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Best Payment Gateways in India 2026: Top 11 Options Compared

13 May 2026
15 Min Read
Best Payment Gateways in India 2026: Top 11 Options Compared

Parousia Khan

Senior Product Marketing Manager @GoKwik

Parousia leads product marketing strategies at GoKwik, and she is an expert in driving e-commerce optimisation, conversion growth, and innovative GTM strategies. She crafts compelling messaging and creates content pertaining to D2C commerce.
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India processed over 21.7 billion UPI transactions in January 2026 alone. Your customers expect UPI, COD, BNPL, and wallets, often in the same checkout session. A gateway that doesn't support them loses the sale before the payment screen loads.
Indian ecommerce has specific pressures that global gateways aren't built for. High COD volumes, RTO risk, pincode-level delivery failures, and COD-to-prepaid conversion are problems that Razorpay, Cashfree, and PayU are designed around. Generic processors are not.
This guide covers the 11 best payment gateways in India for 2026, what each one handles well, where it creates gaps, and which one fits your business type.
 Kwik Checkout helps you apply a multi-payment gateway architecture on your D2C website

Top 11 Payment Gateways in India for 2026

Here is a quick comparison of the top payment gateway providers in India before we break down each one in detail.

Payment Gateway

Payment Modes

Unique Features

PayU

UPI, cards, wallets, net banking, international cards

150+ payment methods, bulk salary disbursal

Easebuzz

UPI, cards, wallets, net banking

Smart routing, split payments for marketplaces

Razorpay

UPI, cards, wallets, net banking, Pay Later

Subscription billing, payment links, smart routing

Cashfree

UPI, cards, wallets, net banking, BNPL

T+1 settlement, bulk payouts, instant refunds

CCAvenue

UPI, cards, wallets, net banking, 27 currencies

200+ payment options, 18-language checkout

Paytm

UPI, cards, wallets, net banking, EMI

Paytm Wallet integration, quick plugin setup

PhonePe

UPI, cards, QR-based payments

Strong UPI routing, QR-based collection

Instamojo

UPI, cards, wallets

Payment links and invoices without a website

Stripe

Cards, wallets, 135+ global currencies

Cross-border payments, advanced developer APIs

BillDesk

Net banking, cards, UPI

Deep bank and government network integration

NTT DATA Payment Services

Cards, net banking, UPI, IVR

Multi-channel payment acceptance for BFSI


1. PayU

PayU serves over 500,000 businesses in India and offers a broad payment processing suite for both domestic and international transactions. It is known for its scalability and high payment success rates for large-volume merchants.
PayU is one of the best payment gateways in India

What are the key features of PayU?

  • Accepts payments from 150+ payment methods including international card networks like Amex and Diners
  • Offers subscription billing, tokenized checkout flows, instant refunds and smart routing for high success rates

What are the pros and cons of PayU?

Pros

Cons

150+ payment method coverage

Strict KYC verification 

Strong enterprise-grade infrastructure

 

Zero setup and AMC fees

 

2. Easebuzz

Easebuzz is an RBI-authorized payment aggregator that serves a large number of businesses across ecommerce, education and travel. It is known for its plug-and-play APIs, competitive MDR and high payment success rates.
 Easebuzz is one of the best payment gateways in India

What are the key features of Easebuzz?

  • Supports 150+ payment modes including UPI, cards, wallets and net banking with smart routing
  • Offers split payment (Slices) for marketplace vendor settlements and EasyCollect for recurring billing
  • Provides iFrame checkout with multilingual support and discount coupon management

What are the pros and cons of Easebuzz?


Pros

Cons

Low 1.5% average MDR

Advanced API features may require development effort

RBI-authorized payment aggregator

 

Split payments for marketplaces

 


3. Razorpay

Razorpay is one of the most widely adopted best payment gateways in India for businesses of all sizes. It processes payments via UPI, cards, wallets and net banking for over 12 million merchants across the country.
Razorpay is one of the best payment gateways in India

What are the key features of Razorpay?

  • Standard platform fee starts at 2% per transaction with 18% GST on the fee amount
  • Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento plugins available for quick store integration
  • Offers payment links, QR codes and recurring billing through UPI AutoPay for subscription businesses

What are the pros and cons of Razorpay?

Pros

Cons

Clean API documentation

Limited RTO management

Wide payment method coverage

No COD-to-prepaid conversion tools

Strong merchant support

2% platform fee adds up at volume


4. Cashfree Payments

Cashfree has earned the trust of over 1.5 million businesses with its growth-focused payment processing infrastructure. It is recognized for fast settlement cycles and high payment success rates across UPI and card transactions.
 Cashfree Payments is one of the best payment gateways in India

What are the key features of Cashfree Payments?

  • The standard settlement cycle is T+2. Instant settlement (within 15 minutes) is available for qualifying merchants as an optional feature.
  • Supports 180+ payment modes including UPI, cards, wallets, BNPL and net banking.
  • Provides bulk payout infrastructure for instant vendor disbursements and automated reconciliation.

What are the pros and cons of Cashfree Payments?

Pros

Cons

Fastest settlement in the market

Less brand recognition among shoppers

Strong payout and refund APIs

Customer-facing checkout UI needs polish

Competitive 1.75% MDR for some categories

Phone support is not available


5. CCAvenue

CCAvenue is one of the oldest popular payment gateways in India and serves close to 3 million merchants across industries. It supports one of the widest ranges of payment modes in the Indian market today.
CCAvenue is one of the best payment gateways in India

What are the key features of CCAvenue?

  • Supports 200+ payment options and accepts payments in 27 international currencies
  • Offers checkout pages in 18 languages for multilingual buyer experiences across India
  • Uses the F.R.I.S.K. engine for AI-driven fraud protection and dynamic payment routing

What are the pros and cons of CCAvenue?


Pros

Cons

Widest payment method range

Rs 1,200 annual maintenance fee

27-currency international support

Slower settlement timelines

18-language checkout

Older documentation and integration flow


6. Paytm Payment Gateway

Paytm is an all-in-one payment gateway backed by a 500 million+ user base and the trust of 300 million Indians. It is the right payment gateway in India for small business operations that need quick plugin setup and wallet integration.
Paytm Payment Gateway is one of the best payment gateways in India

What are the key features of Paytm Payment Gateway?

  • UPI transactions at 0% MDR with credit card fees at 1.99% plus GST for SMBs
  • Native Paytm Wallet integration with quick plugin setup for Shopify and WooCommerce stores
  • Supports EMI, BNPL and net banking with dedicated enterprise pricing for high-volume merchants
  • Offers QR code, POS integration and in-store payment acceptance alongside the online gateway

What are the pros and cons of Paytm Payment Gateway?

Pros

Cons

0% UPI MDR for merchants

No online access to Paytm Payments Bank

Massive consumer trust base

Privacy and data security concerns persist

Quick plugin setup for stores

Enterprise pricing requires direct negotiation


Kwik Checkout helps D2C brands use multiple payment gateways with fast checkout

7. PhonePe Payment Gateway

PhonePe is one of the top 5 payment gateways in India for UPI-heavy businesses with over 61 crore users and 4.4 crore merchants on its platform. Its payment gateway offers strong UPI routing and device tokenization for card payments.
PhonePe Payment Gateway is one of the best payment gateways in India

What are the key features of PhonePe Payment Gateway?

  • Strong UPI routing with high success rates and Quick Checkout for saved payment flows
  • Supports AutoPay for subscription billing with variable amounts for each billing cycle
  • Pay on Delivery feature enables digital payments at the doorstep for COD orders

What are the pros and cons of PhonePe Payment Gateway?

Pros

Cons

Largest UPI user base in India

Limited non-UPI payment modes

0% setup fees with 1.95% MDR

Weaker developer API documentation

Device tokenization for card security

Narrower ecommerce platform integrations


8. Instamojo

Instamojo is the best international payment gateway for freelancers in India and small business owners who need to collect online payments without building a website. A large number of businesses use Instamojo for its payment links, invoicing and online store builder.
 Instamojo is one of the best payment gateways in India

What are the key features of Instamojo?

  • Collects payments via shareable links, embed buttons, invoices and an integrated online store builder
  • Offers convenience fee pass-through so merchants can shift transaction charges to the buyer

What are the pros and cons of Instamojo?

Pros

Cons

No website needed to collect payments

No international payment support

Pass transaction fees to buyers

Settlement takes 3 business days

Quick setup for freelancers and creators

Limited scalability for high-volume brands


9. Stripe India

Stripe is a developer-first payment gateway that supports 135+ global currencies and advanced API customization. It is the best payment gateway in India for ecommerce businesses that sell to international customers.
Stripe India is one of the best payment gateways in India

What are the key features of Stripe India?

  • Supports 135+ currencies with automatic currency conversion for cross-border transactions
  • Offers advanced developer APIs, webhooks and client libraries for custom payment integrations
  • Provides subscription billing, invoicing, fraud detection and Connect for marketplace payouts

What are the pros and cons of Stripe India?

Pros

Cons

Best-in-class developer tools

Higher international fees at 3%+

135+ currency support

UPI support is less mature than local gateways

Strong recurring billing for SaaS

Settlement takes 2-7 business days


 Kwik Checkout integrates with best payment gateways in India

10. BillDesk

BillDesk is one of the oldest payment aggregators in India with deep bank and government network integrations. It specializes in recurring bill payments, utility collections and institutional transaction processing at scale.
BillDesk is one of the best payment gateways in India

What are the key features of BillDesk?

  • Powers the Bharat BillPay System for standardized bill payments across India with direct bank connectivity
  • Supports subscription billing and recurring payments via cards, eNACH and UPI AutoPay

What are the pros and cons of BillDesk?

Pros

Cons

Deep bank and government network

Pricing available only via sales team

Strong recurring payment capabilities

Dated developer documentation

Handles very high transaction volumes

Limited D2C ecommerce features


11. NTT DATA Payment Services (Earlier Atom Technologies)

NTT DATA Payment Services offers multi-channel payment acceptance for BFSI, government, and enterprise merchants across cards, net banking, UPI, and IVR. It focuses on providing a secure payment infrastructure to its customers.
Note: NTT DATA has acquired Atom Technologies and the entity is now known as NTT DATA Payment Services India.
 NTT DATA Payment Services is one of the best payment gateways in India

What are the key features of NTT DATA Payment Services?

  • Accepts payments through mobile, IVR, internet and POS channels for multi-touchpoint businesses
  • Supports all major debit cards, credit cards, UPI and net banking with PCI DSS compliance

What are the pros and cons of NTT DATA Payment Services?

Pros

Cons

Multi-channel acceptance including IVR

Limited ecommerce platform plugins

Strong BFSI sector presence

Pricing not transparent online

Secure PCI DSS compliance

Dated user interface and dashboard

Why D2C Brands Need to Look Beyond Standard Payment Gateways?

A payment gateway processes the transaction, but it does not convert the customer. It does not reduce return risk or bring back shoppers who abandoned the cart before paying.
Here is what standard gateways leave unresolved for Indian D2C brands selling at volume.
  • Standard gateways do not score or manage RTO risk on COD orders at the checkout stage.
  • No pre-filled address data means longer form completion and measurably higher checkout drop-off.
  • COD-to-prepaid conversion requires active incentive logic that no standard gateway provides.
  • Abandoned cart recovery on WhatsApp requires a separate tool with no native gateway connection.
GoKwik resolves all four gaps in a single connected product suite. Kwik Checkout handles conversion, RTO intelligence, and COD-to-prepaid conversion at the payment step. Kwik Engage automatically recovers abandoned WhatsApp sessions and brings shoppers back to complete their purchase without manual intervention.
CTA: Install Free Shopify App
Kwik Engage recovers abandoned checkout sessions via automated WhatsApp flows

How to Use Multiple Payment Gateways for Your D2C Brand?

Most high-growth D2C brands in India no longer rely on a single payment gateway. Relying on one provider creates a single point of failure that stops your sales when their UPI server goes down. Before diving into the tools, you need to understand why a robust payment gateway alone is not enough.
A secure payment gateway is the backend that processes transactions. Kwik Checkout is the brain that manages the flow, routing, conversion and risk scoring across that backend.
  • Multi-Gateway Orchestration: Kwik Checkout integrates with multiple payment gateways like Razorpay, Cashfree and PayU to make sure your transactions do not fail. If one gateway faces downtime, the system automatically routes the payment to another active provider without your team doing anything.
  • The Network Effect: Kwik Checkout recognizes over 200 million shoppers across the GoKwik network and auto-fills their addresses. This removes the friction of manual data entry and skips the tedious parts of the checkout process for returning visitors.
  • Smart Routing: The platform allows brands to choose which payment options to display at the checkout step. It applies targeted interventions to nudge COD-intent buyers toward prepaid payment modes and improve cash flow.
  • Reduced Friction: Kwik Checkout handles address entry and authentication. The payment gateway is called only for the final confirmed transaction.
 Kwik Checkout helps you integrate with multiple payment gateways

Go Beyond Processing with Kwik Checkout

 Kwik Checkout integrates D2C websites with the best payment gateways in India

Kwik Checkout is GoKwik's purpose-built checkout layer and payment solution for Indian D2C ecommerce brands. It goes beyond standard payment processing to actively reduce RTO, convert COD buyers to prepaid-customers and recover abandoned carts through Kwik Engage on WhatsApp.
Brands using Kwik Checkout report above-average conversion rates. No single gateway matches what it offers. It offers what no single gateway can.

What are the key features of Kwik Checkout?

  • One-Tap SSO Login for Instant Checkout Entry: Kwik Checkout gives every returning shopper a one-tap Single Sign-On login using mobile number, WhatsApp or Truecaller, eliminating the account creation step. Shoppers on the GoKwik network of 200M+ users skip the login barrier and reach the payment screen in seconds, which directly reduces drop-off at the first checkout touchpoint.
  • Pre-filled Checkout for Returning Shoppers: Kwik Checkout auto-fills verified address and payment details for over 85% of returning buyers across the GoKwik network, fetching the two most recent addresses for quick selection. This removes the biggest friction point at the final purchase step and reduces checkout drop-off significantly for every returning visitor on every session.
  • RTO Intelligence with 70+ Real-Time Interventions: GoKwik's machine learning model scores every COD order for return-to-origin risk before the platform confirms it, drawing from behavioral signals, pincode data and order history. With over 70 active interventions available, high-risk orders are flagged, nudged toward prepaid or routed through additional verification in real time, protecting brand margins from fake and undeliverable orders.
  • COD-to-Prepaid Conversion with Intelligent Incentivization: Kwik Checkout displays instant prepaid discount offers directly on the payment screen when a shopper arrives with COD intent, turning the payment step into an active conversion moment. Brands using this feature see measurable lifts in prepaid share, which improves cash flow, cuts reverse logistics costs and reduces RTO exposure simultaneously across every order processed.
  • Widest Range of Discounts and Offer Capabilities: GoKwik offers over 250 ecommerce discount use cases through Kwik Checkout, covering tiered discounts, cohort-based offers, UTM-based promotions and bulk discount templates. Brands also unlock GoKwik-exclusive cashbacks and offers from Paytm, CRED, Amazon Pay and leading bank card programs, giving shoppers more reasons to complete prepaid orders at the payment step.
  • Smart Checkout and Payment Experience: Kwik Checkout integrates natively with licensed payment aggregators. This helps us support UPI, cards, wallets, BNPL, net banking, EMI, CRED Pay, Snapmint and Cash on Delivery within a single branded interface with no third-party redirect. The checkout renders as part of the brand's own storefront, maintains a 95% payment success rate and prioritizes T+1 settlements, so brands receive funds the following business day at no additional fee.
  • Kwik Flows A/B Testing for Checkout Optimization: Brands use Kwik Flows to run controlled A/B tests across payment UIs, COD fee configurations, prepaid nudge formats and blocking rules, measuring the impact of each variation on conversion rate and prepaid share. This moves checkout optimization from guesswork to a data-backed process, letting brands identify the highest-performing checkout configuration for their specific audience and product category.
  • WhatsApp Cart Recovery via Kwik Engage: Shoppers who abandon checkout receive automated, personalized WhatsApp recovery messages through Kwik Engage within minutes of leaving the store. Multi-step recovery flows with optional discount triggers run automatically, converting sessions that would otherwise close with no revenue.

Who is Kwik Checkout for?

Kwik Checkout is the strongest fit for Indian D2C brands on Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and other custom platforms that want to improve checkout conversion rates, reduce RTO losses, and retain customers beyond the first purchase.
It delivers the most value for brands processing consistent order volumes with a significant share of COD transactions. If you are looking for the best payment gateway in India for ecommerce, Kwik Checkout's multi-gateway architecture offers a smarter approach.

Conclusion

No single payment gateway covers every need for a growing D2C business in India. A multi-payment gateway architecture gives you redundancy, higher success rates, smarter routing and freedom from vendor lock-in all at once.
The best payment gateways in India process transactions. Kwik Checkout handles everything around it, from conversion to RTO reduction to COD-to-prepaid nudging and abandoned cart recovery. That is what separates a payment processor from a growth engine.
Ready to move beyond a single gateway? Book a Kwik Checkout demo today and start converting more orders from your very first week.
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Parousia Khan

AUTHOR

Parousia Khan

Senior Product Marketing Manager @GoKwik

Parousia leads product marketing strategies at GoKwik, and she is an expert in driving e-commerce optimisation, conversion growth, and innovative GTM strategies. She crafts compelling messaging and creates content pertaining to D2C commerce.