# PayNow > PayNow is a merchant of record (MoR) and global payments platform for SaaS companies, software developers, and game server operators. PayNow acts as the Merchant of Record, handling payment processing, VAT and sales tax collection and remittance for the sales that run through PayNow, in the markets where PayNow is registered, chargeback protection, and subscription billing management — so sellers focus on their product rather than payments infrastructure. PayNow serves two primary verticals: (1) SaaS and digital goods businesses that need global payment acceptance and tax compliance, and (2) game server operators (Rust, Minecraft, Garry's Mod, FiveM, Hytale, 7 Days to Die, Hurtworld) who want to monetize in-game items and server access. ## PayNow at a Glance - $30M+ processed so far - 1,000+ active sellers - 120+ payment methods - Fees as low as 2.5% ## What is a Merchant of Record? A Merchant of Record (MoR) is the entity that sells the goods or services to the end customer. The MoR handles payment processing, ensures tax compliance, and assumes liability for chargebacks, refunds, and regulatory requirements. When PayNow acts as your MoR, customers transact with PayNow on your behalf; PayNow collects taxes, remits them to the relevant authorities, and pays out your revenue minus a platform fee. ## Pricing PayNow offers three self-serve plans plus a custom Enterprise tier: - **Free**: $0/month, 3.5% platform fee, up to $2,000 USD monthly sales. Includes unlimited products, chargeback protection, headless API, custom templates, worldwide payment processing, sales tax compliance, and basic statistics. No credit card required. - **Pro**: $19.99/month billed monthly, or $15.99/month billed annually. 3% platform fee, up to $5,000 USD monthly sales. Adds custom domain, detailed statistics, affiliate links, abandoned checkouts, and purchase follow-ups. - **Business**: $49.99/month billed monthly, or $39.99/month billed annually. 2.5% platform fee, unlimited monthly sales. Adds custom checkout branding and regional pricing. - **Enterprise**: Custom pricing for large creators with special business requirements. Contact business@paynow.gg. Platform fees are calculated after deducting the payment method's fee. Sales over a plan's monthly limit are charged at 10% until usage resets at the start of the next month. ## Payment Methods PayNow supports 120+ payment methods with instant activation, including: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Amazon Pay, Cash App, Klarna, Revolut, Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, iDEAL, Multibanco, Bancontact, QRIS, GrabPay, KakaoPay, NaverPay, and cryptocurrency. ## Tax Compliance As the Merchant of Record for the sales that run through PayNow, PayNow calculates and collects VAT, GST and US sales tax at checkout, then files and remits it in the markets where PayNow is registered. Those obligations sit with PayNow, not with the seller. A seller's own business taxes, such as income tax on their payouts, remain theirs. This service is included on every plan at no additional cost beyond the platform fee. ## Chargeback Protection Chargeback protection is included on every plan. As Merchant of Record, PayNow is the seller on each order, so disputes are handled on PayNow's side rather than the seller's. ## Key Features - **Recurring Billing & Subscriptions**: Automated subscription management with flexible billing intervals. - **Headless Storefront API**: Build fully custom checkout experiences via REST API. Documentation at https://docs.paynow.gg. - **Management API**: Full programmatic access to products, customers, orders, and store configuration. - **Webhooks**: Real-time event notifications in JSON or Discord webhook format for orders, refunds, and deliveries. HMAC-signed for security. - **Regional Pricing**: Set different prices per geographic region (Business plan). - **Coupons and Discounts**: Create and manage promotion codes and automatic discounts. - **Reporting and Analytics**: Subscription and revenue dashboards with custom data views. - **Custom Checkout Branding**: White-label checkout experience matching the seller's brand (Business plan). - **Affiliate Links**: Built-in affiliate tracking (Pro and above). - **Adaptive Currency**: Automatically display prices in the buyer's local currency, with the rate and conversion fee shown at checkout. - **Upselling**: Offer buyers additional products or upgrades during checkout, including on subscriptions. - **Creator Codes**: No surcharge on payments made with a Creator Code; Creator Code payouts follow the normal payout cycle. - **UPI Payments**: Unified Payments Interface (UPI) support for buyers in India. ## Mobile App Run your store from your phone: check today's sales, refund an order, ban a customer or grant inventory, in a native iOS and Android app. - iOS: beta via TestFlight at https://testflight.apple.com/join/MNyqXvdr - Android: on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gg.paynow.app ## Game Server Support PayNow natively integrates with the following game server platforms: Rust, Minecraft (Java, Bedrock and Geyser), Garry's Mod, FiveM, Hytale, 7 Days to Die, Hurtworld, and more reachable via API or webhooks. Game server operators can link their servers to a PayNow webstore and sell in-game items, ranks, and subscriptions. ## Rust Server Stores PayNow provides a dedicated Rust server store platform. Server operators connect via a native uMod/Oxide plugin that automatically executes RCON commands on completed purchases, granting VIP ranks, items, and custom perks in-game without manual steps. Setup takes under 30 minutes. PayNow is trusted by leading Rust communities including Rusticated, Rustopia, Atlas, Vital, Limitless, Rustinity, Winterrust, and Survivors. The Oxide plugin is open source and available on GitHub at https://github.com/paynow-gg/rust-plugin. ## Minecraft Server Stores PayNow supports Minecraft server stores across all major server types: Java (Spigot, Paper, Bukkit), Bedrock, Geyser (cross-play), BungeeCord, Fabric, Folia, Sponge, and Velocity. Server operators can sell ranks, kits, in-game currency, cosmetics, crates, season passes, and subscriptions — anything deliverable via a server command. The plugin is open source and available on GitHub at https://github.com/paynow-gg/minecraft-plugin. Trusted by communities including CavePvP. ## Payouts PayNow distributes revenue via bank transfer (ACH, SEPA, SWIFT, local bank), PayPal (USD stores only), physical check, and prepaid debit cards (select regions), processed through Tipalti. Funds settle within 2 business days on cards and PayPal; timing varies by other payment methods. ## For Buyers: Cancelling a Subscription Anyone who bought a subscription from a store running on PayNow can cancel it themselves, without an account, at https://paynow.gg/cancel-subscription. The subscription portal is at https://checkout.paynow.gg/subscriptions. 1. Open the subscription portal at checkout.paynow.gg/subscriptions — it works on any device. 2. Enter the email used at checkout — the same address the receipt went to. There is no password and no account to create. 3. Confirm it's you from that inbox — PayNow sends a message to the address so nobody else can touch the subscriptions. 4. Cancel, or change what's needed — every active subscription is listed with the store it belongs to. Cancelling stops the next renewal. ## Developer Resources - API Documentation: https://docs.paynow.gg - Dashboard: https://dashboard.paynow.gg ## Support - Discord: https://discord.gg/paynow - Support email: support@paynow.gg - Enterprise inquiries: business@paynow.gg - Support hours: hours, every business day ## Company PayNow Services, Inc. Website: https://paynow.gg ## Pages - Homepage: https://paynow.gg/ - SaaS & Digital Goods: https://paynow.gg/saas - Mobile Games: https://paynow.gg/mobile-games - Game Servers: https://paynow.gg/game-servers - Rust Server Store: https://paynow.gg/game-servers/rust - Minecraft Server Store: https://paynow.gg/minecraft - Garry's Mod Server Store: https://paynow.gg/garrys-mod - Hytale Server Store: https://paynow.gg/hytale - 7 Days to Die Server Store: https://paynow.gg/7-days-to-die - Merchant of Record: https://paynow.gg/merchant-of-record - Global Payments: https://paynow.gg/global-payments - Global Tax Compliance: https://paynow.gg/global-tax-compliance - Checkout: https://paynow.gg/checkout - Payment Methods: https://paynow.gg/payment-methods - Reporting & Analytics: https://paynow.gg/reporting - Developers: https://paynow.gg/developers - Pricing: https://paynow.gg/pricing - Pricing Calculator: https://paynow.gg/pricing-calculator - Cancel a Subscription: https://paynow.gg/cancel-subscription - Compare PayNow: https://paynow.gg/compare - Compare: Tebex: https://paynow.gg/compare/tebex-alternative - Compare: Stripe: https://paynow.gg/compare/stripe-alternative - Compare: Tip4Serv: https://paynow.gg/compare/tip4serv-alternative - Compare: CraftingStore: https://paynow.gg/compare/craftingstore-alternative - Compare: MineStoreCMS: https://paynow.gg/compare/minestorecms-alternative - Compare: Paddle: https://paynow.gg/compare/paddle-alternative - Compare: FastSpring: https://paynow.gg/compare/fastspring-alternative - Blog: https://paynow.gg/blog - Terms of Use: https://paynow.gg/legal/terms-of-use - Privacy Policy: https://paynow.gg/legal/privacy-policy - Creator Agreement: https://paynow.gg/legal/creator-agreement - Buyer Agreement: https://paynow.gg/legal/buyer-agreement ## Full Plan Matrix Limits | Free | Pro | Business Monthly sales | $2,000 USD | $5,000 USD | Unlimited Platform fee | 3.5% | 3% | 2.5% Features | Free | Pro | Business Unlimited products | Yes | Yes | Yes Full chargeback protection | Yes | Yes | Yes Worldwide payment processing | Yes | Yes | Yes Sales tax compliance | Yes | Yes | Yes Headless API | Yes | Yes | Yes Custom templates | Yes | Yes | Yes Detailed analytics | Basic only | Yes | Yes Custom domain name | No | Yes | Yes Affiliate links | No | Yes | Yes Abandoned checkouts | No | Yes | Yes Purchase follow-ups | No | Yes | Yes Custom checkout branding | No | No | Yes Regional pricing | No | No | Yes ## Compare PayNow ### PayNow vs Tebex (https://paynow.gg/compare/tebex-alternative) Both are Merchants of Record. One charges half the rate. Tebex takes 5% on both of its plans, and it comes off the full order total before tax and gateway fees are taken out. We charge between 3.5% and 2.5% depending on your plan, worked out on what’s left after the gateway fee. Q: Is PayNow cheaper than Tebex? A: Their platform fee is 5% on the free plan and on Tebex Plus. Ours is as low as 2.5%, and our paid tiers lower the rate rather than unlock features. Pro and Business carry a monthly cost, so run your volume through the pricing calculator. Q: Why does it matter what the fee is charged on? A: Theirs is deducted before taxes and gateway fees, so you pay a percentage of money you never keep. Ours applies to what is left after the gateway cost. Q: We run on Creator Codes. What changes? A: Their extra 1% on Creator Code payments takes a code-driven store to 6%. There is no surcharge here, and Creator Code payouts run on the normal cycle instead of 30 working days. Q: Do I still need to register for VAT? A: No. PayNow is the Merchant of Record on every order, so registration, collection and remittance sit with us in the markets we are registered in. Q: What happens to my active subscriptions? A: Active subscriptions can’t be transferred between platforms, because the payment authorisation belongs to the provider it was set up with. The usual approach is to run both stores side by side for a while: new subscriptions go through PayNow, and existing ones keep billing on Tebex until they lapse or the subscriber sets them up again with you. Our team walks through the plan with you before you switch. Q: Is there a free way to try it? A: Yes. Free is $0 a month at 3.5%, up to $2,000 in monthly sales, no card required. ### PayNow vs Stripe (https://paynow.gg/compare/stripe-alternative) Stripe is a payments API. PayNow is the business around it. Stripe has started offering a Merchant of Record product of its own, called Managed Payments, for 3.5% on top of normal processing. We charge between 3.5% and 2.5% depending on plan, and the storefront and in-game delivery come with it, which Stripe doesn’t offer at all. Q: Is PayNow cheaper than Stripe? A: Against Stripe Managed Payments, yes: their Merchant of Record surcharge is 3.5% per transaction on top of processing, ours is as low as 2.5% and is charged after the gateway cost. Against running Stripe yourself, once Stripe Tax, Billing and dispute fees are counted, the gap is under a point, and the tax registrations, filings, fraud tuning, dispute handling, storefront and delivery are all yours to build and own. Q: What is Stripe Managed Payments? A: Stripe’s own Merchant of Record product, built out of its Lemon Squeezy acquisition. Stripe becomes the seller on the transaction and takes on tax compliance, fraud, disputes and support, for 3.5% per successful transaction plus standard Stripe processing fees. Q: Why do disputes matter more than the fee? A: Stripe charges $15 for every dispute you receive, win or lose, and another $15 dispute countered fee when you respond, which is only returned if you win. The labour of assembling the evidence is yours too. The bigger risk is the ratio: card networks police dispute rates, and a sustained rate above threshold puts your own merchant account into a monitoring programme. As Merchant of Record, that exposure is ours. Q: Doesn’t Stripe Tax handle tax? A: On Stripe direct, Stripe Tax calculates and collects at 0.5% per transaction, but it does not register you in a market and does not file or remit. EU OSS, UK VAT and US state nexus returns stay with you. Managed Payments does cover tax, because Stripe is the seller on those transactions; that is what the 3.5% surcharge buys. Q: Can I keep using Stripe for anything? A: Plenty of teams run their own Stripe account alongside a PayNow store, or use PayNow only for the markets and products where the compliance load is heaviest. ### PayNow vs Tip4Serv (https://paynow.gg/compare/tip4serv-alternative) Tip4Serv is store software. PayNow is the merchant. Tip4Serv gives you the store, but the payments run through a processor account you open yourself, usually Stripe. They take 5% of everything that lands in it, Stripe’s fees come on top, and their docs are clear that tax isn’t remitted for you. Q: Do I need my own payment processor? A: Not with us. Processing is part of the platform, so there is no separate account to apply for, get approved on, or keep in good standing. Tip4Serv works the other way around: it is store software on top of a processor API, so you connect your own account, Stripe for example, and their fee is taken on payments into it. Q: Is 5% really more than 2.5%? A: Their 5%, or 3.8% on the paid PRO plan, sits on top of your own processor fees. Their docs state their fees do not include Stripe fees. Ours is as low as 2.5% and is charged after the gateway cost, with the gateway fee for the method on top and nothing added per feature. Q: Who handles tax? A: Their documentation states tax is not remitted on your behalf, so registration, collection, filing and remittance stay with you. PayNow is the Merchant of Record on every order, so those sit with us in the markets we are registered in. Q: What happens with chargebacks? A: On Tip4Serv the dispute is against your own merchant account: the fee, the evidence work and the ratio are yours. On Stripe that is $15 a dispute, win or lose, plus $15 to contest it, refunded only if you win. Ours are filed against PayNow, and we gather the evidence and respond. Q: Can I move an existing store across? A: Yes. We help you move your products across, and you can run both stores in parallel until you are happy, then point the domain. Active subscriptions can’t be transferred, so those either run out on the old platform or get set up again on PayNow. ### PayNow vs CraftingStore (https://paynow.gg/compare/craftingstore-alternative) CraftingStore takes no cut. It also takes no liability. CraftingStore is store software that runs on payment accounts you bring yourself, so the PayPal or Stripe account, the tax returns and the disputes all stay with you. Their own terms say as much, and we’d rather you knew that before comparing fees. Q: CraftingStore takes 0%. Isn’t that cheaper? A: On fees alone, often yes, and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise. What the percentage buys here is that we are the seller: the tax registrations and filings, the disputes, the fraud screening and the payment account itself are ours, not yours. Q: Do I need my own PayPal or Stripe? A: On CraftingStore, yes: you connect your own gateways, and their help pages state they are never the middleman. With us, processing is part of the platform, so there is no account to apply for or keep in good standing. Q: Who handles tax? A: Their terms leave your legal duties and obligations with you, so registration, collection, filing and remittance are yours. PayNow is the Merchant of Record on every order, so those sit with us in the markets we are registered in. Q: What happens if a gateway freezes my money? A: Their terms say it is your responsibility to contact the payment gateway directly. With us there is one platform and one support queue, and the merchant account is ours. Q: Can I move an existing store across? A: Yes. We help you move your products across, and you can run both stores in parallel until you are happy, then point the domain. Active subscriptions can’t be transferred, so those either run out on the old platform or get set up again on PayNow. ### PayNow vs MineStoreCMS (https://paynow.gg/compare/minestorecms-alternative) MineStoreCMS is software you host. PayNow is the merchant. MineStoreCMS is a webstore CMS that you host yourself, with payment gateways you bring, so you’re the seller on every order. Turn on its PayNow integration, or move the store to PayNow, and the payments, tax and disputes become ours instead. Q: MineStoreCMS takes no cut. Isn’t that cheaper? A: On fees alone, often yes, and we would rather say so. What a platform fee buys here is that we are the seller: hosting, the payment accounts, tax registration and filing, disputes and fraud are ours rather than yours. Q: Can I keep MineStoreCMS and still use PayNow? A: Yes. MineStoreCMS has a PayNow Checkout integration from v3.5. Enable it and PayNow is the Merchant of Record on those orders, at a 3.99% platform fee plus the gateway fee of the method your buyer chose, with no monthly or setup fee. The 3.99% is the integration's own rate and applies only to orders placed through it; a store on PayNow itself is on our published plans. Q: How does the integration work? A: Create a PayNow account, then paste your Store ID and API key into Settings › Payment Gateways › PayNow Checkout › Configure. Settings, packages and transactions then sync automatically, roughly every five minutes, and purchases appear in your MineStore dashboard. Q: Who handles tax and chargebacks on the integration? A: We do. PayNow is the Merchant of Record on the order, so VAT, GST and sales tax are collected and remitted by us, and disputes are filed against us and answered by us. Q: What is the difference if I move fully to PayNow? A: Nothing to host or update, no licence, the platform fee drops to as low as 2.5% on our plans, and you get the storefront, in-game delivery, upsells, recovery emails, adaptive currency and the mobile admin app in one place. Q: Can I move an existing store across? A: Yes. We help you move your products across, and you can run both stores in parallel until you are happy, then point the domain. Active subscriptions can’t be transferred, so those either run out on the old platform or get set up again on PayNow. ### PayNow vs Paddle (https://paynow.gg/compare/paddle-alternative) Paddle is built for SaaS. We are built for games and software. Paddle and PayNow are both Merchants of Record, so whichever you pick, tax, fraud and disputes are the platform’s job rather than yours. Where we differ is the rate, the 50¢ Paddle adds to every order, and how many ways your buyers can pay. Q: Is PayNow cheaper than Paddle? A: Their rate is 5% + 50¢ per transaction with processing bundled in. Ours is as low as 2.5% plus the gateway fee of the method your buyer chose, with no fixed platform fee. On typical game-store order sizes ours works out lower; run your own numbers in the calculator, since the gateway mix matters. Q: Both are Merchants of Record. What actually differs? A: The commercial shape, the method coverage and the product. Tax, fraud and disputes sit with the platform on both. We price as a percentage plus the gateway fee for the method used, carry 120+ local methods rather than a card-led set, and ship the game-store half: hosted storefront, in-game delivery, player history, Paysafecard, crypto and Rust skins. Q: How much does method coverage really matter? A: A lot, if your buyers are young or outside card-heavy markets. Card-only checkouts quietly lose the players who hold a Paysafecard, use a local bank method, or want to pay with skins. Every method here is a toggle, with no new contracts to sign. Q: Why does the fixed 50¢ matter so much? A: Because game stores sell small orders. On a $5 rank, 50¢ alone is 10% before any percentage applies. On a $99 licence it barely registers. If your average order is small, a fixed component is the single biggest line in the comparison. Q: Can PayNow handle software and AI products too? A: Yes. Subscriptions, licences and downloadable goods sell on the same account as game items, so a studio selling both does not need two providers. Q: What about seat-based or usage pricing? A: We support subscription billing, licences and one-time sales today. Seat and usage pricing are not offered yet, and if your billing depends on them Paddle is the better fit, and we would rather say so. Q: Can I move an existing store across? A: Yes. We help you move your products across, and you can run both stores in parallel until you are happy, then point the domain. Active subscriptions can’t be transferred, so those either run out on the old platform or get set up again on PayNow. ### PayNow vs FastSpring (https://paynow.gg/compare/fastspring-alternative) FastSpring is built for B2B software. We are built for games and software. FastSpring and PayNow are both Merchants of Record, so tax, fraud and disputes are the platform’s job either way. The differences are that our pricing is published, we don’t add a fixed fee to small orders, and our store can deliver in-game. Q: Is PayNow cheaper than FastSpring? A: We cannot tell you honestly, because FastSpring quotes rates per account rather than publishing them. What we can say is what ours is: as low as 2.5% by plan plus the gateway fee of the method your buyer chose, with no fixed platform fee. Get their number in writing and put it next to ours in the calculator. Q: Both are Merchants of Record. What actually differs? A: Tax, fraud and disputes sit with the platform on both. What differs is the shape of the fee, how fast you are paid, and the product: we ship the game-store half, with a hosted storefront, in-game delivery, player history and methods like Paysafecard, crypto and Rust skins. Q: Why does a fixed per-transaction fee matter so much? A: Because game stores sell small orders. A fixed fee of around a dollar is a rounding error on a $99 licence and a fifth of a $5 rank. If your average order is small, the fixed component can outweigh the percentage entirely, which is why we do not charge one. Q: How quickly do I get paid? A: Cards and PayPal settle in two business days here, and it varies by method. FastSpring pays out twice a month, with a hold reported on new accounts, worth confirming with them against your own runway. Q: What does FastSpring do better? A: Maturity and B2B paperwork: selling digital goods since 2005, a deeply customisable checkout, strong invoicing and purchase orders, and 24/7 support for your end customers where ours is hours on business days. Q: Can I move an existing store across? A: Yes. We help you move your products across, and you can run both stores in parallel until you are happy, then point the domain. Active subscriptions can’t be transferred, so those either run out on the old platform or get set up again on PayNow. ## Blog Posts - Q2 2026 Update: Mobile App, Tier Groups, Paysafecard & More (16 Aug 2026) — https://paynow.gg/blog/q2-2026-update - Q1 2026 Update: Adaptive Currency, Upselling, UPI & More (25 Feb 2026) — https://paynow.gg/blog/q1-2026-update - Monetize Your Hytale Server with PayNow (13 Jan 2026) — https://paynow.gg/blog/monetize-your-hytale-server-with-paynow - PayNow 2025: From Zero to Rust's Top Store Platform (6 Jan 2026) — https://paynow.gg/blog/paynow-2025-review - How to Monetize Your Rust Server (10 Dec 2025) — https://paynow.gg/blog/how-to-monetize-your-rust-server - Simplifying Payments for Gaming Servers (26 Nov 2025) — https://paynow.gg/blog/simplifying-payments-for-gaming-servers - PayNow Platform Updates - November 2025 (26 Nov 2025) — https://paynow.gg/blog/platform-updates-nov-2025