Stripe vs PayPal vs Apple Pay for WordPress

WordPress can do a lot out of the box. However, one thing it can’t do by default is enable you to collect online payments. To do that, you’ll need to integrate the Content Management System (CMS) with a payment gateway.

You have a lot of options when it comes to payment gateways. Three of the most popular are Stripe, PayPal, and Apple Pay. Although they share some similar features, knowing how each one differs will help you choose the right options for your site.

In this article, we’re going to compare Stripe vs PayPal vs Apple Pay. We’ll talk about how each payment gateway works, and even touch on some alternative solutions for WordPress users. Let’s get to it!

Stripe for WordPress

Stripe is a popular online platform that enables you to process payments through your website. With Stripe, your visitors will be able to pay using credit cards for individual purchases or sign up for recurring charges. Plus, you can also accept Bitcoin, Apple Pay, and Android Pay.

Along with enabling you to process credit card payments securely, Stripe also stands out because it’s a developer-friendly option. You can easily connect your Stripe account to third-party platforms and services, including WordPress.

As a WordPress user, the easiest way to connect Stripe with the CMS is through plugins. Fortunately, there are several top-notch options to help you do that.

Stripe Transaction Fees

Stripe doesn’t charge you a monthly fee to use its services. Instead, you pay a 2.9% fee plus $0.30 for each charge made through the platform.

Aside from those fees, you’ll be glad to know that Stripe doesn’t charge you for failed transactions or refunds. However, there is a $15 fixed fee per chargeback.

PayPal for WordPress

When it comes to payment gateways, PayPal is without a doubt the most popular option. On top of enabling you to process credit card payments through your site, PayPal doubles as an online ‘wallet’. That means you and other users can store money on your PayPal accounts, and use that to pay for online purchases. This is a big part of what makes PayPal so popular.

Setting up a PayPal business account for your website is easy, and you can add simple buttons to your site that enable users to buy products and services. You also have the option of using WordPress PayPal plugins including PayPal Standard, PayPal Credit, or PayPal Payments Pro to achieve more advanced integrations, like recurring payments.

PayPal also offers the PayPal Commerce Platform, which is a full-stack solution that provides marketplaces and other commerce platforms with powerful and flexible payment processing capabilities. Additionally, Paypal Zettle is a complete point of sale solution for your business that not only lets you take payments and track sales in the PayPal Zettle app, but also offers registers, card terminals, and more.

Using PayPal as a payment gateway can be a smart way to increase sales. That’s because most people are familiar with this payment processor, which increases trust. Plus, PayPal is popular with users because of its helpful customer service, which enables users to easily ask for refunds if they run into any problems.

PayPal Transaction Fees

PayPal charges the same base fee as Stripe for payments within the US, which is 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction. However, fees vary a lot for international payments. These have a base of 3.9% per charge, plus an extra fee that depends on which country you’re processing the payment from.

In most cases, using PayPal works out better for smaller transactions within the US, since you get to keep more of the money. However, if you’re going to primarily process international payments, costs can quickly add up.

Apple Pay for WordPress

If you’re an iOS user, then you’re probably familiar with Apple Pay. This is a service that enables you to store your credit or debit card information and use your phone to pay through Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology. The service even includes wallet functionality just like PayPal, which means you can use it to store money.

In practice, Apple Pay usage isn’t as widespread as PayPal or even Stripe. However, the service is available in several key markets, including the US, Canada, Australia, and large parts of Europe (among other countries).

Including Apple Pay on your WordPress site may help you convince iOS users to make purchases since they know their information will be kept safe. To integrate this payment gateway, you can either use a dedicated plugin or set up WooCommerce. With WooCommerce, you can use the Stripe extension to enable payments through Apple Pay and Stripe at the same time.

Apple Pay Transaction Fees

Apple Pay charges a standard 3% for credit card transactions, and debit card purchases are free. When you compare Apple Pay vs PayPal, the former wins out when it comes to fees, although it can’t compete with the latter’s extensive user base.

If you compare Stripe vs Apple Pay, again you’ll find that Apple Pay is the cheaper option. With WordPress, you can easily use these two payment processors side-by-side, which makes for great synergy.

Other WordPress Payment Gateway Options

As you can imagine, there are a lot more players in the payment gateway world besides Stripe, PayPal, and Apple Pay. For example, there’s Square, which is a popular credit card processing option:

Amazon Pay is another option, which enables you to make online purchases using the Amazon platform and your linked payment methods:

For most services, the easiest way to add payment gateway support to your site is through WooCommerce. This eCommerce plugin is so popular that you’ll have an easy time finding extensions that enable you to integrate almost every popular payment gateway.

Beyond that, there are also more niche options. For example, you can choose to accept payments in cryptocurrencies, receive electronic transfers from specific banks, and more. Just keep in mind that ideally, you shouldn’t have to process payments manually. The exception is when you’re dealing with very high-ticket items, where manual payment processing can enable you to review each purchase.

Can You Have Multiple Payment Gateways on a Site?

Choosing a payment gateway with a strong track record and that people trust is a simple way to increase conversions on your site. With that in mind, the logical approach is to add support for the most popular option you can find to WordPress.

In practice, however, there’s little stopping you from integrating multiple payment gateways with your WordPress site. For example, as we mentioned earlier, Stripe also enables you to process Apple Pay payments.

However, there is such as thing as adding too many payment options. That approach can impact the user’s experience, since they may not know what gateway to use.

Even so, integrating two or three payment gateways is a perfect balance on most sites. If you choose to add Apple Pay, Stripe, and PayPal to WordPress, they’ll go a long way toward maximizing your earning opportunities.

Providing the Optimal Digital Experience from Beginning to End

The payment gateways you choose have the potential to impact your overall sales and revenue. Many customers will prefer to use gateways they know, so opting for the most popular option – or using several of them – can be a smart move to maximize your earnings.

WPEngine enables you to accept payments on your site however you like and helps you create a fully-realized digital experience for your customers. To learn more, check out our WordPress hosting and our flexible hosting plans!