Best Payment Gateways for Selling Online

Have you ever been to a website, found the product you want, but then there was no way to buy it? It can be a frustrating experience. Buying online is becoming more and more popular each day. If you can sell online, you should be! However, it can be complicated to set up an e-commerce website, and there are a few things you’ll need to do to get ready. But it will be worth it when customers can buy straight from your site! One thing you’ll need to sell products online is a payment gateway.

A payment gateway is a system that accepts securely accepts payments without putting your or your customer’s data at risk. There are many payment gateways available, and all of them come with at least a small cost. Some charge a monthly fee while others charge a percentage of the transaction cost. While it may seem expensive to have to pay out for each transaction, it would cost you a lot more to take payments in an unsecured method.

Many of the top payment gateways do more than just take payments though. Some offer reporting and invoicing, while others have a customisable checkout page you can add to your website. In this article, we’ll compare 8 of the best payment gateways in New Zealand: PayPal, Windcave, Stripe, Paystation, Cybercom, Paymark Click, Bambora, and Flo2Cash.

How do payment gateways work?

If you’re worried about some malicious hacker stealing your credit card details because you put them online, the chances of that are extremely low. Every payment gateway in our list is secure and encrypted. This means that the data you enter is mixed up and can’t be intercepted. It also means the store you enter your information into doesn’t have your payment data. They may be able to send a request to charge a card they have on file in certain circumstances, but they couldn’t take your information and buy a first-class international flight and a 5-star hotel in Dubai.

What a payment gateway does is verify that a credit or debit card is valid and that there are funds available. Then, it securely transfers the customer’s funds into the merchant’s account. Think of the keypad processors from shops where you swipe/insert your card and type in a PIN. A payment gateway is the digital version of that!

Many Payment Gateways start by storing your funds in a Merchant Account. This is a temporary place where the money is stored until the transaction is approved successfully. Once it is approved, you can transfer the money out of that account into the bank account of your choice. Different payment gateways hold funds for different lengths of time and some require a minimum threshold before they allow a transfer.

Payment gateways are a middleman that protect both sides. Merchants are protected from fraud and chargebacks, and customers are protected from unwanted purchases and exposing their card data. For more information about Payment Gateways including the technical details, take a look at this article from emerchantpay, What is a payment gateway and how does it work?

Choosing the right payment gateway

It’s important to use the right payment gateway for your business. Because of the sensitive nature of payment details, you need a system that’s safe and reliable. As a result, you’re better off sticking with an established company. The Payment Gateway should have a solid track record without fraud or scandal.

To help you decide the right option for your situation, we have a list of highly-rated payment gateways available in New Zealand. Each of these has many New Zealand clients and are stable, secure, and user-friendly.

PayPal

PayPal is an international company that does business in over 200 markets around the world. As they’ve grown, they’ve acquired many other platforms including Braintree, Venmo, and Xoom.

Features of PayPal

As one of the largest international payment gateways, PayPal has scale on their side. Millions of people around the world use the system and it’s easy to integrate with most e-commerce platforms. Merchants can receive money in over 100 currencies, which Paypal can also convert to a different currency for your bank account.

One of the benefits of PayPal is that you and your customers can access it anywhere online including a dedicated mobile app. Funds can be transferred easily from a merchant account to a bank account at anytime, with transfers to a bank typically being 1-2 days. PayPal also allows for subscription payments and can send invoices and estimates as well.

PayPal pricing

There are different PayPal charges and fees for different markets. For New Zealand, it is a fixed fee of $0.45 + 3.4% per transaction, with a maximum cost of $20.00 for domestic transactions and $120 for international. Customers pay no fee to use PayPal.

Who is PayPal right for?

PayPal is an excellent way to open your business to international customers or if you need a quick and easy solution that is compatible with a wide range of users.

Windcave

Windcave (formerly Payment Express) is a New Zealand payment gateway that combines e-commerce and in-store solutions.

Features of Windcave

Windcave is a popular option for point-of-sale devices and many merchants use a Windcave PIN pad in their store. They have physical terminals available in-store and for unattended systems like parking lots and vending machines. With options for e-commerce, in-store, or both, Windcave is a versatile option.

Windcave offers many solutions for e-commerce, including automated phone payments. Customers without computers or methods for paying online can do so via the automated system instead. It integrates simply into most major e-commerce platforms including WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, and more. It can take payments from many major credit/debit cards as well as an Account2Account.  Funds transfer speed is typically overnight.

Windcave pricing

Windcave charges a one-time setup fee of $99 and a $30 monthly service fee. From there, transaction costs are between 1.2% and 3% depending on the payment method used.

Who is Windcave right for?

Windcave is a good choice if you have a brick-and-mortar store (or plan to have one) and also want an e-commerce option.

Stripe

Stripe launched in 2011 and has grown to have global offices around the world. They have millions of users including Microsoft, Amazon, and Google.

Features of Stripe

Stripe emphasises e-commerce and focuses their efforts there, although they do also have a terminal system available. Along with their Payments platform, they have many other apps that can work alongside it including Radar for fraud and risk management, Identity for identity verification, and Sigma for custom reports. Stripe is cloud-based, so you can access your account anywhere you have internet access.

Stripe has a checkout page you can embed easily into your website to get started quickly. They also have 24/7 support available. Recurring subscriptions and invoicing are both options for Stripe through their Billing platform. The platform accepts major credit/debit cards and Wallets including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Afterpay. Bank transfers are also available via a Stripe virtual account.

Stripe Pricing

Stripe has a pay-as-you-go pricing method with no setup fees or monthly fees. It costs 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Customised packages are available with volume and multi-rate discounts at different rates for certain businesses.

Who is Stripe right for?

With solutions for most situations, Stripe is a solid choice for any business type. It’s an especially good option for online-only stores where all transactions are e-commerce.

Paystation

Paystation was developed by TradeMe for e-commerce payments. It is used by thousands of NZ businesses for accepting payments online.

Features of Paystation

Designed with New Zealanders in mind, Paystation emphasises being New Zealand based. This includes the option to accept PoliPay as a payment option along with Diners Club, Q Card, MasterPass and Visa and Master Card. They support Visa Checkout for quick checkouts and several currencies including US dollars.

Paystation has several options so it can work with more businesses. The payment page can be fully-hosted on Paystation’s site, or a web developer can add a dedicated payment page on your website. The API integrates with many popular e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce as well as popular apps like Gravity Forms. They have a dedicated onboarding option to ensure that you and your team are ready to get started properly.

Paystation pricing

Paystation has four different tiers of pricing. Manual Payment is $19/month and payments are processed through the Paystation online Dashboard. Online Starter allows API integration so payments can be done on your website and is $39/month with 100 free monthly transactions and $0.45 each after. Online growth increases free transactions to $300 and lowers transaction fees to $0.39 and costs $99/month. The final tier is Online Enterprise at $149/month. With Online Enterprise you have 500 free transactions and pay $0.36 per transaction after that.

Who is Paystation right for?

Paystation is an affordable solution for NZ businesses with an option for any business size. They’re a good choice if you want to use an NZ business and easily connect with local banks and have a local customer support team.

Cybercom Pay

Cybercom Pay started in New Zealand in the mid-1990s. Today, they focus on e-commerce and help you with methods to get paid online.

Features of Cybercom Pay

Cybercom Pay prides itself on having fast settlement fees, with same-day funds transfer before 6 PM and next day for anything after 6 PM. The payment gateway allows for 12 popular currencies including USD and AUD. It also has API integration for developers as well as a “Buy Now” button for quick payment. Customers can pay with a valid Visa or Master Card.

One of the features of Cybercom Pay is a mini CRM. This database of customers helps you keep track of customer information. It also has invoicing software and you can send invoices directly from the system. As part of this invoicing, you can ensure that your invoices were delivered and see when customers view them or click on a payment link. You can also set up recurring subscription payments with Cybercom Pay.

Cybercom Pay pricing

CyberCom Pay has no monthly payments and no contracts. Setup is $99+GST and transaction rates are 2.85% for businesses and 1.29% for registered New Zealand charities.

Who is Cybercom Pay right for?

If quick settlement time is important to you, you do business in one of their 12 currencies and have customers who will only use Visa or Master Card, CyberCom Pay is a solid choice. It’s also an excellent option for New Zealand charities.

Paymark CLICK

Paymark CLICK is an online Payment Gateway in NZ which has been acquired by Worldline. It is used by small and large businesses alike. It is part of the Paymark series of commerce products and targets the e-commerce aspect of business.

Features of Paymark CLICK

Paymark is a popular NZ option and is used by thousands of Kiwi businesses. Paymark CLICK, their e-commerce product, emphasises simple transactions and fast settlement times. It has Online EFTPOS as well as supporting credit and debit cards. Settlement is done overnight so that you get your funds the next day.

One extra that Paymark CLICK has is Insights. This allows you to see sales, revenue, and settlement data at a glance. Since Paymark CLICK is a cloud-based payment gateway, you can access it from any device with internet access. The API is documented and Paymark CLICK easily integrates with Magento, WooCommerce, and Shopify. They also have 24/7 local support with support representatives in New Zealand.

Paymark CLICK pricing

Paymark CLICK has a setup fee of $125 and a monthly cost of $25. They request that you get in touch and chat with one of their representatives to find out about transaction fees.

Who is Paymark CLICK right for?

If you’re already using a Paymark product or want an online payment Gateway run by a New Zealand company with local support, Paymark CLICK might be right for you.

Worldline (Previously) Bambora

Bambora is an international payment gateway with businesses around the globe using their systems.

Features of Worldline

Previously Bambora, Now Worldline is a versatile payment gateway and works with many other systems. It offers a wide selection of checkout options as well. You can have a completely customised checkout page, use iFrame for checkout, or an external checkout solution on an e-commerce platform like WooCommerce and OpenCart. The API is documented and includes guides for easy integration with popular platforms.

The payment gateway works with all major NZ banks and allows for many payment types including Visa, Mastercard, Paypal, AMEX, and more. While it works with small businesses well, it also has high-volume processing for larger businesses that need an enterprise solution. Bambora lets you implement custom fraud checks as well, including limiting how many times one customer can attempt a transaction in a given timeframe.

Worldline Pricing

There is a $49 setup fee and a transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction with a $25 monthly fee with Bambora. They also have alternative rates that may be suitable for high-volume processing.

Who is Worldline/Bambora right for?

If you want an easily customisable checkout and don’t need direct account payment, Bambora may be a good option for you.

Flo2Cash

Headquartered in Auckland, Flo2Cash strives to be a global payment platform to help businesses worldwide with online and in-store payment offerings.

Features of Flo2Cash

Versatility is the primary goal of Flo2Cash, and they want to give businesses as many options as possible. The payment gateway can take payments from credit and debit cards as well as direct bank transfers. Flo2Cash has a documented API, and also allows for a custom checkout page. Payments can be done online, over the phone, or with a fillable PDF form.

With Flo2Cash, several steps of the payment process are handled for you. Subscriptions and recurring payments can be set up automatically. Failed credit card payments will be retried automatically, with auto retries for debit cards in the works. Flo2 Cash has payment plans for Batch payments as well as repeating, variable, and instalment plans. It also has comprehensive settlement reporting so you check the status of funds quickly.

Flo2Cash Pricing

Flo2Cash does custom pricing and does not advertise pricing without getting and touch and talking with a representative. Other sources show that they charge a setup fee of $200, a monthly fee of $30, and transaction fees starting at 3.4%. For accurate pricing, you would need to get in touch with Flo2Cash directly.

Quick Compare Table

If you’re looking for a quick comparison of the best payment gateways, take a look at the table below to compare features.

Name	Setup Fee	Monthly Fee	Transaction Fee	Transfer Speed	Extras
PayPal	$0	$0	3.4% + $0.45 per transaction	Usually within minutes (To your own PayPal Account, not bank)	Online invoices and Mobile Payments included; lower rates with more sales, invoices and estimates, subscription payments
Windcave	$150	$30	$0.30 + 2.8% per transaction	Overnight	Automated Phone Payments; Batch Processing, in-store terminal, Account2Account
Stripe	$0	$0	2.9% + $0.30 per transaction	4 Business Days	Real-time reporting; Pay as you go; Multiple Payment Methods accepted; Anti-Fraud tools
Paystation	$99-$149	$19-$149	75-500 free transactions, then $0.32-$0.45 depending on the plan	Varies (Based on Bank)	15 supported currencies, batch processing, cashflow reporting, Customer Support, API Integration, onboarding,
Cybercom Pay	$99+GST	$0 (If using CyberCom Pay Online)	2.85%, 1.29% for NZ Charities	Same Day before 6 PM	Subscriptions, Mini CRM, Mobile App, 12 currencies with no exchange fees
Paymark Click	$125	$25	$0.20+0.30%	Overnight	Online EFTPOS, business insights, API Integration, 24/7 local support
Worldline	$45	$25	2.8% + $0.30 per transaction	3 Business Days	Customisable checkout, API Integration, 24/7 local support, Subscription payments, batch processing
Flo2Cash	$200	$30	From 3.4% per transaction	2-4 Business Days	Customisable checkout, API Integration, Batch Processing, Subscription Payments, Direct Bank Transfer, Phone and PDF payment options

How do I choose the best payment gateway for me?

Many of the payment gateways are strong contenders and we can’t pick one single best option. Each of them has different features, so the best payment gateway for you will depend on what you need. Some are global, while others are based in NZ. Since most don’t have a free trial (Cybercom Pay does have a demo portal) it’s important to research your choice thoroughly. Many of the websites have resources or video guides so you can find out what works best for you.

Something else to look for is to check that your payment gateway works well with your inventory management system. If integration is already built-in, it makes setup a lot easier! Still confused or want some advice from the experts? Get in touch with us today we’ll be happy to help.