10 best international payment gateways for 2026 (Singapore)

Key Takeaways:

• The best international payment gateway for your business depends on where your customers are, the currencies you handle, and how you want to settle funds.

• Most global gateways charge around 3–4% per international card transaction, but pricing models, settlement currencies, and local payment method coverage vary widely.

• Airwallex lets you accept payments via 160+ local payment methods across 180+ countries, with like-for-like settlement in 14 currencies. For businesses, this translates into fewer FX fees.

Choosing the best international payment gateway shapes how much of every cross-border sale you actually keep.

This guide compares 10 international payment gateways used by global businesses in 2026. For each provider, you'll see what they do well, where they fall short, and how their pricing stacks up.

Quick note: this article focuses on payment gateways designed for international businesses. If you mostly serve customers in Singapore, check out our guide to the best payment gateways in Singapore instead.

10 best international payment gateways at a glance

This comparison shows where each provider stands on coverage, settlement, and pricing. Use it as a starting point — full breakdowns of each provider follow below.

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 12 May 2026.

1. Airwallex

Airwallex is a global payments and financial operations platform built for businesses that need to accept, hold, and move money across borders without losing margin to FX.

Airwallex Checkout combines payment acceptance with multi-currency accounts, corporate cards, transfers, and AI-led approval optimisation through Optimize 360 — giving finance teams deeper control over conversion, FX exposure, and global cash flow.

For international businesses, the standout is like-for-like settlement in 14 currencies. You can collect customer payments in the currency they pay in, hold the funds, and use them later to pay overseas suppliers, removing forced conversions and reducing FX fees.

When you do want to convert, you get access to competitive rates (0.4% to 0.6% above interbank) that save you up to 80% on FX fees.

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 12 May 2026.

2. Stripe

Stripe is a developer-first payment platform that operates in 195 countries and supports 100+ payment methods and 135+ currencies.¹ It suits eCommerce, SaaS, and marketplace businesses that want deep control over checkout, plus tools for recurring billing and subscriptions across markets.

For Singapore businesses selling internationally, the trade-off is FX: a 2% conversion fee applies whenever a customer pays in a currency other than your settlement currency.¹

For a deeper look, read our Stripe payment gateway review.

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 12 May 2026.

3. PayPal

PayPal is one of the most recognised checkout names in the world, operating in 200+ markets.² It works well for sellers who want a familiar buy button at checkout, especially when their customers are spread across multiple countries.

The trade-off is cost: PayPal sits at the higher end on both card processing and currency conversion, and the customer is redirected away from your site to complete payment.

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 12 May 2026.

4. Adyen

Adyen is an enterprise-grade payment platform built for businesses that operate across online, in-store, and mobile channels and need a single platform to manage payments at scale. It uses Interchange++ pricing — a transparent model that passes interchange fees through to you with a fixed processing fee on top, currently US$0.13 plus 0.60% for card transactions.⁴

It suits high-volume merchants who can take advantage of that pricing model and have the volume to meet Adyen's minimum invoice requirements.⁴

For a deeper look, read our Adyen guide.

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 12 May 2026.

5. Checkout.com

Checkout.com is a payments platform built for high-growth digital businesses that need direct access to local acquiring across multiple regions. It offers domestic acquiring in 45+ countries and supports 150+ currencies through a single Unified Payments API.⁵

Pricing is fully custom — Checkout.com offers either flat-rate pricing or Interchange++, with no setup or monthly fees, but you'll need to speak with their sales team for actual rates.⁵

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 12 May 2026.

6. Worldpay

Worldpay is one of the largest payment processors in the world, processing US$2.3 trillion in payments annually for some of the biggest global brands.⁶ It serves enterprise merchants needing acquiring across many markets, plus omnichannel support for online and in-person sales.

Pricing is quote-based and varies by business profile, so you'll need to speak with Worldpay directly to understand your costs.⁷

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 12 May 2026.

7. Braintree

Braintree is PayPal's full-stack payment platform aimed at established eCommerce, marketplace, and subscription businesses. In Singapore, it charges 3.4% + S$0.50 per card transaction, with an additional 1% if the transaction is presented outside your home currency, and another 1% if currency conversion is involved.⁸

Discounted rates are available for businesses processing more than S$110,000 per month in Singapore.⁸

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 12 May 2026.

8. 2Checkout (Verifone)

2Checkout, now part of Verifone, is built for cross-border digital commerce. It sells in 200 countries, supports 100 billing currencies, and accepts 45+ payment methods on its higher-tier plan.⁹

Pricing starts at 3.5% + US$0.35 per transaction on the entry-level 2SELL plan, with an extra 2% fee on payments from shoppers outside your home country.⁹ It works well for digital goods and software companies selling globally without setting up local entities.

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 12 May 2026.

9. BlueSnap

BlueSnap markets itself as a Global Payment Orchestration Platform, accepting payments from 200+ regions through one integration.¹⁰ It targets businesses that want to consolidate payment routing, fraud prevention, and chargeback management on a single platform.

Pricing is custom by region, so merchants need to request a quote based on their location and transaction profile.

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 12 May 2026.

10. Paddle

Paddle is a Merchant of Record (MoR) platform built for SaaS, app, and digital product businesses. Under the MoR model, Paddle becomes the legal seller of your product — handling sales tax, VAT, and GST registration, filing, and remittance globally so you don't have to.¹¹

Pricing is a flat 5% + US$0.50 per Checkout transaction, with no monthly fees or hidden extras, and global tax compliance built in.¹¹

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 12 May 2026.

How to choose the right international payment gateway

Choosing the right gateway comes down to matching the provider's strengths to where your customers are, what they pay with, and how you want money to land in your business. Here are the five factors that matter most when you're selling internationally:

1. Fee structure and FX costs

Look beyond the headline transaction rate. The real cost of international payments includes domestic and cross-border card fees, currency conversion markups, chargeback fees, and any minimum monthly invoice.

Some gateways use flat-rate pricing, which is easier to forecast. Others use Interchange++, which can work out cheaper at high volumes but is harder to predict.

For cross-border sales, FX is often where margins quietly disappear. A 2% conversion fee on every international transaction adds up fast. Gateways that offer like-for-like settlement let you hold funds in the customer's currency and avoid forced conversion entirely.

2. Geographic coverage

Two things matter here: where the gateway can accept payments from, and where it has local acquiring relationships. Local acquiring usually lifts authorisation rates because the transaction is processed through a local bank rather than routed internationally.

If you're selling into Europe, the US, and APAC, look for a provider with domestic acquiring across all three regions — not just global card network coverage

3. Local payment methods

Cards work everywhere, but they're not always what your customers prefer. In China, Alipay and WeChat Pay dominate. In Southeast Asia, GrabPay, ShopeePay, and PayNow are widely used. In Europe, iDEAL, Bancontact, and SEPA Direct Debit are common.

Offering the right local payment methods at checkout reduces cart abandonment and helps you capture sales you'd otherwise lose.

4. Fraud and security

Your gateway needs to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and offer fraud prevention tools that work across markets.

Look for 3D Secure authentication, network tokenisation, machine learning-based fraud detection, and dispute management. The right setup reduces chargebacks without blocking genuine customers.

5. Integration and developer experience

The way you integrate matters as much as the features. No-code plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento get you live quickly. Hosted checkout pages save engineering time. Full APIs and SDKs give you complete control over the payment experience.

Pick the integration option that matches your team's resources and how much customisation you actually need.

How does an international payment gateway work?

Payment gateways sit between your customer, their bank, and your business — capturing payment details at checkout, verifying them, and moving the money to your account.

For a step-by-step breakdown, see our guide to how payment gateways work, or read our explainer on the difference between a payment gateway and a payment processor if you're unsure how the two work together.

Why Singapore businesses choose Airwallex as their international payment gateway

The biggest mistake you can make when choosing an international payment gateway is not paying attention to FX. A 2% conversion fee on every cross-border sale doesn't sound like much, but it can quickly add up to tens of thousands of dollars.

That's where Airwallex comes in. Here’s what you get with Airwallex:

Like-for-like settlement in 14 currencies

You can collect customer payments in the currency they pay in, then hold the funds in that same currency through your Global Accounts. When an overseas supplier needs to be paid in the same currency, you can use those funds directly — no double conversions, no FX fees to pay.

FX rates that save you up to 80% on FX fees

When you do want to convert your money, you pay 0.4%–0.6% above the interbank rate. That's a fraction of the 2%–4% most gateways charge, and our customers save up to 80% on FX fees compared to traditional banks.

160+ local payment methods across 180+ countries

We support the local payment methods your international customers actually use — Alipay and WeChat Pay in China, GrabPay and Atome in Southeast Asia, iDEAL and Bancontact in Europe. This lifts conversion rates and helps you capture sales you'd otherwise lose.

AI-driven payment optimisation through Optimize 360

Optimize 360 is built directly into Airwallex's acquiring stack, applying real-time AI decisioning across routing, retries, 3DS, and network tokenisation. The result is higher authorisation rates, lower fraud, and fewer avoidable declines on cross-border transactions — without bolt-on tools or third-party orchestration.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Which is the best international payment gateway?

There's no single best international payment gateway: the right choice depends on where your customers are, what currencies you handle, and how you want to settle funds. Stripe and Adyen are popular for developer-led setups and enterprise volume. Airwallex stands out for businesses that want like-for-like settlement in 14 currencies, AI-led approval optimisation via Optimize 360, and tighter FX margins on cross-border sales.

How do international payment gateways handle currency conversion?

Most international payment gateways automatically convert customer payments into your home currency at settlement, charging a markup of 2%–4% on top of the interbank rate. Some gateways, like Airwallex, offer like-for-like settlement, which lets you receive and hold funds in the customer's currency and only convert when you actually need to.

What fees should I expect with an international payment gateway?

Expect a few layered fees: a domestic card transaction fee (usually 2.5%–3.5%), an international card surcharge (often 0.5%–1.5% on top), a currency conversion fee (typically 1%–4%), and chargeback fees per dispute. Some gateways add monthly minimums or setup fees, while others use pay-as-you-go pricing with no fixed costs.

Are international payment gateways safe to use?

Reputable international payment gateways comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and offer fraud prevention tools like 3D Secure authentication, network tokenisation, and machine learning-based risk scoring. Always check that the gateway is licensed in the regions you sell into and uses encryption to protect customer payment data.

How long does it take to set up an international payment gateway?

Setup time depends on the integration option you choose. No-code plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, or Magento can be live within a few hours. Hosted checkout pages typically take a day or two. Fully custom API integrations can take one to two weeks, depending on the complexity of your payment flows.

Can I use multiple international payment gateways at the same time?

Yes, many businesses run more than one gateway to optimise authorisation rates by region or to offer specific payment methods. The trade-off is added complexity in reconciliation, reporting, and fraud management. If you're going down that path, look for gateways with strong dashboards and clean APIs for transaction-level data.

Sources:

1.  https://stripe.com/en-sg/pricing

2.  https://www.paypal.com/sg/webapps/mpp/country-worldwide

3.  https://www.paypal.com/sg/webapps/mpp/merchant-fees

4.  https://www.adyen.com/pricing

5.  https://www.checkout.com/pricing

6.  https://www.worldpay.com/

7.  https://www.worldpay.com/en/pricing

8.  https://www.braintreepayments.com/sg/braintree-pricing

9.  https://www.2checkout.com/pricing/

10.  https://home.bluesnap.com/about-bluesnap/

11.  https://www.paddle.com/pricing

This publication does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice from Airwallex, nor does it substitute seeking such advice, and makes no express or implied representations / warranties / guarantees regarding content accuracy, completeness, or currency. If you would like to request an update, feel free to contact us at [[email protected]]. Airwallex (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (201626561Z) is licensed as a Major Payment Institution and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.