Which Payment Methods to Offer on Your Store

Payment method selection is one of those things that seems simple until you realize it directly affects your conversion rate, your average order value, and your operational costs. Every payment method you offer (or don't offer) is a decision that impacts revenue.

I've watched stores leave 10-15% of potential sales on the table because they didn't offer the payment methods their customers wanted. Not because the checkout was buggy. Not because the price was wrong. Because the customer got to the payment step and their preferred way to pay wasn't there. So they left.

Let me walk you through every payment method that matters for eCommerce in 2025 and help you decide which ones your store needs.

The Non-Negotiable: Credit and Debit Cards

Every store needs to accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Period. This covers roughly 90% of card payments in the US and most of the world.

If you're on Shopify, this is handled through Shopify Payments (which uses Stripe under the hood). The processing fee is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction on the basic plan. Lower on higher-tier plans.

Discover is worth adding if you sell in the US. It's less common globally but has a loyal user base in the States.

JCB matters if you sell to Japanese customers. UnionPay matters for Chinese customers. Add these based on your customer geography.

Shop Pay: The Conversion Booster

If you're on Shopify, Shop Pay should be your number one priority after basic card acceptance.

Shop Pay is Shopify's accelerated checkout. Customers who have used Shop Pay on any Shopify store have their information saved. When they check out on YOUR store, they enter their email, get a verification code, and their shipping address, payment method, and name auto-fill. Checkout takes 30 seconds.

The numbers are compelling:

• Shop Pay converts at 1.72x the rate of regular checkout (Shopify's own data)
• It's the number one accelerated checkout in terms of conversion rate
• Over 100 million buyers have Shop Pay accounts

This isn't optional. This is a conversion lever. Make sure it's enabled in your Shopify Payments settings.

Apple Pay and Google Pay

Wallet payments are increasingly popular, especially on mobile. A customer taps the Apple Pay button, authenticates with Face ID or fingerprint, and the order is placed. No typing. No forms. No friction.

On Shopify, both Apple Pay and Google Pay are available through Shopify Payments. Enable them in Settings, then Payments.

Key stats:

• Mobile conversion rates increase 5-12% when Apple Pay is available
• Google Pay has similar lift for Android users
• The primary benefit is speed — wallet payments skip the entire checkout form

The caveat: Apple Pay only works on Apple devices (Safari on iOS and macOS). Google Pay works on Android and Chrome. Between the two, you cover the vast majority of mobile users.

PayPal

PayPal is polarizing. Some merchants love it. Some hate the fees and the buyer-friendly dispute process. But here's the thing: about 30% of online shoppers prefer PayPal.

That's not a number you can ignore.

PayPal offers buyer protection that some customers trust more than entering their credit card on a store they've never bought from. For first-time visitors, especially international ones, PayPal reduces purchase anxiety.

The fees: 2.99% + $0.49 for standard PayPal checkout. That's higher than Shopify Payments. But if offering PayPal converts even 5% of otherwise-lost customers, the math works.

PayPal Express Checkout (the button that appears on product pages and in the cart, not just at checkout) is particularly effective. It lets customers skip the entire checkout flow and pay through PayPal directly. Install it.

One thing to watch: PayPal holds funds for new or high-volume merchants. If your cash flow is tight, factor in potential holds.

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)

BNPL services let customers split their purchase into 4 interest-free payments. The big players:

Shop Pay Installments — Shopify's built-in BNPL. Available on Shopify Payments. Customers pay in 4 installments. You get paid the full amount upfront. Shopify takes a small fee. This is the easiest BNPL to enable if you're already on Shopify Payments.

Klarna — Popular in the US and Europe. Offers pay-in-4, pay-later, and financing options. Good brand recognition among younger shoppers.

Afterpay — Strong in the US, Australia, and UK. Pay-in-4 model. Popular with fashion and beauty brands.

Affirm — Offers longer-term financing (3-36 months) in addition to pay-in-4. Better for higher-ticket items ($200+).

The impact of BNPL:

• Average order value increases 20-30% when BNPL is available (customers add more to cart when they can split payments)
• Conversion rate increases 10-20% on mobile
• Most effective for products priced $50-500

Should you offer BNPL? If your average order value is above $50, yes. If your products are in the $100-500 range, absolutely yes. The AOV lift alone usually more than covers the fees.

Cryptocurrency

Should you accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other crypto? For the vast majority of eCommerce stores: no.

Crypto payment adoption in eCommerce is under 2%. The fees, volatility risk, and implementation complexity aren't worth it unless your brand specifically targets the crypto community.

If you do want to offer it: BitPay and Coinbase Commerce both integrate with Shopify.

Regional Payment Methods

If you sell internationally, local payment methods matter.

iDEAL — The Netherlands (used for 60%+ of online payments in NL) Bancontact — Belgium SOFORT — Germany, Austria Boleto — Brazil Alipay / WeChat Pay — China

If more than 10% of your traffic comes from a specific country, research the dominant local payment method and add it. A Dutch customer who can't pay with iDEAL will probably leave.

Shopify Payments supports many international payment methods. For others, you may need a third-party gateway.

The Checkout Display Order

The order in which payment methods appear at checkout affects which ones customers choose. Put your highest-converting methods first:

1. Shop Pay / Accelerated checkout buttons (these appear as express checkout at the top)
2. Credit/Debit card (the default for most customers)
3. PayPal
4. BNPL options
5. Other methods

Most Shopify themes display accelerated checkout buttons (Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal Express) at the top of the checkout, before the form. This is the right approach — it gives customers the fastest path to purchase before they have to fill in any information.

Processing Fees Comparison

Here's what you're actually paying per transaction on a standard Shopify plan:

• Shopify Payments (credit card): 2.9% + $0.30
• Shop Pay: Same as Shopify Payments (no additional fee)
• Apple Pay / Google Pay: Same as Shopify Payments (processed through your gateway)
• PayPal: 2.99% + $0.49
• Klarna/Afterpay: 5-6% + $0.30 (higher fee, but you get paid upfront and the customer pays in installments)
• Affirm: Varies by terms, typically 5-6%

The BNPL fees look high, but remember: the AOV lift and conversion improvement usually deliver positive ROI. A 5.5% fee on a $150 order that wouldn't have happened at all is better than 0% of a $0 sale.

How Many Is Too Many?

Offering every payment method under the sun creates visual clutter and decision paralysis at checkout. Aim for 4-6 payment options:

1. Credit/Debit cards
2. Shop Pay (or the equivalent accelerated checkout for your platform)
3. Apple Pay + Google Pay
4. PayPal
5. One BNPL option (Shop Pay Installments, Klarna, or Afterpay)

That covers 95%+ of your customers. Add regional methods only if you have significant traffic from specific countries.

Testing and Measuring

After adding or removing payment methods:

• Track conversion rate by payment method. Shopify analytics shows this. Which methods have the highest completion rate?
• Monitor AOV by payment method. BNPL orders should have higher AOV. If they don't, the BNPL messaging on your product pages might need work.
• Watch chargebacks. Some payment methods have higher chargeback rates than others. PayPal's buyer protection means more disputes. Monitor this.
• A/B test where possible. Some platforms let you test checkout variations. If yours does, test adding/removing payment methods and measure the impact on conversion.

The Bottom Line

Payment methods aren't a feature checkbox. They're a conversion lever. The right mix of payment options removes friction, increases average order value, and captures sales from customers who would otherwise leave.

Start with the core four: cards, Shop Pay, Apple/Google Pay, and PayPal. Add BNPL if your AOV warrants it. Add regional methods if your data shows international traffic.

If you want help optimizing your checkout for maximum conversion, book a call with our team. Payment methods are just one piece of the checkout puzzle — and we'll show you all the pieces.