# The 5 best ecommerce payment solutions in 2026

URL: https://ecomradar.co/en/payments/best-ecommerce-payment-solutions/
Updated: 2026-10-18 · Author: Robin Pautigny · Publisher: Radar Ecom (Refine)

> On a standard European card, **Stripe** charges 1.5% + €0.25 and **Mollie** 1.80% + €0.25 (1.20% + €0.25 for a Cartes Bancaires card), with no mandatory subscription. **PayPal** costs 2.90% + €0.35 in France. On Shopify, **Shopify Payments** avoids the transaction fees Shopify adds when you use another provider (2% on the Basic plan). **Alma** handles installment and deferred payments, from 3.60% excl. VAT for paying in 2 installments.

## The comparison

| Solution | Best for | Standard European card | Subscription |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Stripe** | Custom-built stores, international | 1.5% + €0.25 | None |
| **Shopify Payments** | Shopify stores | Depends on your Shopify plan | Included in Shopify |
| **Mollie** | European stores, local payment methods | 1.80% + €0.25 (Cartes Bancaires: 1.20% + €0.25) | €0 (Pay as you go) or Pro at €20/month |
| **Alma** | Installment and deferred payments | Not applicable | None |
| **PayPal** | Offering the PayPal button | 2.90% + €0.35 (PayPal transaction) | None for standard checkout |

Pricing checked on [Stripe pricing page](https://stripe.com/fr/pricing), [Mollie pricing page](https://www.mollie.com/fr/pricing), [PayPal fees page](https://www.paypal.com/fr/business/paypal-business-fees), [Shopify pricing page](https://www.shopify.com/fr/tarifs) and [Alma pricing page](https://almapay.com/pricing) on Oct 18, 2026.

The order follows how well each covers the main need: accepting cards at the lowest cost on a custom-built store (Stripe, Mollie), on Shopify (Shopify Payments), then add-ons (Alma for installments, PayPal for the PayPal button).

## The real cost on a €60 order

Calculated from the public pricing, excluding special cases (premium cards, non-EEA cards, currency conversion):

| Solution | Payment method | Fees on €60 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Mollie** | Consumer Cartes Bancaires card | €0.97 |
| **Stripe** | Standard EEA card | €1.15 |
| **Mollie** | EEA consumer Visa/Mastercard | €1.33 |
| **PayPal** | PayPal transaction in France | €2.09 |
| **Alma** | Pay in 2 installments | €2.16 excl. VAT |

On Shopify, if you process payments with a provider other than Shopify Payments, add Shopify's third-party transaction fees: 2% on Basic, or €1.20 more on a €60 order.

## Solution by solution

### Stripe

According to its [pricing page](https://stripe.com/fr/pricing), **Stripe** charges no setup fees and no monthly fees. Standard EEA cards cost 1.5% + €0.25, premium EEA cards 2.8% + €0.25, UK cards 2.5% + €0.25 and international cards 3.15% + €0.25, plus 2% for currency conversion. SEPA Direct Debit costs €0.35 and a dispute €20. Standard payouts are free. Klarna is available from 4.99% + €0.40.

### Shopify Payments

**Shopify Payments** is Shopify's built-in payment provider. According to [Shopify's help page for France](https://help.shopify.com/fr/manual/payments/shopify-payments/supported-countries/france), it accepts credit and debit cards, accelerated checkouts and local payment methods, its rates depend on your Shopify plan, and it is only available in mainland France (not in the overseas territories). The [pricing page](https://www.shopify.com/fr/tarifs) lists third-party transaction fees when you use another provider: 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow), 0.6% (Advanced) and 0.2% (Plus). When we checked, that page showed prices and rates in US dollars: check the euro rates in your Shopify admin.

### Mollie

[Mollie's pricing](https://www.mollie.com/fr/pricing) for France: 1.80% + €0.25 for an EEA consumer Visa or Mastercard, 2.90% + €0.25 for a business card, 3.25% + €0.25 outside the EEA, and 1.20% + €0.25 for a consumer Cartes Bancaires card. SEPA Direct Debit costs €0.35, SEPA bank transfer €0.25, Bancontact 1.40% + €0.25 and Klarna 4.50% + €0.35. PayPal through Mollie costs PayPal's fees + €0.10. Mollie offers a no-subscription option (Pay as you go) and a Pro plan at €20/month.

### Alma

**Alma** specializes in installment and deferred payments. On its [pricing page](https://almapay.com/pricing): 3.60% excl. VAT for paying in 2 installments and 4.20% excl. VAT for deferred payment at D+15, with no setup or monthly fees on the standard offer (up to €1M in revenue). Part of the fees can be shared with the customer, within regulatory limits. Rates may be adjusted based on risk, with an automatic increase for American Express and business cards. Paying in 5 to 12 installments is on a waiting list. For the full comparison with Klarna, see our [Alma vs Klarna](/en/payments/alma-vs-klarna/) article.

### PayPal

According to [PayPal France's fees page](https://www.paypal.com/fr/business/paypal-business-fees): 2.90% + €0.35 per domestic commercial transaction. No surcharge for EEA buyers, 1.29% for UK buyers and 1.99% for other markets. Advanced card payments start at 1.20% plus fixed fees, American Express at 3.50%. A chargeback costs €16. Currency conversion is charged at 3.0% above the base exchange rate.

## How to choose

### You're on Shopify

Turn on **Shopify Payments** to avoid third-party transaction fees, then add **PayPal** if your customers ask for it and an installment solution like **Alma** if your average order value suits it.

### You have a custom-built store

**Stripe** is the cheaper of the two on a standard European card (1.5% vs 1.80% at Mollie). **Mollie** becomes attractive if a large share of your customers pay with Cartes Bancaires (1.20% + €0.25) or if you sell in Belgium and the Netherlands with Bancontact and iDEAL.

### You want installment payments

Compare the merchant cost: **Alma** from 3.60% excl. VAT in 2 installments, **Klarna** at 4.50% + €0.35 through Mollie or from 4.99% + €0.40 through Stripe. Then measure the effect on your own conversion before rolling it out everywhere.

## FAQ

**Which payment solution is cheapest for a French store?**

Based on the pricing checked on Oct 18, 2026, on a €60 card order: about €0.97 with Mollie for a Cartes Bancaires card, €1.15 with Stripe for a standard European card, €1.33 with Mollie for a European consumer card and €2.09 with PayPal.

**Should you use Shopify Payments on Shopify?**

It's how you avoid Shopify's third-party transaction fees: its pricing page lists 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus when another provider processes payments. Shopify Payments rates depend on your plan.

**How much does Alma cost the merchant?**

On Alma's pricing page on Oct 18, 2026: 3.60% excl. VAT for paying in 2 installments and 4.20% excl. VAT for paying at D+15, with no setup or monthly fees. Rates may be adjusted based on risk, and part of the fees can be shared with the customer.

**How much does Klarna cost through Stripe or Mollie?**

Stripe lists Klarna from 4.99% + €0.40 per successful transaction; Mollie lists Klarna in France at 4.50% + €0.35.