Comparison · Updated October 24, 2026
BitPay vs CoinGate (EU Crypto Payments)
BitPay
B-
BitPay is a cryptocurrency payment processor founded in May 2011 by Tony Gallippi and Stephen Pair, now based in Alpharetta, Georgia, and by its own description the world's longest-operating crypto payments company. A merchant is quoted in fiat, the customer pays in bitcoin, a stablecoin or another supported asset, and BitPay settles to the merchant's bank account in dollars on the next business day, absorbing the price movement. Its merchant pricing is published in full — 2% + 25 cents under $500,000 a month, 1.5% + 25 cents to $999,999, and 1% + 25 cents above $1 million — which puts it ahead of most of the payments industry on transparency. Crypto payments are push transactions, so there are no chargebacks. The company holds a BBB A without accreditation, settled with the US Treasury's sanctions office in 2021 over 2,102 apparent violations, and carries a 1.2-star Trustpilot score driven overwhelmingly by consumers using its wallet rather than by merchants.
CoinGate
B-
CoinGate is a crypto payment gateway run from Vilnius, Lithuania, by UAB Decentralized. The company was registered in 2014 as UAB Virtualios Valiutos and began trading in 2015. Customers pay in crypto at checkout, and the merchant settles in euros, pounds, US dollars, a stablecoin or crypto. On 16 December 2025 the Bank of Lithuania authorised it as a crypto-asset service provider under the EU's MiCA regulation and licensed it as a payment institution. As of October 2026 the Standard plan charges 1% per payment with no monthly or setup fee. Crypto and SEPA withdrawals are free, with a 50 EUR minimum withdrawal, and SWIFT withdrawals cost 0.50% with a 50 EUR minimum fee. Automatic settlement runs weekly. Enterprise pricing is negotiated by volume. CoinGate's own pricing policy says the exchange rate on a payment includes a risk margin on top of the 1% fee, and it does not publish the size of that margin. Merchants must be based in a country on CoinGate's supported list, and that list does not include the United States. Trustpilot withholds CoinGate's rating for a breach of its guidelines and says it has removed fake reviews from the profile. Recent one-star reviews there describe payments held for compliance checks.
VS
Overview
We compare the two for an online business based in the EU that takes crypto at checkout and wants euros in a SEPA bank account, using each company's published prices and merchant terms as of 24 October 2026. The first thing to know: BitPay is not currently taking new EU or UK merchants. Its help centre, last edited on 3 September 2026, lists new merchant onboarding in the EEA, UK and Australia as paused, even though its EU subsidiary, BitPay B.V., gained MiCA authorisation from the Dutch AFM on 16 July 2026. CoinGate, authorised by the Bank of Lithuania since 16 December 2025, onboards EU and UK businesses but not US ones. On price, BitPay charges 2% + 25¢ per paid invoice below $500,000 a month, falling to 1% + 25¢ above $1 million, plus a non-refundable application fee. CoinGate's Standard plan charges 1%. Both build an unpublished volatility allowance into the exchange rate they quote, and on both the shopper pays the blockchain network fee. BitPay settles every business day; CoinGate settles weekly unless you negotiate Enterprise terms.
Key Takeaways
- ✓BitPay is not an option for a new EU or UK merchant right now. Its help centre (last edited 3 September 2026, after BitPay B.V.'s July 2026 MiCA authorisation) lists new onboarding in the EEA, UK and Australia as paused, with only the US and Canada open. CoinGate lists every EU country, the UK and Canada, but not the United States.
- ✓Where you can choose, it depends on what you value. CoinGate's published processing fee is half of BitPay's base rate (1% against 2% + 25¢), while BitPay pays out every business day instead of weekly and lets you close your account at any time.
- ✓Neither headline fee is the whole cost. Both companies quote the shopper an exchange rate that includes an allowance for price movement during the payment window (15 minutes at BitPay, 20 at CoinGate), and neither publishes how large it is. BitPay's terms also require a non-refundable application fee whose amount it does not publish.
- ✓The shopper pays the blockchain network fee on both. BitPay also adds a separate network cost to the invoice when it estimates one above $0.01. You pay network fees when you refund (as an EU merchant of BitPay B.V.) or send a payout.
- ✓Both reputations come with warnings. BitPay has a 1.2 TrustScore from 296 Trustpilot reviews, many of them about its consumer wallet. Trustpilot withholds CoinGate's rating for a guidelines breach and says it removed fake reviews.
BitPay
BitPay suits a US or Canadian merchant that wants money in the bank every business day or may scale past $500,000 a month in crypto; CoinGate does not onboard US merchants. A new EU or UK business cannot currently sign up, since BitPay lists new EEA and UK onboarding as paused. Expect to pay 2% + 25¢ below $500,000 a month, plus an application fee.
CoinGate
CoinGate suits an EU or UK business that banks in euros, can live with weekly settlement, and wants the lower published fee: 1% per payment, with free SEPA withdrawals over a 50 EUR minimum. It does not accept US-based merchants or USDT.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
For a euro-banking EU business signing up today, CoinGate is the practical choice: BitPay lists new EEA and UK onboarding as paused, while CoinGate onboards EU and UK businesses under a MiCA licence it has held since December 2025 and publishes the lower processing fee, 1% against BitPay's 2% + 25¢ below $500,000 a month. Where both are open to you, as in Canada, or if BitPay reopens EU sign-ups, the choice depends on what you value: BitPay settles every business day instead of weekly, lets you close your account without notice, settles in more fiat currencies and cuts its rate at $500,000 and $1 million a month. Both quote exchange rates with an unpublished allowance for price movement, both leave the network fee with the shopper, and both carry Trustpilot warnings.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Processing fees (EU merchant, October 2026)
| Feature | BitPay | CoinGate |
|---|---|---|
| Processing fee per payment | 2% + 25¢ (under $500k/month) | 1% (Standard plan) Winner |
| BitPay's tiers are set by month-to-date paid invoice value: 2% + 25¢ under $500,000, 1.5% + 25¢ from $500,000 to $999,999, and 1% + 25¢ at $1 million and above, resetting on the 1st of each month. For invoices not priced in USD, BitPay converts the 25¢ into the invoice currency when the invoice is created. It also says higher fees apply to high-risk industries without publishing them. CoinGate charges 1% on Standard; Enterprise rates are custom and based on volume. On €10,000 a month in 100 payments of €100, BitPay's fee comes to about €220 and CoinGate's to €100, before either exchange-rate allowance. | ||
| Exchange-rate allowance | Built into the quoted rate | Risk margin added to the rate |
| BitPay says its quoted rate factors in market volatility so it can honour it for up to 15 minutes, plus market depth on very large invoices, and shows the rate used on each payment request. CoinGate's Commercial Policy says that for payment processing it 'adds a risk margin and a 1 percent merchant fee', and its quotes are valid for 20 minutes. Neither publishes the size of the allowance, so there is no winner. | ||
| Monthly or setup fee | No monthly fee; application fee (non-refundable) | None |
| BitPay's pricing page lists only per-transaction fees and unlimited monthly transactions, but its Merchant Terms (effective 1 April 2026, s.4.1) require a non-refundable application fee when you open an account; BitPay does not publish the amount. CoinGate's pricing page lists no monthly fees and its FAQ says there are no setup or integration fees. | ||
| Fee to send crypto payouts | 1% (BitPay Send) | 0.50 EUR + 0.5% |
| These apply when you pay suppliers, affiliates or staff in crypto, not to accepting payments. CoinGate charges 0.50 EUR + 1.5% if the payout involves a conversion. Which is cheaper depends on the size of each payout: CoinGate's is lower above 100 EUR, and BitPay's is lower below it, so there is no winner. | ||
Processing fee per payment
BitPay
2% + 25¢ (under $500k/month)
CoinGate
1% (Standard plan)
Winner
BitPay's tiers are set by month-to-date paid invoice value: 2% + 25¢ under $500,000, 1.5% + 25¢ from $500,000 to $999,999, and 1% + 25¢ at $1 million and above, resetting on the 1st of each month. For invoices not priced in USD, BitPay converts the 25¢ into the invoice currency when the invoice is created. It also says higher fees apply to high-risk industries without publishing them. CoinGate charges 1% on Standard; Enterprise rates are custom and based on volume. On €10,000 a month in 100 payments of €100, BitPay's fee comes to about €220 and CoinGate's to €100, before either exchange-rate allowance.
Exchange-rate allowance
BitPay
Built into the quoted rate
CoinGate
Risk margin added to the rate
BitPay says its quoted rate factors in market volatility so it can honour it for up to 15 minutes, plus market depth on very large invoices, and shows the rate used on each payment request. CoinGate's Commercial Policy says that for payment processing it 'adds a risk margin and a 1 percent merchant fee', and its quotes are valid for 20 minutes. Neither publishes the size of the allowance, so there is no winner.
Monthly or setup fee
BitPay
No monthly fee; application fee (non-refundable)
CoinGate
None
BitPay's pricing page lists only per-transaction fees and unlimited monthly transactions, but its Merchant Terms (effective 1 April 2026, s.4.1) require a non-refundable application fee when you open an account; BitPay does not publish the amount. CoinGate's pricing page lists no monthly fees and its FAQ says there are no setup or integration fees.
Fee to send crypto payouts
BitPay
1% (BitPay Send)
CoinGate
0.50 EUR + 0.5%
These apply when you pay suppliers, affiliates or staff in crypto, not to accepting payments. CoinGate charges 0.50 EUR + 1.5% if the payout involves a conversion. Which is cheaper depends on the size of each payout: CoinGate's is lower above 100 EUR, and BitPay's is lower below it, so there is no winner.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
EU online store or digital-services seller banking in euros
Recommended
CoinGate
BitPay lists new EEA and UK onboarding as paused, so CoinGate is the one of the two you can sign up with. Its 1% fee is half BitPay's base rate before the 25¢, and SEPA withdrawals are free above 50 EUR. Accept weekly settlement or negotiate Enterprise terms for faster payouts.
Business outside the EU and UK that needs cash in the bank every day
Recommended
BitPay
BitPay settles every business day, and a US dollar settlement reaches an American bank two business days after it is issued. CoinGate settles weekly on its Standard plan. This applies where BitPay is onboarding (the US and Canada); new EEA and UK sign-ups are paused.
US-based merchant
Recommended
BitPay
CoinGate's supported-countries list excludes the United States. BitPay, Inc. onboards US merchants and settles in dollars by ACH, with a $20 minimum.
US or Canadian merchant whose customers pay mainly in USDT
Recommended
BitPay
CoinGate does not list USDT among the assets merchants can accept. BitPay's supported-cryptocurrency list includes USDT for invoice payment, though it says available coins vary by location, and it is not onboarding new EEA or UK merchants.
Merchant processing over $500,000 a month in crypto
Both. BitPay's published rate falls to 1.5% + 25¢ above $500,000 and 1% + 25¢ above $1 million. CoinGate offers custom volume pricing on Enterprise. At this size, get quotes from both where both are open to you, and compare each one's exchange-rate allowance as well as the fee. A new EU or UK business cannot currently sign up with BitPay.
BitPay: Best for 3 use cases
CoinGate: Best for 1 use case
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
On the published processing fee, yes. CoinGate's Standard plan charges 1% per payment. BitPay charges 2% + 25¢ below $500,000 a month, 1.5% + 25¢ up to $999,999 and 1% + 25¢ from $1 million, and its terms require a non-refundable application fee whose amount it does not publish. Neither figure is the whole cost: both build an allowance for price movement into the exchange rate they quote the shopper, and neither publishes its size. CoinGate also charges for refunds (0.25 EUR + 0.1%) and for SWIFT withdrawals in dollars or pounds (0.50%, minimum 50 EUR).
On both, the shopper pays the network fee to send a payment, on top of the order total. BitPay also adds its own network cost to the invoice, paid by the shopper, when it estimates one above $0.01. You pay network fees when you send money out: on payouts with either, and on refunds if you are an EU merchant of BitPay B.V.
BitPay settles every business day, sending the previous business day's payments. A euro settlement reaches a SEPA bank account one business day after it is issued, according to BitPay's developer docs. CoinGate settles automatically once a week on its Standard plan, and offers faster schedules to Enterprise clients on request.
BitPay, yes: BitPay, Inc. onboards US merchants and settles in dollars by ACH. CoinGate, no: its supported-countries list does not include the United States as of October 2026.
Not as of October 2026. BitPay's help-centre article on supported countries, last edited on 3 September 2026, lists the United States and Canada as open for merchant onboarding and the EEA, the UK and Australia as paused for new onboarding. Merchants in the EEA, Switzerland and the UK contract with BitPay B.V. in Amsterdam, so the pause applies even though BitPay B.V. gained MiCA authorisation in July 2026. CoinGate onboards businesses in every EU country and the UK.
Yes. UAB Decentralized, which operates CoinGate, was authorised by the Bank of Lithuania as a crypto-asset service provider (LB002323) and licensed as a payment institution (LB002324), both from 16 December 2025. BitPay B.V., the Amsterdam subsidiary that contracts with BitPay's EU and UK merchants, was authorised as a crypto-asset service provider by the Dutch AFM on 16 July 2026. Despite the licence, BitPay's help centre (last edited 3 September 2026) lists new merchant onboarding in the EEA and UK as paused.
No. Both lock an exchange rate when the shopper starts paying (15 minutes at BitPay, 20 at CoinGate) and can settle you the fiat amount you priced. You take on price risk only if you choose to settle in a cryptocurrency.
No. A blockchain payment is pushed from the shopper's wallet and cannot be reversed by a card issuer, so neither BitPay nor CoinGate has card-style chargebacks. Refunds are up to you and are sent back on-chain.