Best Payment Processing for Small Business

What to compare
The five providers

Payment processing moves a customer's card or bank payment to your business account, and the processor charges a fee for each payment. For a small business, the useful comparison is how your customers can pay, where you take payments (on invoices, online or in person), when the money reaches your bank, and how the provider prices each payment. If you bill clients by invoice, you also need the invoice and the payment to connect, so you can see what's still owed.

Billed publishes this page and is listed first. The other providers are listed alphabetically and aren't ranked. Each description quotes the provider's own pages, opened on October 30, 2026, and the products weren't tested for this page. Fees change and vary by country, plan and payment type, so this page doesn't list them; check each provider's pricing page for your country.

For the basics, see what is payment processing and how to accept online payments.

What to compare

Payment methods: cards, bank payments such as ACH in the US, and digital wallets. Check which ones your customers use.
Where you take payments: on invoices, through a payment link or checkout on your site, or in person with a reader or phone.
Payouts: when money from a payment reaches your bank account, and whether faster transfers cost extra.
Pricing model: a percentage plus a fixed amount per payment, or a model that passes through card network costs. See how to reduce payment processing fees.
Invoices and records: whether each payment is matched to the invoice it pays. See how to track invoices effectively.

The five providers

Billed

Billed is invoicing software, not a payment processor. Its accept payments page says: "Billed integrates with Stripe to enable online payments on invoices." It adds: "Add your Paypal account to Billed to start accepting payments via Paypal on your invoices." The same page's FAQ says: "Billed uses Stripe and PayPal to process online payments." and "Your clients can pay invoices using any major credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) through Stripe, or directly with their PayPal balance."

Offline payments: the accept payments page says you can "Keep track of all the payments from offline sources like checks, cash etc."
Repeat billing: Billed's recurring invoices page says: "Your clients can also link their credit cards which makes it easier for them to pay."

Plans are on Billed's pricing page.

Adyen

Adyen's online payments page says: "Adyen lets you accept, optimize, and settle online payments with a single integration." It describes "a single infrastructure built for enterprise volume and stability."

Payment methods: its payment methods page says: "Offer digital wallets, buy now pay later, vouchers, and more." It also says: "ACH Direct Debit is a cost-effective alternative to credit and debit cards in the US".
Pricing model: its pricing page says: "Interchange++ is a pricing model which accurately tracks Interchange rates and scheme fees right down to a transaction level."

PayPal

PayPal's accept payments page (US) says: "PayPal Open helps you accept payments online, in person, and on the go."

Invoices: "Send an online invoice that customers can pay instantly using their preferred payment method. Even if they don't have an account with PayPal."
Payment links: "Swiftly create a Payment Link to share on your website, via email, on social media, or through text."
In person: "Use your phone and our PayPal app to take contactless cards and digital wallet payments including Apple Pay®, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay."

PayPal lists its US fees on its business fees page.

Square

Square's payments page (US) says: "Take payments at your counter or on the go with hardware built for your business, supported by reliable payment processing software."

Invoices: "Send invoices customers can pay with a credit card or by ACH transfer."
Disputes and security: "Fraud protection, data security, dispute management, and PCI compliance are built right in."

Square lists its US rates on its pricing page.

Stripe

Stripe's payments page says you can "Accept payments online, in person, and around the world with a payments solution built for any business". For payment links, it says: "Share links over email, SMS, or any other channel" and "Accept one-time, recurring, or pay-what-you-want payments".

Pricing model: Stripe's US pricing page describes "simple, pay-as-you-go pricing."
Payouts: the same page says: "Opt to receive transfers on a rolling basis, weekly, or monthly."

Billed connects to Stripe for card payments on invoices, as quoted above. For how Stripe and PayPal differ, see Stripe vs PayPal.

Sample: what processing fees cost on a month of invoices

The business, payments and fee rate here are a sample, invented for this example. The rate isn't any provider's price.

A consultant gets 12 invoices paid by card in a month, totaling $9,600.00. The sample fee is 3% of each payment plus $0.25 per payment.

Percentage part: 3% × $9,600.00 = $288.00.
Fixed part: 12 payments × $0.25 = $3.00.
Total fees: $288.00 + $3.00 = $291.00.
Received: $9,600.00 − $291.00 = $9,309.00.
Effective rate: $291.00 ÷ $9,600.00 = 3.03%, slightly above the 3% because of the fixed part.
One small payment: one of the 12 invoices was for $50.00. Its fee is 3% × $50.00 = $1.50, plus $0.25, so $1.75, which is 3.5% of that payment.

The fixed part weighs more on small payments. Run your own numbers with each provider's published rates for your country.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Billed a payment processor?

No. Billed is invoicing software that connects to payment providers. Its accept payments page says "Billed uses Stripe and PayPal to process online payments."

Which payment methods can clients use on a Billed invoice?

Billed's accept payments page says "Your clients can pay invoices using any major credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) through Stripe, or directly with their PayPal balance." It also describes recording offline payments such as checks and cash.

How are payment processing fees worked out?

Each provider sets its own fees by country, plan and payment type. One structure is a percentage of each payment plus a fixed amount per payment, as in the sample on this page. Adyen's pricing page describes Interchange++, which tracks card interchange rates and scheme fees for each transaction. Check each provider's pricing page for your country.

Does this page rank the providers?

No. Billed publishes this page, so Billed is listed first, and the others follow alphabetically. Each description quotes the provider's own pages, opened on October 30, 2026.

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Best Payment Processing for Small Business in 2026