The 4 Best Card Processors For Merchants in Europe

As a merchant, you’ve almost certainly heard of card processors. Generally speaking, they’re the companies that process your credit or debit card sales and help route them to your merchant account. As a result, they play a vital role in the success or failure of your business. If you’re planning to get started, or if you’ve been in the business for a while, it’s crucial that you find the best card processors for your business.

There are many providers out there, and the truth is, not all of them are created equal. Some may be more expensive than others, some may offer better quality service, and some may provide different functionality. And some will have more experience working with certain types of businesses. So how do you know which one is right for you?

We’ve scoured the internet and compiled a list of the the 5 best card processors for merchants in Europe. There are so many factors involved when choosing the right card acquirer for your business — fees, pricing structures, customer service, compatibility, risk appetite, chargebacks, technical requirements and more. If you’re looking to pick an acquirer or expand your current setup, this article should help you get the ball rolling.

1. 2CheckOut

2Checkout is a global payment processing company that offers businesses of all sizes an easy way to accept payments. It has been in business since 2006, and is presently used by thousands of companies all over the world. 2Checkout offers a wide range of features, including credit card processing, custom checkout pages, fraud protection and more. By signing up for this payment processing service, you can streamline many of the backend responsibilities involved in modern digital commerce.

2CheckOut provides merchants with the option to set up subscription plans and recurring billing, making it easy to accommodate your business's payment needs. The company also provides  real-time insights into your sales and customer health metrics, so you can always stay on top of your game. With the easy-to-use comparison tool, you can quickly compare similar periodes, drill down by market or channel, and assess your business performance to identify areas for improvement.

Why we like 2CheckOut:

• Quick and secure payment processing
• Global reach — works with thousands of businesses all over the world
• User-friendly platform that easily integrates with shopping carts and invoicing systems
• Access to sales data lets you obtain the information necessary to ensure informed decisions about your business
• Localisation of checkout pages to display different languages
  
  

What 2CheckOut can improve:

In our experience, the interface can be a little confusing to navigate. Additionally, some customers report an occasional lack of clear communication regarding payouts and refunds, with 2CheckOut withholding funds for longer than communicated to customers.  

2. Bluesnap

BlueSnap helps businesses find a better way to accept payments by simplifying complex payment processes with an all-in-one payment platform. The company makes it easy to accept payments online, in-app, or in person, along with support for global currencies and multiple languages with a worldwide network of 30+ acquiring banks. BlueSnap also provides businesses with the tools they need to accept payments from customers around the globe via online and mobile checkout, subscriptions, invoices, virtual terminals and marketplaces.

Bluesnap’s battle-tested fraud prevention system leverages machine learning and a proprietary risk engine that significantly minimises the instances of fraudulent payments by up to 80%. Bluesnap also benefits from its global network of acquiring banks, which allows the company to ensure high payment conversion rates and make sure you can generate bigger revenue.

Why we like BlueSnap: 

• With a worldwide network of 30+ acquiring banks, BlueSnap uses its single global payment solution, including its payment gateway service, to help e-commerce businesses process payments quickly

• Proprietary risk engine that significantly minimises the instances of fraudulent payments and credit card fraud

• Helps businesses find a better way to accept payments by simplifying complex payment processes with an all-in-one payment orchestration platform
  
  

What BlueSnap can improve:

Per reports, its customer support falls short of expectations, with long queues to talk to a support agent and some lapses in communication when it comes to account rejections and refunds. 

3. Stripe

There's no doubt that Stripe is one of the top list of card acquirers processors out there. Stripe helps you take payments and move money globally with its powerful APIs and software solutions. With its flat fees and customizable options, it's a great choice for businesses of all sizes. Stripe offers many features to its users, including prebuilt, hosted payment pages, fully customisable flows, no-code payment links, subscription management, and software to develop your own in-person checkout to accept payments in the physical world. 

Stripe also provides a way for businesses to take advantage of tax deductions by automatically calculating and storing sales tax information. This can be a big help for businesses that have to deal with a lot of sales tax regulations. Additionally, Stripe provides robust fraud protection that uses machine learning to detect and block fraudulent transactions.

Why we like Stripe:

• No monthly costs or setup fees
• Flat fees per transaction and transparent pricing
• Customisable options and pricing for high volume businesses
• Robust fraud protection
• Easy-to-use interface
• API-driven for easy integration
  
  

What Stripe can improve:
Stripe is a very comprehensive and widespread platform, perhaps the reason why its processing and other fees are quite high in comparison to other providers. In addition, there are some complaints about Stripe’s slow speed in releasing funds.

4. Adyen

Adyen’s widespread popularity (it’s used by more than 6,000 merchants globally) is due to a high conversion rate and reliable security. The company is known for providing a single platform that allows businesses to take payments anywhere in the world. Adyen provides a comprehensive suite of payment solutions, from in-app and online payments to in-person transactions and multi-channel sales journeys.

Adyen's API lets you integrate payments into your platform or marketplace for a seamless brand and user experience. The developer-friendly API makes it easy to enhance your offering. The company also provides a comprehensive array of support options for your business, from online resources to 24/7 customer care. Last but not least, Adyen offers a rather unique card issuing solution tailored to your specific needs. This can help you streamline your operations and make things much easier for you.

Why we like Adyen: 

• Single platform for taking payments anywhere in the world
• A comprehensive array of support options for your business
• Card issuing solution for your business with physical or virtual card issuance
  
  

What Adyen can improve:

While Adyen provides a wide array of payment processing services to many different businesses, its fee and pricing model is fairly complicated, making it a challenge for some clients to preemptively figure out what they will be expected to pay.   

Takeaways when choosing a card acquirer for your business

In this article on the best card acquirers for merchants, we have discussed the top five card processing providers active in today's market. We have featured a number of companies with extensive experience in the online payments space. While these companies offer different platforms, all provide comprehensive payment solutions that enable merchants to take online payments.

We have selected only the most trustworthy, user-friendly merchant acquirers for this list. Tens of thousands of merchants have chosen and continue to trust them for their payment processing needs. The bottom line? If you're looking for a company that offers same-day payouts, Intergiro is your choice. With a bundled package of a business IBAN account and merchant account, you can take advantage of everything Intergiro has to offer, including business card issuing that allows you to spend money the same day you receive it. 

If you're looking for other reliable, high-quality payment processing platforms, Adyen and Stripe are two excellent options. Both platforms offer a wide range of features and are trusted by diverse businesses of all sizes. If you need global services, you can turn to 2CheckOut’s range of offerings. And finally, if you need a merchant account that offers global coverage, look no further than BlueSnap. With a network of over 30 acquiring banks, BlueSnap can help your business take payments from anywhere in the world.