Compare PayNow
with the alternatives.
Rates, fee structures and who carries the liability, taken from each provider’s own published pages and docs. Where they beat us, we say so.
Merchants of Record
These platforms are the legal seller on every order, the same as us, so tax and disputes are handled either way. The comparison comes down to the rate, how it’s calculated, and what the store itself can do.
- PayNow vs TebexMerchant of RecordTakes 5% on both plans, calculated before tax and gateway fees come out. Ours is 3.5% to 2.5% by plan, calculated after.Compare →
- PayNow vs StripePayments API, plus Managed PaymentsStripe’s own Merchant of Record adds 3.5% on top of processing, with no store or delivery. Ours is 3.5% to 2.5% by plan, after the gateway fee.Compare →
- PayNow vs PaddleMerchant of Record, SaaS-first5% + 50¢ on every order, all-in. On a $5 rank that fixed 50¢ alone is 10%, and there’s no in-game delivery.Compare →
- PayNow vs FastSpringMerchant of Record, B2B softwareRates come from a sales call rather than a pricing page, and there’s a fixed fee on every transaction on top of the percentage.Compare →
Store software on your own gateways
These run on a PayPal or Stripe account you open yourself, which makes you the seller, with the tax returns, the disputes and the account risk that come with it.
- PayNow vs Tip4ServStore software on a processor APIYou open the processor account, they take 5% of what lands in it, Stripe’s fees come on top, and tax isn’t remitted for you.Compare →
- PayNow vs CraftingStoreStore software, bring your own gatewaysTakes nothing from your sales, and takes on nothing either: the payment accounts, the tax and the disputes stay in your name.Compare →
- PayNow vs MineStoreCMSSelf-hosted CMS, with a PayNow integrationRuns on your server with gateways you bring. Since v3.5 its PayNow integration makes us the Merchant of Record on those orders, at an integration-only 3.99% plus the gateway fee.Compare →
What is the same on every page
We are the seller
PayNow is the Merchant of Record on every order, which means the tax registrations and returns, the disputes and the fraud losses are ours to handle rather than yours.
As low as 2.5%
The platform fee is calculated on what’s left after the gateway fee rather than on the full order, there’s no fixed fee per order, and nothing is charged per feature.
Built for games and software
A hosted storefront, in-game delivery for six games, and over 120 local payment methods including Paysafecard, crypto and Rust skins.
Underwritten for game servers
Most mainstream processors aren’t keen on digital goods for game servers. The merchant account behind PayNow is ours, so a review or a closure is never something you have to absorb.
More checkouts go through
Stores on a Merchant of Record generally process more than they did on their own merchant account, because payments are routed through the acquirer most likely to approve them, 3D Secure runs as data-only or frictionless wherever the issuer allows it, buyers get the local methods they actually use, and prices show in their own currency.
Every competitor figure is quoted from their own pricing page or documentation, with the date we checked it. Terms change, so confirm current pricing with each provider before you switch, and model your own volume and method mix in the pricing calculator.