Payment Processor Comparison: Stripe vs Adyen vs Braintree vs ConvesioPay for WooCommerce

For WooCommerce merchants evaluating professional payment processors, the decision typically comes down to four options: Stripe (the default for most), Adyen (enterprise-grade direct acquirer), Braintree (PayPal’s developer gateway), and ConvesioPay (Adyen infrastructure with WooCommerce-native integration). This comparison covers each on the dimensions that drive real revenue outcomes.

Stripe

What it is: The dominant payment-as-a-service provider. Excellent developer tools, vast documentation, and the broadest payment method library available in a single integration.

Pricing: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, no monthly fee. International cards add 1.5%.

Authorization rate infrastructure: Good, but Stripe operates as an indirect acquirer in many markets, meaning it routes through sponsoring banks rather than holding direct acquiring licenses globally. Authorization rates are competitive but not at the Adyen level.

Dispute management: Self-service dashboard. No dedicated dispute support at standard tiers.

WooCommerce fit: Excellent plugin, strong ecosystem. Best choice for merchants who prioritize developer customization over payment-specific optimization.

Ideal for: Startups, developer-led organizations, merchants with complex custom checkout needs.

Adyen

What it is: A direct acquirer and global payment platform used by major retailers (eBay, McDonald’s, Uber). Adyen holds acquiring licenses in 40+ markets, delivering industry-leading authorization rates.

Pricing: Interchange-plus with a processing fee on top. Highly competitive at enterprise volume but requires significant annual processing minimums (typically $10M+).

Authorization rate infrastructure: Best in class. Direct acquiring relationships, network tokenization, and ML-based routing.

WooCommerce fit: No native WooCommerce plugin. Integration requires developer resources. Not designed for WooCommerce merchants.

Ideal for: Large enterprises with dedicated payment teams, global retail operations, multi-market merchants with $10M+ in annual processing.

Braintree

What it is: PayPal’s developer-focused payment gateway, acquired in 2013. Strong API, Drop-in UI, and hosted fields for custom checkout builds.

Pricing: 2.59% + $0.49 for most transactions (higher for PayPal, Venmo). No monthly fee.

Authorization rate infrastructure: Good but declining. Strategic investment from PayPal has slowed since the acquisition, and the platform has lagged competitors on network tokenization and ML fraud.

Dispute management: Self-service, with limited support differentiation from standard PayPal.

WooCommerce fit: Functional plugin but fewer WooCommerce-specific features than Stripe or ConvesioPay. Subscription support requires additional work.

Ideal for: Custom checkout builds where PayPal’s developer tools are valued; merchants with existing PayPal relationships.

ConvesioPay

What it is: A payment facilitator built on Adyen’s global acquiring infrastructure, designed specifically for WooCommerce merchants. Provides Adyen-level authorization rates and fraud detection through a WooCommerce-native integration.

Pricing: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, no monthly fees.

Authorization rate infrastructure: Adyen-powered, direct acquiring in major markets, network tokenization, RevenueProtect ML fraud detection.

Dispute management: Dedicated human support for disputes. Not self-service.

WooCommerce fit: Native plugin with WooCommerce Subscriptions support, Apple Pay, Google Pay, 3DS2. Built for WooCommerce from the ground up.

Ideal for: WooCommerce merchants at any volume who want Adyen-quality infrastructure without Adyen’s minimums or integration complexity.

Head-to-Head Summary