There are hundreds of payment gateways available for developers, shoppers, and freelance start-ups. These payment gateways help you to send and receive payments and if you are a developer, you can automate this process. Every payment gateway has APIs that can be integrated into your e-commerce business. Either you are working on your own online store or working as a DevOps engineer for any firm, you can integrate these payment processors to accept credit cards and get payments.

What are Payment Gateways?

In simple words, a payment gateway helps to make sending and receiving payments smoothly. It is recommended to understand the basics of the payment gateways if you are going to launch your next e-commerce business. Payment gateways play a key role between your credit cards and bank accounts. These are men in the middle if I say in more plain English. PayPal is loved by everyone and it's the world's leading payment processing platform.

If you are a freelance developer and working on freelance jobs from home, you must have basic ideas about payment gateways and how they work. Additionally, you should have ideas about merchant accounts, credit card processors, and the right payment platform for your client.

In this article, I'll show you the best payment gateways in the world. So let's get started!

i) Stripe API

It's the best payment API and one of the leading credit card processors in the world. If we are talking about PayPal competitor these days, the answer would be Stripe. It is a highly secure API integration platform trusted by thousands of developers, freelancers, affiliate marketers, and small business owners. Just to remind you, it's a bit technical process to integrate Stripe with your online e-commerce platform. If you are a developer, you can simply integrate it with your online store. If you are a small business owner, you might need to hire a freelancer to get the Stripe API integration done.

ii) Apple Pay

If you are an Apple user, you're gonna love this payment gateway. It works with leading credit card processors like American Express, Master Card, and VISA. Apple Pay lets you integrate with stores and apps using contactless payments. Furthermore, you can pay for your Apple subscriptions, for instance, Apple Music and Apple News.

Apple Pay works like a charm, download and install the Apple wallet app. Connect it to the bank and complete the verification process. After your account is verified, you are ready to send and receive payments through Apple Pay.

iii) Dwolla

Dwolla is a way different payment gateway that uses electronic infrastructure to process your payments. Simply, a Dwolla account is an alternative to your bank account. In other words, a Dwolla account is directly connected to your bank account. If you live in the United States, I'd strongly recommend to give it a try and experience its interesting features. It only works in the USA but I hope it will expand the network to countries around the globe.

Another interesting feature is using Dwolla's twitter hashtag #dwolla to send and receive payments. Isn't it interesting?

iv) Due

Due.com offers a wide variety of features including e-cash, invoicing, and credit card processing. You can also use it as a digital wallet to make global payments. Furthermore, if you are using Stripe and PayPal in your e-commerce store, you can integrate the Due.com payment gateway with both payment processors.

You've ever heard of it? If not, learn more about it at Due.com.

v) Square

Square could have been at the top in popular payment gateways but unfortunately, it works only in a few countries. However, Square is not just a payment gateway, it is a complete financial solution. Square offers a range of features like invoicing, gift card processing, and shopping cart integrations.

If you are in Canada where Square works and planning to launch a coffee shop or a small SaaS business, Square will ship the relevant hardware to you as well. It means Square also provides the most suitable hardware for your business.

vi) Shopify Payments

Shopify payments plans are a bit expensive to be honest— starting from $29/month. However, when we get to know the amazing features of Shopify, the price worth it a lot.

If you are going to launch a store on Shopify, Shopify Payments accepts credit cards directly. If you are not satisfied with this payment processor, no worries, you can start taking payments through Apple Pay or American Express.

Finally, I'd recommend trying a 90-day free trial before you start accepting payments through Shopify Payments.

Good luck!