PayPal was established in 1998 as an experiment by a group of tech superstars, like Elon Musk, Max Levchin, and Peter Thiel. By the year 2002, it became the go-to brand in online money management and was bought by eBay.
One major advantage of PayPal is that it is a large, multi-service platform; competitors are not always as distinct.
The following five companies are the best alternatives to PayPal
1. Skrill
Ideal for: Those who deal with cryptocurrencies or play online games.
Skrill is one of the best PayPal alternatives. The main area where Skrill promotes its services over PayPal are transaction costs. PayPal earns 4.5% for a merchant transaction fee while Skrill imposes 2.9%.
Features of Skrill
- Credit Card Transactions
- Email transactions
- Free account
- Fast access
- One place data
2. Payoneer
Ideal for: Small to medium businesses searching for an all-around solution.
Payoneer is a payment solution that enables corporations and businesses to connect with the global market. The platform has payout services that allow corporations to pay their employees with a single click, regardless of where they are situated in the globe.
Features
- Single Payout
- Receive Payments
- Mass Payouts
- Funds Withdrawal
- Partner Network
- Integrated Payments
- Multi-Currency Support
- Escrow Payments
3. Google Pay
Ideal for: Fast, simple, and free payments from a well-known brand.
Google Pay facilitates sending and receiving money, but unlike the other digital wallets, the payments can be accepted directly into the bank account. So the matter of receiving money in wallets and then transferring it into the bank account has been eliminated
Features
- Send and Receive Money via Audio
- Multiple Payment Options
- Pay utility bills
- Rewards
- Loan offer
4. Stripe
Ideal for: Businesses who want an intuitive and flexible API
Stripe is a cloud-based payment agent that assists users to manage and receive transactions online. It’s an end-to-end platform competent in processing online payments, which makes it ideal for online businesses or e-commerce.
Features
- Authorization
- Dispute Handling
- Financial Reporting
- Clean Canvas
- Invoice
- Open-Source Plugin
- Payment Options
- Mobile Customer Interface
- Embeddable Checkout
- Multicurrency Payouts
- Roles and Permissions
- Accounting Integrations
- Unified Payout
- Payout Timing
- Consolidated Reports
- Custom UI Toolkit
- Collaboration Notes
5. Dwolla
Ideal for: Serious U.S.-based businesses and organizations with a large volume of bank transfers.
Dwolla is an online payment tool specially designed for bank transfers. It consists of an easy-to-use set of products that work with every US bank and credit unions, making it simple to build applications that promote bank transfers, manage customers, and immediately verify bank accounts.
Features
- Configurable Technology
- Flexible Payment Flows
- Several User Types
- Multiple Transfer Types
- Developer-Friendly Experience
- Modern API + Webhooks
- Developer Documentation
- Open Sandbox Environment
- 99.9% Uptime
- Customized Support Levels
PayPal has its perks, but there are many great alternatives out there for you to analyze. Most of these have lower fees or better features suited to different needs.
