Why the payment gateway matters
It decides which payment methods you can accept, what each sale costs in fees, how smooth the card form feels, and how many legitimate orders get declined.
What to compare between gateways
- Fees: per-transaction rates, monthly costs, currency conversion
- Payment methods: cards, wallets, BNPL, local options
- Checkout experience: hosted, embedded, or one-tap
- Fraud screening and dispute tooling
Questions
Gateway vs payment processor: what’s the difference?
The gateway is the secure front door collecting the payment; the processor moves the money behind it. Most modern providers are both, which is why the terms blur.
Why do legitimate payments get declined?
Overcautious fraud filters, mismatched billing details, or issuer-side rules. Watching the decline rate and tuning filters recovers real revenue quietly lost.