Top 7 International Payment APIs for Integration

Planet Earth is your marketplace, and earthlings are increasingly looking to buy goods and services from all over the globe. Based on our observations, venturing across the seas can be daunting for businesses, and one of the biggest troubles is actually implementing secure and seamless international payment options into the website of your product. 

This guide will first equip you with enough knowledge to navigate the world of specific services integrating payment APIs, and then help you pick the option right for you. We'll be diving right in by looking at the key players in the game — from industry giants like Stripe and PayPal to the smaller yet prominent products. What exactly are international payment systems? How do international payment gateways work? These and some other burning questions you will be able to answer by the end of this guide — so why wait, then?

Overview of API Integrations

Stripe

Have you ever tried to pay for Lyft, Postmates, Doordash, TaskRabbit, Deliveroo, Slack, Kickstarter, or Pinterest? Then, you’ve probably heard of Stripe, one of the leading international payment gateways, which is distinguished by its significant US market share of 17.4% - 18.7%, according to the Capital One Shopping Research. In 2023, the service processed a global payment volume of over $1 trillion. It accepts 135+ currencies across 46 countries and provides 50+ payment methods. Checking out with Stripe feels like coming home — it recognizes where your customer is and lets them pay the way they’re used to. Known for its developer-friendly APIs, the platform allows integration with various online stores. It also adheres to high compliance standards with licenses and certifications in the UK, US, and EU, and offers robust security features, including encryption and fraud protection. The pricing starts at 1.5% + €0.25 for  standard European Economic Area cards, but does Stripe accept international payments? Yes, of course, that’s why we’re here, right? Stripe international payments fee is 3.25% + €0.25 + 2% if currency conversion is required. Also, the company  has been  eyeing another slice of the pie by working on integrating with digital currencies. Stripe API payment methods allow you to  embed crypto purchases directly into your checkout flow. Your customers can top up their crypto wallets in minutes with a card payment or instant bank transfer. The partners’ lineup in crypto includes MetaMask, Coinbase, Blockchain.com and more.

As you’ll see from this guide further on, in the beginning, just like some other software in the niche, Stripe allows you to play around with its features risk-free! Their "test mode" lets developers experiment with the service without messing up real data. Launched in 2010, the platform has become a developer darling thanks to its super smooth integration process. It takes the hassle out of handling payments, subscriptions, user accounts, and even invoicing. Plus, Stripe uses REST API, which is like a common language for developers, making it easier  to set up. That means you can get started quickly and spend less time coding and more time building something else.

Customer reviews

Peter B: “Pure and simple, I had a question regarding the integration of Stripe as my payment processor for my organization’s website. I went to Stripe support online and was planning to send an email with the issue. It was a Sunday evening. Once on the Stripe support page, it gave me the option to chat or talk. I was immediately put in touch with someone who answered my questions and resolved the issue on a Sunday night.” 

Britt Malka: “Stripe claims my business falls under one of their restricted business categories. I explained that I create and sell eBooks and courses that help writers to write fiction, bloggers to write blog posts and get traffic, and other course creators to make courses, write eBooks, and sell them. Apparently, this is considered one of their restricted categories, similar to selling drugs and weapons.”

PayPal 

Lessonpal, Venmo, RWS, and many other companies use this payment gateway to charge their clients. Integrating PayPal API for payment processing might be a wise move since it is one of the leading international payment providers with a global market share of 45%, according to the Fit Small Business Research. Known for its trusted name, which can increase customer conversion rates by up to 33%, the service operates in over 200 countries, supports 25 currencies, and offers different solutions for businesses, including the ability to host your own checkout page or let them manage it. Their payment gateway accepts all major credit and debit cards, giving your customers more flexibility at checkouts. Keep in mind, though, that international payments for merchants have a $1.50 fee per transaction, as of July 2024, and it's always a good idea to check PayPal's website for the most up-to-date information. If you're thinking about adding crypto payment options, understand that PayPal doesn't actually use cryptocurrency directly as a payment method for purchases on merchant websites. There might be some confusion because PayPal allows users to buy, hold, and sell certain cryptocurrencies within their platform, but it actually acts as a middleman, allowing you to use your cryptocurrency holdings to indirectly fund your purchases. The actual transaction happens in traditional currency.

Just like Stripe, PayPal uses REST API, which is a way for different software applications to communicate over the internet in a straightforward manner.  If you're a developer, you can try out PayPal's features safely using a special account called a Developer account that allows you to test things without affecting real transactions or money.

Customer reviews

Timothy Willis: “PayPal is one of the most widely utilized, respected, and credible e-commerce payment vendors. However, in my experience as a web merchant, PayPal has larger fees and is more consumer-friendly than other platforms. This results in higher return rates and higher costs for merchants.”

Michael: “Yes and no… First, read their terms of service and understand payment holds and how PayPal uses them. Also, make sure the products you're selling aren't prohibited. I also advise you to read the terms of service agreement. Now, to give you an example: if you have a sudden spike in sales, PayPal will automatically put those funds on hold until the customer receives the order. They may place an additional 90-day hold on your funds to make sure there aren't any problems with those orders.”

Adyen

Adyen is another global payment processing solution, available in over 100 markets. Such businesses as Hermès, Dept, Honeypot and others have integrated it as an  international payment gateway. The platform supports dynamic currency conversion (DCC) for a wide range of currencies (more than 36), allows international customers to pay in their own currency and offers them a variety of local payment methods, making it a strong option for businesses aiming to expand globally. The Dutch provider is known for its easy integration into online stores, PCI compliance, and robust fraud protection system. Our research shows that the platform charges a fixed processing fee of $0.13 USD per transaction, with additional variable fees based on the payment method used, such as $0.13 + $0.27 USD for ACH Direct Debit and $0.13 + 3% for Union Pay. But do your own research and check out their  fee structure yourself just in case.

If you want to use Adyen as a payment service provider, you will need to sign up for an account. After the account is approved, it will give merchants access to Adyen's payment services, which can be managed and customized using the Customer Area interface or the Adyen API. Initially, an Adyen account operates in test mode, allowing you to run test payments and safely implement all integrations with the Adyen payments platform. After successfully passing all integration tests, you can switch to live mode to accept real-time omnichannel payments.

Customer reviews

ch k: “They don't accept new businesses. I tried to apply and they replied saying my business was one of the prohibited businesses on their list. I checked it, and it absolutely isn't. I'm also American but opened a business overseas”

FM: “It processes a payment only once every ten times. It's always a gamble to see if the payment goes through when processed by Adyen. Every time a website has Adyen as a payment provider I feel like ordering elsewhere or, when they give the option, I just select PayPal”

Worldpay

And here we go again with another payment processor widely used in the US, supporting over 120 currencies and making it easy to accept payments from customers globally. As an all-in-one solution, Worldpay allows businesses to process credit card payments directly from their apps or websites and offers electronic funds transfer (EFT) services through the SWIFT network for global B2B transactions — although this method can be slower and more costly than other options. The company has undergone several name changes, from Vantiv to Worldpay in 2018, and was acquired by Fidelity Information Services (FIS) in 2019, now operating as Worldpay from FIS. These changes didn’t affect much the robust and consistent services the platform provides,  but businesses should be aware of potential lengthy contracts and early termination fees. There were talks about Worldpay getting into crypto with Crypto.com, but it doesn't seem like anything major came of it.

Ever get that rush from leveling up in a video game? To ensure Worldpay direct integration, it is essential to contact their sales team first. Then, integration with Launchpad is required, and, also, you must be an existing Worldpay partner equipped with a Worldpay API Key. This API key, which is necessary for using the Documents API, serves as a unique identifier providing both authorization and authentication.

Customer reviews

SN: ”Jessica Guyatt contacted us promptly, was very friendly and clear, and advised us that the feature we wanted could come free as part of a package we are already paying for. She was very efficient and proactive. Thank you; this was the first positive experience I've had with WorldPay!”

Oliver Jones: “It has nearly been two weeks since we took our first payment using Worldpay, and we are yet to receive the funds in our bank. Despite leaving numerous messages and calling the company, nobody who works there is able to tell us why or when we will get it.”

Braintree

In essence, Braintree is a subsidiary of PayPal, beautifully sitting on top of its well-deserved market share.  The platform is a robust payments solution tailored to support over 130 currencies across 45+ countries and offers strong anti-fraud  features like recurring billing and detailed reporting. While its fees vary by payment method — ranging from 2.59% + $0.49 for card and digital wallet transactions to 0.75% for ACH Direct Debit — Braintree also applies a 1% cross-border fee. In 2015, the platform was in talks with Coinbase to enable Bitcoin payments for US merchants, exploring crypto integration in the past, but currently the 's listed payment methods don't include crypto.

Integrating Braintree API into your product begins with setting up a sandbox account for testing purposes. Yes, nothing new! This allows you to simulate transactions using test credit card numbers and familiarize yourself with Braintree's payment gateway functionalities in a safe environment. Start by signing up for a Braintree sandbox account to gain access. Utilize their server SDKs, which support a variety of platforms and languages including Android, iOS, JavaScript, Java, .NET, Node.js, PHP, Python, and Ruby. Then, integrate with their Drop-in UI for web or mobile applications.

Customer reviews

Mark: “It's been two business days since I submitted a contact form and haven't received a response yet. I would appreciate a prompt follow-up on my inquiry. If they are unable to accommodate my needs, I understand, but a timely response would be beneficial.”

Gary Alexander: “Wow, I wish I could give less than one star as I don't think one is deserved. After five years of being a loyal customer, processing over $10 million annually with them, it's been two weeks, and I am still waiting for someone to respond to a request for a serious issue we are having. I contacted a bunch of executives I could find on LinkedIn; out of 50 contacts, one responded. Here is her response: "DON'T EVER CONTACT ME ON LINKEDIN." Unbelievable. Looking at other reviews, it looks like this is pretty normal for them.”

Amazon Pay 

Amazon Pay, another international payment gateway, enables customers to complete transactions using their Amazon accounts. Its omnichannel API simplifies integration with your online store, offering robust fraud protection, recurring billing, and express payouts within 24 hours. Amazon Pay supports 12 currencies and is available in 18 countries, accommodating all major credit and debit cards along with various local payment methods. For international transactions, it charges a 3.9% cross-border processing fee and an authorization fee of $0.30 USD, with additional taxes applicable where relevant. For sellers on Amazon, earnings from multiple marketplaces can be withdrawn into a Wise Business account to avoid high currency conversion fees. 

To integrate Amazon Pay into your product, start by registering for an Amazon Pay merchant account on the Amazon Pay website (US, EU, UK, JP). You can create a developer account for the Sandbox environment for initial testing. After registration, add all domains you plan to use, generate a public/private key pair and obtain a Public Key ID from Amazon Pay Integration Central, which is required to access Amazon Pay APIs. Store the private key securely and use the Public Key ID for API access. Follow the detailed instructions provided in Amazon Pay Integration Central to complete these steps efficiently.

Customer reviews

Tobi Nicol: “Please do not use Amazon Pay. They arbitrarily suspended our account after only five days of operation—no reason was given. We went through a thorough due diligence process to get onto Amazon Pay, so why the suspension? They have provided absolutely no reason for retaining our money (tens of thousands of pounds) and no indication of when or how it will be returned.” 

Nowell: “Amazon Pay is a complete mess and an unreliable failure for any business that decides to use it. Your account is suspended,” the email stated, but with no specific reason other than a link to a user agreement and no way to speak to a person about it. It provides a link for us to check our status, which shows no problems. To address the unknown issue, any business would need to know the specific problem and would expect human feedback, not automated emails. So, of course, we have removed your payment service from our website. Now we have to wonder if our current Amazon Pay transactions will go through after we have already shipped the orders. Thanks for letting us know early in our relationship with you that your Amazon Pay service is unreliable”

Sage Pay

And last but not least — Sage Pay, the all-in-one payment processor, accounting, ERP software that supports major credit and debit cards, and e-wallets. Victoria and Albert Museum, Campus Living Villages, SF Group all use the software to create and send invoices, accept multi-currency payments, and manage accounting seamlessly. Our findings show that Sage Pay offers different pricing plans tailored to the size of your business, with two main tiers: Business for small-to-medium-sized firms and Corporate for larger enterprises. While the specific transaction fees are not disclosed, Sage Pay is renowned for its capability to process payments in over 25 different currencies, making it a top choice for international payment gateways. Sage Pay currently doesn't advertise support for any cryptocurrency as a payment method. Their focus seems to be on traditional payment methods like credit cards, debit cards, and some regional options.

To get started with Sage Pay API, you'll need to establish web addresses where the service can securely authorize transactions, both for testing purposes (sandbox) and when your system goes live (production). You'll also discuss with Sage Pay's team how they will securely share the digital keys (API key and client secret) that allow your application to communicate securely with their services. Optionally, you can set up additional web addresses where Sage Pay will send updates about payment statuses or other important events. If your bank requires specific details with these updates, you'll define what information Sage Pay should include. This structured approach ensures that your payment integration with Sage Pay meets your specific needs while maintaining high standards of security and reliability.

Customer reviews

Carla: “Having never used accounting or invoicing software before, this was a very new concept to me. It was very daunting initially; however, the online support, webinars, and available help make problems resolvable. On a day-to-day basis, most errors are highlighted quickly. There is always room for improvement with any software, but what I like and find refreshing is that Sage asks for ideas and suggestions. Sage works well for our small business selling services, so we only use a part of the software that is available and on a small scale. The VAT return online is a welcome feature, as is the debtors' reporting, which has good depth.” 

Chaim: “Sage has been amazing in helping us get everything set up and answering any questions we may have. Customer service response time is very quick. The system is very robust and allows us to work with multiple entities and users at the same time.”

Try Volet.com instead

Stuck in a rut with international payments? Volet.com might be the breath of fresh air you need. They offer some robust, secure and innovative options! The platform offers a versatile approach for  managing payments effortlessly, handling both local transactions and international payments, including credit cards and a wide range of cryptocurrencies. The focus is on simplicity, speed, and cost-effectiveness, supported by a suite of payment tools and round-the-clock live agent assistance. From our experience, security is paramount, ensuring that funds and personal information are safeguarded with advanced measures. With a solid foundation in payment processing since 2014, Volet.com continues to grow steadily, supporting individuals and businesses worldwide with secure fintech solutions.

Integrating Volet.com API into your product requires building a Shopping Cart Interface (SCI). The SCI acts as a bridge between the merchant's website and Volet.com payment system. To initiate a transaction, your buyer selects products on the merchant's checkout page and proceeds to pay via Volet SCI. The merchant's website redirects the buyer to Volet.com login page, where the buyer enters their Volet.com account details for authentication. If successful, the buyer moves to the SCI payment page to confirm payment details, including the amount and wallet selection. Throughout this process, options to cancel the payment are available, redirecting the buyer back to the merchant's site in case of cancellation.

Integrating Volet.com API ensures one of the most secure and straightforward international methods of payment for merchants to process payments and enhancing the overall online shopping experience for buyers. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, now you know that taking payments from all over the world is key if you want your business to blow up internationally. With online shopping going crazy everywhere, picking one of the many international payment systems can really make or break how happy your customers are, how smooth things run, and ultimately, how much money you make. From Stripe's super-developer friendly tools to PayPal's well-known name that everyone trusts around the world, each payment gateway has its own perks for different businesses. Whether you care most about keeping fees low, having top-notch security, or making things super easy for your customers, understanding this stuff will help you pick the best option. Still not sure what to choose? In this article, we've included a simplified comparison chart to help you visualize the differences. 

Kind Reminder! Ensuring compliance with local and international tax regulations is crucial for the smooth operation of your business. Please consult with a tax professional or utilize appropriate tax software to stay on top of your tax responsibilities.