Last editedOct 20233 min read
Choosing a payment processor can be overwhelming, with an abundance of options on the market. From security to fees, there are numerous factors to consider as you narrow down these options. One of the most popular platforms is Stripe, which offers an open API to integrate card payments into your ecommerce store. Yet this option won’t be right for everyone, which is why it’s important to also consider some of the Stripe alternatives out there.
The pros and cons of Stripe
Stripe offers a variety of standard features to its customers including the ability to accept payments from Discover, Mastercard, Visa, and American Express cardholders. It’s relatively easy to implement the API with most ecommerce platforms. Developers can set up a custom checkout page with ease, and the company offers 24/7 customer support for assistance.
However, downsides include the fact that Stripe doesn’t support PayPal payments unlike many alternatives. Although Stripe ensures PCI compliance and a robust level of security, sometimes this can backfire when the company suddenly freezes your account or holds your funds.
How long does Stripe hold funds?
One issue that’s occasionally mentioned as a downside of Stripe is the potential hold time before you receive your funds. So, how long does Stripe hold funds? As you might imagine, it varies significantly according to country and account. According to Stripe, it takes approximately 7-14 days to receive your first pay-out. After this, the average processing time is only three business days for UK-based businesses. However, high-risk businesses can face hold times of 14 calendar days, and in some cases the hold time might be up to 90 days for those using a manual Connect account.
If you’re worried about this platform holding your funds, require PayPal support, or simply need different features to suit your business, here are a few of the best Stripe alternatives.
1. GoCardless
Could your business use an alternative that goes beyond credit card processing? You might not be familiar yet with alternative payment options, but it's worth looking into.
GoCardless offers businesses a way to take payments whilst saving time, saving money, and reducing failures. This is all power through bank payment technology, using a mixture of Direct Debit and Open Banking. You don't need to worry about that though - the benefits of bank payments are easily accessible for businesses directly via our dashboard, API, or one of our hundreds of software integrations (including major providers like Xero!) Plus, it's free to get started.
What kind of payments can you receive using GoCardless?
Whether you're looking for one-off payments with instant confirmation, like on your website or even via a text, or for recurring payments that you can automate and schedule (perfect for subscriptions or regular invoicing), GoCardless offers a more cost-effective and time-saving alternative to cards.
How to collect payments with GoCardless
1.
Create your free GoCardless account, access your user-friendly payments dashboard & connect your accounting software (if you use one).
2.
Easily set up & schedule one-off or recurring payments via payment pages on your website checkout or secure payment links.
3.
From now on you'll get paid on time, every time, as GoCardless automatically collects payment on the scheduled date. Simple.
2. Square
Those seeking alternatives to PayPal and Stripe often turn to Square. One of its key features is its ability to work both online and off as a POS application. Using the Square platform, you can accept card payments, mobile payments, and more, all while keeping track of live sales and inventory figures. Square also helps keep your accounting on track with automatic sales reporting and real-time analytics.
The cost will depend on the package you choose, with no monthly fee and charges beginning at 2.65% for in-person transactions. For standard online card payments, you’ll pay 2.9% plus a fee for each transaction. Square offers 24/7 support like Stripe, but it doesn’t offer as many integrations. This makes it better for smaller businesses rather than more complex industries.
3. Authorize.net
A good option for those seeking a cheaper alternative to Stripe is Authorize.net, one of the original payment gateways. Powered by Visa, it’s fully secure with built-in fraud protection and financial reporting features. However, one thing to note is that Authorize.net doesn’t provide a merchant account, so you’ll need to sign up for this separately. This is a benefit when it comes to fees, which are far lower. You also have the flexibility to shop around for the best merchant account provider to team with Authorize.net’s payment gateway.
4. 2Checkout
This platform enables multiple payment methods in multiple currencies and languages, making it an alternative to Stripe with similar global reach. Capabilities include recurring billing, customisable checkout pages, full ecommerce integration, and PCI compliance. It accepts all major credit cards as well as PayPal payments, which are not supported by Stripe. With 2Checkout, you can also access real-time analytics and financial reporting to better manage your business finances.
5. Adyen
Adyen is potentially a cheaper alternative to Stripe because there are no fixed pricing plans – instead, you pay per transaction. Like others on this list, it’s a payment gateway enabling card payments both in-store and online. Adyen also facilitates mobile payments with a full range of anti-fraud features. Key advantages include the ability to manage all ecommerce sales through a central platform, with analytics to make data-driven decisions. One feature that makes it a good alternative to PayPal and Stripe is its user-friendly design, making it easy for complete beginners to pick up.
We can help
GoCardless helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of admin your team needs to deal with when chasing invoices. Find out how GoCardless can help you with ad hoc payments or recurring payments.
