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E-commerce · head to head

Authorize.net vs PayPal

A

Authorize.net

E-commerce

We help make it easy to get paid

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PayPal logo

PayPal

Personal Finance

The simpler, safer way to pay and get paid

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Authorize.net all-in-One plan charges a $25 monthly gateway fee plus 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction on top of it; PayPal currency conversion on international purchases and sends carries a 4.00 percent fee, and 3.00 percent in other conversion scenarios

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authorize.net and PayPal actually diverge.

Attributes where Authorize.net and PayPal differ
AttributeAuthorize.netPayPal
Starting priceOn request$29/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryE-commercePersonal Finance
FoundedUnknown1998

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Authorize.net

Nothing recorded that PayPal does not also cover.

Only in PayPal

  • Payment processing
  • PayPal Checkout
  • Invoicing
  • Business debit card
  • Working capital loans
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Authorize.net

No use cases recorded yet. See the Authorize.net review.

PayPal

  • Paying online merchants without sharing card detailsnot Authorize.net
  • Sending money to friends and family domestically and internationallynot Authorize.net
  • Holding balances in multiple currencies for cross border purchasesnot Authorize.net

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Authorize.net

  • All-in-One plan charges a $25 monthly gateway fee plus 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction on top of it
  • eCheck processing carries its own $10 monthly minimum fee separate from the card processing charges

PayPal

  • Currency conversion on international purchases and sends carries a 4.00 percent fee, and 3.00 percent in other conversion scenarios
  • Instant transfer to a bank or debit card costs 1.75 percent of the amount, with a minimum of 0.25 USD and a maximum of 25.00 USD
  • International personal transactions carry a 5.00 percent fee regardless of payment method, with a minimum of 0.99 USD and a maximum of 4.99 USD
  • Sending domestic personal payments funded by a credit card costs 2.90 percent plus a fixed fee of 0.49 USD
  • Instant transfers are capped at 25,000.00 USD per transaction

Pricing, plan by plan

Authorize.net

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Authorize.net review.

PayPal

$29/month
  • Standard$2.99/transaction
    • Card payments
    • PayPal checkout
    • Invoice payments

Which should you pick?

Choose Authorize.net if

Nothing in the data separates Authorize.net from PayPal on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Authorize.net review

Choose PayPal if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want paypal checkout.
PayPal review

Questions people ask

Is Authorize.net or PayPal better?
Neither clearly leads. Authorize.net starts at On request and PayPal at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authorize.net or PayPal?
Authorize.net starts at On request and PayPal at $29/month.
Does Authorize.net or PayPal run on more platforms?
Authorize.net runs on Web. PayPal runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What can Authorize.net do that PayPal cannot?
PayPal covers Payment processing, PayPal Checkout, Invoicing, Business debit card.
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Related pages

More on Authorize.net

More on PayPal

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