Head to head
Compared side by side on published facts and the same six criteria every review is graded on — generated from the live directory, not a sales page.
Global Payments
Payment Processor · 2.2/5 mean
Global Payments Inc. is a Fortune 500 payments technology behemoth, processing trillions of dollars annually across 38 countries, offering massive scale and enterprise capabilities, but consistently criticized by small and mid-size merchants for opaque pricing, hidden fees, rigid contracts, poor customer support, and a significant history of legal actions.
Read the full review →PayPal
Payment Processor · 4.0/5 mean
PayPal is a global, feature-rich digital payments platform (consumer wallet + merchant services) with extensive integrations and brand reach. It is trusted by many businesses but criticized in public reviews for dispute handling and account-hold practices.
Read the full review →PayPal holds the higher standing — by grade, then mean category score. The row-by-row picture below is what should actually decide it for your business.
Both graded against the same six criteria. How we grade · Last fact-checked August 19, 2026 and September 2, 2026.
| Criterion | Global Payments | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 1.0 | 3.0wins this criterion |
| Feature set | 4.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
| Ease of use | 2.0 |
Straight from each provider's published documentation. Where a number isn't published, we say so rather than estimate.
| Metric | Global Payments | PayPal |
|---|---|---|
| Online rate | Not disclosed | 2.89% + $0.29 per transaction |
| Monthly fee | Not disclosed | $0 Pay-as-you-go | Enterprise agreements have monthly fees |
| Payout | Typically next business day; varies by contract | 1-3 business days (standard bank transfer) |
| Contract | Contracts carry a three-year initial term with an automatic renewal clause extending the contract for one-year periods after that | Pay as you go or month-to-month business accounts |
| In-person rate | Not disclosed | 2.29% + $0.09 per card-present transaction (PayPal's published POS rate, not Tap to Pay only) |
| Keyed rate | Not disclosed |
From the Global Payments review
PayPal offers published rates, no contract on standard accounts, and a consumer brand that helps checkout conversion, against Global Payments' undisclosed pricing and three-year auto-renewing agreements. Global Payments remains relevant for enterprises processing across many countries at a scale where negotiated custom pricing can beat standard rates.
Pick PayPal if you want a buyer-trusted wallet and pay-as-you-go pricing with no contract
Ideal for
Not recommended for
Ideal for
Not recommended for
The full reviews carry the pricing narratives, contract analysis and everything else behind these numbers — or let the matching funnel score the whole directory against your business.
| 4.0wins this criterion |
| Customer support | 1.0 | 3.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| Contract terms | 1.0 | 4.0wins this criterion |
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| Industry reputation | 4.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| 3.49% + $0.09 for manually entered cards, published on PayPal's POS pricing page |
| International rate | Not disclosed | Cross-border fee +1.50%; currency conversion spread 4.00% (3.00% on some transaction types) |
|---|
| PCI fee | p to $125/month PCI non-compliance fee — well above industry standard | None |
|---|
| Statement fee | Charged monthly (amount varies by contract) | Varies by product/region |
|---|
| Chargeback fee | Non-refundable; amount varies by contract | Region dependent ($20 US) |
|---|
| Early termination | Up to $500 USD; some contracts include liquidated damages clauses for higher penalties | Not applicable for standard pay as you go accounts; enterprise/reseller contracts may have terms |
|---|
| Last fact-checked | August 19, 2026 | September 2, 2026 |
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