UK ecommerce platforms compared on payment gateway integrations

What to take away

UK checkout expectations run wider than cards, taking in Klarna, Clearpay, PayPal, Apple Pay and Open Banking bank transfer.
Your platform's checkout decides which providers you can add without custom work.
Stripe and PayPal are quickest to switch on. Worldpay, Adyen and Checkout.com suit higher volumes.
Platform support differs: Shopify and Wix limit you to listed providers, while WooCommerce and Magento allow extensions.
Gateway fees, VAT treatment and refund handling belong in the same comparison as the platform subscription.

Native, app or custom: how each platform adds gateways

A UK shopper choosing instalments, and a small business paying by bank transfer, are both using methods that card-only checkouts ignore.

Card remains the default for most baskets, but the tail matters more in the UK than in markets where one wallet dominates. Your platform's checkout decides which of those methods you can add without custom work, and that difference is the focus of Shopify compared with WooCommerce.

UK gateway support by platform

Shopify

Cards & wallets: Shopify Payments
PayPal: Common add-on
Klarna: Common add-on
Worldpay: Plus or custom
Adyen: Plus or custom

WooCommerce

Cards & wallets: Plugins
PayPal: Plugin
Klarna: Plugin
Worldpay: Plugin
Adyen: Plugin

BigCommerce

Cards & wallets: Native Stripe
PayPal: Native
Klarna: Integration
Worldpay: Integration
Adyen: Approval needed

Wix

Cards & wallets: Wix Payments
PayPal: Can be added
Klarna: Varies by country
Worldpay: Not standard
Adyen: Not standard

A long gateway list is worth little if the checkout exposes two of them. What counts is whether the provider you need is supported natively, through an app, or through development work you would fund. The table compares platforms on how they tend to handle UK gateway integrations.

The table reflects platform documentation, app marketplace listings and gateway provider pages at the time of writing.

How each platform adds gateways

Platform	UK gateway support in practice
Shopify	Shopify Payments covers cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. PayPal, Klarna and Clearpay are common add-ons. Worldpay and Adyen usually need Shopify Plus or custom work.
WooCommerce	Plugins cover Stripe, PayPal, Worldpay, Klarna, Clearpay and Adyen. You handle updates and compliance.
BigCommerce	Native Stripe, PayPal and Square. Klarna, Clearpay and Worldpay connect through integrations. Some gateways need approval.
Wix	Wix Payments covers cards and wallets. PayPal and Stripe can be added. Klarna and Clearpay availability varies by country. Worldpay is not standard.
Squarespace	Stripe handles cards, with PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Klarna and Clearpay need workarounds.
Adobe Commerce (Magento)	Extensions support PayPal, Braintree, Stripe and Worldpay. Adyen and Checkout.com are also available. Klarna and Clearpay are supported through extensions. Build costs are higher.
EKM	EKM Payments, PayPal and Stripe are direct. Worldpay, Klarna and Clearpay appear in its payment list.
ShopWired	Stripe, PayPal, Worldpay, Klarna, Clearpay and Sage Pay integrations. Best for UK hosted stores, not headless.

Typical UK gateway fees, as indicative bands: Stripe 1.5% + 20p for UK cards; PayPal 2.9% + 30p; Klarna 3% to 5% plus a fixed fee; Clearpay 4% to 6% plus a fixed fee. Worldpay and Adyen use interchange-plus pricing, and Open Banking providers such as TrueLayer, GoCardless and Volt often charge 0.5% to 1% or a flat fee.

Fees move often and vary by turnover, sector and risk profile. Ask each provider for a written schedule covering authorisation, refunds, chargebacks, currency conversion and monthly minimums before you compare headline rates.

Klarna, Clearpay and pay-later in UK checkouts

Klarna settles to the merchant and carries the instalment risk, so the fee covers more than the transaction. Clearpay is the other major UK pay-later option, with similar merchant fee structures. Check how refunds and cancellations flow back, and whether settlement arrives per order or in a batch.

Merchants selling repeat deliveries should check how instalments interact with stored payment methods. Recurring billing sits at the centre of this guide to the best ecommerce platform for UK subscription boxes.

Open Banking and bank transfer at checkout

Open Banking payments grew out of the Competition and Markets Authority's retail banking market investigation, which required the largest UK banks to open account data to licensed providers. That created account-to-account checkout options priced differently from card.

TrueLayer, GoCardless and Volt are common Open Banking providers. WooCommerce and Adobe Commerce support them through extensions, while Shopify and BigCommerce can add them via apps. Wix and Squarespace usually need custom work.

Bank transfer suits high-value or low-margin baskets where card fees bite. It suits fewer impulse purchases, because the buyer leaves the checkout to authorise the payment.

Check data and tax duties before launch

Card data, checkout cookies and customer records fall under UK data protection law. The ICO's UK GDPR guidance and resources set out the controller and processor duties that apply when a gateway handles customer data for you.

Gateway and platform statements normally show fees net of VAT, so the cash leaving your account is higher than the fee table suggests. Check when you must register for VAT and how payment fees appear in your records before you model margin.

A five-step gateway check

Write down the payment methods your customers use, including instalments and bank transfer.
Confirm the provider is supported by your platform's checkout, and note whether that support is native, app-based or custom.
Request a written fee schedule covering authorisation, refunds, chargebacks, currency conversion and monthly minimums.
Run a live test covering a full refund, a partial refund, a failed payment and a disputed transaction.
Record who reconciles gateway settlements against orders, and how exceptions reach your accounts.

Common questions

Which payment gateway is best for a UK ecommerce store?

There is no single winner. Stripe and PayPal cover most small stores with the least setup. Worldpay, Adyen and Checkout.com tend to win on volume and settlement terms.

Which UK ecommerce platform supports the most gateways?

WooCommerce and Adobe Commerce support the widest range through extensions. Shopify, Wix and Squarespace limit checkout changes more tightly, so check each provider before you commit.

Is Klarna worth adding to a UK store?

Klarna tends to earn its fee in fashion, home and beauty, where basket values are higher. Test it against your margin, because merchant fees sit above standard card rates.

Do I need a separate gateway if I use Shopify?

Not always. Shopify Payments covers cards and wallets in the UK. Merchants wanting Klarna, Worldpay or an Open Banking provider often need a third-party option.

How do Open Banking payments compare on cost?

They often price below card, particularly on high-value orders, though conversion depends on the buyer finishing a bank authorisation. Compare settled cost per order, not the headline rate.