7 PayPal Alternatives for Businesses in Central and Eastern Europe

A customer in Manchester pays €60 through PayPal's wallet checkout for an order from your Sofia store using PayPal. PayPal keeps €3.16 of it before any currency conversion. If the same customer pays by card through a card-first provider, the fee can be well under €2.

PayPal remains one of the most recognised ways to pay online, but it may not be the best fit for every CEE business selling internationally. Transaction fees, cross-border charges, currency conversion, access to funds and checkout flexibility can all make it worth comparing other options.

The right alternative depends on where your customers are, how they prefer to pay and what you need from your payment provider. Below, we compare the best PayPal alternatives for CEE ecommerce by fees, payment options, payouts and international fit.

Key takeaways

• PayPal fees vary across CEE markets.
• Card-first providers can cost less for EEA consumer cards.
• Cross-border and currency conversion fees add up.
• You don't have to remove PayPal completely.
• The cheapest headline rate isn't always the cheapest overall.

How we selected these PayPal alternatives

We didn't just look at transaction fees and call it a day. We dug into what each provider actually offers, from the ways customers can pay to what happens to the money after a sale.

Here's what we looked at:

• The real cost of getting paid: card rates, fixed fees, cross-border charges and currency conversion.
• How customers can pay: cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, BNPL and local payment methods.
• How well it works for ecommerce: checkout options, payment links, subscriptions and ecommerce plugins.
• Where the money goes: whether it lands in your existing bank account or a separate provider account.
• Where each provider makes sense: its coverage across CEE and Europe and the types of businesses it is built for.

We checked pricing and product details against providers' published information in October 2026. For the cost comparisons, we use a Bulgarian online store selling internationally as our main example, with other market-specific rates where relevant. Pricing may differ for merchants elsewhere in CEE.

What does a PayPal alternative actually need to replace?

PayPal can play several roles in an online store: it processes payments, gives customers a familiar payment option and holds funds in a PayPal balance. Not every PayPal alternative replaces all three.

The first role is taking card and wallet payments at checkout. This is where the transaction fees sit, and it is the role a payment provider for ecommerce replaces.

The second is a familiar button. Some buyers would rather not type card details into a store they have never used, and PayPal's buyer protection gives them a reason to go ahead.

The third is holding and moving money. PayPal keeps your takings in a balance until you withdraw them.

So, let’s see which PayPal alternatives can take on these roles and where each one makes the most sense for CEE businesses.

The best PayPal alternatives for CEE ecommerce 

Before we look at each provider in detail, here's how the alternatives compare:

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*Pricing checked October 2026. Rates shown are published examples for the specified merchant markets, not Europe-wide prices. Actual fees depend on merchant country, card type, payment method and agreement.

1. Paypercut

Source: Paypercut

Best for: CEE-based online stores selling across Europe

Paypercut is an online payments platform built for small and mid-sized businesses in Central and Eastern Europe. Through one integration, merchants can accept Visa and Mastercard payments, Apple Pay and Google Pay across different markets and currencies.

Key features:

• Built for cross-border ecommerce. Accept payments across supported markets and currencies, with localised checkout options.
• Payouts to your existing bank account. There's no need to open a separate account with Paypercut to receive your money.

Pricing: Rates vary by market. In Bulgaria, for example, EEA consumer Visa and Mastercard currently cost 1.29% + €0.05 per transaction, while other cards cost 2.69% + €0.05. Apple Pay and Google Pay follow the corresponding card rate. There is no activation fee, monthly minimum or cross-border surcharge.

Compared with PayPal: Using the Bulgarian example above, a €60 payment costs €0.82 on an EEA consumer card and €1.66 on a UK card through Paypercut, compared with €2.39 and €3.16 through a PayPal wallet. Paypercut also pays out to your existing business bank account rather than keeping your takings in a separate balance.

Keep in mind: Availability and payment options can vary by CEE market, so check the setup available for the countries you sell from and into.

2. Stripe

Source: Stripe

Best for: Developer-led and SaaS businesses selling internationally

Stripe is a global payments platform with broad payment-method and currency coverage. Its prebuilt and customisable checkout options, subscription billing and developer tooling make it particularly suitable for businesses with more complex payment requirements.

Key features:

• Global coverage. 100+ payment methods and 135+ currencies through one integration.
• Prebuilt and customisable checkout. Checkout and Elements give you a hosted payment page or components you style yourself.
• Fraud prevention and billing. Radar screens card payments for fraud, and Billing and Invoicing cover recurring and one-off charges.

Pricing: On Stripe's Bulgarian pricing page, standard EEA cards cost 1.5% + €0.25 and premium EEA cards 2.8% + €0.25. UK cards cost 2.5% + €0.25 and other international cards 3.15% + €0.25, with an additional 2% when currency conversion is required. A received dispute costs €20.

Compared with PayPal: On the €60 order, Stripe costs €1.15 from a standard EEA card and €1.75 from a UK card, against €2.39 and €3.16 through a PayPal wallet. Stripe adds 2% when currency conversion is required, so currency handling should be included when comparing the total cost with PayPal. Its €20 dispute fee is also higher than PayPal's standard dispute fee.

Keep in mind: The €0.25 fixed fee can make a bigger difference on low-value orders, while premium EEA cards are priced higher than standard consumer cards.

3. Mollie

Source: Mollie

Best for: EU stores on Shopify, WooCommerce and similar platforms

Mollie is a Dutch payment provider built around plugins and local payment methods. It now operates across all 30 EEA countries under a single contract, and launched in Romania in 2026.

Key features:

• Local payment methods. More than 35 local methods, including iDEAL | Wero, Bizum and BLIK, alongside cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
• Ready-made integrations. Plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop and Magento.
• BNPL options. Pay later methods including Klarna.

Pricing: For Bulgarian merchants, Mollie lists domestic consumer cards at 1.20% + €0.25 and other EEA consumer cards at 1.80% + €0.25. EEA commercial cards cost 2.90% + €0.25 and non-EEA cards 3.25% + €0.25. Local methods are priced separately, with BLIK at 1.60% + €0.25. Payout frequency and currency-conversion charges depend on your Mollie account and market.

Compared with PayPal: On the €60 order, Mollie costs €1.33 for an EEA consumer card issued outside Bulgaria and €2.20 for a UK card, compared with €2.39 and €3.16 through a PayPal wallet. Mollie also supports local payment methods used across Europe and can offer PayPal within its checkout at PayPal's fees plus €0.10.

Keep in mind: Availability and onboarding can vary by CEE market, so check the requirements for your country before choosing it.

4. Adyen

Source: Adyen

Best for: Larger or more complex merchants

Adyen is a Dutch financial technology platform that lets large businesses accept payments, manage funds and access data through one system.

Key features:

• Unified payments. Online, in-app and in-store payments through a single platform.
• Global payment coverage. Hundreds of local payment methods and currencies through one integration.
• Risk management. Machine-learning fraud tools that use real-time transaction data.

Pricing: Adyen uses an Interchange++ model for major card schemes, combining the underlying interchange and scheme fees with Adyen's processing charge. Unlike the providers above, there isn't one simple percentage we can apply to the €60 example.

Compared with PayPal: Adyen's pricing model gives larger merchants more visibility into the individual costs behind a card transaction rather than wrapping them into a single PayPal-style commercial rate.

Keep in mind: Adyen is geared towards larger and more complex businesses, so smaller ecommerce stores may find its setup and commercial model more than they need.

5. myPOS

Source: myPOS

Best for: Merchants selling in store and online

myPOS combines in-person and online payments, covering card terminals, online checkout and payment requests through one account.

Key features:

• In-person and online in one account. Card terminals alongside online checkout and payment links.
• Ecommerce plugins. Plugins for WooCommerce, Magento, OpenCart, PrestaShop and CloudCart, plus APIs and SDKs.
• Business debit card. Received funds can be spent through a myPOS business card.

Pricing: In Bulgaria, myPOS lists online payments with domestic and EEA consumer cards at 1.30% + €0.10 per transaction. Other card types have different rates, and pricing varies by merchant country.

Compared with PayPal: Card takings reach your myPOS account straight after each payment, and the same account covers in-person sales, which PayPal's online checkout doesn't.

Keep in mind: Funds land in your myPOS account first rather than directly in your existing business bank account, which is a different model to factor into reconciliation.

6. Viva.com

Source: Viva

Best for: Omnichannel merchants, especially with operations in Greece

Viva.com is a European payments platform with roots in Greece, combining online and in-person payments with business account services.

Key features:

• Real-time settlement. Real-time settlement is available with Viva.com account plans.
• Tap to Pay on phones. Smartphones accept contactless cards without dedicated hardware.
• Local methods and PayPal at checkout. Online checkout can include PayPal, Klarna, iDEAL | Wero and other local methods alongside cards.

Pricing: Viva.com's pricing rate for domestic and EEA consumer cards is 2.19% plus a fixed fee in several European markets, with the fixed amount varying by country. For example, it is €0.24 in Greece, Spain and Italy, while other markets use different fixed fees.

Compared with PayPal: Using Viva.com's Greek pricing as an example, a €60 order from an EEA consumer card costs €1.55, compared with €2.39 through a PayPal wallet. The same Viva.com account can also cover in-store sales.

Keep in mind: Pricing depends on the market, account plan and integration you use. In Greece, for example, refunds and some ecommerce plugins can add costs beyond the headline transaction rate.

7. PayU

Source: PayU

Best for: Merchants selling mainly in Poland

PayU is a long-established online payment provider in Poland, offering the local methods Polish shoppers expect, including BLIK.

Key features:

• Polish payment methods. Cards, fast bank transfers, BLIK, Google Pay and Apple Pay.
• Security. Tokenisation, PCI DSS Level 1 compliance, anti-fraud tools and support for the latest version of 3D Secure.
• Pay later and instalments. Buy now, pay later and online instalment options for buyers.

Pricing: PayU doesn't publish a single standard rate that we can compare directly with the examples above. Merchants should request a quote based on the payment methods and markets they need.

Compared with PayPal: For Polish buyers, PayU offers the domestic methods they reach for first, where PayPal is one wallet among several.

Keep in mind: PayU's strongest fit here is for businesses with significant sales in Poland. If Poland is one of several markets you serve, compare its local strengths with a provider designed around multi-market selling.

How to choose a PayPal alternative for your business

Where you sell should be one of the first things you look at when comparing providers.

• Selling mostly in your own country. Compare local providers and CEE-built platforms on domestic card rates and support in your language. Bulgarian merchants can compare the local field in this overview of payment providers in Bulgaria.
• Selling from CEE into the rest of the EEA. Prioritise the EEA consumer card rate, payouts to your own bank and which currencies you can settle in. This is where lower EEA consumer card rates can make a noticeable difference against PayPal, and where a practical guide to accepting international payments from Central and Eastern Europe helps before you expand.
• Selling into the UK or the US. Check the non-EEA card rate and currency-conversion margin. PayPal's cross-border surcharge can make it significantly more expensive in these scenarios.
• Running SaaS or subscription businesses. Stripe is a strong fit for businesses that want extensive developer tooling and subscription billing capabilities.
• Processing high volume across several entities. Adyen is built for that.
• Selling in store as well as online. myPOS or Viva.com cover both from one account.

Before you switch from PayPal

There isn't one PayPal alternative that fits every CEE business. The right choice depends on where you sell, how your customers pay and what your ecommerce setup needs.

Stripe is geared towards businesses that want extensive developer tooling and subscription capabilities, while Adyen is built for larger merchants with more complex payment operations. myPOS and Viva.com are worth considering when online and in-person payments need to sit together, while PayU has a particularly strong fit for businesses selling in Poland.

For CEE-based ecommerce businesses selling across Europe, Paypercut takes a more regional approach, with online checkout, localised payment experiences and payouts to your existing business bank account.

Before switching, compare providers against your own order mix rather than headline rates alone. A provider that costs less on an EEA consumer card may not be the cheapest once non-EEA cards, currency conversion and other fees are included.

FAQs

What is the cheapest alternative to PayPal for a European online store?

For an online store in the EEA, card-first providers are usually cheaper than PayPal's wallet rate on consumer cards, because EU law caps the interchange on those cards. The cheapest one for you depends on your card mix and basket size. A low percentage with a high fixed fee can cost more on small orders than a slightly higher percentage with a small fixed fee.

Can I use PayPal and another payment provider at the same time?

Yes, and many stores do. A common setup puts cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay first through a card-first provider, with PayPal kept as an extra option for buyers who prefer it. Some providers can show PayPal inside their own checkout; otherwise it runs as a second integration with its own reporting.

Which PayPal alternative is best for selling from CEE to the UK?

Look for a provider with a published non-EEA card rate and a stated currency-conversion margin. On PayPal's EEA merchant fee table, payments from UK-based PayPal senders carry an additional 1.29% surcharge. Compare the full cost of a typical UK order, including currency conversion, rather than the headline transaction rate alone.

Is Wise a PayPal alternative for accepting payments?

Wise Business is an alternative to PayPal for holding, converting and sending money, but it is not a checkout for card payments on your store. For accepting payments online, you need a payment provider or online payments platform. Many merchants use both: a payment platform at checkout and a business account for currency management.

Do PayPal alternatives charge for refunds?

It varies. PayPal, Stripe and Paypercut all let you issue a refund without an extra fee, but none of them returns the fee you paid on the original sale. Some providers charge per refund or treat bank-transfer refunds differently, so ask each one both questions separately.