Payaries

Buyer's guide

How to choose a crypto payment gateway: nine criteria that matter

Coin counts and headline fees are the least useful way to compare gateways. These are the questions that decide whether it still works for you when a customer underpays, a webhook fails or you need your money out.

Updated · 2 min read

01Start with the model

Hosted, managedHosted, self-heldSelf-hosted
Who runs itThe providerThe providerYou
Who holds the keysThe provider, per merchantYouYou
You are responsible forChoosing a provider you trustYour wallet and key securityServers, nodes, upgrades and keys
Setup effortLowestLowHighest
ExamplesPayariesSome providers offer this modeBTCPay Server

Many providers sit in more than one column. The first decision is wallet control — read managed vs self-held gateways — because it changes every other answer.

02The nine criteria

  1. 01Wallet control and separation. Is each merchant's wallet separate or pooled? Can you verify your balance on a block explorer without trusting the provider's dashboard?
  2. 02Networks that matter to your customers. Not the biggest list — the specific networks your customers already use for USDT or USDC. See USDT on TRC-20, ERC-20 and BEP-20.
  3. 03Time from payment to usable money. What is credited at confirmation, and when can you actually withdraw? See confirmations explained.
  4. 04Failure handling. What happens on an underpayment, a late payment, or a payment to an expired invoice? A gateway that only documents the happy path will cost you support tickets. See underpaid and late payments.
  5. 05Webhooks you can trust. Signed, retried on a schedule, and safe to receive twice. See verifying webhook signatures.
  6. 06Withdrawals. Any address, on demand? Limits, approval steps, and what protects them if an API key leaks?
  7. 07Integration surface. A REST API and SDK, store-platform plugins, or hosted payment pages — whichever matches how you sell.
  8. 08Fees you can predict. Platform fee, network fee, spread on any conversion, and withdrawal cost. Ask for all four in writing.
  9. 09Honest limits. Mainnet or sandbox, what isn't supported yet, and whether the provider tells you before you integrate.

03Three tests worth running before you commit

  • Create an invoice and pay it slightly short. See what status you get, what the webhook carries and what the dashboard shows.
  • Pay it after it expires. A robust gateway keeps watching the address and tells you it was a late payment.
  • Replay a webhook at your handler. If your handler can't tell a duplicate, the provider's retries will eventually double-fulfil an order.

04Specific comparisons

Questions

What should I look for in a crypto payment gateway?
Wallet control and wallet separation, the specific networks your customers use, time from payment to withdrawable balance, documented handling of underpaid and late payments, signed and retried webhooks, withdrawal controls, integration fit, predictable fees, and honest statements of limits.
Is a managed or self-held gateway better?
Neither is universally better. Managed gateways trade direct key control for managed operations — crediting, sweeping, gas and withdrawals. Self-held setups give you the keys and put key security on your team.

Keep reading

Next

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Test keys work immediately, with no approval step. Payaries runs on real mainnet networks, so use a small real payment to test.

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