Compare the top 7 digital payment solutions and services in UK in 2025

Having the right digital payment solution as part of your tech stack is vital for keeping up with the high expectations customers have for their online shopping experiences. 

The top digital payment solutions will save your business time and money, as well as encourage conversions and repeat purchases, particularly if you operate internationally. These days, customers around the world expect to see their local payment method at checkout; and in fact, 77% are likely to abandon cart if not.

However, with so many digital payment solutions available, it can be tricky to know which software will suit your business best. In this article, we’ll explore seven of the most popular digital payment providers to help you decide.

Summary

• A digital payment solution is a system that enables electronic financial transactions without the need for physical cash or cheques, such as online payment gateways, mobile apps, and digital wallets. 

• Some payment solutions come with additional features, such as multi-currency accounts, global transfers, corporate cards, expense management, and software integrations, which will streamline and simplify financial operations. 

• The right payment solution can ultimately save you costs, reduce cart abandonment and increase conversions.

What is a digital payment system?

A digital payment solution is a system that enables electronic financial transactions without the need for physical cash or cheques. These solutions are digital platforms like online payment gateways, mobile apps, and digital wallets. For business owners, a great digital payment solution will provide flexible integration options and the ability to accept payments in multiple currencies and payment methods. 

Some payment solutions come with additional features, such as multi-currency accounts, global transfers, corporate cards, expense management, and software integrations. This type of end-to-end software solution can streamline and simplify financial operations, improving your business’ bottom line and giving your team time to focus on what matters most – growing your business. 

How do digital payment systems work?

Digital payment systems work by providing a convenient and secure way to make payments online. They typically involve a mobile app or online platform that allows businesses to link their bank accounts or credit cards. 

When customers make a purchase, the merchant’s payment gateway securely sends payment details to a processor. This processor verifies the information, checks funds, and communicates with the customer and merchant banks to authorise and transfer the funds.

The top digital payment solutions in 2025

• Airwallex: lets you collect online payments in 180+ countries via 160+ local payment methods, boost your global acceptance rates, and save on unnecessary foreign exchange (FX) fees. More than 100,000 businesses use Airwallex to process more than US$100 billion in transactions annually. Airwallex stands out from many other payment solutions thanks to its end-to-end financial offerings. Multi-currency accounts allow like-for-like settlement, reducing unnecessary FX fees. It also offers cost-effective global transfer solutions with competitive interbank rates. Additional financial services include cards, expense management, and treasury solutions. 

• Stripe: Stripe is a popular payment gateway provider focused on mobile eCommerce, SaaS, nonprofits, and platform-based payments. The platform is used by millions of companies¹ to accept payments online and in-person, embed financial services, power custom revenue models, and help companies become more profitable. 

• Worldpay: Worldpay is a payment processing provider that powers businesses of all sizes to make, take, and manage payments. Whether online, in-store, or mobile, you’ll find Worldpay being used in commerce experiences globally. It offers payment platform embedding, card payment solutions, and strategic partnerships with enterprises. 

• PayPal: a global online payment processing provider offering integrated payment solutions, processing 25 billion transactions around the world in 2023². The platform can take a wide variety of online payments, offering checkout experiences to customers around the world.

• Adyen: a Dutch digital payment provider that provides end-to-end payments, data, and financial management in a single solution. The platform allows users to accept, process, and settle payments. It aims to provide customers with “elite payments performance around the world.” 

• GoCardless: 85,000 businesses around the world use GoCardless³ to collect funds through direct debits (domestic and international) without the stress of having to chase down individual payments. This digital payment solution also offers clients the opportunity to securely access data from customer bank accounts to enhance products and manage risk, with connections available to 2,300+ banks across the UK and Europe⁴. 

• Revolut: With hundreds of thousands of businesses active on the platform⁵, Revolut Business is used globally to accept payments online and in-store. Revolut offers a range of payment acceptance tools, such as Payment Links, payment APIs and plugins, a Point of Sale app, and the Revolut Reader device. 

Top features to look for in digital payment services

With so many digital payment providers on the market, comparing them can feel overwhelming. To help, here’s a list of the most important features to look out for.

• Security: At the minimum, your provider should be PCI DSS compliant and have fraud prevention systems in place. For best-in-class security, look for advanced encryption, SOC1, SOC2, and PSD2 compliance.

• Cost: Find a platform that’s right for you by asking about the fee structure and the length of the contract. Don’t forget about monthly subscription fees, foreign transaction fees, and currency conversion costs.

• Integration capabilities: It’ll make reconciliation, checkouts, and forecasting easier and faster if your digital payment software integrates easily with your existing accounting and eCommerce platforms.

• Global reach: Look for a provider that helps you accept global payments without paying unnecessarily high FX or conversion fees, and offers local payment methods to your customers.

• Scalability: Look for a solution that can grow with your financial needs. This could include handling increased transaction volumes and multiple overseas markets, as well as offering a full spectrum of services like integrated FX solutions, transfers, multi-currency accounts, and spend management tools. 

What types of digital payments are there?

There are many digital payment methods your customers can choose from, and different digital payment providers support different payment methods. At an absolute minimum, your system should accept payments from all the major credit card schemes, but it’s best to provide a variety of digital payment methods.

Offering a range of payment options (and showing your pricing in local currencies) helps boost your reputation and conversion rates, and can help your business gain new customers globally.

Examples of digital payment types include:

• Credit and debit cards

• Bank transfers

• Digital wallets

• Invoice payments

• Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)

• Cryptocurrencies

• Preloaded cards and gift cards

Compare the top digital payment systems in 2025

Source: Airwallex, Stripe, Worldpay, PayPal, Adyen, GoCardless, Revolut as of 1 Nov 2024

Compare the pricing of the best digital payment solutions and services in 2025

See Airwallex’s pricing plan and fee schedule in detail. Note: Some providers may charge additional payment processing fees, such as foreign currency settlement fees, not included in this table. 

Questions to ask when onboarding a digital payment solution

Asking the right questions when selecting a new digital payment solution can make all the difference. Choosing the right provider can set you up for long-term growth through robust global payment infrastructure, such as local payment methods, like-for-like currency settlements, and low foreign transaction fees and FX rates. On top of that, some providers offer additional solutions, such as multi-currency accounts, cards, and expense management solutions. Ultimately, these features will save you time and money.

• Tell me about your security protocols. How does the provider ensure the safety and security of transactions? Investigate their KYC/AML procedures, encryption standards, and fraud detection capabilities. They should at least meet PCI DSS industry standards.

• Please explain your pricing structure. Ask about all potential fees, such as transaction, monthly, setup, and conversion fees. This will help you avoid unexpected costs, particularly for international transactions.

• Do you support global payments? Beyond understanding the cost of accepting international payments, does the provider allow you to collect and hold multiple currencies? Or will you be forced to convert all payments? This can get expensive, fast.

• How many payment methods are available? Does the service support a variety of payment methods, including local and alternative options, as well as Visa, Mastercard, and American Express credit and debit cards?

• What integrations do you offer? Ensure the provider offers integrations with your existing accounting, CRM, and eCommerce platforms to streamline your operations.

• What kind of customer support is available? Understand their customer service options, including response times and the availability of support channels like email, phone, and chatbot.

• Can you support quick business growth? It costs time and money to switch services every couple of years. Check your new provider can help you as you scale with increased transaction volumes and the ability to operate in multiple overseas markets without significant disruptions.

• Tell me about your refunds and chargebacks policy. Ask how the digital payment system handles refunds and chargebacks – this can help protect your funds in the future.

• Do you offer analytics? Reporting capabilities are valuable as they can help you forecast and reconcile your books quicker. Ask what kind of data insights are available with the platform and how detailed they are.

•   What is the customer experience like? Is the checkout functionality customisable? How does it integrate with your website/app and ensure a smooth transaction? This will help you understand how much the platform has considered user design.

Why choose Airwallex as a digital payment provider?

While there are many competitors on the market, Airwallex stands out as one of the most modern and global providers out there. Unlike many other providers, our payment processing works in tandem with multi-currency accounts and competitive FX and transfer features, saving you on costs. Our spend management solutions, from expense management to cards and bill pay, also save you time on reconciliation.

With Airwallex, you can: 

Expand internationally and increase your conversion rates

Improve sales by offering local currency pricing and giving your customers the opportunity to pay via one of 160+ local payment methods in 180+ countries. 

Improve your bottom line by saving on FX costs

Multi-currency accounts allow you to settle funds in 14 currencies – no currency conversions needed. When you do need to convert funds, you can do so at competitive interbank rates.

Integrate payments on your platform easily and securely

With everything from no-code and low-code options to fully-customisable solutions, Airwallex gives you the power to collect payments your way (and with the simplest setup available). At the same time, our AI-powered engine is constantly working in the background to protect your business against fraudulent transactions. 

FAQs about digital payment solutions

What is a digital payment system?

A digital payment system is a kind of software or digital tool that facilitates electronic payments and helps businesses manage their money. 

What important factors to choose when selecting a digital payment solution?

There are lots of factors worth considering, including security and compliance, fees and costs, integration with business tools, scalability and growth potential, and which payment methods are supported. 

How much does it cost to onboard a digital payment company?

Pricing varies between providers; some offer simple subscription plans, like Airwallex, while others operate on a per-transaction model. Don’t forget there are often hidden fees for international payments. 

How safe are digital payment services?

Secure digital payment services should include fraud prevention systems, end-to-end data encryption and be compliant with PCI DSS (the global security standard for organisations that store and process sensitive data).

Sources & references

Disclaimer:  We updated this article in Q4 2024. The information was based on our own online research and we were not able to manually test each tool or provider. The information is provided for educational purposes only and a reader should consider the specific requirements of their business when evaluating providers. If you would like to request an update, feel free to contact us at [email protected].

¹ https://stripe.com/customers 

² https://www.paypal.com/ca/enterprise/payment-processing#:~:text=As%20of%202023%2C%20PayPal%20processed,increase%20in%20y%2Fy%20growth.&text=Scale%20into%20new%20markets%20and%20accept%20payments%20in%20135%20currencies.&text=PayPal%20Braintree%20has%20shown%20a,market%20average%20for%20LEs%20globally. 

³ https://gocardless.com/blog/gocardless-50000-businesses/ 

⁴ https://gocardless.com/en-us/ 

⁵ https://www.revolut.com/news/revolut_doubles_down_on_business_accounts_and_launches_revolut_billpay_as_global_annualised_revenues_surpass_500m/ 

⁶ https://stripe.com/payments 

⁷ https://paymentforstripe.com/guides/currencies 

⁸ https://corporate.worldpay.com/ 

⁹ https://investor.aciworldwide.com/news-releases/news-release-details/aci-worldwide-and-worldpay-drive-global-acceptance-alternative 

¹⁰ https://www.worldpay.com/en/enterprise 

¹¹ https://www.paypal.com/uk/enterprise/payment-methods 

¹² https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/merchant-fees 

¹³ https://www.adyen.com/global-payment-processing 

¹⁴ https://www.adyen.com/en_GB/pricing 

¹⁵https://gocardless.com/pricing/ 

¹⁶ https://www.datawallet.com/crypto/revolut-countries#:~:text=Summary%3A%20Revolut%20provides%20financial%20and,US%2C%20Australia%2C%20and%20Japan 

¹⁷ https://help.revolut.com/help/more/revolut-pro/accepting-payments-with-revolut-pro/what-kind-of-payments-can-i-accept-in-revolut-pro/ 

¹⁸ https://www.revolut.com/en-US/business/business-account-plans/ 

¹⁹ https://www.airwallex.com/uk/pricing 

²⁰ https://www.merchantsavvy.co.uk/payment-processors/stripe-payments/ 

²¹ https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/small-business/worldpay#:~:text=Worldpay%20processes%20in%2Dperson%20and,offers%2024%2F7%20phone%20support.

²² https://www.paypal.com/uk/business/paypal-business-fees 

²³ https://www.adyen.com/en_GB/pricing 

²⁴ https://gocardless.com/blog/how-much-do-international-payments-really-cost/#:~:text=For%20international%20payments%2C%20GoCardless%20will,customer%2C%20our%20fee%20is%20%24100.25 

²⁵ https://www.revolut.com/business/accept-payments-pricing/ 

Related articles about payment services and solutions:

• Top Payment Gateway Providers & Services in the UK

• Top Payment Processing Services & Companies in the UK

• Top eCommerce Payment Systems & Solutions in the UK

• Top Online Payment Systems & Providers in the UK