Alternatives to PayPal 2026: the Best Solutions for Merchants
Looking for alternatives to PayPal is now a widespread choice among merchants, especially because of the checkout fees of 3.4% plus €0.35 and the management of proceeds through the wallet balance. The alternatives are divided into three families: IC++ pricing gateways that accept cards and open banking, traditional POS connected directly to the account and wallets that, like PayPal, process only proprietary payments. In this guide we compare the main alternatives to PayPal on the Italian market, with real numbers, and explain why an IC++ model like RoxPay's: €0.15 + 0.35%-0.85% (IC++) per transaction, is today the most efficient choice for anyone who wants to lower the cost of acceptance.
Why look for an alternative to PayPal
The reasons that push merchants to look for alternatives to PayPal come down to three factors. The first is the cost: PayPal checkout costs 3.4% plus €0.35 per transaction, one of the highest rates on the market, and card processing at 1.2% plus €0.35 remains above the average of IC++ gateways. The second is proceeds management: funds accumulate in the PayPal balance and must be withdrawn to the bank account, with steps and possible blocks tied to the wallet's policies. The third is transparency: PayPal does not separate interchange, scheme fees and markup, so the merchant does not know how much they really pay on each transaction.
These three reasons explain why many businesses, once grown beyond the initial phase, switch to a gateway with a dedicated merchant account. Our analysis of [PayPal fees](/en/resources/paypal-fees-roxpay-comparison) goes deeper into the 2026 price list numbers.
IC++ gateways: the first alternative to PayPal
The first family of alternatives to PayPal is that of IC++ pricing gateways, which separate interchange, scheme fees and markup. The advantage is twofold: the cost per transaction drops because the percentage applies only to the actual cost of the card plus a declared markup, and the merchant sees on every statement how much they pay to each player in the chain.
The reference model in Italy is RoxPay's: €0.15 plus 0.35%-0.85% per transaction, with no monthly fee. On a European debit card, whose interchange is legally capped at 0.2% by the EU IFR Regulation, the actual cost is low, and the total per transaction stays below PayPal's 1.2% plus €0.35. The mechanism is explained in the guide to calculating IC++ fees.
Traditional POS and open banking as alternatives
The second family is that of traditional POS, which accept all cards and credit the proceeds directly to the merchant's account, without passing through a wallet. It is the most suitable solution for anyone who sells in-store and wants a simple, traceable cash flow. The third is open banking and account-to-account transfers, which are growing in Italy thanks to PSD2 and remove the dependence on card schemes: we cover them in the guide to account-to-account payments with open banking.
None of these alternatives requires choosing a single channel: the most efficient configuration combines an IC++ gateway for e-commerce with a POS for physical sales and, if useful, a wallet for customers who use it. The point is to start from the real cost of acceptance, which is calculated on volume and not on the advertised percentage.
Which alternative to PayPal to choose
The choice depends on the sales channel and the volume. For an e-commerce with low average tickets, an IC++ gateway reduces the weight of the fixed fee (€0.15 against PayPal's €0.35) and of the percentage. For a physical shop, an independent POS removes the wallet step. For anyone who wants a single solution covering both channels under the same principle, RoxPay represents the complete alternative: the payment gateway comparison in Italy summarizes the selection criteria, and the [RoxPay vs PayPal](/en/comparison/roxpay-vs-paypal) page details the direct comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to PayPal?
For Italian merchants the best alternative is RoxPay: IC++ rates from EUR 0.15 plus 0.35% to 0.85%, settlement directly to your bank account, no monthly fee and support in Italian. It covers ecommerce, physical POS and recurring payments with a single contract.
How much do I save switching from PayPal to RoxPay?
On EUR 5,000 per month PayPal checkout costs EUR 205, while RoxPay costs between EUR 32.50 and EUR 57.50: over EUR 150 a month on a single channel. The exact amount depends on your card mix, the very variable that flat pricing ignores.
Does RoxPay charge a monthly fee?
No: with RoxPay you pay per transaction only, under the IC++ formula (from EUR 0.15 plus 0.35% to 0.85%). No subscription and no setup cost.
Is RoxPay suitable for B2B companies and high-risk sectors?
Yes: RoxPay is PCI DSS Level 1 and ISO 27001 certified, OAM registered, and accepts sectors that PayPal rejects or restricts, with tailored rates and direct settlement to the business IBAN.
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Discover why Italian businesses chose RoxPay over PayPal. Compare the real costs at /en/contact.
✓ No monthly fixed costs · ✓ Activation in 24 hours · ✓ Dedicated technical support
