Top international payment gateways for eCommerce in 2026

Key takeaways

• People buy more when checkout feels local. Seeing prices in their own currency and familiar payment options reduces hesitation and drop-off. If you only offer cards or force currency conversion, you lose sales.

• FX fees and payout speed matter. Small FX markups on each order quickly eat into profit. Slow or unclear payouts make cash flow harder to manage.

• Airwallex handles international sales in one place. It lets customers pay in their own currency using local methods, and lets you receive and hold funds without forced conversion. With built-in WooCommerce and Magento plugins and APIs for Shopify and custom stores, you don’t need separate tools as you expand.

This guide compares the top international payment gateways for eCommerce in 2026, including Airwallex, Stripe, PayPal, Adyen, Shopify Payments, and Worldpay. You’ll see how each one handles checkout, currencies, and fees, plus how well they integrate with WooCommerce, Magento and Shopify.

What is an international payment gateway for eCommerce?

An international payment gateway lets your online store take payments from customers in other countries. 

You need one because domestic gateways aren’t built for international sales. They often only support one currency, limited payment methods, and slow or expensive cross-border payouts. That leads to abandoned carts, higher fees, and more admin work. An international gateway removes those barriers so customers can pay easily and you can get paid without extra setup. 

When someone clicks “pay” on your site, the gateway does three jobs. It sends the payment details securely, checks with the customer’s bank or wallet to see if the payment is approved, and then tells your store whether it worked. If you’re selling internationally, it also handles the currency, shows local payment options, and moves the money to you.

Read more: What is an eCommerce payment gateway and how does it work?

Compare the best international payment gateways for ecommerce in 2026

Here’s how the top options compare on cost, coverage, speed, and flexibility.

The leading international payment gateways for eCommerce in 2026, in depth

Here’s some more detail on the main platforms you’ll come across when researching international payments, what each one actually does, and where they tend to fit best.

Airwallex

If you sell across borders, Airwallex is made for you. It combines checkout, multi-currency pricing, FX, settlement, and payouts in one platform, so you’re not bolting together separate tools for payments, conversions, and banking.

Your customers pay in their own currency using local payment methods. You collect and hold funds in the same currency, without forced conversion. That removes FX leakage and gives you control over when and how you convert. Airwallex supports 160+ local payment methods and processes most transactions via local rails, which improves acceptance rates and speeds up settlement.

You can install the WooCommerce plugin, use native Magento extensions, or connect via API for Shopify and custom builds. As you add new countries, you don’t need new providers, new bank accounts, or new contracts. You switch on new currencies and payment methods inside the same system.

Best for: if you’re selling to multiple countries and want one system for checkout, FX, and settlement.

Stripe

Stripe gives you control. If you’ve got developers in-house and want to build a custom or headless checkout, its APIs let you build the flow you want.

That flexibility comes with cost and complexity. FX fees and international charges can climb as volume grows, and some local payment methods need extra setup. If you’re comfortable maintaining payment logic in your codebase, Stripe can work. If not, it can slow you down.

Best for: if you have a technical team and a custom eCommerce setup.

PayPal

PayPal is familiar to most shoppers. Many already have an account and trust it, which can help conversion with certain audiences.

You don’t get much control over how the checkout looks or works, and fees can be higher on cross-border transactions. For most stores, PayPal works best as an extra option rather than your main gateway.

Best for: if your customers actively prefer paying with PayPal.

Adyen

Adyen is for enterprise. It supports a wide range of international payment methods and gives you advanced tools for reporting, fraud, and risk.

Getting started usually means developer work and contract pricing. If you’re running high volumes across many regions, that’s fine. If you’re smaller or moving fast, it can be too much.

Best for: if you’re operating at enterprise scale with dedicated payments and engineering teams.

Shopify Payments

If your store runs on Shopify, Shopify Payments is the default option. You can switch it on and manage everything inside Shopify’s dashboard.

You’re limited to Shopify’s ecosystem, and features, currencies, and payout options depend on your region and plan. As you expand internationally, you may need extra tools alongside it.

Best for: if you’re on Shopify and want the simplest setup.

Worldpay

Worldpay focuses on card processing and has been around for a long time. It works across many regions and has strong bank relationships.

Setup and pricing vary by country, and adding new markets often involves more manual work. It’s reliable, but not as flexible as newer platforms.

Best for: if you’re mainly card-focused and value stability over speed.

eCommerce platform compatibility: which payment gateways work best with WooCommerce, Magento and Shopify

Platform compatibility decides how quickly you can get live and how easy setup will be. Some gateways plug straight in. Others need developer time, custom work, or come with platform limits that only show up once you’re already committed. Here’s what you need to know.

Read more: Plug & pay: getting started with payment gateway integrations

Airwallex

If you’re on WooCommerce, Airwallex integrates easily. There’s an official plugin you install in WordPress, connect to your Airwallex account, and then enable cards and international payment methods. It’s built to support multi currency checkout, so overseas customers can pay in their own currency while you manage settlement in GBP or other major currencies.

If you’re using Magento or Adobe Commerce, Airwallex gives you native extensions and APIs. That’s useful if your store is more complex or you’re selling into multiple regions. You get flexibility without having to stitch together several providers.

On Shopify, things depend on your plan and setup. Shopify is more restrictive with external gateways, but many UK merchants still use Airwallex to handle FX and settlement even when Shopify manages checkout.

Overall, Airwallex is easy to get started with and gives you room to scale as you add new markets.

Stripe

Stripe works across most platforms. You can add it to WooCommerce or Magento using plugins or extensions, and it’s a common choice for custom or headless builds because the APIs are strong.

If you’re on Shopify, Stripe technology sits behind Shopify Payments, so you’re often using Stripe without managing it directly. Stripe is quick to integrate, but international fees and FX costs can become more noticeable as you scale.

PayPal

PayPal is supported out of the box in WooCommerce, Magento, and Shopify. Customers are sent to PayPal to pay, then returned to your site.

It’s easy to integrate, but you don’t get much control over the checkout experience or how international payments are handled behind the scenes.

Adyen

Adyen supports WooCommerce, Magento, and Shopify, but it’s not plug and play. Many businesses need technical help to set it up properly, especially if they’re selling into multiple countries.

It’s flexible, but better suited if you’ve got higher volumes and a payments or engineering team in place.

Shopify Payments

Shopify Payments only works if your store runs on Shopify. For UK Shopify stores, it’s the simplest setup because it’s built in and requires no external plugins.

The trade off is flexibility. You can’t use it outside Shopify, and options around FX control and settlement are more limited than specialist international gateways.

Worldpay

Worldpay integrates with WooCommerce and Magento through plugins or third party connectors, and can be added to Shopify in some cases. Setup tends to be more traditional and card focused.

It works, but many UK merchants find it slower to set up and less flexible for modern international ecommerce compared to newer platforms.

Why selling internationally breaks most domestic payment gateways

If you only sell in one country, a domestic gateway can work. As soon as you sell internationally, its limits show. Most local gateways are built for one currency and one market. They aren’t designed for cross-border sales.

Customers decide whether to trust your checkout in seconds. If they don’t see familiar payment methods or prices in their own currency, they hesitate. If you force them to convert prices or move through unfamiliar flows, many leave. Limited payment options and surprise currency conversion cost you sales.

FX costs add up as volume grows. Small markups on each transaction will reduce margin. At the same time, you’ll want to test new markets quickly. Setting up new bank accounts and providers for every country slows you down before you’ve even proved demand.

Operations get messy too. Without a global gateway, you end up managing multiple dashboards, payouts, and reconciliation processes just to get paid. That’s admin work, reporting gaps, and slower cash flow.

An international payment gateway removes most of these issues. It lets you show local currencies, offer local payment methods, and settle funds across countries in one system, so you spend less time managing payments and more time growing the business.

Read more: The top 6 international payment gateways for UK businesses in 2026

The features that matter in an international ecommerce payment gateway

Now you know why you need a gateway, the next step is choosing one that won’t hold you back as you scale. These are the features that actually matter in an international ecommerce payment gateway.

Multi-currency checkout. If you’re selling internationally, this isn’t optional. Customers convert better when they see prices in their own currency.  

Local payment methods. People don’t all pay the same way. Cards dominate in some countries, bank transfers or local wallets in others. If you don’t offer what’s normal in that market, you lose sales.

Native platform integrations. Official plugins for WooCommerce, Magento, and Shopify save time and break less. Custom builds cost more, take longer, and create maintenance work you don’t need.

Transparent FX rates and fees. Small FX markups on every transaction add up. You need to know exactly what you’re paying.

Fast, predictable settlement. Cash flow matters. If payouts are slow or inconsistent, planning gets harder. You want money landing when you expect it, without surprises.

Fraud prevention and chargeback tools. Online sales attract fraud. You need protection built in.

API access. If your setup gets more complex, you’ll want control. APIs let you customise checkout, automate reporting, and connect payments to the rest of your stack.

Recurring payments support. If you run subscriptions, failed payments and retries need to be handled properly. Weak billing logic costs you revenue.

Scalability across countries. You shouldn’t need a new provider, a new contract, and a new bank account every time you add a market. The right gateway lets you expand without rebuilding.

Airwallex removes FX, payout and expansion friction for global ecommerce brands

With Airwallex, checkout, local pricing, settlement, and currency management all sit in one platform.

Customers see prices in their own currency and pay using local methods across 130+ currencies and 160+ payment options. Funds land in the same currency, without forced conversion. That gives you control over when you convert and avoids losing margin on every sale.

Getting live doesn’t require heavy lifting. You can install the WooCommerce plugin, use native Magento extensions, or connect via API for Shopify and custom builds. When you move into a new country, you don’t need to add a new provider or open a new bank account. 

FAQs

Can I use more than one international payment gateway on my ecommerce store?

Yes, some ecommerce businesses use more than one gateway to support specific payment methods or regions, but this can add operational overhead. Managing multiple dashboards, payouts, and reports often becomes harder as sales grow, which is why many merchants look for a platform like Airwallex that can support multiple payment methods and currencies through a single integration.

How long do international eCommerce payments usually take to settle?

Settlement times depend on the gateway, payment method, and currencies involved, with card payments often settling within a few business days and local methods following different timelines. Gateways that provide clear settlement timelines, such as Airwallex, make it easier to plan cash flow and understand when funds will reach your account.

Do international payment gateways support local payment methods as well as cards?

Many international gateways support both cards and local payment methods, but coverage varies by provider and market. Using a gateway that brings multiple local payment methods together in one system, like Airwallex, can help improve checkout conversion without adding extra integrations.

What happens if a customer pays in a foreign currency but my business operates in GBP?

When a customer pays in a foreign currency, the gateway either converts the funds into GBP or allows you to settle in the original currency. Platforms that offer multi currency accounts, such as Airwallex, give businesses more control over when and how FX conversion happens.

Do I need a local bank account in every country I sell to?

No, most modern international gateways remove the need for local bank accounts in each country. With Airwallex you can receive and hold funds in multiple currencies through a single platform, making international expansion simpler.

Will switching payment gateways affect my eCommerce checkout or customers?

Switching gateways can affect checkout if payment methods or flows change, which is why testing is important. Choosing a gateway with ecommerce focused integrations, such as Airwallex’s WooCommerce and Magento plugins, will minimise disruption for customers.

Sources and references

1. stripe.com/pricing

2. paypal.com/uk/business/paypal-business-fees

3. adyen.com/pricing

4. shopify.com/uk/pricing

5. worldpay.com/en-GB/products/worldpay-ecommerce