# How much do crypto payment gateways charge?

> Most crypto payment gateways charge between 0.5% and 2% of each payment, and some charge nothing because you run the software yourself. The headline rate is only part of the cost: network (gas) fees, conversion margins, payout fees and fixed per-payment charges can matter as much, so compare the total on a real invoice.

Source: https://quantumines.com/blog/crypto-payment-gateway-fees-explained
Published: 2026-11-06 · Last updated: 2026-11-06
Publisher: Quantumines (https://quantumines.com/), founded by Muhammad Ali Raza (Ali Arbi)

Most crypto payment gateways charge between 0.5% and 2% of each payment; self-hosted software such as BTCPay Server charges no processing fee at all, but you pay for and run your own server. The headline percentage is only part of the cost. Network (gas) fees, conversion margins, payout fees and fixed per-payment charges can add as much again, so the fair way to compare gateways is the total on a real invoice in the coin and network your customers actually use.

This guide breaks a gateway's bill into its parts, shows published rates for several well-known gateways, and gives a short checklist for comparing them. Rates change, so every figure below has the date it was read.

## What are you actually paying for?

A crypto payment usually carries up to five kinds of cost. Not every gateway charges all of them, and some hide one inside another.

- Processing fee. A percentage of each paid invoice, sometimes with a fixed amount on top (for example "2% + 25¢"). This is the number most gateways advertise.
- Network fees (gas). Every blockchain charges a fee to move coins, paid in its own coin: ETH on Ethereum, TRX on Tron, and so on. The customer pays one when sending; the merchant may pay more when the gateway moves funds to a wallet or sends a payout. These vary with the network and how busy it is, so no honest gateway can promise a fixed figure.
- Conversion or swap margin. If a customer pays in one coin and you want to hold another, or want local currency, the exchange rate usually includes a margin. Some gateways show it as a separate percentage; others build it into the rate.
- Payout fees and minimums. Some gateways charge to withdraw, or make you wait until your balance reaches a minimum.
- Fixed or account fees. Monthly plans, setup fees or minimum volumes. Fewer crypto gateways use them than card processors, but check.

## What do well-known gateways publish?

These are the standard rates each gateway published on its own pricing or help pages when we read them. Many offer lower rates on request or at higher volume.

| Gateway | Published processing fee | Worth knowing |
| NOWPayments | From 1% for single-currency payments; up to 1.5% with multi-currency payments or automatic conversion | Network fees are passed through at cost; lower rates for eligible partners. Source (https://nowpayments.io/pricing), read 5 Nov 2026 |
| CoinPayments | 0.5% for coins such as BTC; 1% for tokens such as USDT | Network fees on top; fee adjustments may apply to high-risk industries. Source (https://www.coinpayments.net/v2-fees), read 5 Nov 2026 |
| Coinbase Business | 1% for merchants who moved from Coinbase Commerce | Commerce was replaced by Coinbase Business, available to registered businesses in the US and Singapore; USDC only at the time of reading. Source (https://help.coinbase.com/en/transitioning-from-coinbase-commerce-to-coinbase-business), read 5 Nov 2026 |
| BTCPay Server | No processing or subscription fees | Free, open-source, self-hosted software: you run your own server (or use someone else's) and pay network fees. Source (https://docs.btcpayserver.org/BTCPayVsOthers/), read 5 Nov 2026 |
| CryptoMerchant | 1% of each paid invoice | Published by Quantumines; see the section below. Source (https://cryptomerchant.online/pricing), read 6 Nov 2026 |

Each of these suits a different merchant. BTCPay Server is the cheapest on paper and gives you full control of your keys, which is ideal if you are comfortable running a server. Coinbase Business adds bank off-ramps and accounting integrations, which matter to a registered US or Singapore business. Gateways like NOWPayments and CoinPayments support many more coins. The cheapest headline rate is not automatically the cheapest gateway for you.

## How do you compare the real cost?

Take one invoice you expect to send often, say $100 in USDT, and work out what reaches you under each gateway:

- Start with the processing fee. At 1%, $1 goes to the gateway; at 2% + 25¢, $2.25.
- Add conversion if you need it. If you want to hold one coin while customers pay in several, check whether the rate jumps (for example from 1% to 1.5%) or a swap margin applies.
- Add the network fees you pay. Ask who pays for moving funds into your wallet and for payouts, and on which network. USDT on Tron and on Ethereum can cost very different amounts to move.
- Check payouts. A free payout with a high minimum can still cost you, because your money waits.
- Check what you have to provide. Some gateways need a registered business and verification before you can go live, others do not. That is not a fee, but it decides whether you can use the gateway at all.

## Which mistakes make crypto payments more expensive?

- Accepting only an expensive network. If customers can only pay on a busy network, they pay more and some abandon the checkout. Offer the networks your customers already use.
- Converting every payment by default. Automatic conversion is convenient but often costs extra on each payment. Only convert what you need to.
- Ignoring underpayments. Some wallets subtract their own fee from what they send. Decide in advance how much of a shortfall you accept.
- Comparing only the headline rate. A 0.5% gateway with a large payout fee can cost more than a 1% gateway without one.
- Forgetting tax records. Crypto income is usually taxable and rules differ by country. Keep the statements your gateway gives you and ask an accountant where you are. This guide is not tax or legal advice.

## What does CryptoMerchant charge?

Disclosure: CryptoMerchant is built and run by Quantumines, the studio that publishes this guide.

CryptoMerchant (https://cryptomerchant.online) lets businesses accept crypto payments with invoices, payment links, hosted checkout and an API. Its pricing page lists every cost in one table:

| Cost | CryptoMerchant |
| Processing fee | 1% of the amount credited, taken in the coin the customer paid with; the same rate for every business |
| Monthly or setup fee | None |
| Expired or cancelled invoices | Nothing |
| Payouts | Any time, no minimum; a gas fee for each payout |
| Swaps into one holding coin | Optional; live market rate including a 1% service margin, plus a gas fee |
| New XRP and TON addresses | A one-off activation fee per new address |
| Coins | 23 coins on 11 networks |

It is custodial (it holds the keys) and pays out in crypto only, with no bank settlement, so it does not suit a business that needs money to land in a bank account. There are no shop plugins such as WooCommerce or Shopify yet; you use payment links, hosted checkout or the REST API. Its pricing page (https://cryptomerchant.online/pricing) has a fee calculator that sets the same invoice against other gateways' published rates.

Facts from cryptomerchant.online, checked on 6 November 2026.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a normal fee for a crypto payment gateway?

Published standard rates mostly sit between 0.5% and 2% per payment, plus network fees. Self-hosted software can be free apart from your server and network fees.

### Are crypto payments cheaper than card payments?

Often, because many card processors charge a percentage plus a fixed amount per payment and crypto has no chargebacks. But conversion margins and network fees can narrow the gap, so compare totals, not headlines.

### Who pays the network fee?

The customer pays to send. The merchant may pay again when the gateway moves funds to a wallet or sends a payout. Ask each gateway exactly which transfers you pay for.

### Does the fee go down with volume?

At some gateways it does, on request or by tier; others charge everyone the same rate. CryptoMerchant charges 1% to every business.

Related: How can I accept USDT payments on my website without writing code? (https://quantumines.com/answers/accept-usdt-payments-without-code) More from Quantumines: short answers (https://quantumines.com/answers), facts about the studio (https://quantumines.com/facts), and quantumines.com.