As we announce the launch of the brand-new Jotform Store Builder, we’re excited to let you know about the many different ways you can use to collect payments with your Jotform store.
As a primer, a payment gateway allows your business to take credit card or mobile payments online or in person. It processes the payment for a fee that the business owner pays. And the fee is usually a nominal percentage that can be either per transaction, per month, or a combination of both.
Let’s take a closer look at the wide array of payment gateways available with Jotform Store Builder — and which might be best for you.
Square
Square is the go-to standard for handymen and hipster coffee bars alike. It created a lot of buzz when it started giving away free card reader devices you could plug into the headphone jack of your phone (now available with a Lightning connector as well). It also sells point-of-sale (POS) systems that make accepting credit card transactions easier for small businesses.
Pros: Known as a user-friendly platform, Square is also a PCI-compliant payment gateway and processor. Square boasts a free online store feature (giving businesses another option for building an online store) that automatically connects to Square payments. It also provides chargeback protection.
Cons: There are nagging issues about account termination without notice or reason. Square Online lacks support for selling on Amazon, eBay, and other online marketplaces.
Best for: small to medium-sized retail, food and beverage, beauty, and healthcare businesses with brick-and-mortar shops
Apple Pay & Google Pay
Apple Pay and Google Pay are digital wallet platforms that allow customers to pay via their mobile devices. With Jotform’s Apple Pay & Google Pay integration, supported by Square and Stripe Checkout, you can add both payment platforms to your online forms and apps — giving your customers even more ways to pay.
Pros: These digital wallets are convenient for customers since there’s no need to pull out a card to make a purchase. Both can be used to pay in store, in an app, and online. There are no additional fees beyond what the credit card issuers charge merchants to accept card payments.
Cons: Apple Pay is compatible only with iOS devices, and Google Pay works only on Android devices. So Google Pay won’t display as a payment option on an iPhone, for example. This can be confusing for first-time users (who may require help with purchases).
Best for: brick-and-mortar stores looking to migrate online, online retailers, grocery and food services, and any organization with a younger clientele
Venmo
Owned by PayPal, Venmo is a U.S.-based mobile payment app that lets users send money from their bank accounts or debit cards. With Jotform’s Venmo integration, you can offer customers an easier way to pay you from their mobile device.
Pros: With Venmo, it’s easy, quick, and free to send money directly from a bank account or debit card, making physical transactions unnecessary. As Venmo keeps a record of your customers, it’s easy to build loyalty and maintain communication with customers.
Cons: Payments are publicly visible by default — to make them private, you have to change the settings in your account. You can’t cancel payments, and because of this the platform has been targeted by fraudsters. Venmo is available only in the U.S.
Best for: peer-to-peer payments, small online businesses and influencers, and freelancers or entrepreneurs working with individuals or contractors
PayFast
PayFast is the leading payment gateway in South Africa and supports 10 different ZAR payment methods, including major credit and debit cards. With PayFast, you can create a seamless checkout experience for your customers.
Pros: PayFast is good for subscriptions, recurring payments, and security since you can employ tokenization, which means customers don’t have to authorize each payment. It also works internationally.
Cons: PayFast’s credit card fees can be higher than competitors’, and there are limits on the maximum amount that can be processed.
Best for: entrepreneurs, vendors, and small businesses without online stores
PayPal Business
PayPal has been a household name for about 20 years. With PayPal Business, you can accept credit cards and other forms of payment.
In all, there are five different types of PayPal payment gateways available to use in your Jotform store. In addition to PayPal Business, you can select from PayPal Payments Pro, PayPal Personal, PayPal Checkout, and PayPal Invoicing. No matter what kind of business you have, PayPal has a gateway for you.
Pros: PayPal is a payment gateway and processor in one, giving you world-class digital tools, integrations, and support. PayPal assists in recovering funds lost due to fraudulent transactions, providing an additional level of security for customers. It’s globally recognized and accepted.
Cons: PayPal charges a 1.5 percent fee to instantly transfer your funds to a bank account. A free bank transfer takes 1–3 days. There are also additional transaction fees depending on what type of plan you’re using. Chargeback fees for businesses can be high. Some users have reported an oversensitivity to terms and conditions violations, resulting in frozen funds.
Best for: almost any kind of business from solopreneurs to enterprises
Stripe
Stripe is well known in the web development community for providing detailed documentation to create custom integrations, though it also offers established integrations with a number of popular apps. Stripe was originally a more basic service than payment gateways like Square or PayPal, but it’s grown and now offers a lot of great business services.
As you build your Jotform store, you’ll see options to add both Stripe Checkout and Stripe ACH. Stripe Checkout supports payment methods in more than 135 currencies and 25-plus languages. Stripe ACH is a fast, secure way to transfer payments between bank accounts.
Pros: Stripe is one of the most well known payment processors and gateways. Stripe allows you to accept credit cards, mobile wallets, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) payment options, giving you great flexibility. Stripe supports a ton of currencies, and its pricing is fairly transparent, with no monthly or cancellation fees. Stripe also makes it easy to meet security standards.
Cons: Because Stripe has a fairly robust offering, it can take a high level of technical ability to set everything up (especially through its API). Stripe is available in 47 countries but unavailable in Africa and many parts of Asia and South America.
Best for: small, medium-sized, and enterprise e-commerce, subscription and recurring payment businesses, and retailers; also a favorite of online startups
Authorize.net
Authorize.net is designed to make collecting payments easier for small businesses. It’s backed by Visa, for added peace of mind. Authorize.net is online only, so it doesn’t offer hardware or POS solutions. Integrate your Jotform Store with Authorize.net to easily accept payments and donations directly through your website. You can also accept recurring payments.
Pros: Because it’s backed by Visa, Authorize.net’s customer support and fraud protection are solid. It’s fairly easy to use and supports subscription billing and digital invoicing. It works with multiple card types, e-checks, and digital payment services like Apple Pay and PayPal.
Cons: As of now, Authorize.net supports 11 currencies worldwide, and unlike some gateways, it doesn’t offer an entry-level, free version of the platform. Apple Pay is the only mobile wallet supported. Because it’s online only, it’s not a match for brick-and-mortar businesses.
Best for: medium-sized to large e-commerce businesses
Worldpay
Worldpay is another online-only payment gateway. It’s owned by Fidelity National Information Services, or FIS, a financial services company based out of Florida. Worldpay is the U.K.’s top payment processor, responsible for more than 40 percent of the country’s card transactions.
Pros: Worldpay supports over 120 currencies and provides insightful analytics that can help you take action based on customer spending trends.
Cons: Worldpay is online only, so it’s not a match for brick-and-mortar businesses. Customer support can fall short of similar businesses, and the interface could use an update. Pricing can be tough to figure out, and there’s a three-year contract with a one-year automatic renewal clause.
Best for: small startups to online enterprise businesses
2Checkout (now Verifone)
2Checkout (which was acquired by Verifone in 2020) is a modular solution for growing businesses. Its approach is to let you choose the features you need and add more as your business grows. Integrate your Jotform Store with Verifone to accept global payments directly.
Pros: Verifone offers a full e-commerce and subscription solution product suite. It has a global footprint, servicing over 180 countries. Verifone offers fraud protection by complying with the highest global security standards.
Cons: Verifone currently only supports payments online, though it could provide POS support in the future.
Best for: online business-to-business organizations, software and software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies
CyberSource
CyberSource is another Visa-owned online payment tool. CyberSource has a strong focus on security and fraud prevention.
Pros: CyberSource accepts payments online, in person, and through call centers. It provides global tax calculation and subscription billing options and is accepted in more than 190 countries. The platform can effectively handle chargebacks.
Cons: It can take time to familiarize yourself with the technical aspects of the platform.
Best for: medium-sized to enterprise-level organizations in retail, e-commerce, travel, B2B, and nonprofit industries
Braintree
Braintree, which is owned by PayPal, focuses on achieving a global reach. It can be a major challenge to accept payments and transfer money in countries outside of the U.S., but Braintree allows you to accept payments from more than 45 countries and in more than 130 currencies.
Pros: Braintree accepts PayPal, Venmo, and digital wallet payments, giving your business mobile payment flexibility. Braintree is good for subscription-based businesses, and nonprofits will benefit from recurring donation support and lower transaction fees (provided your organization qualifies). Excellent fraud protection features 3D Secure 2.0, the industry standard for customer authentication.
Cons: Other providers have less expensive card transaction rates. In-store payments are accepted in the U.S., U.K., and Australia only and require POS tools from PayPal.
Best for: nonprofits, small businesses and SaaS companies, and online media and online service providers
Eway
A payment gateway that keeps payments safe with fraud protection and PCI DSS compliance, Eway allows you to accept payments in Australia, New Zealand, and a few countries in Asia. By integrating your online payment, order, or donation form with Eway, you can easily add your products and accept payments from around the world.
Pros: Eway is a straightforward payment solution that covers a variety of business needs. It offers a dedicated merchant portal, which is convenient for tracking all your transactions and chargebacks. Eway has over 250 integrations, and you can access multiple report types within the portal.
Cons: Some customers report occasional platform glitches. Payment services are available only to businesses in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau. Support is digital only. There is no free plan.
Best for: startups and small businesses based in the APAC region; industry types like retail, nonprofits, utilities, solopreneurs, and craftspeople
BluePay
BluePay offers POS systems similar to Square’s. Part of its offering is, of course, online sales. This is a powerful all-in-one payment tool that accepts all major credit cards, provides a suite of fraud management tools, and efficiently processes returns and voids.
Pros: BluePay offers support for brick-and-mortar as well as online businesses. Its POS hardware is sophisticated and tailor-made for restaurants, complete with a built-in printer. There are relatively low overall and per transaction costs for in-store purchases.
Cons: BluePay doesn’t offer any free plans, and unlike other POS providers, there isn’t a no-fee POS option either. Be aware of contract commitments, depending on who you buy BluePay through (i.e., resellers). BluePay is limited to North America, the U.K., and Ireland.
Best for: the food and beverage industry, retail businesses, professional services, and personal services such as salons and personal trainers
PayJunction
PayJunction is also a payment processing solution with a POS. Its claim to fame is a touchless terminal that may be preferable in a post-COVID world. Jotform’s PayJunction integration is the perfect way to provide customers with an online payment method that’s both paperless and seamless.
Pros: PayJunction boasts strong customer service, transparent pricing, and a month-to-month agreement. It offers mobile payment support and e-check payment processing, as well as flexible solutions for online and in-store payment with portable and touchless smart terminal options.
Cons: There were a few complaints of payments being withheld from small businesses during the pandemic, but this seems to have been rectified. PayJunction doesn’t have international reach, though it can process credit cards from foreign countries.
Best for: professional and health service providers, the transportation industry, and software companies
First Data (now Fiserv)
Fiserv helps empower small businesses by accepting all major payment types, including digital wallets like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay. Fiserv offers low credit card processing rates and provides thoughtful solutions to your business needs.
Pros: Fiserv is a global provider servicing online and in-store businesses. It integrates with other payment systems and software, accepts 150 currencies, and provides an integrated POS solution.
Cons: Fiserv’s pricing isn’t transparent.
Best for: enterprise, high sales volume, and B2B businesses
CardConnect
CardConnect is a credit card payment processor that boasts PCI-validated point-to-point encryption (P2PE), enabling you to securely collect payments online.
Pros: CardConnect offers high-quality business products and solutions (i.e., a customizable hosted payment page), as well as a detailed dashboard and reporting features. Merchants get 24-7 support. CardConnect works with online and brick-and-mortar businesses.
Cons: CardConnect’s nontransparent pricing and inconsistent customer service feedback are drawbacks.
Best for: medium to large retailers, utilities, transportation, construction, and some small businesses
BlueSnap
BlueSnap is an all-in-one solution focused on increasing sales and reducing costs. You can connect with customers around the world using this advanced payment platform, which provides access to 100-plus shopper currencies and 100-plus global payment types.
Pros: Pay-as-you-go pricing is available, and there are no early termination fees. BlueSnap is supported globally and equally adept for B2B and B2C businesses.
Cons: Those processing low monthly amounts have to pay a maintenance fee. Customer support hours are limited.
Best for: high-volume B2B companies, retailers, marketplaces, and SaaS and healthcare businesses
Paymentwall
Paymentwall aims to be the most versatile payment solution on a global scale. It offers 150 local payment methods and provides service to 200 local regions, helping 200,000 merchants expand globally.
Pros: Paymentwall works in China and other hard to enter regions like South Korea and southeast Asia. It supports the 3D Secure 2.0 security protocol and boasts customer support in more than 30 languages.
Cons: There have been reports of poor customer service and a lack of information about the company, which is rare for a payments company.
Best for: medium to large global businesses with a desire to market to South America, Africa, and Asia
PayU
PayU is an easy-to-use, secure payment gateway that provides services for 500,000 businesses of all sizes. PayU lets you collect payments from customers around the world with 150 payment methods.
Pros: PayU provides 24-7 customer support and has experience in more than 50 emerging markets. It offers more than 250 local payment strategies and several currency alternatives.
Cons: PayU supports mobile wallet payments but only in Eastern Europe. It’s a good idea to confirm that payment releases are compatible with your needs.
Best for: medium to large online and brick-and-mortar retailers as well as online services; businesses that have their sights set on expanding to emerging markets
Moneris
Moneris is Canada’s top payment processor. It provides online payments, POS systems, and industry-focused solutions. Businesses can increase their global presence with Moneris and get paid fast.
Pros: Moneris provides card processing and POS equipment with a proprietary e-commerce gateway. It supports recurring payment/billing and offers flexible pricing options. Moneris supports digital wallets with scalable solutions for businesses of most sizes.
Cons: Moneris has limited worldwide brand recognition and no free trial or plan.
Best for: established brick-and-mortar/online businesses with large transaction volumes; retail, food & beverage, nonprofit, and professional services
Klarna
Sofort, which is now a part of Klarna, is a payment company that’s popular with huge online retailers, like Macy’s, Sephora, H&M, and more. Klarna lets customers make four interest-free payments on their purchases and has a global presence.
Pros: Klarna offers real-time online banking payment services and doesn’t require customers to open an account. It’s the predominant online banking method in Eurozone countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium, giving merchants a way to expand their reach.
Cons: Limited currency options are available, and Klarna is only accepted in a handful of countries. There is a risk of chargebacks (and abuse by bad actors) due to its purchase protection program.
Best for: retailers with an online presence that want to give customers a flexible interest-free payment option and/or wish to expand into European markets
Paysafe
Paysafe is a frictionless payment processing solution that services thousands of merchants worldwide. By integrating your Jotform store with Paysafe, you’ll be able to process local and international payments directly through your store.
Pros: In partnership with Rapid Finance, Paysafe offers small business loans and cash advances. Paysafe also provides a POS BluePay credit card reader for in-person transactions.
Cons: Quote-based pricing may not be scalable for small businesses. Some platform features are unavailable in the U.S. (like certain alternative payment methods).
Best for: large or enterprise-sized businesses with high transaction volumes that are looking for a tailored pricing plan
Skrill
Skrill is a virtual wallet that focuses on a younger crowd and side hustlers. It offers 100 local payment methods, 40-plus currencies, and fraud management. In all, Skrill is a seamless payment processing solution that makes it easier for businesses worldwide to send and receive money online.
Pros: With personal and business accounts available, Skrill is accessible via web browser or mobile app.
Cons: There’s no live support chat feature and limited customer service.
Best for: freelancers, influencers, and solopreneurs. Skrill is an alternative to PayPal for sending and receiving payments from users worldwide.
Mollie
Established in the Netherlands, Mollie is a leading European payment provider that operates in all European Economic Area (EEA) countries, the U.K., and Switzerland. With Jotform’s Mollie integration, you can accept payments via 20-plus payment methods including Apple Pay, iDEAL, Klarna, PayPal, and more.
Pros: Mollie also accepts credit cards from every major company to ensure smooth transactions.
Cons: While Mollie is a powerhouse in Europe, it has limited worldwide brand recognition. There is no free version, though there is a free trial. Mollie processes online payments only.
Best for: medium-sized to large retail organizations that want to expand or solidify their reach in Europe, especially with Apple Pay
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