Today, cryptocurrency has become not only a buzzword around the world but also a technology that prophesies a great future for the economic system, and in particular – already creating significant prerequisites for the development of a universal model of mutual settlements both in individual use and in the business environment through the enchantment of distributed ledger technology such as crypto payments, one key element of which are crypto payment gateways.

This article will disclose the concept of a cryptocurrency payment gateway and how it works. In addition, we will consider the main benefits that can be obtained using this technology. In the end, we will list the top 5 best cryptocurrency payment gateway and crypto processing solutions to accept crypto payments in 2023.

What is Crypto Payment Gateway And How Does It Work?

Have you often wondered “how to withdraw cryptocurrency into fiat”? Every experienced trader or investor has its own personal way of withdrawing cryptocurrency. For most users, they are almost never straightforward, so payment gateways were invented that directly convert cryptocurrencies into fiat: for example, dollars to euros or pounds sterling, which were previously often exchanged in special exchanges.

The problem with selling and buying digital assets for fiat in exchanges involves the speed of payment processing and subsequent automation. Even the fastest exchangers can process a request in 2 minutes. When the count goes to seconds, and an urgent transaction on the trading account is required, for example, to support an active transaction, such delay can cost money. Payment processors are also used by traders who need to quickly fund trading accounts and automate the process.

Cryptocurrency payment gateways are electronic systems based on blockchain technology that uses computing power to transfer one cryptocurrency from one address to another or to convert a single cryptocurrency into fiat money, which is the electronic equivalent of physically existing money of different countries of the world, both for individual use and within the business environment.

When it comes to the use of this technology in business processes, crypto gateways are the link between the business and the acquiring partner (banks). They ensure that customer data is verified in a minimum amount of time and that information is encrypted to prevent data leakage. They also ensure the seamless transfer of cryptocurrency and allow merchants and users to make transactions in Bitcoin and altcoins.

It should be noted that Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency that is converted into fiat money not only on exchanges, but also via different crypto payment gateways.

Payment gateways are equipped with special software tools that facilitate the entire conversion process and allow for the automatic transfer of coins to merchants’ wallets. As a rule, such services accept various cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, and other coins, including the so-called stablecoins which, according to some experts, may also become a kind of a reliable payment method in the future.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Crypto-gateway is a bridge between business and bank, ensuring the security of cryptocurrency and fiat payments.
• Cryptocurrency payment gateways are electronic systems based on blockchain technology that uses computing power to transfer one cryptocurrency from one address to another, or to convert a single cryptocurrency into fiat money.
• Crypto gateways allow transfers and conversions of individual cryptocurrencies, tokens and stablecoins, depending on the provider. 

Benefits of Crypto Payment Gateways

Crypto-payment technology today is one of the most innovative and useful technologies because it greatly facilitates and accelerates the processes of mutual settlement between merchants and customers, allowing them to save time and money. Numerous companies and corporations from different industries continue to implement and value it above all for the following advantages. 

• Versatility

Crypto payment gateways are universal tools that can be used by businesses of any size and type, regardless of their activities. This technology uses the same principles of construction and works using the same mechanism, which means that it can be implemented in absolutely any IT architecture. Crypto-gateway can be implemented either on the company’s website or as a terminal for bank card payments supporting cryptocurrency transactions. 

• Security

Whenever money is involved, be it fiat or crypto assets, security is of paramount importance not only to protect the consumer, but also the business (merchant) itself, which often suffers from all kinds of cyberattacks, hacking, phishing, and other illegal activities that become a serious obstacle in the work with payments. Gateways for crypto payments are designed to provide the highest level of security and anonymity for financial transactions with digital assets through the use of special software and algorithms providing reliable encryption of transaction data. 

• Relevance

The cryptocurrency sphere is developing at a crazy pace, bringing into our lives new directions of blockchain technology development, which significantly simplifies many processes. Being the current trend in the world of finance today, the use of such crypto technologies as payment gateways allows us to be sure that this niche will set the trend for a long time to come, overturning the usual way of the financial system. Therefore, crypto transaction encryption technology in the form of a payment gateway will be relevant as long as blockchain technology remains relevant.

• Freedom From Chargebacks

The chargeback feature is a very popular way to get cash back when it comes to paying with classic cards. Chargeback (return payment) is a procedure that allows you to challenge a bank transfer of money if the seller turned out to be dishonest. This is a good feature in the context of classical trading relationships. However, within the framework of crypto assets, there is no chargebacks, which allows businesses to protect themselves from frauds, since after a transaction has been completed, it cannot be canceled or refund the funds spent during its completion, as the blockchain technology uses an algorithm for distributing each transactions into the block hash of the blockchain, which cannot be changed.

• Anonymity

Blockchain, being an advanced technology transforming the digital space, is highly valued for its ability to provide a high level of anonymity when making crypto payments. This quality is also inherent in crypto payment gateways, which, by using a variety of encryption protocols, provide complete anonymity without requiring KYC or registration for identity verification. This advantage is one of the most significant, since the financial relationship between business and consumer requires a particularly high degree of reliability to prevent hacking and theft of funds.

• Reduced Commissions

Gateways for crypto assets are helpful for both businesses and customers. Due to the fact that charges on cryptocurrency transactions are far lower than those on traditional bank transfers using classic payment gateways, merchants can do away with the requirement for high commission fees by allowing customers to pay with Bitcoin. When new payment options are made available, a company’s client base can grow, and its earnings can rise. Additionally, it is essential to note that every year more businesses incorporate these payment methods in order to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a form of payment.

• Speed

Speed is one of the most important components of a successful business because it allows you to increase the number of transactions per unit of time, which implies an improvement in the efficiency of the business. Crypto payment gateways, unlike classical payment systems, allow crypto transactions to be carried out almost instantly, while avoiding delays associated with the processing of transactions by different intermediary banks involved. Operations carried out using a crypto payment gateway help not only to quickly complete the transaction, but also to secure it through encryption.

• Multi-currency

Multi-currency is an important parameter when choosing a cryptocurrency gateway. Since there are a large number of cryptocurrencies that are available both for trading and for paying for products and services. Today, there is a fairly large range of companies that provide the opportunity to use their crypto payment processing, while using a wide variety of crypto assets to carry out payment or transfer operations between different addresses. Among the most famous cryptocurrencies that have found use in the field of crypto payments are Bitcoin, Ethereum, Doge, Shiba Inu, etc., and their number is constantly growing in proportion to the growth in the number of companies interested in accepting cryptocurrencies as a payment method.

FAST FACT

The term “crypto payment gateway” is often confused with the concept of “crypto payment processor”. Despite the similarity in name, these are different things. If a payment gateway gathers transaction information, the payment processor takes that information, then sends the information to the customer bank and sends transfer information to your bank if the transaction is successful.

5 Best Crypto Payment Gateways For 2023

Crypto payment gateways play an important role in ensuring smooth and seamless cryptocurrency transactions. One of the best features is that they can easily integrate with e-commerce platforms, point-of-sale systems, accounting websites and more. There are many gateways available in the crypto space, and you can choose the best ones according to your needs. Consider the top 5 best crypto payment gateways to accept crypto payments.

1. B2BinPay

Organizations seeking cryptocurrency payment processing systems can choose from a variety of solutions offered by B2BinPay. B2BinPay facilitates the sending, storing, exchanging, and receiving of cryptocurrency payments online for businesses throughout the world, such as Forex brokers, cryptocurrency exchanges, hedge funds, online stores, etc. Having been established since the early days of the emergence of cryptocurrency payments, the company has been engaged in business for many years. There are two types of accounts offered by B2BinPay: a merchant account and a corporate account.

This solution has become one of the leading cryptocurrency payment gateways in the industry, enabling merchants to offer a range of coins as payment methods to their customers. The advantages of the service include low processing fees, the absence of recurring fees, the absence of hidden fees, the ability to view real-time balance and transaction histories, export reports, and the security of payments.

The enterprise solutions offered by B2BinPay enable customers to accept, store, and send a variety of virtual currencies, including Bitcoin, Etherium, Ripple, and Monero. Unlike conventional online payment gateways, B2BinPay makes it possible for parties to transact globally at a far reduced cost. You may connect to the system within an hour with a single API, and it is highly automated with transaction speeds of under 20 seconds.

2. CoinGate

CoinGate is a gateway cryptocurrency payment service founded in 2014 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The service can be used by merchants to make cryptocurrency payments. CoinGate provides the ability to accept payments in about 50 cryptocurrencies with a fixed fee of 1%. 

In addition to cryptocurrencies, CoinGate accepts euros and U.S. dollars, so customers who feel uncomfortable paying in crypto (or those who simply don’t have crypto) can pay in fiat money. Bank transfers, phone credits and debit or credit card payments are also possible through CoinGate. Moreover, the platform can be used to sell cryptocurrency.

The platform aims to comply with the “what you see is what you get” principle. CoinGate claims to have no hidden fees and is entirely transparent in charging users. Merchants pay a 1% fee per transaction, meanwhile having a free setup. There are no recurring fees. SEPA transfers and BTC payments are also free. Traders are charged a 3% fee. In addition, traders pay 5% on top of the trader fee when using credit or debit cards.

3. Bitpay

Bitpay is a payment service that both merchants and vendors can use to accept cryptocurrency payments for goods and services. Its payment protocol (see this article for more details) provides consumers with a more streamlined and secure cryptocurrency verification process.

The solution is implemented on the merchant side. All consumers have to do is select cryptocurrency as a payment method from those vendors that support Bitpay, and then pay the bill from their wallet. Bitpay account links are different from regular cryptocurrency addresses; they include embedded information about the amount of the transaction and connect the consumer directly to an orderly payment stream in a compatible wallet.

Users can have a Bitcoin address for crypto-assets and hardware device integration. Bitpay Wallet implements multi-signature wallet addresses through p2sh codes. Multisignature means that in addition to transaction information, Bitpay Wallet will generate an additional set of keys, making it harder for outsiders to access the funds. There are three keys tied to a user’s wallet – a private key, a Bitpay Wallet key, and a shared key set. Anyone attempting to access a user account will need at least two of the three keys. The multi-signature wallet option provides ultra-secure protection for receiving funds.

4. Coinbase Commerce

Coinbase Commerce is an enterprise digital payment service offered by cryptocurrency exchange and wallet service Coinbase that allows merchants to accept payments in a variety of digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin. These payments go directly into a merchant-controlled wallet.

In an effort to capitalize on the great potential available in global cryptocurrency-based payment systems and serve merchants worldwide, Coinbase Commerce is operated by the leading cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. It allows merchants and businesses around the world to accept payments from anywhere in their chosen cryptocurrency.

Coinbase Commerce integrates with a merchant’s checkout workflow or can be added as a payment method to a shopping portal. Any cryptocurrency payment made by the customer is credited to the merchant’s account at Coinbase Commerce, from where it can be transferred to the desired wallet.

Coinbase Commerce makes the most sense for companies selling services online, such as freelance web developers or any business whose product is cheap to produce with little overhead and is delivered mostly online. For such sellers, Coinbase Commerce has integrations with leading e-commerce platforms such as Shopify and OpenCart. Below is a complete list of e-сommerce platforms supported by Coinbase Commerce.

5. ALFAcoins

ALFAcoins is a cryptocurrency processing service that offers merchants the ability to receive payments on their websites using cryptocurrencies. It offers six types of leading digital assets for customer payments. Supported cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Dash (DSH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), and Ripple (XRP).

Cryptocurrency processing can be used in industries such as gambling, gaming, cyber sports, and betting with an unreliable alternative to existing payment providers, which charge higher fees because these industries are considered “high risk.” Through cryptocurrency processing, users are guaranteed a faster and more efficient way to pay while also maintaining the anonymity essential to these industries.

ALFAcoins provides services to both individuals and merchants. Its transparent fee structure ensures that users know exactly what they are signing up for when they create a wallet. There are no hidden fees or charges associated with this service.

Users can simply manage their wallets with ALFAcoins, and there are no fees for deposits and internal transfers of crypto. Vendors can integrate ALFAcoins into their websites, so they can receive cryptocurrency payments using APIs and IPNs, a simple payment button, or WordPress shopping cart plugins. There is a 0.99% payment fee on merchant sites, which can be charged to the buyer or paid by the seller.

Conclusion

Payment for goods and services using cryptocurrencies is no longer a newfangled phenomenon that only a select few know about but a vital cog in the complex mechanism of the financial system and, in particular, mutual settlements. On the other hand, crypto payments are an incredibly useful tool for building new business relationships and collaborations within many companies and corporations that, thanks to the many benefits of crypto payment processing solutions, develop and improve their business processes, attract new clients, and drive development progress of payment systems forward.