Top solutions to level up your SaaS payments

If you’re in SaaS, we’re willing to bet that you’ve had a conversation about one of the following in the last week:

1. Churn and retention

2. Acquisition

3. Subscription management

It might not be immediately obvious, but your payment solution can have a noticeable impact on all of these areas.

We’ve put this article together to explain how and why SaaS payment solutions do more than just accept payments, as well as comparing some of the best options out there.

Key takeaways

1. Flexibility and customisation are essential for SaaS payment solutions

2. You can stack solutions on top of each other or choose a unified platform

3. A better way to manage currencies and international payments can unlock huge value

What are SaaS payment solutions?

A SaaS payment solution is any tool that lets you accept electronic payments for your business. That can be through one-off purchases or automated billing and subscriptions.

For most SaaS companies, this is managed through a checkout page.

Payment solutions can also offer tools like revenue management, subscriber lifecycle management, and dunning.

A quick look at the top 5 SaaS payment solutions

• Airwallex: A unified financial platform for international SaaS companies

• Recurly: For every subscription business, from SaaS to content creators

• Paddle: Bringing payments, tax, and compliance into one platform

• Chargebee: Subscription and revenue growth management

• GoCardless: Automates bank transfers and Direct Debits

What to look for in a SaaS payment solutions

There’s a lot of variety between SaaS companies, but there are a few fundamentals that every SaaS should be aware of when considering a payment solution.

Recurring billing and subscription management

Subscription and usage-based billing is the foundation of SaaS RevOps. Not all payment solutions offer these kinds of features, which makes them easy to discount.

If you’re managing subscriptions, tools that help with dunning, upgrades, and enterprise solutions will also make a big difference.

Transaction fees and pricing models

Payment solutions unlock your ability to earn revenue – that has to come at a price.

The industry uses different pricing structures, however the most common ones you’ll see are:

• Monthly subscription fee

• Revenue percentage

• Transaction fees and gateway fees

A lot of companies will combine these (e.g. a monthly subscription + transaction fees).

Multi-currency and global payments

Multi-currency billing is beneficial for you and your customers. They get to pay using local currencies and payment methods. You get to keep your funds in that currency for future payouts, avoiding expensive and unnecessary FX.

If you do want to convert currencies, a payment solution like Airwallex makes it easy and affordable. You can exchange your money at interbank exchange rates with no markup and lock-in FX rates for up to 180 days.

Integration and API capabilities

Any payment solution for your SaaS needs to be seamless. You want as little friction as possible – for your customers and your own internal systems.

APIs, webhooks, and software integrations add ease and reliability to how you use a product. Without this kind of flexibility, it’s easy to spend more time than you save.

Integration with your back-end tools and systems is essential, too. If a payment solution doesn’t integrate with your accounting, CRM, and ERP systems, you could face a mountain of manual reconciliation and data entry tasks.

Security and compliance

Processing payments is high-risk. There are plenty of bad actors who would love to gain access to your customers’ payment details.

This is why payment solutions exist in the first place – their systems are built to securely process sensitive data. The average SaaS doesn’t realistically have the resources to handle that level of compliance, risk, or infrastructure themselves.

Check that any payment provider is compliant with protocols and standards including:

• PCI DSS

• SOC1 and SOC2

• 3D Secure (or other multi-factor authentication)

• SSL and TLS

You’ll also want to review their chargeback protection and fraud prevention policies, as these can vary wildly and be expensive.

Ease of use and customisation

You’ll spend a lot of time using your payment solution – you’ll want to enjoy using it. Depending on your role and the way you’ll use it, this could look like:

• Clear data dashboards and exports

• Custom user roles and access levels

• Flexible invoicing, subscription, and billing tools

There’s also a question of branding and reputation. If your payment solution has its own branding on every page, invoice, and receipt, it can get a little frustrating for you and confusing for customers. Custom payment UIs and naming on bank statements will add more legitimacy and trust.

Best SaaS payment solutions in the UK (2025)

You’re not short of options, so we’ve done some of the initial research for you. Below are five of the best payment solutions for SaaS in the UK today.

Airwallex

• Key features: A unified, global financial platform supporting your spend, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, FX and more. ¹

• Transaction fees and pricing: 1.30% + 0.20 GBP for UK cards ²

• Availability (supported countries): 180+ countries ³

• Supported payment methods and currencies: 130+ currencies ⁴ in 160 payment methods ⁵

• Security and compliance: GDPR, PCI DSS, SOC1, SOC2, 3D Secure ⁶

• Ideal use cases: If you need a unified financial platform, especially if you are or will be trading internationally

Recurly

• Key features: Subscription management for creators and SaaS, including lifecycle management

• Transaction fees and pricing: Minimum £189 per month ⁷, plus per-transaction and percentage of revenue fees ⁸

• Availability (supported countries): Available “globally” ⁹

• Supported payment methods and currencies: 14 payment methods ¹⁰ and 140 currencies ¹¹

• Security and compliance: PCI DSS, 2FA, GDPR, and PSD2. ¹²

• Ideal use cases: Subscriptions at scale for SaaS companies that prioritise subscriber lifecycle management as much as product

Paddle

• Key features: SaaS payments, tax, and compliance bundled into one

• Transaction fees and pricing: 5% + 0.50 USD ¹³

• Availability (supported countries): 168 countries ¹⁴

• Supported payment methods and currencies: 16 payment methods ¹⁵ and 28 currencies ¹⁶

• Security and compliance: PCI DSS, GDPR, CCPA, and SOC2 ¹⁷

• Ideal use cases: SaaS companies with complex trading and tax arrangements

Chargebee

• Key features: Subscription management, revenue growth, and many integrations

• Transaction fees and pricing: Free for the first 200,000 GBP of cumulative billing, then 0.75% on billing ¹⁸

• Availability (supported countries): 58 countries ¹⁹

• Supported payment methods and currencies: 21 payment methods ²⁰ and 127 currencies ²¹

• Security and compliance: PCI DSS, GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC 1 and SOC 2, and MFA ²²

• Ideal use cases: For subscription SaaS companies that want to keep customers engaged and retained

GoCardless

• Key features: Specialises in bank-to-bank payments, especially Direct Debits

• Transaction fees and pricing: 1% + 0.20 GBP ²³

• Availability (supported countries): 31 countries ²⁴

• Supported payment methods and currencies: Eight currencies ²⁵, two methods (bank debit and instant pay) ²⁶

• Security and compliance: Fraud protection scales with your subscription. GDPR, ISO27001, SSL, Direct Debit Guarantee ²⁷

• Ideal use cases: If your product is sticky enough for customers to agree to Direct Debits

Comparing the best SaaS payment solutions in the UK

When we compare providers, it’s clear that pricing varies hugely. This is partly to do with the markets they serve, but also the kind of customers they want to attract.

Check out the table below for a quick reference on costs.

* £0/month if you deposit at least £10k per month or hold a minimum balance of £10k

** If you have to integrate a separate payment gateway, you’ll also have to account for their costs. If they have their own gateway, the cost should be included.

Why use Airwallex as your SaaS payment solution?

As well as competitive transaction costs and affordable plans, Airwallex offers unique benefits to your SaaS.

Our multi-currency accounts, like-for-like settlement, and interbank FX rates make international trade incredibly affordable. With our powerful API integrations, you also get a deeply customisable and flexible payment solution.

Plus, our unified platform turns international earning into trackable, manageable, and reconcilable international spending. You can handle spend management, card issuance, and more.

Stop running your SaaS on a disjointed and awkward eCommerce stack. Operate on a single, streamlined platform with Airwallex.

FAQs about SaaS payment solutions

Do I need a business bank account to use SaaS payment solutions?

Yes, you will need a business bank account for any SaaS payment solution.

You’ll also need a merchant account. This is a kind of holding account for your business, while your payment processor makes sure the transaction is complete.

Can SaaS businesses accept international payments?

Yes, as long as your payment solution accepts them.

If you do a lot of business internationally, you’ll also want to consider FX rates. You can use a payment solution that offers multi-currency accounts, like Airwallex. These accounts let you charge in each customer’s local currency and convert the currency at low rates only when you need it.

Can I integrate SaaS payment solutions with my existing software?

Yes, many SaaS payment solutions offer software integrations, APIs, and webhooks. This varies between providers, so check their developer documentation closely before signing up.

What’s the difference between a payment gateway and a SaaS payment solution?

A payment gateway is like a digital card machine. It lets you take online payments in a safe and secure way.

A SaaS payment solution does more than just process payments. It can include subscription and billing options, subscriber lifecycle management, multi-currency accounts, spend management, and tax compliance. Your payment solution will either have its own payment gateway or integrations with third party gateways.

Solve your SaaS payment problems for good

SaaS can be brutal. You’re fighting the tides of churn, finding new ways to boost retention and revenue.

When you know you’ve found PMF, you go from striving for customers to fighting to keep up with demand. The last thing you want is for your payment solution to slow you down.

As your revenues, customer locations, and MAUs increase, you want your automated billing and payments to scale with you.

There are some brilliant solutions on the market, each with their own merits and drawbacks. If we’ve done our job, you’ll now be closer to understanding which solution is right for your SaaS.

And if that’s Airwallex, we’d love for you to join us.

Sources

1. https://airwallex.com

2. https://www.airwallex.com/uk/terms/fee-schedule

3. https://www.airwallex.com/uk/payments

4. https://www.airwallex.com/docs/payments__supported-currencies

5. https://www.airwallex.com/uk/payments/

6. https://security.airwallex.com/

7. https://recurly.com/plans/

8. https://recurly.com/faqs/#plans-and-pricing

9. https://recurly.com/product/global-expansion/

10. https://docs.recurly.com/docs/payment-methods

11. https://recurly.com/product/global-expansion/

12. https://recurly.com/plans/

13. https://www.paddle.com/pricing

14. https://www.paddle.com/help/legal/sanctions/which-countries-are-supported-by-paddle

15. https://www.paddle.com/help/start/intro-to-paddle/which-payment-methods-do-you-support

16. https://developer.paddle.com/classic/reference/08d5d797e10ae-supported-currencies

17. https://security.paddle.com/?itemName=certifications&source=click

18. https://www.chargebee.com/pricing/

19. https://www.chargebee.com/payment-gateways/

20. https://www.chargebee.com/recurring-payments/payment-methods/

21. https://www.chargebee.com/docs/2.0/supported-currencies.html

22. https://www.chargebee.com/security/

23. https://gocardless.com/pricing/

24. https://gocardless.com/faq/merchants/international-payments/

25. https://gocardless.com/faq/merchants/international-payments/

26. https://gocardless.com/

27. https://gocardless.com/faq/merchants/security/#:~:text=Our%20financial%20data%20server%20is,27001%20certification%20for%20information%20security