Comparison · Updated October 30, 2026
Coinbase Business vs BitPay for US merchants
Coinbase Business
B-
Coinbase Business is the crypto business account from Coinbase, Inc., and since 31 March 2026 it is how a merchant accepts crypto through Coinbase. Coinbase Commerce, the self-custodial checkout Coinbase ran from 2018, was folded into it and its portal closed on that date. Coinbase Business takes stablecoins only: customers pay in USDC on Base, Ethereum, Polygon, Optimism, Arbitrum and (per the product page) Avalanche, or in USDT on Ethereum, and the money lands as USDC in a custodial account that Coinbase holds for you, usually within seconds. There are payment links, invoices, a Checkouts API with refunds, and payouts. Stablecoin payments are final, so there are no chargebacks. You can hold USDC and earn a variable reward, listed at 3.60% APY in October 2026, or convert it to dollars and withdraw to your bank. As of October 2026, only businesses with a legal entity in the US or Singapore can open an account. The biggest weakness is price. Coinbase announced a 1% fee on payment links in October 2025 and keeps 1% for merchants who moved over from Commerce, but its public pages now say only that a fee applies to each completed payment and that you must sign in to see it. Converting USDC to dollars automatically also costs an unpublished fee. Coinbase can close an account at its sole discretion without giving a reason.
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.
VS
Overview
We compare the two for a US business accepting crypto online, using each provider's own pages and help centre as of October 2026. The US is the market both serve for new accounts. Coinbase Business is open only to businesses with a legal entity in the US or Singapore. Coinbase Commerce, its older self-custodial checkout, closed on 31 March 2026. BitPay onboards new merchants in the US and Canada, and has paused new onboarding in the EEA, the UK and Australia. The two are built differently. Coinbase Business takes stablecoins only: USDC on six EVM networks, or USDT on Ethereum. The money lands as USDC in a custodial Coinbase account within seconds, and from there you can hold it, convert it to dollars or withdraw it to your bank. BitPay prices each invoice in dollars and lets customers pay in bitcoin, ether, Solana, stablecoins and other coins. It settles every business day, in dollars to a US bank (arriving two business days later), in crypto to your own wallet, or a mix. BitPay publishes its whole rate card: 2% + 25 cents under $500,000 a month, falling to 1% + 25 cents at $1 million. Coinbase now says only that a fee applies to each completed payment and that you see it after signing in. Its last published figure was 1%, which it still gives merchants who moved over from Commerce. Neither has chargebacks, and neither sets a minimum term. Payment Review grades both B-.
Key Takeaways
- ✓It depends on what your customers pay with and what you want to end up holding. BitPay takes bitcoin, ether, Solana, stablecoins and other coins and pays dollars to your US bank every business day. Coinbase Business takes only USDC and USDT, and leaves the money as USDC in a Coinbase account until you convert or withdraw it.
- ✓BitPay publishes its price: 2% + 25 cents per payment under $500,000 a month, 1.5% + 25 cents to $999,999 and 1% + 25 cents from $1 million, with higher unpublished rates for high-risk industries. Coinbase shows its fee only after sign-in. It last published 1%, in October 2025, and its Commerce transition page keeps 1% for migrating merchants. Coinbase's fee for converting USDC to dollars automatically is also unpublished.
- ✓Coinbase money arrives in seconds, 24/7, but as USDC in a custodial account. BitPay settles once each business day, and dollar settlements by ACH arrive two business days later (minimum $20). If you want dollars in the bank without touching crypto, BitPay is the more direct route.
- ✓Neither has chargebacks: crypto payments are pushed by the payer and cannot be reversed by a bank. Both let you refund in full or in part. BitPay refunds the original dollar value, paid in crypto at the rate when the customer claims it.
- ✓BitPay has plugins for more storefronts, including Shopify, Wix and BigCommerce. Coinbase Business has plugins for WooCommerce, Magento and WHMCS, plus payment links, invoices and QuickBooks and Xero sync.
Coinbase Business
Coinbase Business suits a US business whose clients, buyers or contractors already hold USDC, such as crypto companies, software sellers with crypto-native buyers and firms invoicing international clients, and which is happy to hold money in a custodial Coinbase account. Payment links, invoices, payouts, USDC rewards and conversion to dollars sit in one account. Get your per-payment and conversion fees in writing first, because neither is published.
BitPay
BitPay suits a US business that wants to offer crypto as an extra checkout option, take bitcoin and other coins as well as stablecoins, and receive dollars in its bank without holding crypto. Its rate card is public, it settles every business day and it has ready plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Wix, BigCommerce and WHMCS. Expect 2% + 25 cents unless you process $500,000 a month in crypto.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
They solve different problems. BitPay is the better fit for a US business that wants crypto as an extra checkout option and dollars in the bank: customers can pay in bitcoin, ether, Solana or stablecoins, the price is fixed in dollars, and BitPay settles every business day with a published 2% + 25 cents fee and plugins for Shopify, Wix and BigCommerce. Coinbase Business is the better fit for a business whose counterparties already hold USDC and which wants a stablecoin account rather than a checkout: payments land as USDC in seconds, and payment links, invoices, payouts, rewards and conversion to dollars sit in one place. Its weaknesses are price transparency, since both the payment fee and the conversion fee are shown only after sign-in, and custody, since Coinbase holds the funds. Neither has chargebacks or a minimum term.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Pricing (US merchant, October 2026)
| Feature | Coinbase Business | BitPay |
|---|---|---|
| Per-payment fee under $500,000 a month | Not disclosed | 2% + 25¢ |
| Coinbase's payments and checkout pages say it 'charges a fee on each completed payment' and that you log in to see current fees; its developer docs say your rate is shown when you create a payment link. The October 2025 launch post said Coinbase collects 1% on completed payment-link transactions, and the Commerce transition help page lists '1% for migrating merchants'. Treat 1% as the last public figure, not a quoted price. BitPay's pricing page lists 2% + 25¢ below $500,000 of monthly volume, charged per paid invoice, with no cap on transaction count. BitPay says higher fees apply to high-risk industries, without saying what they are. | ||
| Higher-volume rates | Not disclosed | 1.5% + 25¢ from $500k; 1% + 25¢ from $1M |
| BitPay adjusts the rate automatically on cumulative month-to-date volume of paid invoices. Coinbase publishes no volume tiers. | ||
| Network fees for the customer | None on Base; gas on other networks | Network Cost fee on bitcoin only |
| Coinbase's help centre says payers on Base need no gas but may need gas on other networks, and its Business User Agreement makes the merchant responsible for telling payers about network fees. BitPay adds a separate Network Cost fee to bitcoin invoices when its estimated sweep cost is above $0.01, and charges none for Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and ERC-20 tokens or XRP. In both cases the payer also pays their own wallet's network fee where one applies. | ||
Per-payment fee under $500,000 a month
Coinbase Business
Not disclosed
BitPay
2% + 25¢
Coinbase's payments and checkout pages say it 'charges a fee on each completed payment' and that you log in to see current fees; its developer docs say your rate is shown when you create a payment link. The October 2025 launch post said Coinbase collects 1% on completed payment-link transactions, and the Commerce transition help page lists '1% for migrating merchants'. Treat 1% as the last public figure, not a quoted price. BitPay's pricing page lists 2% + 25¢ below $500,000 of monthly volume, charged per paid invoice, with no cap on transaction count. BitPay says higher fees apply to high-risk industries, without saying what they are.
Higher-volume rates
Coinbase Business
Not disclosed
BitPay
1.5% + 25¢ from $500k; 1% + 25¢ from $1M
BitPay adjusts the rate automatically on cumulative month-to-date volume of paid invoices. Coinbase publishes no volume tiers.
Network fees for the customer
Coinbase Business
None on Base; gas on other networks
BitPay
Network Cost fee on bitcoin only
Coinbase's help centre says payers on Base need no gas but may need gas on other networks, and its Business User Agreement makes the merchant responsible for telling payers about network fees. BitPay adds a separate Network Cost fee to bitcoin invoices when its estimated sweep cost is above $0.01, and charges none for Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and ERC-20 tokens or XRP. In both cases the payer also pays their own wallet's network fee where one applies.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Online store adding crypto as an extra payment option
Recommended
BitPay
BitPay takes bitcoin and other coins as well as stablecoins, fixes the price in dollars and pays dollars to your US bank every business day. It has plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento 2, Wix, BigCommerce and WHMCS.
Business invoicing clients who already pay in USDC
Recommended
Coinbase Business
Coinbase Business invoices and payment links settle as USDC in seconds, with saved contacts, payouts and QuickBooks and Xero sync in the same account. Confirm the per-payment fee in your account first; the last published figure was 1%.
Merchant that wants to see the price before signing up
Recommended
BitPay
BitPay publishes 2% + 25 cents, falling to 1.5% and 1% at $500,000 and $1 million a month. Coinbase shows its payment fee and its conversion fee only after sign-in.
Business that wants to hold some treasury in USDC
Recommended
Coinbase Business
Coinbase Business keeps payments as USDC and pays a variable reward on eligible balances, listed at 3.60% in October 2026. BitPay can settle to your own wallet in USDC, but has no rewards on balances.
Business outside the US
Neither. Coinbase Business is open only to US and Singapore entities. BitPay onboards in the US and Canada, with new onboarding paused in the EEA, the UK and Australia. A Singapore business can use Coinbase; a Canadian one can use BitPay.
Coinbase Business: Best for 2 use cases
BitPay: Best for 2 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
We cannot say for certain, because Coinbase no longer publishes its fee. BitPay charges 2% + 25 cents per payment under $500,000 a month, so $10,000 in 100 payments of $100 costs $225. Coinbase shows its fee only after you sign in. Its last published figure was 1% (October 2025), which would be $100 on the same volume, and it keeps 1% for merchants who moved from Coinbase Commerce. Coinbase also charges an unpublished fee to convert USDC to dollars automatically, while BitPay's 2% + 25 cents already ends in dollars. This is as of October 2026.
No. Coinbase Business payments are stablecoin-only: USDC on Ethereum, Base, Polygon, Optimism, Avalanche or Arbitrum, and USDT on Ethereum in the US and select jurisdictions. BitPay accepts bitcoin, including over Lightning, as well as ether, Solana, Litecoin, Dogecoin, XRP and stablecoins.
With BitPay you choose: dollars to your US bank every business day (arriving two business days after settlement by ACH), crypto to your own wallet, or a mix of dollars and crypto. With Coinbase Business, payments arrive as USDC in your custodial Coinbase account. You can convert to dollars and withdraw to your bank, or set up automatic conversion and withdrawal, for a fee shown in the account.
No, on either. A crypto payment is sent from the customer's wallet and no card issuer or bank can reverse it. You can still refund customers: Coinbase through its Checkouts API, in full or in part, and BitPay from its dashboard, in full or in part, at the invoice's original dollar value paid in crypto at the rate when the customer claims it.
Coinbase folded Commerce into Coinbase Business. Merchants had to move by 31 March 2026, after which the Commerce portal and withdrawal tool closed. Coinbase Business is custodial, accepts only stablecoins and is open only to businesses with a legal entity in the US or Singapore, whereas Commerce was self-custodial, took hundreds of assets and was open worldwide. Coinbase told merchants outside the US and Singapore to find another provider.
Not for new merchants at the moment. As of October 2026 BitPay's help centre lists the US and Canada as supported for merchant onboarding, and says new onboarding is paused in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Coinbase Business accounts in the US are provided by Coinbase, Inc., whose holding company Coinbase Global trades on Nasdaq as COIN. BitPay, Inc. is a private company founded in May 2011 by Tony Gallippi and Stephen Pair. It started in Orlando, Florida, moved to Atlanta in 2013 and is now based in Alpharetta, Georgia.
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