Adyen Alternative for UK Businesses

Adyen is built for enterprise-scale payments and does that job well. But not every business needs that level of complexity, and there are strong alternatives that offer lower fees, faster onboarding, and more flexibility without the lengthy setup. If you are exploring an Adyen alternative UK businesses can get started with quickly, here is how the main options compare.

Here is what that looks like in practice

From flat-rate fees to instant settlement, here is how the main alternatives to Adyen shape up for UK businesses.

Atoa 

Atoa is an FCA-authorised payment provider that moves money directly from a customer’s bank account to yours using the Faster Payments network.

• Instant settlement, no delays or holding periods
  
  
• Pay by Bank fees from 0.6% per transaction plus a small authorisation fee
  
  
• Customers pay by approving in their Bank app using Face ID, fingerprint, or passcode
  
  
• Card payments, QR codes, payment links, and integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, WordPress, Xero, and QuickBooks
  
  
• No chargebacks on Pay by Bank transactions
  
  
• ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certified

Stripe 

A flexible, developer-friendly platform with global reach and a wide integration library.

• UK card fees: 1.5% + 20p per transaction
  
  
• Interchange++ pricing available for higher-volume accounts
  
  
• Funds typically arrive within two business days
  
  
• Requires technical resource to get the most out of it

Square 

A straightforward point-of-sale platform popular with retail and hospitality businesses.

• In-person: 1.75%; online: 2.5%
  
  
• Free card reader included; paid terminals available
  
  
• Next business day settlement for most accounts
  
  
• Simple setup with no developer needed

PayPal 

Widely recognised by consumers, with a broad range of payment options and integrations.

• Standard commercial transactions: 2.9% + 30p
  
  
• In-person card present: 1.75%
  
  
• Settlement timelines vary; funds can be held in some cases
  
  
• Better suited to lower-volume or marketplace-style businesses

GoCardless 

Specialist in recurring Direct Debit payments, built for businesses with predictable billing cycles.

• 1% + 20p per transaction, capped at £4
  
  
• Customers must authorise a Direct Debit mandate upfront
  
  
• No card or in-person payment capability
  
  
• Strong for subscription models; limited outside of that

How they compare

None of the providers below require a long-term contract or impose minimum processing volumes, so the decision comes down to fees, settlement speed, and what each platform does best.

What to look for when choosing an Adyen alternative

The right fit depends on what your business actually needs day to day. A few things worth thinking through:

Fee structure 

Adyen uses Interchange++ pricing, which means your effective rate varies with every transaction depending on card type and issuing bank. If predictable costs matter, a flat-rate provider is easier to plan around. Atoa’s Pay by Bank fees start at 0.6% per transaction, making it one of the lowest-cost options in this comparison and a strong open banking alternative to Adyen for businesses that want cost clarity.

Settlement speed

If cash flow is important, and for most businesses it is, instant settlement changes how you manage your money. Stripe and GoCardless both settle within a couple of business days. Square is next day. Atoa is instant for Pay by Bank payments, every time.

Ease of setup

Stripe is powerful but needs developer input to get the most out of it. Square and Atoa are built for businesses that want to get up and running without a technical project. GoCardless is straightforward for recurring billing but requires customers to complete a mandate before you can take anything.

What you are actually selling

GoCardless makes most sense if you run a subscription or invoice-led model. Square suits in-person retail and hospitality. Stripe works well for businesses selling internationally or building complex checkout flows. Atoa covers the broadest range (in-store, online, and remote) with the added advantage of no chargeback exposure on Pay by Bank transactions.

For businesses that process high volumes and want to keep fees as low as possible while maintaining flexibility across channels, Atoa is the most practical Adyen competitor UK businesses can move to without a lengthy onboarding process or a developer on standby.

Is Atoa scalable?

Absolutely. If you’re choosing a payment provider, it’s worth thinking about where your business will be in a year’s time, not just where it is today.

Pay by Bank is no longer an emerging payment method. More and more UK consumers are choosing to pay this way, with open banking adoption continuing to grow year after year. And the numbers back that up. According to Open Banking Limited’s 2025 Impact Report, there are now 13.3 million active open banking users in the UK, up 40% year-on-year, with 31 million open banking payments made in March 2025 alone. That is not a trend that is slowing down.

The good news is that you don’t need to change providers as your business grows. Atoa is designed to scale with you. Whether you’re processing a few thousand pounds a month or several million, you can use the same platform, features, and payment methods without renegotiating contracts or moving to a different pricing tier.

Atoa grows with your business. As your business grows, your payment setup should stay simple.

Making the switch

Adyen is a powerful platform, particularly for large enterprise businesses. But it isn’t necessarily the right fit for everyone.

If you’re looking for a payment provider that’s easy to set up, straightforward to use, and built around UK businesses, Atoa is worth considering. You can accept both Pay by Bank and card payments from one platform, benefit from competitive pricing, and get started without a lengthy implementation project.

Stripe, Square, GoCardless, PayPal, and Adyen all have their strengths. The best choice comes down to how your business takes payments, what your customers prefer, and how much complexity you’re willing to manage.