International Payment Solutions

Get the right international payment solution without overpaying

If you are a UK business owner taking payments from customers in Europe, the US, or further afield, you already know that international transactions come with extra complexity. What you might not realise is just how much you could be overpaying for the privilege.

International payment solutions include traditional wire transfers, online payment platforms, multi-currency accounts, and digital wallets. These solutions cover a broad spectrum: card processing for online and in-person sales, bank transfers for B2B invoices, multi-currency accounts for holding funds in different currencies, and payment gateways that connect your website to the global payments network. Each of these carries different fees, foreign exchange spreads, and risk profiles. Without expert guidance, it is easy to end up with a patchwork of providers that collectively cost far more than necessary.

Our role as a merchant services broker UK is straightforward. We compare card processing fees, gateway options, and banking solutions on your behalf so you access wholesale rates rather than paying retail. We use our volume leverage across hundreds of UK merchants to negotiate terms that a single business simply cannot obtain alone. When choosing a provider, it is important to consider how much your business is prepared to spend, as operational costs and budgeting play a key role in selecting the right international payment solution.

Here is a concrete example. In 2024, a UK ecommerce retailer expanding into the EU came to us after discovering that cross border card fees were eating into their margins. By renegotiating with their acquirer and reconfiguring their gateway settings, we reduced their overall cross border costs by around 20%. That is money straight back into their business.

When comparing providers, it is useful to consider their global reach and currency support. PayPal is available in over 200 countries/regions and supports 25 currencies. Worldpay offers support for over 40 countries and 120 currencies. Adyen provides global payment processing with coverage for over 30 different currencies. Checkout.com supports payment in 159 countries. 2Checkout allows you to accept payments in Europe from over 200 different markets. Authorize.net can help businesses based in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and Europe accept international payments. Payoneer supports 70 currencies and covers over 190 countries and territories.

Ready to see what you could save? Upload your latest merchant statement or international bank charges to our team for a free cost analysis. There is no obligation, and the review is completely free.

What are international payment solutions?

At its core, an international payment solution is any system that allows a business to accept money from customers or clients in other countries. This includes:

• Card payments processed through Visa, Mastercard, or other schemes

• Online payment gateways that connect your website to acquiring banks

• International bank transfers via networks like SWIFT or SEPA

• Alternative local payment methods such as iDEAL in the Netherlands, ACH debits in the US, or UPI in India

Most UK businesses end up using a mix of tools. A retailer might have a card terminal for in-person sales, a payment gateway provider for their online store, and traditional banking rails for B2B invoices. The challenge is making all of these work together efficiently.

To understand how money actually moves, it helps to know the key players:

• Merchant account: The holding account where your card revenue settles before reaching your bank accounts

• Payment gateway: The technology that securely captures and transmits payment details from your website

• Payment processor: The service that verifies funds and executes the transfer

When a German customer pays your UK website in EUR, that transaction passes through multiple hands. If your setup is badly configured, you might face double currency conversions (EUR to USD to GBP, for instance), extra scheme fees, and higher chargeback exposure.

Our team identifies exactly where these inefficiencies occur. We review your current gateway and banking setup, find the gaps, and recommend improvements that save you money and reduce risk.

Let us review your current setup. We will show you where savings and improvements are possible, at no cost to you.

How international card and bank payments really work

Let us walk through what actually happens when a French customer pays your UK website in August 2024.

The customer enters their card details or bank information. From there, the transaction flows through several parties before the funds land in your account:

• Customer’s bank or card issuer: Authorises the payment and releases the funds

• Card scheme (Visa, Mastercard): Routes the transaction and applies scheme fees

• Payment gateway: Encrypts and transmits the payment data securely

• Acquiring bank: Receives the transaction on your behalf

• Merchant account: Holds the funds before settlement to your bank

Each of these parties takes a cut. The main cost components include:

• Interchange fees: Paid to the card issuer, typically 0.2% to 0.3% for EU consumer cards, higher for commercial and cross border transactions

• Scheme fees: Charged by Visa or Mastercard, often 0.1% to 0.2%

• Acquirer markup: Your acquiring bank’s margin, which can range from 0.1% to 1.5%

• Gateway fees: Monthly charges plus per-transaction fees, often 10p to 30p per transaction

• Foreign exchange spreads: The difference between the mid-market rate and what you actually receive, sometimes 1% to 3%

International bank payments work differently. SEPA transfers within Europe typically cost a flat fee (often under €1) and settle within one business day. SWIFT transfers for global payments take 1 to 5 days and can cost £20 to £50 plus intermediary charges. However, bank payments have one major advantage: their payment success rate often exceeds 97%, compared to card failure rates in the 10% to 15% range.

Where do we fit in? We use our volume leverage across many UK merchants to negotiate lower margins and better FX terms than you can obtain alone. When you process payments through providers we have negotiated with, you benefit from rates designed for larger volumes.

Ask us to map your payment flow. We will show you exactly who is charging what on every cross border transaction.

Key types of international payment solutions for UK businesses

Different payment needs call for different solutions. Here is a practical overview to help you understand which options suit ecommerce, subscriptions, exports, or B2B trade.

Online payment gateway providers UK

Gateways like Stripe, WorldPay, and Adyen connect your website to the payments network. They handle card payments, store payment details securely, and often support local payment methods too. These are essential for any UK business selling online to international customers. With most providers, you can quickly create and share payment links to collect one-time or recurring payments from customers, making it easier to get paid online.

Typical users: Ecommerce retailers, SaaS companies, subscription businesses

In-person card terminals

If you take face-to-face payments, you need a terminal. The cheapest card payment machine is not always the best choice, though. We compare terminals based on transaction fees, rental costs, and whether they support contactless and mobile wallets. The right provider also lets you launch new payment methods or expand into new markets quickly, helping you stay competitive and reach more customers.

Typical users: Retail shops, hospitality venues, market traders at international events

Multi-currency merchant accounts

A multi-currency account lets you accept and hold funds in multiple currencies, settling in GBP or keeping funds in EUR, USD, or other currencies as needed. This avoids forced conversions and gives you flexibility over when to exchange.

Typical users: A UK subscription business taking USD payments from US clients in 2025, then settling in GBP at a favourable rate

Cross border bank payment solutions

For B2B trade and high-value invoices, bank transfers often make more sense than cards. SEPA for Europe, ACH for the US, and Faster Payments domestically all offer lower fees than card processing for larger amounts.

Typical users: Manufacturers exporting to the EU, professional service firms invoicing overseas clients

We compare, configure, and negotiate each of these options so you do not have to speak to five or six different banks and providers individually. Our expertise saves you time and ensures you get the best deal across the board. Local payment methods increase international sales and customer confidence by allowing payments in preferred local currencies.

Tell us how you take payments today. We will match you to the most suitable mix of card, bank, and local methods for your business.

Managing multiple currencies in international payments

Managing multiple currencies is a cornerstone of successful international payment strategies for businesses aiming to operate on a global scale. As companies expand into new markets and serve customers across different countries, the ability to accept and process payments in various currencies becomes essential—not just for convenience, but for driving sales and improving the overall customer experience.

Accepting multiple currencies allows your business to present prices in your customers’ own currencies, which can significantly boost trust and conversion rates. When customers see familiar pricing and local payment methods at checkout, they are more likely to complete their purchase, reducing cart abandonment and increasing your global payments revenue. This approach is especially important in regions where local payments and specific payment methods are preferred over international card payments.

However, managing multiple currencies also introduces complexity. Businesses must navigate fluctuating exchange rates, varying transaction fees, and compliance requirements across different countries. Without the right payment solutions, these challenges can lead to higher costs, administrative headaches, and even lost revenue due to poor payment success rates or involuntary churn.

To overcome these hurdles, many UK businesses turn to international payment gateways and multi-currency merchant accounts. Leading providers like Stripe and Payoneer offer robust tools for processing payments in different currencies, including features such as dynamic currency conversion, adaptive pricing, and automated settlement into your chosen bank accounts. These solutions help you manage funds efficiently, minimize conversion costs, and streamline reconciliation—so you can focus on growth rather than paperwork.

In addition, leveraging local payment methods—such as SEPA transfers in Europe, ACH in the US, or online banking in Asia—enables you to process payments in local currencies, often at lower fees and with faster settlement times. This not only reduces your reliance on expensive cross border card payments but also improves your payment success rate and customer satisfaction.

By implementing a multi-currency payment strategy, your business can access new markets, offer a user-friendly checkout experience, and reduce the risks associated with cross border payments. The right payment solutions empower you to manage currencies, accounts, and transactions efficiently, supporting your global expansion and helping you stay competitive in the world of international payments.

If you’re ready to simplify your multi-currency payments and unlock new growth opportunities, our team can help you compare providers, configure your setup, and negotiate the best deals—so you can accept payments from millions of customers worldwide, without unnecessary costs or complexity.

Local payment methods, currencies, and customer experience

Most international buyers in 2024 and 2025 want to pay in their own currencies and via familiar methods. This is not just a preference; it directly affects whether they complete the purchase.

Research consistently shows that over three quarters of international consumers prefer to see local currency pricing. When customers see prices in GBP but they are paying from Germany, they hesitate. They worry about FX fees from their bank or unexpected charges. Showing prices in EUR and offering familiar local payment methods removes that friction.

Here are the most important local payment methods UK firms should know about:

• SEPA Credit Transfer and SEPA Direct Debit: The standard bank payment rails across the Eurozone, ideal for recurring payments and B2B invoices

• iDEAL: The dominant payment method in the Netherlands, used for over half of all online transactions there

• ACH debits in the US: Low-cost bank transfers for recurring billing, popular with SaaS and subscription businesses

• Digital wallets: Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal offer fast transactions and strong customer trust globally

• Local cards: In some markets, local card schemes outperform Visa and Mastercard on acceptance rates

Many payment gateway providers UK can technically support these options. However, pricing, FX treatment, and settlement rules vary widely. Some providers charge premium fees for local methods. Others bury FX markups in the settlement process.

Our negotiations and configuration advice add real value here. We know which providers offer genuine local acquiring in each market and which simply route everything through expensive cross border rails.

One example: a UK subscription business added SEPA Direct Debit for EU customers in 2023. Within six months, they saw decline rates drop by nearly a third and chargebacks fell significantly. The improved customer experience also boosted retention.

Ask us which local methods are worth adding for your top three export markets. We will help you prioritise rather than turning everything on blindly.

Comparing international payment providers and card processing fees

Choosing the right provider means looking beyond headline rates. Here is how to compare effectively.

Key comparison factors:

• Per-transaction fees: The percentage and fixed fee per sale, which varies by card type and region. Accepting card payments for international transactions often comes with higher transaction costs and lower payment success rates compared to bank payment options.

• Cross border and currency conversion charges: Additional fees for transactions in different currencies or from non-UK cards

• Rolling reserves: Funds held back to cover potential chargebacks, typically 5% to 10% for higher risk sectors

• Contract length: Some providers lock you in for 12 to 36 months with exit fees

• Settlement times: How long until funds reach your bank accounts, ranging from next-day to a week or more

International bank payments have several advantages over accepting card payments, including lower transaction costs, higher payment success rates, greater payer preference, and reduced admin time.

Published headline rates often hide additional charges. Watch out for:

• Cross border scheme fees: Visa and Mastercard charge extra for transactions from outside the UK

• Assessment fees: Scheme fees that increase with volume

• Chargeback fees: Often £15 to £25 per dispute, regardless of outcome

• Monthly gateway costs: Platform fees, PCI compliance fees, and reporting charges

Some platforms bundle gateway and merchant account together (Stripe, for example), while others separate them (a standalone gateway plus a separate acquiring bank). Bundling is convenient but not always cheaper. We help you understand when bundled pricing actually costs more overall.

We compare card processing fees from UK acquiring banks, international payment gateways, and specialist cross border providers. Our market knowledge of 2024 and 2025 pricing trends means we know what rates are genuinely competitive versus what is simply average dressed up as a deal.

Upload a recent merchant statement or FX fee report. We will provide a side-by-side comparison of your current costs against our negotiated options.

High risk industries and international payment challenges

Certain sectors face steeper hurdles when setting up international payments. If you operate in travel, ticketing, online gaming (where compliant), nutraceuticals, subscription boxes, or certain digital services, you know exactly what we mean.

The typical problems include:

• Application declines: Banks often reject applications outright without explanation

• Rolling reserves of 5% to 10%: Significant funds held back for months, hurting cash flow

• Sudden account closures: Nervous acquirers terminating accounts with little warning

• Higher processing fees: Rates 1% to 2% above standard retail, sometimes more

These challenges multiply when trading internationally. Cross border transactions carry higher chargeback risk, and many acquirers simply refuse to take on the perceived exposure.

We routinely help hard to place industries find pathways to approval. While we cannot promise high risk merchant account instant approval in every case, we significantly speed up the process by approaching the right acquiring banks and payment gateways from the start. We know which providers accept your industry and which will waste your time.

We also negotiate on your behalf to:

• Reduce rolling reserves from 10% down to 5% or lower where possible

• Improve chargeback thresholds before account reviews are triggered

• Secure contracts that reflect your actual business model rather than treating every transaction as extreme risk

One example: a UK travel business trading with EU and US customers in 2025 came to us after their existing acquirer imposed a 10% reserve with a 180-day hold. After we re-brokered their account with a more suitable provider, they moved to a 5% reserve with a 90-day release. That freed up tens of thousands in working capital.

If you operate in a higher risk sector, speak to our team before reapplying or appealing a declined application on your own. We know how to present your business in the best light.

International bank payments versus card payments

Many UK firms can cut costs by shifting part of their international volume from cards to bank-based methods where appropriate.

Key differences at a glance:

Factor	Card Payments	Bank Payments (SEPA, ACH)
Typical fees	1.5% to 3.5%	Flat fee, often under £1
Settlement speed	1 to 7 days	1 to 2 days (SEPA Instant same-day)
Failure rates	10% to 15%	Under 3%
Chargeback exposure	High	Minimal
Best for	Instant ecommerce, consumer purchases	Recurring billing, B2B invoices, high-ticket items

Card payments remain ideal for instant ecommerce checkouts where customers expect to pay and receive confirmation immediately. They are also essential for industries where chargebacks, while problematic, are an accepted cost of doing business.

Bank payments shine for recurring invoices, B2B trade, and higher-ticket items. Once a customer has authorised a SEPA Direct Debit or ACH debit, subsequent payments process automatically with minimal failure. This reduces involuntary churn, the revenue lost when valid customers’ cards expire or get declined.

We help design blended solutions. For example, you might accept cards for the first purchase (when the customer wants instant confirmation) and then switch to bank debits for ongoing subscriptions. This approach often reduces overall fees and improves retention.

We also work with providers that integrate with leading accounting packages and ERP systems. Reconciliation and FX accounting for 2024 and 2025 financial periods remain straightforward, even when you accept payments in multiple currencies.

Let us review where bank-based options could safely replace or complement more expensive international card transactions.

Security, fraud, and compliance for international payments

Cross border payments are more exposed to fraud and chargebacks than domestic transactions. When you ship goods across continents, the risk of disputes, friendly fraud, and outright theft increases.

Key security and compliance elements to consider:

• PCI DSS compliance: The payment card industry data security standard that all merchants must meet

• 3D Secure 2: Enhanced authentication for European customers, reducing fraud and shifting liability

• SCA rules under PSD2: Strong Customer Authentication requirements for EU transactions

• Fraud tools: Velocity checks, device fingerprinting, address verification, and machine learning-based risk scoring

We only place our clients with providers that meet strong security standards and offer advanced fraud tools. We do not work with other providers who cut corners on security, because the long-term costs of fraud and compliance failures far outweigh any short-term savings.

Good fraud settings depend on your business model and market. A luxury goods retailer shipping to new customers needs tighter controls than a SaaS company with established subscribers. We work with you to balance fraud prevention against checkout friction for your target countries. Block too aggressively and you lose legitimate sales. Block too loosely and fraud eats your margins.

We also pay attention to regulatory obligations. UK FCA oversight, EU payment regulations, and sector-specific requirements (such as those for gaming or financial services) all affect how you can accept and process payments. We help you stay compliant without creating unnecessary barriers to sales.

Ask us to review both your costs and your fraud and compliance posture at the same time. Treating them as separate projects usually means missing opportunities for improvement.

Why work with us for your international payment solutions?

Working with us gives you three core benefits: cost savings, risk reduction, and time savings.

Our service is free to you

We do not charge business owners for our brokerage service. Providers pay us when we bring them quality merchants. You keep the savings. The bank pays us. It is that simple.

Volume leverage delivers wholesale rates

Why pay retail rates when you can access our wholesale rates? We use our bulk buying power across many UK clients to secure discounts you cannot get by approaching banks directly. Typical outcomes include reducing blended card and gateway costs by up to around 20%.

Improved acceptance and simpler settlement

Better routing and local acquiring improve your payment success rate. Multi-currency settlement simplifies your finance operations. We configure your setup so money flows efficiently from customers to your bank accounts.

Long-term partnership, not a one off comparison

We act as your ongoing payments partner. We check your statements over time and renegotiate when your volumes or markets change. As your business grows in 2025 and beyond, we ensure your payment setup grows with you.

We work with a wide range of UK banks and payment providers

Our access spans mainstream acquirers, specialist gateways, and niche providers for high-risk sectors. Whether you are a startup launching your first online store or an established company expanding into new markets on a global scale, we have relationships that match your needs.

We already help companies across ecommerce, SaaS, professional services, travel, and more. Our clients tell us they value the expertise we bring, the commitment to ongoing optimisation, and the fact that we handle the complexity so they can focus on their core business.

Start your free, no-obligation international payments review today. Upload your latest processing and FX statements to our team. We will show you exactly where you can save and how we can help you accept payments from customers around the world without overpaying.