Top international payment gateways for global businesses

Key takeaways

• International payment gateways enable your business to accept and process payments across multiple currencies, countries, and local payment methods, helping you reach a broader customer base and boost conversions.

• The right provider should offer global coverage, transparent pricing, and tools to manage cross-border payments and currency flows.

• While “gateway” is used broadly, many providers now combine gateway and processor functions. Airwallex goes further with full-stack infrastructure for payments, FX, treasury, payouts, and more.

• At a minimum, your gateway should support the local payment methods and currencies your customers expect.

Running a global eCommerce business requires accepting payments in multiple currencies across various countries and catering to diverse customer preferences. This comes with challenges. High cross-border fees, low card approval rates, and the absence of local payment options can all reduce revenue and hinder international growth.

Maybe you’re expanding into Asia and need to support wallets like Alipay or WeChat Pay. Or you’re trying to reduce failed payments and expedite settlement times. The payment gateway you choose will significantly impact the checkout experience and ultimately affect your bottom line.

This guide explains how international payment gateways work and what to look for when selecting one. It also compares the five top providers: Airwallex, Stripe, PayPal, Square, and Adyen. By the end, you’ll know exactly what to prioritize and how to choose a gateway that supports your business as it scales across borders.

What is an international payment gateway?

An international payment gateway lets your business accept payments from customers in other countries. It securely connects your website or app to the financial networks that process credit cards, digital wallets, and local payment methods.

Think of it as the link between you, your customer, and their bank. When someone places an order on your site, the gateway captures their payment details, sends them for authorization, and confirms whether the transaction went through. It all happens in seconds, behind the scenes.

They allow you to accept payments in multiple currencies, support local payment preferences, and help you navigate region-specific rules, such as strong customer authentication in Europe. Some even handle currency conversion and route payments through local banking partners to increase approval rates and lower transaction fees.

How do international payment gateways work?

When customers click “Buy Now,” their payment must be processed quickly and securely from their account to yours. Payment gateways make this happen. They handle every step of the process, from authorization to settlement, in just a few seconds.

Here’s what happens behind the scenes:

1. The customer submits their payment: They enter their card details or select a local payment method like iDEAL, Amex, or Alipay. The gateway collects this information and encrypts it for security‌ purposes.

2. The gateway requests authorization: The payment data is sent through the payment processor’s network, which contacts the customer’s bank or card issuer to check the details and confirm funds are available.

3. The transaction is approved or declined: The customer’s bank responds. If approved, the transaction is confirmed in real time, and the customer sees a success message.

4. Funds are settled to your account: Once approved, the funds move from the customer’s account to your merchant account. Depending on your gateway and setup, this might take a few hours or days.

International payment gateways handle extra complexity at each step. They may route payments through local acquirers to improve approval rates or reduce cross-border fees. They also manage currency conversion, regulatory checks, and payment method preferences based on customers’ locations.

The top international payment gateways in 2025

Choosing the right international payment gateway starts with knowing your options. Here’s a quick introduction to five of the top providers in 2025, along with what each offers.

Airwallex

Airwallex is a global payment and financial platform built for modern businesses. It lets you accept payments from 180+ countries, collect in 135+ currencies, and settle like-for-like in 14 major ones, without forced conversion. You can offer more than 160 local payment methods, including cards, wallets, bank transfers, and buy-now, pay-later options, all while routing payments through local rails to improve approval rates and reduce fees.

Unlike providers that focus only on checkout, Airwallex provides an end-to-end infrastructure. You can manage global revenue, hold funds in multi-currency wallets, convert at market-leading FX rates, issue cards, and automate payouts all through one platform. With robust APIs, no-code options, and embedded finance capabilities, Airwallex helps you simplify global payments and scale faster in every market you enter.

“The difference between Airwallex UI and other competitors we’ve demoed is night and day. Airwallex is in 2033. The competitors are in 2003.” - Foley Schmidt, Chief Financial Officer of Profound Commerce

Stripe

Stripe is a US-based payments company known for its developer-first approach. It supports payments in over 195 countries and 135+ currencies, with wide coverage of global cards, digital wallets, and local payment methods. Stripe also offers built-in support for subscriptions, marketplace payouts, and buy-now, pay-later options.

Its APIs are popular with SaaS platforms, startups, and marketplaces that want full control over their payment experience. Stripe also offers tools for fraud prevention, card issuing, and capital advances, making it a solid payment platform for online-first businesses.

PayPal

PayPal is one of the most widely recognized names in digital payments. It supports more than 200 markets and lets customers pay using their PayPal balance, linked cards, or bank accounts. It also offers PayPal Credit and pay-later options in selected countries to help merchants boost conversions.

While simple to set up, customization of the checkout flow is limited with standard PayPal integrations. For businesses that need more flexibility, PayPal Enterprise Payments (formerly Braintree) supports a broader range of payment methods, mobile wallets, and customizable APIs.

Square

Square offers a unified payments and business management platform designed for small businesses. It started with card readers for in-person payments, but now supports online checkout, point-of-sale, invoicing, and eCommerce tools. Businesses in the US, UK, Australia, and a few other markets can use Square to accept international cards and wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Square also integrates Afterpay for buy-now, pay-later transactions and Cash App Pay for domestic US payments. While it doesn’t support multi-currency settlement, Square is a good choice for merchants operating physical stores, mainly in supported regions.

Adyen

Adyen is a full-stack global payments platform used by some of the world’s largest enterprises. It supports over 100 local payment methods and holds acquiring licenses in the EU, UK, and US, enabling it to process card payments directly without relying on third-party acquirers.

Adyen also supports unified commerce, meaning you can accept payments across in-store, mobile, and online channels through a single integration. With features such as risk management and marketplace payouts, Adyen is designed for large, international businesses that require scalability and control. Wallet holding and end-to-end treasury capabilities are limited. 

Top features to look for in an international payment gateway

International payments come with extra layers of complexity. You need a gateway that can keep pace with your global growth, while providing customers with the fast, familiar checkout experience they expect.

Here are the key features to prioritize when evaluating your options:

• Global coverage: Look for a gateway that supports the countries, currencies, and local payment methods that matter most to your customers. This includes region-specific options, such as iDEAL in the Netherlands or GrabPay in Southeast Asia.

• Multi-currency support: The best gateways let you price in one currency and settle in another. Even better if they offer like-for-like settlements to avoid unnecessary FX fees, or automatic currency conversion (ACC) to let customers pay in their preferred currency while you still settle in yours. 

• Local acquiring: Some providers route payments through domestic networks based on the customer’s location. This can improve approval rates and reduce cross-border fees.

• Range of payment methods: Even if you're not an online retailer, the gateway you choose should offer the same flexibility as an eCommerce payment gateway – supporting global cards, digital wallets like Apple Pay or Alipay, bank transfers, and buy now, pay later options – so your customers can pay however they prefer. 

• Developer tools and integrations: Strong APIs and plug-and-play integrations with platforms like Shopify, Magento, or WooCommerce make setup faster and easier. If you have a technical team, look for a platform with modern developer tools and clear documentation.

• Security and fraud prevention: To protect your business, your provider should be PCI-compliant and offer authentication tools like 3D Secure (3DS), along with separate fraud detection systems

• Settlement and payout flexibility: Some gateways offer faster settlement times, local payout options, or the ability to hold funds in multiple currencies. These features can help you manage your global cash flow more effectively.

• Value-added services: Leading platforms offer additional services, such as card issuing, expense management, and global accounts. These can help you consolidate your financial operations and scale faster across borders.

In simple terms, choose a gateway that supports your business model, facilitates global expansion, and ensures smooth payment operations.

Comparing the top international payment gateways in 2025

With so many providers offering similar-sounding features, it's helpful to compare the details side by side. Here’s how Airwallex stacks up against Stripe, PayPal, Square, and Adyen across key international payment gateway capabilities.

Review: Airwallex

If you’re running a global business and want to consolidate payments, FX, and treasury under one roof, Airwallex is hard to beat. Unlike gateways that only handle checkout, Airwallex provides a comprehensive infrastructure for managing multi-market revenue, holding foreign currency balances, and automating cross-border payouts.

Where other providers rely on third-party bank partners or middleware, Airwallex owns a larger portion of the stack. That means faster settlement, lower FX costs, and more control over accepting, holding, and moving money globally. You can tap into embedded finance features like card issuing and Global Accounts through API or no-code options.

Pros:

• Like-for-like settlement in 14 currencies with no FX fees, helping reduce the total cost of payments and improve treasury control*

• 160+ local payment methods supported across 180+ countries, with ACC in 25+ currencies 

• Boost conversion rates by offering region-specific methods like iDEAL, Klarna, and GrabPay

• All-in-one platform to accept, hold, convert, and move funds – no need for multiple providers

Cons:

• Currently not suited for in-person retail (PoS hardware coming soon) 

• Slightly smaller third-party integration ecosystem than Stripe or PayPal

“I see Airwallex as a one-stop shop for payment acceptances, global payouts, and so much more. Here’s how I’d put it to other businesses: you can start in one place with Airwallex, and then you can grow.” - Daven Johnson, Founder and CEO of Gimme Swag

Review: Stripe

While Stripe offers powerful tools for technical teams, it may require additional setup and developer resources to support complex international payment flows, particularly in emerging markets.

Pros:

• Powerful APIs and flexible developer tooling

• Widely adopted in North America and Europe

Cons:

• Limited APAC LPM support

• FX and international card fees apply and can impact margins, especially for cross-border transactions where currency conversion and card issuer fees layer on top

• Support and onboarding resources may not meet the needs of businesses with complex international operations

Review: PayPal

PayPal is simple and globally recognized, but it’s primarily optimized for consumer-facing businesses and offers limited control over the checkout experience or FX exposure unless integrated via PayPal Enterprise Payments.

Pros:

• Trusted brand with strong consumer adoption

• Simple plug-and-play setup for small businesses

• Offers its own BNPL payment method and working capital products

Cons:

• Checkout customization is limited unless using PayPal Enterprise Payments, which requires a separate integration

• FX spread ~3–4%

• Limited LPM support unless using PayPal Enterprise Payments

• Funds are restricted within PayPal’s closed ecosystem – they can’t be programmatically moved to external bank accounts, linked to local account details, or used for outbound payments or treasury operations via API

Review: Square

Square works best as a bundled solution, combining payment processing, point-of-sale tools, and financial services into one platform. It’s a strong choice for merchants selling in person or across digital and physical channels, especially in the US.

Pros:

• Simple onboarding and omnichannel POS tools

• Predictable, transparent pricing

• Built-in lending through Square Capital

Cons:

• Doesn’t support multi-currency pricing or settlement, limiting international use cases

• Limited international expansion features

Review: Adyen

Large global platforms and enterprise retailers use Adyen to manage in-store and online payments through one system. Adyen offers depth and complexity with its own acquiring network and strong omnichannel tools.

Pros:

• Full POS suite 

• End-to-end payment optimization capabilities

• Direct acquirer in key markets (EU, UK, and US) 

Cons:

• No wallet functionality – funds must be paid out to external bank accounts after settlement

• Like-for-like settlement limited to select currencies and regions; requires local bank accounts

• Business Accounts limited to account funding (AfP) use cases; card issuing geared toward embedded finance (EmFi) only, with no support for multi-currency balances or granular spend controls via API

• Strong LPM coverage in the EU, but limited coverage across APAC markets

Why consider Airwallex as your international payment gateway?

For growing digital businesses seeking global expansion, Airwallex Payments offers a comprehensive payment infrastructure that enhances conversion rates, reduces costs, and improves cash flow by providing extensive LPM coverage, unique like-for-like settlement capabilities, and integrated financial operations – all through a single platform. It's an all-in-one platform that combines global payment acceptance with multi-currency wallets, FX, payouts, and card issuing. 

If you’re looking for a way to simplify global payments, reduce fees, and expand faster, Airwallex is built to help you do it.

FAQs

1. What is an international payment gateway?

An international payment gateway enables you to accept online payments from customers in various countries. It handles currency conversion, local payment methods, and secure authorization behind the scenes.

2. How do I choose the best gateway for my business?

Start with your markets and payment needs. Look for coverage in key regions, support for local methods, transparent pricing, and flexibility to integrate with your tech stack.

3. What’s the difference between a payment processor and a payment gateway?

A payment gateway collects and transmits payment data, while a processor handles the actual movement of funds between banks. Many modern providers offer both in one system.

4. How do FX fees work with international payments?

If your customer pays in a currency other than your payout currency, most gateways charge a foreign exchange (FX) fee. Airwallex lets you settle like-for-like in 14 currencies to avoid conversion costs.

5. Can I offer local payment methods with Airwallex?

Yes. Airwallex supports over 160 local methods, including cards, bank transfers, wallets, and buy-now, pay-later options across key global markets.

Sources

1. https://stripe.com/payments/payment-methods

2. https://docs.stripe.com/payouts/multicurrency-settlement?account-country=GB

3. https://developer.paypal.com/braintree/articles/guides/payment-methods/local-payment-methods 

4. https://www.paypal.com/us/business/paypal-business-fees#statement-13 

5. https://developer.paypal.com/community/blog/currency-conversion/

6. https://www.paypal.com/us/business/accept-payments 

7. https://squareup.com/help/ca/en/article/4956-international-availability 

8. https://squareup.com/us/en/banking 

9. https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5123-square-get-started-guide 

10. https://www.adyen.com/payment-methods-guides

11. https://docs.adyen.com/account/supported-currencies/ 

12. https://help.adyen.com/en_US/knowledge/account/access-your-customer-area/how-do-i-reach-adyen-support?