Are you looking for online payment method to collect payments? From the first glance PayPal seems to be the easiest platform to go. It’s quite easy to integrate and has numerous payment options. However, it is not available in all countries and there are several other stop factors. That’s why we’d like to share a some of the most reliable PayPal alternatives for the business.
Why look for alternatives to PayPal?
Geography
PayPal seems to become a no-brainer payment method for online businesses in the U.S. But if you need worldwide coverage chances are high that you’ll need an additional payment service provider.
Although, PayPal claims to operate in more than 200+ countries keep in mind that this is the list of counties where residents can register a PayPal account, but not necessarily have one. So this list can be extended on most European countries, where the general audience does not use PayPal.
Prohibited Industries
There is a number of industries that are in a grey zone, which can be banned from PayPal or require a special approval like forex trading, gambling, and betting. Here’s the list of activities that PayPal (also Payoneer and Stripe) prohibits:
Transactions related to dangerous, illegal or violent activities or items, such as:
- Drugs
- Cigarettes
- Stolen Goods
- Hate speech or Racial Intolerance
- Copyright Infringement
- Sexually-oriented materials or services
- Certain weapons or knives
Transactions related to scams or high-risk finances, such as:
- Pyramid schemes
- “Get rich quick” schemes
- Multi-level marketing programs
- Lotteries
- Off-shore banking
- Currency exchanges or check cashing businesses
- Anything for the purpose of bribery or corruption
PayPal also has a list of businesses that require special approval:
- Airlines.
- Charitable donations.
- Stock and bonds.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- E-cigarettes or non-cigarette tobacco products.
- Prescription drugs or devices.
You can familiarize with a full list of businesses that are banned or require approval in PayPal’s Acceptable Use Policy.
Top PayPal Alternatives for Business
Stripe – Perhaps one of the faster-growing payment platform for merchants. It gains traction very fast, partly because Stipe can be easily integrated on website and mobile apps. We used it several times in our previous works and found it very straightforward. You can receive payments easily using one of several plugins. Stripe can be used for crowdfunding purpose or as a payment gateway for merchants.
Payoneer – Is one of the biggest global payment services can be used instead of PayPal. With it you can receive payment via PayPal itself as well as debit/credit cards and bank accounts. Payoneer is exceptionally well suited for companies that provide services worldwide, freelance platforms, medium to big businesses. Over last few years Payoneer has onboarded over 3 million users, and of course, it provides 24/7 support.
Skrill – IIt is a convenient, secure and safe platform that is popular in such industries as gambling, betting, gaming, and forex trading. Skrill also features instant money transfer, which is exceptionally useful if you operate in one of these industries. And, of course, it operates worldwide.
Neteller – An interesting thing about this platform is that it has a reward points system which collects points every time you perform a transaction. Of course, it processes payments from various platforms including Visa, MasterCard, Bitcoin, Maestro, and many more. Neteller is one of the most reliable and easy-to-use substitutes of PayPal along with Stripe, Payoneer, and Skrill.
WePay – The platform provides various features like custom UX design, fund settlement, mobile point of sale solution and many more. WePay offers a great customer support as well as fraud protection. Being a subsidiary of Chase, WePay features a powerful antifraud system, risk compliance and other modern bells and whistles.
Perfect Money – enables easy money transfer among members. It can be used for making and receiving money worldwide, save money on electronic accounts with interests, and buy cryptocurrency. Perfect Money seems to be old pal, but its age is balanced by the popularity among the old-school loyal audience.
PayPal Substitutes in China
Alipay – One of the most popular payment services for medium and large businesses that are entering the Chinese market. In the fourth quarter of 2016, Alipay had a 54% share of China’s mobile payment market, although its share fell from 71% in 2015 as its rival Tencent’s WeChat Pay was rapidly catching up.
WeChat Pay – The popularity of WeChat Pay is hard to underestimate. It is widely used to make small purchases in retail and through e-commerce platforms. This is a no-brainer service if you a small to a medium-sized merchant who’s trying to sell its product in China.
Mobile Payment Systems & Wallets
Apple Pay is extremely popular these days. And each year more and more online businesses integrate it in their apps and websites.
Need hep with payment system integration?
Our experts can suggest the most suitable payment gateway for your business and perform it integration into your solution.