Best Payment Gateways in India
Razorpay covers domestic (UPI, local cards, INR payouts at ~2% + GST). Stripe works but is invite-only for new merchants. Merchant-of-record options like Paddle and Lemon Squeezy handle tax compliance at ~5% + 50¢. Most builders run two — one domestic, one international.
Gateways that work in India
Stripe
India · invite-onlyDeveloper-first payment infrastructure powering millions of businesses worldwide
Pick Stripe when developer experience, API quality, and ecosystem breadth matter more than the lowest per-transaction fee — it's the default choice for SaaS, marketplaces, and subscription businesses.
Paddle
Merchant of Record platform handling payments, tax, and compliance for SaaS businesses globally
Pick Paddle when you want to sell software globally without handling tax compliance, VAT filings, or chargeback disputes — the higher fee buys complete peace of mind for solo founders and small teams.
Polar
Open-source Merchant of Record billing built for developers selling SaaS and digital products
Pick Polar when you want the cheapest Merchant of Record option (4% + 40¢) with the best developer experience in the category — ideal for indie hackers and small SaaS teams who value clean SDKs, open-source transparency, and global tax compliance over a long track record.
FastSpring
Veteran Merchant of Record for SaaS, software, and digital goods with 20+ years of payments, tax, and subscription plumbing
Pick FastSpring when you want a mature, enterprise-grade MoR with deep subscription tooling, localized payment methods in 200+ regions, and PCI Level 1 + SOC 2 Type 2 compliance — and you can stomach quote-based pricing that's meaningfully higher than transparent competitors like Paddle.
Payhip
India · non-Stripe marketsSimple creator storefront with low fees and a partial-MoR for EU/UK VAT only
Pick Payhip if you want the cheapest beginner-friendly storefront for digital products, courses, or memberships — especially outside the US/UK/EU Stripe belt. Not the right pick if you need a full global Merchant of Record, a first-class REST API, or a white-label checkout.
Whop
All-in-one creator commerce: communities, courses, and digital products
Pick Whop if you sell access-based products (Discord/Telegram communities, courses, software licenses) and want a built-in marketplace plus an optional Merchant-of-Record mode — but be ready for strict risk controls and reserves.
PayPal
The world's most recognized online payment platform with 430M+ active accounts across 200+ countries
Pick PayPal when buyer trust, global brand recognition, and broad consumer adoption matter more than developer experience or low per-transaction fees — it's the default choice for e-commerce, digital goods, and businesses targeting mainstream consumers worldwide.
Razorpay
India · primary marketIndia's full-stack payments platform — UPI-native, RBI-regulated, with 100+ currency acceptance
Pick Razorpay if you're registered in India (or Malaysia/Singapore via Curlec) and need native UPI, Autopay, and local payment methods — it's the default for Indian SaaS and D2C, but account-stability complaints are common enough to plan around.
PayU
India · primary marketProsus-owned India-focused payment aggregator with 130+ currency acceptance and a Turkey/SEA footprint
Pick PayU if you're an India-registered merchant that needs the widest cross-border currency coverage of any local gateway and is willing to navigate a heavier KYC/onboarding process — but plan for support that's slower than Razorpay and a track record of long settlement holds.
Gumroad
Creator-focused Merchant of Record for digital products — fastest zero-to-first-sale, steep price at scale
Pick Gumroad to validate a digital product in a weekend — migrate off before you scale. Not the right tool if you need a white-label checkout, reliable high-ticket economics, or responsive support.
Lemon Squeezy
Merchant of record platform for selling software, SaaS, and digital products with built-in global tax compliance
Pick Lemon Squeezy when you want zero tax headaches and a fast setup for selling digital products or SaaS — it handles VAT, sales tax, and compliance as merchant of record so you don't have to, but expect higher effective fees and limited support if anything goes wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Which payment gateway should I use for domestic Indian customers?
Razorpay is the default choice for domestic INR transactions. It supports UPI, NetBanking, and all major Indian cards. Standard settlement is T+2, though T+1 is common on established accounts, and T+0 is available via Instant Settlements for a small additional fee (typically under 1%). Pricing is tiered: UPI and RuPay debit carry 0% MDR; 2% + GST applies to Visa/Mastercard/RuPay credit, NetBanking, and wallets; Amex and international cards run ~3% + GST. Paystack and Payhip's regional processors do not cover India — this is a Razorpay-first market.
Can I use Stripe in India?
Technically yes, but Stripe India is currently invite-only for new merchants. Existing accounts use India-specific tiered pricing: 2% on domestic Visa/Mastercard, 3% on international cards, 3.5% on Amex, and 4.3% when the customer pays in a foreign currency, plus a 2% currency-conversion fee. Payouts run T+3 to T+7 depending on account and method. Important: Stripe India does not support UPI, RuPay, or Indian wallets (Paytm, PhonePe) — it's cards + international methods only. Most new Indian builders cannot onboard directly, so the practical pattern is Razorpay for domestic customers + Stripe Atlas (a US entity) for international SaaS billing.
What's the best stack for a SaaS targeting both Indian and international customers?
The most common pattern: Razorpay for domestic INR (UPI, local cards) + Stripe for international (USD/EUR card checkout). If you want to avoid building two integrations and dealing with tax compliance in 40+ countries, use a merchant-of-record like Paddle or Lemon Squeezy — they handle GST, VAT, and US sales tax for you at ~5% + 50¢. Heads up: Lemon Squeezy announced in 2026 that it's migrating merchants onto Stripe Managed Payments, which may change its long-term positioning — check current docs before committing.
Do these gateways support UPI?
Landscape changed significantly through 2025–2026. Razorpay has full native UPI (collect requests, intent flow, UPI AutoPay for subscriptions). Paddle now supports UPI International for one-time USD payments from Indian billing addresses, plus UPI Autopay for recurring subscriptions. PayPal added UPI checkout for Indian buyers paying international merchants via the PayPal World + NPCI integration (rolled out fall 2025). The holdouts with no UPI routing: Stripe India, Lemon Squeezy, and Polar — they charge the customer's international card or wallet in USD/EUR instead. If UPI is a must-have for subscription billing, Razorpay or Paddle Autopay are the cleanest options.
Why is the payout timing so long in India?
RBI's two-factor authentication and settlement rules require a longer hold period than most markets. Razorpay settles on T+2 by default (T+1 common on established accounts; T+0 available via Instant Settlements for a small fee). Stripe India payouts run T+3 to T+7 depending on account and method. Lemon Squeezy runs bi-monthly payouts on the 14th and 28th with a 13-day hold, which can mean a 4-week lag from first sale to first deposit — plan your cash flow accordingly.
Are there issues with cross-border card payments in India?
Yes. RBI's card-storage rules (effective 1 October 2022) mean cards can no longer be stored at the merchant level — gateways must use network tokenization or redirect to bank-hosted pages. This affects subscription gateways most: some international cards get declined by Indian-issued cards' cross-border filters, and recurring charges can fail silently. Combined with RBI's separate e-mandate rules (the ₹15,000 AFA threshold for recurring), subscription flows in India need extra care. Test your full subscription flow with an Indian-issued card before launch, and surface clear retry messaging to customers when declines happen.
Fees, currencies, and payouts in India
| Gateway | Currencies | Payout timing | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | INR + international presentment | T+3 to T+7 business days (varies by account and method) | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Paddle | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, SEK, NOK, DKK, PLN, CZK, CHF, BRL, MXN, ARS, CLP, PEN, HKD, SGD, TWD, THB, INR, JPY, KRW, ZAR, CNY, NZD, RUB, TRY, ILS + more (29+ currencies) | N/A (buyer side) | 5% + 50¢ |
| Polar | USD, EUR, GBP + major currencies supported via Stripe Payments. Localized pricing available per product. | N/A (buyer side) | 4% + 40¢ |
| FastSpring | 23+ buyer currencies. FX markup applies on conversions: 3.5% on major currencies (AUD, CAD, CHF, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, NZD, SEK, SGD, USD, ZAR), 5.5% on all others. | N/A (buyer side) | Quote-based (reported ~5.9% + 95¢) |
| Payhip | Local-currency charging via the regional processor; payouts in that processor's native currency | Per regional processor policy | 5% Free · 2% Plus ($29/mo) · 0% Pro ($99/mo) |
| Whop | 135+ currencies, 100+ payment methods | Same-day instant via RTP/crypto; next-day ACH; bank wires settle in 1-3 business days | 2.7% + $0.30 (cards) plus reported 3% platform fee |
| PayPal | AUD, JPY, SGD, HKD, NZD, PHP, TWD, THB | 1-5 business days depending on country and local banking infrastructure | 3.49% + 49¢ |
| Razorpay | INR settlement; accepts INR from domestic customers and 100+ presentment currencies from international customers | T+2 business days (domestic, standard). T+0 via Instant Settlements at 0.5–0.7% fee. | 2% + GST (domestic) |
| PayU | INR settlement; accepts INR from domestic customers and 130+ presentment currencies from international customers (highest currency coverage among Indian PAs) | T+2 business days (standard domestic). T+2 business days for licensed international/cross-border settlements. | 2% + GST (domestic) |
| Gumroad | Charges processed in USD; buyers see prices converted to 20+ display currencies (GBP, EUR, JPY, INR, AUD, CAD, CHF, KRW, PLN, etc.) | Friday weekly payout cycle (minimum $10 balance); direct bank deposit for supported countries, PayPal for others | 10% + $0.50 direct · 30% marketplace |
| Lemon Squeezy | USD settlement; local currency display supported in 95+ countries | Bi-monthly, 13-day hold + 1-5 business days. Bank payout fee: 1%. India merchants may need to use PayPal for payouts. | 5% + 50¢ |
- Currencies
- INR + international presentment
- Payout timing
- T+3 to T+7 business days (varies by account and method)
- Fees
- 2.9% + 30¢
- Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, SEK, NOK, DKK, PLN, CZK, CHF, BRL, MXN, ARS, CLP, PEN, HKD, SGD, TWD, THB, INR, JPY, KRW, ZAR, CNY, NZD, RUB, TRY, ILS + more (29+ currencies)
- Payout timing
- N/A (buyer side)
- Fees
- 5% + 50¢
- Currencies
- USD, EUR, GBP + major currencies supported via Stripe Payments. Localized pricing available per product.
- Payout timing
- N/A (buyer side)
- Fees
- 4% + 40¢
- Currencies
- 23+ buyer currencies. FX markup applies on conversions: 3.5% on major currencies (AUD, CAD, CHF, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, NZD, SEK, SGD, USD, ZAR), 5.5% on all others.
- Payout timing
- N/A (buyer side)
- Fees
- Quote-based (reported ~5.9% + 95¢)
- Currencies
- Local-currency charging via the regional processor; payouts in that processor's native currency
- Payout timing
- Per regional processor policy
- Fees
- 5% Free · 2% Plus ($29/mo) · 0% Pro ($99/mo)
- Currencies
- 135+ currencies, 100+ payment methods
- Payout timing
- Same-day instant via RTP/crypto; next-day ACH; bank wires settle in 1-3 business days
- Fees
- 2.7% + $0.30 (cards) plus reported 3% platform fee
- Currencies
- AUD, JPY, SGD, HKD, NZD, PHP, TWD, THB
- Payout timing
- 1-5 business days depending on country and local banking infrastructure
- Fees
- 3.49% + 49¢
- Currencies
- INR settlement; accepts INR from domestic customers and 100+ presentment currencies from international customers
- Payout timing
- T+2 business days (domestic, standard). T+0 via Instant Settlements at 0.5–0.7% fee.
- Fees
- 2% + GST (domestic)
- Currencies
- INR settlement; accepts INR from domestic customers and 130+ presentment currencies from international customers (highest currency coverage among Indian PAs)
- Payout timing
- T+2 business days (standard domestic). T+2 business days for licensed international/cross-border settlements.
- Fees
- 2% + GST (domestic)
- Currencies
- Charges processed in USD; buyers see prices converted to 20+ display currencies (GBP, EUR, JPY, INR, AUD, CAD, CHF, KRW, PLN, etc.)
- Payout timing
- Friday weekly payout cycle (minimum $10 balance); direct bank deposit for supported countries, PayPal for others
- Fees
- 10% + $0.50 direct · 30% marketplace
- Currencies
- USD settlement; local currency display supported in 95+ countries
- Payout timing
- Bi-monthly, 13-day hold + 1-5 business days. Bank payout fee: 1%. India merchants may need to use PayPal for payouts.
- Fees
- 5% + 50¢
LearnWithHasan.com · Payment Gateway Index · Last updated Apr 2026 · No affiliate links