International Payment Gateways at a Glance
A payment gateway that works for UK domestic sales may not be the best choice when you are selling to customers in Europe, the US, or further afield. International payments introduce cross-border card fees, currency conversion mark-ups, local payment method requirements, and regulatory complexity. This guide covers the main options for UK businesses accepting payments from overseas customers in 2026.
- Stripe: Best for developers and global e-commerce at scale
- Adyen: Best for enterprise businesses with high cross-border volume
- Checkout.com: Best for optimised authorisation rates internationally
- Worldpay: Best for established UK businesses expanding internationally
- Nuvei: Best for businesses needing broad local payment method coverage
Full Comparison Table: International Payment Gateways
| Provider | Currencies | Cross-border fee | FX mark-up | Local payment methods | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 135+ | +1.5% (non-UK) | +1% (currency conversion) | 50+ (iDEAL, SEPA, Klarna, etc.) | Self-serve API |
| Adyen | 180+ | Interchange-based | Interbank + processing fee | 250+ | Contract required |
| Checkout.com | 150+ | Varies by market | Competitive FX rates | 20+ markets | Contract required |
| Worldpay | 120+ | +1.5–2% (non-UK) | Standard FX mark-up | Major markets covered | Onboarding required |
| Nuvei | 200+ | Quoted | Quoted | 600+ worldwide | Contract required |
Fees correct as of May 2026. Adyen, Checkout.com, and Nuvei pricing is bespoke. Contact providers for quotes. Stripe rates are published standard rates.
International Payment Gateway Options
Best for Developers and Global E-Commerce: Stripe
Stripe supports payments in over 135 currencies, with settlement available in over 45 countries. The standard UK rate for online card payments is 1.5% + 25p for domestic cards; non-UK cards add a 1.5% cross-border fee, and currency conversion adds 1% on top. A European customer paying by card would typically incur a fee of around 3% + 25p.
Stripe supports over 50 local payment methods including iDEAL (Netherlands), SEPA Direct Debit (EU), Klarna (UK/EU), Bancontact (Belgium), and giropay (Germany). These are enabled via configuration in the Stripe Dashboard. No separate contracts required for most methods. Stripe’s global routing optimises transaction routing to improve authorisation rates in each market.
For businesses building e-commerce from scratch or scaling globally, Stripe’s developer tooling, documentation, and breadth of payment method support make it the default choice at most volume levels.
Best for Enterprise Cross-Border Volume: Adyen
Adyen processes payments for some of the world’s largest retailers and platforms. It operates its own acquiring infrastructure in the EU, UK, US, Australia, and other key markets, meaning it does not rely on third-party acquirers and can offer competitive interchange-plus pricing at high volumes. It supports over 180 currencies and over 250 local payment methods.
Adyen’s RevenueAccelerate product uses machine learning to optimise payment routing and retry logic, targeting higher authorisation rates in each market. Its Network Token offering replaces raw card numbers with scheme tokens, further improving authorisation rates for returning customers.
Pricing requires a commercial agreement. There is no self-serve sign-up. Adyen is most relevant for businesses processing over £5 million annually, where the optimisation features and direct acquiring relationships generate material savings.
Best for Authorisation Rate Optimisation: Checkout.com
Checkout.com is a UK-based payments platform with direct acquiring licences in the UK, EU, and other major markets. It competes directly with Adyen for enterprise payment optimisation, with smart routing and real-time analytics to maximise authorisation rates across markets. It supports over 150 currencies and operates in over 20 primary markets.
Checkout.com has built a reputation for strong authorisation rates in markets where card acceptance is traditionally challenging: the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. For UK businesses with significant sales to those regions, Checkout.com’s regional expertise is worth considering alongside Adyen and Nuvei.
Pricing is negotiated. Checkout.com does not publish standard rates.
Best for Established UK Businesses Expanding Internationally: Worldpay
Worldpay (now part of FIS) is one of the UK’s largest acquirers and has been processing international card payments for decades. For a UK business that already uses Worldpay for domestic payments and wants to extend to international customers, expanding through the existing relationship is the path of least resistance: one contract, one settlement account, familiar reporting.
Worldpay supports payments in over 120 currencies. Cross-border fees for non-UK cards are typically 1.5–2% on top of the standard transaction rate. Local payment methods are available in major markets but the breadth is narrower than Adyen or Nuvei.
Worldpay is stronger on reliability and existing relationship management than on innovation. It is not the first choice for a fast-growing e-commerce startup, but it is a credible option for mid-market businesses that want a known name and established support.
Best for Broad Local Payment Method Coverage: Nuvei
Nuvei is a Canadian-listed payments platform with over 600 local payment method integrations across more than 200 markets. If your customers expect to pay by Pix (Brazil), Alipay (China), UPI (India), or another local method, and you need all of them through one provider, Nuvei’s payment method breadth is hard to match.
Nuvei has FX optimisation tools, flexible payout options, and an orchestration layer for routing payments across multiple acquiring connections. It works with gaming, digital goods, and marketplace businesses where payment method diversity is critical. Pricing is bespoke.
Key Concepts for International Payments
Cross-Border Card Fees
When a card issued outside the UK is used to pay a UK merchant, the card scheme (Visa or Mastercard) charges an interchange fee that is higher than for domestic UK cards. Providers pass this on as a cross-border fee, typically 1–2% on top of the standard transaction rate. This applies to most European cards post-Brexit and all non-UK cards.
Currency Conversion and FX Mark-Ups
If you accept a payment in EUR but settle in GBP, someone converts the currency. Providers apply an FX mark-up above the interbank rate, typically 1–2%. Stripe charges 1% for currency conversion. Adyen and Checkout.com offer more competitive FX rates at volume. Alternatively, multi-currency settlement allows you to hold balances in each currency and convert at a time of your choosing, useful if you have EUR expenses as well as EUR revenue.
Local Payment Methods
In some markets, a significant proportion of online shoppers do not pay by card. In the Netherlands, iDEAL (a bank transfer method) accounts for over 60% of e-commerce transactions. In Germany, SEPA Direct Debit and Klarna are common. In Brazil, Pix dominates. A gateway that only offers card acceptance will convert fewer customers in these markets. Check which local methods are available and how they are priced before selecting a provider for a specific target market.
3DS2 and Strong Customer Authentication
The EU requires Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) for online card payments under PSD2. UK rules also require SCA. Gateways handle 3DS2 (the technical implementation of SCA) automatically, but the configuration (when to request authentication, when to exempt low-value transactions) affects conversion rates. Enterprise providers like Adyen and Checkout.com have more sophisticated 3DS2 optimisation than self-serve providers.
How to Choose an International Payment Gateway
Target markets. If you sell primarily to Europe, Stripe’s EU payment method support (iDEAL, SEPA, Klarna, Bancontact) covers most needs. If you are selling across Asia-Pacific, Middle East, or Latin America, Nuvei or Checkout.com’s regional depth is more relevant.
Volume. Under £1 million per year: Stripe’s self-serve model and published rates are the easiest starting point. Over £5 million: enterprise providers (Adyen, Checkout.com) offer lower rates and better optimisation tools that more than offset their complexity. Between £1–5 million: compare Stripe’s blended rate against a Worldpay or Checkout.com quote.
Technical resource. Stripe, Checkout.com, and Adyen all require developer integration. Stripe has the most accessible documentation. Adyen requires more engineering investment but returns more flexibility at scale.
Settlement currency. If you have significant costs in non-GBP currencies, multi-currency settlement (available from Stripe, Adyen, and Checkout.com) reduces FX exposure.
International Payment Gateway Fees and Costs to Watch
Stacked fees. International card payments can attract multiple fees simultaneously: standard card rate + cross-border fee + currency conversion mark-up + 3DS2 authentication fee. Model the total cost for a typical international transaction, not just the headline rate.
Chargeback rates. Cross-border transactions have higher chargeback rates than domestic ones. Providers may flag your account if your international chargeback rate exceeds scheme thresholds (typically 0.5–1% of transactions). Enterprise providers offer better chargeback management tools.
Compliance costs. Selling to the EU may require VAT registration in certain markets (EU OSS scheme), and some regulated product categories require local licences. Payment compliance is separate from product compliance. Do not assume a gateway relationship solves regulatory requirements in target markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. Most major UK payment gateways accept international card payments. But cross-border fees and limited local payment method support can reduce conversion in some markets. If international sales are significant (over 20% of revenue), review whether your current provider’s international offering is competitive rather than assuming it is.
For most businesses, Stripe is the cheapest self-serve option with transparent published pricing. At higher volumes, enterprise providers (Adyen, Checkout.com) offer lower interchange-plus pricing that can be cheaper overall despite requiring contract negotiation. The cheapest option depends heavily on your card mix, target markets, and average transaction size.
Yes. Stripe, Adyen, Checkout.com, and Worldpay all support multi-currency pricing and checkout. You can display prices in local currencies and accept payment in those currencies. Settlement can be in GBP (with provider-side FX conversion) or in the original currency if you hold multi-currency accounts. Multi-currency settlement is more complex to manage but reduces FX exposure if you have costs in the same currencies.
Yes. Since the UK left the EU, cards issued in EU countries are treated as international (non-domestic) by UK acquirers. This means EU card transactions attract the cross-border interchange surcharge, typically an additional 1–2% on top of the standard rate. This applies to most EU consumer cards. It does not affect EU-issued commercial cards differently from before, but the overall cost of accepting EU card payments has increased for UK merchants since 2020.
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