Best Shopify Payment Gateways for US, UK and EU Stores (2026)

Shopify Payments is available in the US, the UK and most EU countries, according to Shopify's supported-countries list as of September 2026. Slovakia is the notable EU gap, so stores based there need a third-party provider from the start.

The rest of this guide covers what each option costs per plan in dollars, pounds and euros, where PayPal, Stripe and Klarna fit, which local European methods you can switch on, and the UK and EU card authentication rules that affect checkout.

Rates differ by market. The UK and Irish pricing pages publish full rate tables, and we use Ireland as the EU example because it prices in euros and English. Other EU countries can differ slightly, so check your own country's pricing page before you budget.

Shopify's US pricing page lists plan prices but, when we checked in September 2026, not card rates. The US figures below come from Shopify's own June 2026 payment gateway guide. In the US, business cards and all American Express cards are priced as premium cards, and Shopify's help center says an extra charge applies to international cards.

The rate is the same in all three markets as of September 2026: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus. Shopify's third-party transaction fee page also states that the fee isn't returned when you refund an order.

Here is an illustrative $100 order on the US Basic plan. Through Shopify Payments it costs $3.20 (2.9% + 30¢). Through a hypothetical outside gateway charging the same 2.9% + 30¢, it costs $5.20, because Shopify adds $2.00. That gap is why a switch away from Shopify Payments needs a strong reason.

Every new Shopify store gets a PayPal Express Checkout account automatically. Keep it switched on unless you have a reason not to, because some shoppers would rather not type card details into a store they have never used. With Shopify Payments active, Shopify doesn't add its transaction fee, but PayPal charges its own.

Stripe is a different case. Shopify Payments runs on Stripe, and Shopify's help center says that in countries where Shopify Payments is available, Stripe isn't listed as a separate gateway. Stand-alone Stripe pricing (2.9% + 30¢ for US domestic cards, 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards, 1.5% + €0.25 for standard EEA cards in Ireland) only matters for payments you take outside Shopify's checkout, such as deposits on a separate booking tool.

Start with one BNPL option, not three. Each one adds a button, a set of rules and another dispute process your team has to learn.

Klarna is the clearest example of the country split. In the UK and much of Europe it is a local payment method inside Shopify Payments, offering pay in 30 days, pay in full and pay in 3. The US isn't on that list, so US stores install Klarna's own app and connect it with API credentials.

No. Shopify's help pages for Apple Pay and Google Pay both say you pay no extra fee for accepting them; you pay the normal processing rate of your payment provider. With Shopify Payments they appear in the Wallets section of your payment settings.

Two conditions catch stores out. Apple Pay needs SSL on your store domain and compliance with Apple's acceptable use guidelines. Google Pay works with Shopify Payments in all regions except France, so French stores need a third-party provider that lists it.

Shop Pay is Shopify's own accelerated checkout. It is exempt from the third-party fee when you use Shopify Payments, and it is the gateway to Shop Pay Installments in the US and UK.

Each method only shows when the customer is in a supported country and pays in an eligible currency. If you sell into the Netherlands from Germany, for example, the Netherlands has to be set up as a market before iDEAL appears.

Ireland's rates as of September 2026: iDEAL costs 2.2% + €0.25 on Basic, 1.9% on Grow, 1.6% on Advanced and 1.4% on Plus, excluding VAT. Bancontact is the same except Plus, which stays at 1.6%. UK stores pay 2.2% + 20p for both on Basic.

SEPA Direct Debit isn't on Shopify Payments' local payment methods list as of September 2026. If your EU buyers ask for it, look for a provider that lists it in your admin, and weigh that against the fees described above for running a third-party provider next to Shopify Payments.

Shopify's PSD2 and 3-D Secure guide says the directive took effect on September 14, 2019. Shopify Payments uses a 3-D Secure checkout flow automatically and is set up to trigger it only when the customer's bank requires it.

Authenticated payments also get a liability shift: fraud chargebacks move from you to the card issuer. Shopify notes that card networks can revoke this if your chargeback levels run too high, so authentication doesn't replace fraud screening. Our guide to reducing Shopify chargebacks and fraud covers the rest.

If you move a UK or EU store to a third-party card gateway, confirm in writing that it supports 3-D Secure on Shopify before you switch. US stores don't face the same legal requirement.

Use this checklist before launch or before changing providers. Get answers in writing where a provider is involved.

Shopify's test order guide offers Shopify's test payment gateway, Shopify Payments test mode, or a real transaction that you cancel and refund. The last route may cost processing fees, and customers can't place live orders while your providers are in test mode, so schedule tests outside busy hours.

If you are still choosing a plan, our breakdown of what a Shopify store costs shows how card rates and plan prices interact. Selling across borders adds currency, duties and tax questions, covered in how to sell internationally on Shopify. Pixel2Tech's WordPress and Shopify team can configure and test the whole payment setup with you.