continuously available
- Bluesnap is very accommodating for unique needs and works with merchants to modify workflows to fit the business requirements
- Integration with hosted fields is fairly simple and seamless
Cons:
- Technical support needs work
- Good reference docs, but no helpful implementation guides, recommendations for choice among the various technical solutions, etc
- Patchwork system; not all facets of operations are on the same platform
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go pricing, with $0 startup, monthly, or cancellation fees
Transaction Fees: 2.9% + $0.30 per successful card transaction
Extra Perks:
- Global processing with one account
- Interchange plus, tiered or flat-rate pricing
- Level 2 and Level 3 data processing rates
- Charity or nonprofit payment processing rates
- Accounts receivable automation
#10 | GoCardless
“Best Payment Processor for Recurring Billing”
GoCardless is the global leader in recurring payments. They’re also the world's largest bank-to-bank direct debit platform, helping businesses accept payments in over 30 of the world’s largest economies. GoCardless takes the pain out of getting paid for more than 55,000 businesses worldwide, from enterprise to small businesses. Their clients range from small businesses to household names such as DocuSign, TripAdvisor, and The Guardian.
The company’s focus is on collecting payments through direct debit. This is done by seamlessly working with customers' existing billing software or payment gateway. The platform integrates with 200+ partners such as Zuora, Salesforce Billing, Recurly, and Yaypay.
Pros:
- Online dashboard interface is clean and user-friendly
- Minimal fees
- Excellent processes for automated payments
Cons:
- Any per-transaction price increases are substantial
- Can be difficult to speak to a real person when tech support is required
- Slight delay in payouts
Pricing: Two tier per-transaction pricing; custom pricing available.
Transaction Fees: 1% + $0.25 for domestic transactions, with a maximum of $2.50 per transaction.An additional fee of 0.3% applies to transaction values above $1,000. Failure and chargeback fees apply. For international transactions, the fee increases to 2% + $0.25 per transaction; currency conversion is included, with exchange rate powered by Wise.
Extra Perks:
- Personalized billing
- Accounting integration
- Usage tracking
Final Thoughts
A key benefit of payment processors is their help in mitigating fraud risk and assisting with chargeback and dispute management. That’s not enough to really protect yourself, though. Truly effective chargeback management requires an end-to-end strategy that involves multiple tools and techniques.
Chargebacks911® has a wealth of experience-based knowledge and expertise in providing cost-effective prevention and risk mitigation. Our experts can help you develop a long-range plan to retain revenue and prevent future disputes. Contact us today to learn more.
FAQs
How to choose a payment service provider?
When shopping for the right PSP, start with things like which payment methods and currencies the provider supports, as well as compatibility with your business model. Security and compliance are big considerations, as are fees and pricing structures. Also, don’t forget to look at their customer support options and reputation.
Which payment processor is best?
Finding the best payment processor requires some research. The best provider for you can vary based on your business, location, accepted payment methods, customer service needs, and more. At the least, you should look at 3-4 processors before you sign a contract.
What are the 4 most common methods of paying providers?
Payment processing providers work under four different pricing models: flat-rate pricing, interchange plus pricing, tiered pricing, or membership-based pricing.
What percentage do payment processors take?
As a rule, credit card processing fees typically total 1.5% to 3.5% of the transaction. Specific pricing will differ based on the processor and pricing structure you select.
What payment system is best for small businesses?
Shopify Payments, Square, and Stripe are acknowledged as some of the most reputable payment providers for small businesses. The best payment processor for your business, however, will depend on your particular needs.
