Booking System Payment Gateways: A Comparison

 

It's often difficult to know which booking system payment gateway to choose, with each offering competitive rates, features and advantages. At BookingLive, we understand it can be confusing trying to decipher which one will work best with your business. 

 

That's why we've put together a comprehensive comparison of the most popular booking system payment gateways. We want to help you choose the best one for you and your business. Whether you’re using your BookingLive system for an online shop, ecommerce, memberships, subscriptions or more, taking payment from customers is crucial to your business's success.

 

How to register for a booking system payment gateway 

To register for a booking system payment gateway, you'll require a merchant bank account - you should speak with your business bank account manager about this - before requesting:

 

1. An e-commerce account 

This is required so your customers can make payments online and request a 3D secure password.

 

2. A Mail Order Telephone Order (MOTO) account 

This is required to enable you to take payments from your customers over the phone and does not request the 3D secure password.

Please note: Booking system payment gateways use multiple card types. Not all card types work in all countries as this is dependent upon the bank you are with.

 

Popular payment gateways 

We’ll talk you through some of our favourite booking system payment gateways in more detail. You can view the complete range of payment gateways with BookingLive on our integrations page.

 

Worldpay 

Ideal for businesses looking for a high quality booking system payment gateway.

As one of the first booking system payment gateways available online, Worldpay has become well established within the online payment gateway industry and it's backed by years of experience. Unsurprisingly, this comes at a cost that is higher than other booking system payment gateways. However, this is worth forking out for if you're looking for a fully competent service.

 

Pros of Worldpay 

• Highly secure payments


• Price plans are flexible


• Major cards are accepted


• Generate user-friendly reports

 

Cons of Worldpay 

• Customer support is limited


• No fixed transaction fee

 

Opayo 

Ideal for businesses looking for top security.

Opayo (formerly Sage Pay) is currently the largest independent payment gateway provider in Europe. Due to this, it’s highly respected and has become an experienced brand. Opayo stands out for its outstanding levels of security, which is exactly what you need from a payment gateway.

Opayo is suitable for a range of businesses too. They serve small businesses through to large enterprises and offer fair rates to match your company’s needs. If you’re starting a business from scratch, Opayo may be the best choice for you. 

 

Pros of Opayo 

• Highly secure


• Straightforward checkout


• Verifies each transaction to secure against fraud


• Multi-currency processing is easy

 

Cons of Opayo 

• Usually tied into a three-year contract


• Support calls cost 2p per minute

 

PayPal 

Ideal for those with little technical knowledge who are looking for a quick and easy set-up.

PayPal is instantly recognisable and offers a trustworthy service to both you and your customers. This booking system payment gateway enables customers to pay through their PayPal accounts. Customers can also pay directly via their credit and debit cards. With a quick and easy set-up process, PayPal is a good choice for those with little technical knowledge.

 

Pros of PayPal 

• Ideal for ecommerce businesses


• Easy set-up


• Great on mobile devices


• Good choice for startups

 

Cons of PayPal 

• Fees are high for smaller sales

 

Stripe 

Ideal for businesses in need of a full service payment provider.

Being a full service payment provider, Stripe covers your payment gateway and your merchant account. This makes it perfect for creating custom payment systems. Stripe is a great all-rounder and is suited to any sized business in any industry.

If you run a subscription service and take recurring payments, Stripe offers the best solution for this too. This is why it’s our top pick for our customers. If you choose the Start, Grow or Professional package with BookingLive, Stripe will be included. 

Pros of Stripe 

• No hidden fees


• Technology first approach


• Powerful and intuitive API


• Excellent reminder system

 

Cons of Stripe

• Settlement delay can last up to 7 days


• Poor rates for non-EU cards


• Need to be comfortable using tech

 

Booking System Payment Gateway Comparison

View our comparison table to learn about the fees associated with the most popular payment gateways.