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Payment Methods

When someone says "accept payments," most people think credit cards. But modern payment acceptance is far more complex. The payment method a customer chooses affects your fees, your fraud exposure, your settlement timing, and your customer experience.

Understanding the differences matters because:

  • For merchants: A 1% difference in fees across $1M in volume is $10,000 per year.
  • For fraud teams: Different payment methods have radically different fraud profiles. Card-not-present fraud is 10x higher than card-present. ACH fraud looks completely different from card fraud.
  • For finance teams: Settlement timing varies from same-day to a week depending on method.
  • For issuers: Each payment rail has different economics, risk profiles, and dispute mechanisms.
Need Quick Answers?

Jump to the Cheat Sheet for all the key tables in one place: cost, timing, disputes, and fraud by payment method.

What This Guide Covers​

  • Credit, debit, and prepaid cards (including commercial cards and Level 2/3 data)
  • ACH, SEPA, and direct debit systems worldwide
  • Real-time payments (RTP, FedNow, Faster Payments, PIX, UPI)
  • Instant card payouts (Visa Direct, Mastercard Send)
  • Digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Skrill, Neteller, Alipay)
  • Pay by Bank and Open Banking
  • BNPL (Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay)
  • Crypto and stablecoins
  • Mobile money (M-Pesa, GCash, GrabPay)
  • Carrier billing and voucher/eCash methods (OXXO, Boleto, Konbini, Paysafecard)
  • Wires (domestic and international)

Payment Methods at a Glance​

MethodTypical CostSettlementChargebacks?Best For
Credit Card2.5-3.5%T+2-3Yes (120 days)Retail, e-commerce
Debit Card0.5-1.5%T+1-2Yes (60 days)Everyday purchases
ACH$0.20-$1.00T+1-2Returns (60 days)Recurring, B2B
RTP/FedNow$0.01-$0.50InstantNoUrgent payouts
Digital WalletsSame as cardT+2-3Via cardMobile checkout
BNPL2-8%T+1-2Provider handlesDiscretionary goods
Wire$25-$40 flatSame dayNoLarge B2B
Mobile Money1-3%VariesProvider-specificEmerging markets

Detailed Guides​

Card Payments​

Credit, debit, prepaid, and commercial cards. Interchange rates, network differences, Level 2/3 data optimization.

Bank Transfers & ACH​

ACH, SEPA Direct Debit, UK Direct Debit, BECS. Return codes, timing, and when to use bank transfers vs. cards.

Real-Time Payments​

RTP, FedNow, and global instant payment systems. Plus push-to-card payouts via Visa Direct and Mastercard Send.

Digital Wallets & Pay by Bank​

Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App. Open Banking and A2A payments.

Alternative Methods​

BNPL, wires, international APMs, mobile money, carrier billing, vouchers, and crypto.

International Payments​

Cross-border payments, FX, local entities, tax and regulatory considerations, and getting money back to your home country.

Choosing Payment Methods​

Decision frameworks, industry recommendations, fraud profiles, and the push vs. pull mechanics that determine your risk.

Cheat Sheet​

All the key reference tables in one place. Cost, timing, disputes, fraud. Bookmark this page.

See Also​