Why Choosing the Right Payment Gateway Matters for Shopify
Selecting the best payment gateway for Shopify directly shapes the customer experience and strongly influences conversion rates. A slow checkout, limited payment options, or a complicated process can push buyers away at the final step.
Your choice also affects your ability to serve both local and international customers. To succeed globally, you need to adapt to regional payment preferences: debit and credit cards in the UK, e-wallets in Germany, or bank transfers in Nordic countries.
The right solution should also streamline your checkout experience based on your business model. Whether you run subscriptions, manage a marketplace, or expand internationally, features like recurring billing or Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) can make a significant difference.
Shopify’s Payment Options: An Overview
Shopify provides a variety of payment solutions to meet different business needs. Each option comes with unique features, allowing merchants to align with their market, customer base, and growth goals.
Shopify Payments: The Native Option
Shopify Payments is the platform’s built-in solution. It integrates seamlessly without additional Shopify transaction fees and supports major cards and multiple currencies. This is ideal for merchants seeking simplicity and speed. However, for UK and European businesses, advanced features and localised support may be limited.
Specialised Payment Service Providers (PSPs)
A Payment Service Provider (PSP) connects your Shopify store with banks while ensuring PCI DSS compliance. Unlike native solutions, PSPs provide fully integrated checkouts without redirecting customers, delivering a smoother user experience.
They also offer a wider range of payment methods: cards, bank transfers, payment links, BNPL, and other innovative solutions. PSPs are built to meet Shopify’s technical requirements while adding advanced security, flexibility, and customer support.
Monext: Your Local Partner in Europe
Monext, a European leader in online payments, provides a Shopify-ready solution through technical modules and APIs. With deep expertise, secure transaction management, and a broad set of Europe-focused payment methods, Monext helps merchants grow with confidence.
Key features include automatic card data updates to reduce failures caused by expired or replaced cards, and the ability to split payments across multiple cards. Monext also stands out with premium technical support: average response times under four hours and resolution within five days.
How to Choose the Best Payment Gateway for Shopify
When evaluating payment solutions, consider several key factors:
- International reach: If you target foreign markets, look for multi-currency support and local payment methods. For example, Germans prefer bank transfers, the Dutch use iDEAL, and UK buyers rely heavily on debit and credit cards.
- Customer habits: Understand your buyers’ preferences. Digital wallets are becoming increasingly popular, while Click to Pay simplifies one-click checkout.
- Customer support: A fast, reliable helpdesk in your language can protect revenue when technical issues arise.
- Fees: Compare fixed and variable fees, chargeback costs, and currency conversion rates. Watch out for hidden charges that cut into margins.
- Integration and UX: A well-designed payment module speeds up setup and ensures a frictionless checkout.
- Flexibility: Depending on your business model, recurring or instalment payments may be essential.
If your store struggles with incomplete orders, check out these 5 simple ways to recover sales from abandoned carts.
How Payment Solutions Boost Conversion
A fast, seamless checkout increases conversions. Features like one-click payments, e-wallets, and secure data storage reduce friction. Offering a variety of payment methods tailored to local habits also improves success rates.
BNPL, mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, and secure payment links all help reduce cart abandonment. Strong security and PCI DSS compliance reassure customers, protect your brand, and prevent fraud.
Why a PSP Can Outperform Shopify Payments
Shopify Payments is excellent for quick setups, but its limitations become clear as your business grows. Markets like France and the UK often require advanced features, stronger fraud protection, and regulatory compliance (PSD2) that only a PSP like Monext can provide.
With Monext, you gain:
- Personalised support and guidance.
- Access to a wider range of payment methods.
- Advanced fraud prevention and regulatory expertise.
- Detailed reporting for data-driven decision making.
- A fully customisable checkout experience.
This tailored approach can turn a standard setup into a true growth engine.
Conclusion: Payment Choice as a Growth Strategy
Your payment gateway directly impacts conversion, customer loyalty, and international expansion. Choosing the right one requires careful analysis of both current and future needs.
Monext offers expert guidance to help Shopify merchants find the best solution. From integration to ongoing optimisation, our team ensures your payment system becomes a real competitive advantage.
Contact Monext today for a free payment diagnostic and discover how to optimise your Shopify store.
