8 Best Payment Gateways for International Transactions in 2025

Using a standalone payment gateway like PayPal, Stripe, or Authorize.net may seem like the simplest option for international transactions. But relying on these services can mean higher fees, limited payment methods, and minimal support. Instead, the best approach is to access these gateways through a fully featured credit card processor.

Credit card processors offer all-in-one solutions that include popular payment gateways and provide discounted rates, fraud prevention, and better customer support. Even so, finding the right processor that provides the best payment gateway can be challenging.

After researching dozens of providers, I’ve identified the best credit card processors for international transactions. My recommendations offer seamless integration with top e-commerce platforms, support for multiple currencies, and cost-effective international payment processing.

Paysafe, in particular, stands out due to its ability to accept 260+ payment methods, support for 40+ currencies, and status as a certified reseller of Authorize.net. Check Paysafe out, or keep reading to see all the other top options.

What We Look For in the Best International Payment Gateways

To identify the best payment gateways for international transactions, I focused on the features and benefits US-based businesses require to successfully accept payments overseas.

• Low transaction fees. Higher fees on international transactions can eat into your profits, meaning you need a payment gateway that’ll offer you the best rates without sacrificing features or usability.
• Accepts foreign currency: If your business caters to a global customer base in various countries, you’ll want to accept as many currencies as possible. Most payment gateways accept 50+ currencies, with some even accepting over 150.
• Variety of payment options: Offering your customers local and international payment methods is essential when attempting to meet their varied preferences. Because of this, you need a payment gateway that accepts major credit and debit cards like Visa and Mastercard, digital wallets like Google Pay, cryptocurrency, ACH transfers, and more.
• Customization: The ability to tailor your checkout using APIs allows you to stand out among competitors. Plus, most payment gateways allow you to change the color and branding of your pages and forms, even without coding experience.
• Security: PCI compliance, fraud detection and monitoring, end-to-end encryption, and tokenization are non-negotiable when accepting international transactions. Better yet, some payment gateways offer advanced features like IP detection, AVS, and more.

1. Paysafe: Access 40+ Currencies Across 120 Markets

Paysafe offers over 260 payment methods, including local options like BACS, EFT, Alipay, iDEAL, and many more. This variety makes it easy to cater to your customers’ preferences, allowing them to complete transactions using familiar payment methods from their regions. You can also sell in 120 countries and accept payments in 40+ currencies, making Paysafe a strong choice for international transactions.

An impressive Paysafe feature is the ability to let your international customers pay for online purchases with cash. PaysafeCash converts online transactions into barcodes, which customers can use to pay in cash at nearby payment points. Paysafe also offers advanced API integrations, allowing you to create a smooth, user-friendly checkout experience for your global audience.

Paysafe’s pricing is easy to understand, with three options: an interchange+ plan, a tiered pricing plan, and a cash discount plan for $16.00/month. Its tiered plan has four categories: debit cards, credit cards, specialty/rewards credit cards, and foreign cards, starting at 0.99% + 25¢ (debit cards) for debit cards. However, international fees are slightly higher at 0.50% + $0.10 for foreign credit cards. This makes Paysafe better suited for low-volume businesses processing international transactions.

Features and Benefits

• Multichannel payments. Paysafe offers several payment channels, including digital invoicing, MOTO transactions, pay-by-link, subscription-based billing, and even QR code payments through its partnership with Applova.
• Comprehensive dashboard. The Merchant Back Office dashboard allows you to view your entire transaction history, take orders through a virtual terminal, generate reports, and process refunds, centralizing the management of your transactions.
• Compliance and security. Paysafe maintains the highest level of PCI compliance and offers end-to-end encryption and tokenization to protect your online transactions. Plus, its GDPR compliance ensures its standards align with current regulations.
• Account manager. After opening a merchant account, you’ll receive an account manager that you can reach via email or phone outside regular business hours.

Take a look at our comprehensive Paysafe review to learn more.

2. Leaders Merchant Services: Low Rates for SMEs With a Global Clientele

Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) is another excellent pick for SMEs processing international transactions. It offers industry-low rates, negotiable pricing, and integration with Authorize.net. LMS provides two affordable plans ideal for budget-conscious businesses: a swiped card plan with a ~0.15% + $0 per transaction fee and a virtual terminal plan with a ~2.9% + 30¢ per transaction fee. Both cost just $9.00/month.

Fraudulent activity and chargebacks are common for businesses processing international transactions, resulting in hefty chargeback fees and many disputes. Nonetheless, LMS offers dedicated fraud and chargeback teams to support you through the dispute process, increase your chances of winning, and reduce the risk of fraudulent activity.

For QuickBooks users, LMS provides a virtual terminal through Instant Accept, allowing you to create invoices and receipts, set up recurring billing, and accept various payment methods while automatically updating QuickBooks. Keep in mind that LMS may not offer Authorize.net at a discounted rate like Paysafe does. However, you’ll still bypass the 10¢ per transaction fee that Authorize.net typically charges.

Features and Benefits

• Recurring international payments. You can negotiate with LMS for subscription tools that streamline recurring international payments. This streamlines the billing cycle, reducing the risk of late or missed payments and helping you maintain steady cash flow.
• Shopping cart. LMS’ shopping cart integration simplifies e-commerce activities, featuring options like an “add to cart” button, automatic tax and shipping calculations, and access to customer statistics.
• Business funding. With LMS, you can access a merchant cash advance to cover the costs of selling overseas. Better yet, it is repaid through a commission on future sales, meaning you won’t have the usual pressures of strict deadlines or putting up collateral.
• High approval rate. Despite the challenges often faced by businesses handling international transactions, LMS boasts a 98% approval rate, increasing your chances of being approved.

To see if LMS is right for you, explore our detailed review.

3. PaymentCloud: Great for High-Risk International Transactions

PaymentCloud offers a 98% approval rate, making it great for businesses struggling to secure processing, such as high-risk firms or companies with low credit. Pair that with its fraud and chargeback prevention tools, and you’re looking at a solution built to keep your transactions flowing, even across borders.

Beyond its own fraud prevention tools, PaymentCloud further enhances your security with features from its supported payment gateways. For example, Authorize.net has an Advanced Fraud Detection Suite (AFDS), equipped with 13 customizable filters, including database and shipping filters for verifying shipping addresses. Meanwhile, NMI’s iSpyFraud system adds an extra layer of defense, safeguarding customer data throughout transactions.

PaymentCloud’s rates vary based on risk level – high-risk businesses cover a higher per-transaction fee of 3.95% + 15¢, while low-risk businesses pay 2.1% + 15¢ per transaction. There’s also a $19.95 monthly fee for using Authorize.net or NMI. While all these fees might seem intimidating, PaymentCloud is actually open to negotiating the best rates for your business.

Features and Benefits

• Multi-currency and multi-lingual support. Through Authorize.net, PaymentCloud gives you access to shopping carts like VPCart, which supports multiple currencies (USD, CAD, AUD) and offers recurring billing, discounts, and coupons, which helps keep customers coming back.
• Seamless integrations with global tools. PaymentCloud integrates with hundreds of platforms, including Shopify, HubSpot, Slack, and WordPress, letting you maintain your existing tools while accepting international payments.
• Support for 125+ shopping carts. If you need a full-featured shopping cart, PaymentCloud works with NMI to bring over 125 options. These include 1AutomationWiz, 3dcart, and Americart, among others.
• Business funding opportunities. Scaling an international business requires capital, and PaymentCloud offers funding options after three months of processing. Use this capital to expand inventory, cover marketing costs, or enter new markets.

Read our expert PaymentCloud review for more details.

4. CardX: Best for Zero-Cost International Transactions

CardX’s Lightbox payment gateway shifts credit card processing costs to your customers, keeping your debit card fees minimal at 1% + 25¢. It ensures you stay compliant by capping surcharges at 3%, well below the 4% limit. This setup helps you maintain profitability on international transactions by eliminating unexpected deductions from your revenue.

Lightbox also supports card-not-present international transactions, allowing you to accept payments over the phone. Sure, the $29 monthly fee for the payment gateway is slightly above average, but the trade-off is worth it. You can integrate a payment form directly on your website so customers don’t leave your site to complete payments. You also gain access to a portal that provides advanced analytics and reporting.

CardX’s integration with Click to Pay is another big plus. It makes transactions smoother, especially for international customers who might hesitate to purchase due to security concerns. With fewer form fields and a more intuitive experience, your customers can pay faster and more confidently.

Features and Benefits

• Special offers for governments and educational institutions. CardX waives the monthly fees for its Lightbox payment and virtual terminal for governments and educational organizations. It also uses advanced technology to calculate and apply exact card-specific interchange rates.
• PCI compliance support. Handling international transactions means meeting strict global security standards. Fortunately, CardX provides expert-guided PCI compliance support, completely free, so you can stay secure and focus on growing your business.
• Advanced surcharging technology. CardX’s technology automatically detects when someone tries to run a debit card as a credit card. If you’re dealing with international transactions, this level of accuracy ensures you’re applying the correct charges every time, avoiding disputes or unexpected losses.
• Assistance with transparency. CardX keeps your transactions clear by consolidating the purchase amount and credit card fee into a single charge. It also provides signage explaining your surcharging policy, which is crucial when dealing with international clients who might not be familiar with how surcharges work.

For more details, check out our expert CardX review.

5. Stax: Subscription-Based Pricing for High Volume

Stax offers excellent payment gateways for high-volume e-commerce businesses due to its subscription-based pricing. US-based businesses selling over $8,000/month can save up to 40% on processing costs. Combine that with a flat monthly and transaction fee, Stax ensures zero markup on interchange rates and assessments. It offers three tiers: Growth at $99.00/month, Pro at $139.00/month, and Ultimate at $199.00/month, each with a fee of 8¢ + interchange (in-person) per transaction.

For businesses requiring complete customization, Stax API offers a seamless checkout process that aligns with your website’s aesthetic. Better yet, you can use Stax.js and Stax’s developer-friendly SDKs for iOS and Android to embed a credit card field iframe within your existing payment form and enhance your ability to accept international payments.

Integration capabilities are a standout feature of Stax, giving you access to popular e-commerce platforms like Bigcommerce, WooCommerce, Salesforce, and Magento. Because of this, you can streamline your payment processes and integrate them with existing online stores. However, Stax is best suited for established international businesses. Its high monthly fees may not be cost-effective for low-volume global operations.

Features and Benefits

• Business management software. Stax’s integration with Zapier offers a variety of options for custom integrations, including project management, marketing, and accounting software tailored to your business’s needs.
• Live chat. If you need instant support, you can contact Stax outside regular business hours using its live chat. You can also contact its support team by email, phone, and fax or check out its comprehensive knowledge base with detailed articles on various topics.
• Payment methods. Stax accepts several payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, ACH transfers, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Venmo. Thus, you’ll have no problem accepting local and international payments, enhancing your potential for profitability.
• Optional same-day payouts. For businesses that handle numerous ACH transactions or prefer quick access to funds, Stax offers same-day payouts for an additional fee.

Check out our expert Stax review to learn more.

6. Helcim: Transparent Payment Processing for International Transactions

Helcim offers transparent payment processing and a rate comparison tool to give you a clear indication of how much you’ll pay per international transaction. It offers two pricing plans based on monthly sales volume, an up to $25,000/month plan and an over $25,000/month plan. You’ll pay 0.50% +25¢ (online) per transaction if you’re a low-volume business, but you can get discounted markup and transaction fees if you process more than $25,000/month.

With a Helcim account, you can accept payments in almost any currency and country. Your customers pay in their currency, and their bank automatically converts it to USD at that day’s conversion rate. Unfortunately, you’ll pay Visa and Mastercard’s international interchange rates of around 1% while your customers pay international service and currency conversion fees.

Helcim’s fully customizable payment pages are a standout feature, enabling you to add seamless payment functionality to your website without any programming skills. Using Helcim, you can add a basic shopping cart, complex setups for recurring subscriptions, a sign-up page, and even invoice payments. Plus, its theme designer allows you to incorporate your brand’s logo and colors to ensure a consistent and aesthetically pleasing design.

Features and Benefits

• Easy to use software. Helcim’s software is intuitive and simple, allowing you to set up new tax regions and add currencies for international payments. Its design focuses on security, keeping your data well protected.
• Fully hosted website builder. You only need a domain name, and Helcim’s platform does the rest. Plus, it syncs with your main Helcim account, automatically copying products to your online store to save you time and effort.
• Built-in CRM. Offering a customer portal to ensure 24/7 relationship management, Helcim gives your customers access to their transaction history and pending invoices. Better yet, you can securely store all your customers’ payment details in its card vault.
• 3 customer service channels. Helcim provides email, phone, and ticket support from Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. EST, and on weekends from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. However, ticket support is exclusive to Helcim merchant account holders.

Check out our in-depth Helcim review to see if it’s right for you.

7. Pay.com: Reduce Failed International Payments With 3 Resolution Tools

Pay.com minimizes failed transactions using three resolution tools. For instance, if a transaction declines, the system attempts to rectify it with an automatic account updater to fetch updated card information. It also uses partial approval, allowing transactions to proceed even if customers have insufficient funds. Finally, smart routing helps avoid declines by directing payments through the most reliable network, bypassing traffic or outages.

Pay.com offers a range of payment options, including Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. Unfortunately, Pay.com doesn’t disclose all its payment methods on its website, suggesting it offers less than its competitors. To find out if Pay.com accepts the payment methods your business needs, you’ll need to contact its sales team.

In terms of pricing, Pay.com uses a flat pricing structure with no ongoing monthly or annual fees. You’ll typically pay 2.9% + 29¢ per transaction, with additional fees for ACH transfers (from $1-$5) and a small fee for its card account updater. High-volume businesses processing over $800,000/year can get custom plans with reduced transaction fees.

Features and Benefits

• Dynamic fraud detection and prevention tool. Pay.com utilizes the PSD2 security protocol, 3DS2, to authenticate each transaction and add an extra layer of security depending on their estimated risk level.
• Customizable checkout. You can tailor your checkout page’s text, colors, and overall design with Pay.com. You can also use your domain name and its built-in A/B testing tool to optimize your checkout.
• Powerful analytics. Pay.com provides comprehensive analytics, giving you real-time visualizations of data, transactions, consumer behavior, and more. Plus, you’ll be able to predict trends and handle refunds.
• Compliance and security. Regular audits and tests ensure Pay.com’s Level 1 PCI DSS compliance while tokenization conceals your customer’s financial information.

To learn more, visit our detailed Pay.com review.

8. ProMerchant: Accept International Payments Through Authorize.net

ProMerchant integrates with Authorize.net, which supports e-commerce integrations like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Magento. In addition, you can use Authorize.net’s Simple Checkout tool to add a checkout form to your site, which you can customize to match your branding and marketing materials.

ProMerchant offers two payment models: a per-transaction plan and a subscription-style plan for cash-handling retail and restaurant businesses. You’ll pay $7.95/month and 3% + 10¢ (credit) per transaction in addition to Visa and MasterCard’s international interchange rates of 1.1%. ProMerchant doesn’t impose setup, application, cancellation, or PCI compliance fees, saving you a considerable amount of money in the long run.

ProMerchant offers tailored accounts for high-risk merchants, including businesses that process international transactions. However, it only accepts debit, credit, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Visa Click to Pay, and ACH transfers, making it difficult for your customers to pay if their preferred payment method isn’t available.

Features and Benefits

• Next-day payouts. ProMerchant offers merchants next-day payouts free of charge, an uncommon feature on this list. Due to limited processing time, you have the money to cover expenses and ensure the smooth running of your business.
• Fraud mitigation tools. ProMerchant provides additional features through Authorize.Net that you can use to reduce the chances of fraudulent activity and chargebacks. Such features include filters, alerts, and IP blocking.
• Over 50 POS systems. You can choose between 50 different POS systems – a boon for businesses accepting national and international transactions. Plus, you get a free Verifone, Payanywhere, Pax, or Ingenico terminal when you open a merchant account.
• Subscription management. Because of Authorize.Net, ProMerchant is a great choice for international transactions as it allows you to set up digital invoicing, create subscription plans, and receive recurring payments.

Visit our expert ProMechant review to see more features.

These Are the Best Payment Gateways for International Transactions

Every US-based business processing international transactions has unique needs, but certain payment gateways stand out due to their specific features and benefits.

If you run a low-volume business aiming to offer your customers various payment methods, Paysafe is an excellent option. It supports over 260 payment methods in 40+ currencies, including local options like Alipay, BACS, EFT, iDEAL, and more.

LMS is the best choice for budget-conscious SMEs processing international transactions, especially if you’re looking for cost efficiency and dedicated support. It offers industry-low rates, negotiable pricing, flexible contracts, and dedicated fraud and chargeback teams.

For high-risk businesses processing international transactions, PaymentCloud offers the best payment gateway. It has a 98% approval rate and provides advanced fraud prevention tools, both proprietary and integrated through its supported gateways.

FAQ

What is an international payment gateway?

An international payment gateway is an online portal that processes online transactions in various countries and currencies. It connects your website to payment networks, handling currency conversion, transaction authorization, and fraud prevention. A good example of an international payment gateway would be Authorize.net, which you can access at a discount through Leaders Merchant Services.

Which payment method is best for international transactions?

The best payment methods for international transactions depend on your business type and transaction volume. Common options include credit and debit cards, digital wallets, and ACH transfers. You can access such payment methods via a payment solution like Stax. It allows for up to 40% savings on processing costs regardless of your payment method, as long as you handle over $8,000/month.

Which payment gateway is best for international payments?

This depends on your business needs and target markets. Paysafe is a top choice because it integrates with Authorize.net, offering a reliable solution for international payments. It supports 260+ payment methods across 120 countries, including local options like BACS, Alipay, and iDEAL.

Are there free international payment gateways?

No, international payment gateways aren’t free. However, you can access robust gateways like Authorize.net at a discounted rate through credit card processors like PaymentCloud and Paysafe.

To learn about free payment solutions, check out our comprehensive guide on the best free merchant accounts.