Comparison · Updated October 25, 2026
PAYONE vs Unzer (Germany)
PAYONE
B-
PAYONE is a Frankfurt-based card acquirer and payment service provider for businesses in Germany and Austria. It is a joint venture of Worldline, which holds 60%, and the DSV Group, the payments arm of Germany's savings banks (Sparkassen), which holds 40%. PAYONE GmbH holds the merchant agreement itself and is supervised by BaFin as an e-money institution. It says it serves 277,000 customers and processes over 7.65 billion transactions a year. Small-business prices are published in euros, as of October 2026. Tap on Mobile, which turns a phone into a card reader, has no monthly fee or contract and costs 1.90% per Visa or Mastercard credit card payment and 0.89% per debit card payment, with a €0.15 minimum. Terminal plans run from a pay-as-you-go option with a 24-month device term to flat-rate packages from €29.90 to €44.90 a month on 36- or 60-month contracts. Online plans start at 2.49% + €0.99 with no monthly fee. PAYONE's price list says all fees are subject to VAT. Fixed-term contracts renew for 12 months unless cancelled three months before the end. The main concern is regulatory: in 2023 BaFin barred PAYONE from processing transactions for certain merchants in a high-risk e-commerce portfolio, in January 2025 it announced higher capital requirements and a special representative, and in December 2025 it announced fines totalling €95,000 over anti-money-laundering failings.
Unzer
B-
Unzer is a German payments group that sells online payments, card terminals, cash-register software and white-label buy-now-pay-later to small and mid-sized merchants, mainly in Germany and Austria, with a Danish arm (Clearhaus and Quickpay) serving webshops in the Nordics. It began in 2003 as heidelpay, co-founded in Heidelberg by Mirko Hüllemann, grew through about a dozen acquisitions under private-equity owners AnaCap and then KKR, and took the Unzer name in September 2020. The group company, Unzer Group GmbH, is registered in Berlin. Merchants contract with Unzer Luxembourg S.A. (a CSSF-supervised payment institution) or Unzer E-Com GmbH (a BaFin-supervised payment institution in Heidelberg), with Unzer POS GmbH and Tillhub GmbH supplying terminals and till software. Unzer says it had €225.0 million of revenue and 90,000 merchants in 2025. As of September 2026 its English pricing page quotes online payments from 1.50% + €0.20 and in-store payments from 0.99% + €0.20, and its terminal shop lists the POS Go all-in-one till at €0 a month with card fees from 1.29%, but most real prices are set in a quote and the contract length is not published. The history matters: in 2022 BaFin fined Unzer E-Com €350,000 and banned it from taking on new customers over anti-money-laundering failings, and Luxembourg's CSSF fined Unzer Luxembourg €145,000. BaFin partly eased the ban in March 2024 and lifted it fully in October 2024. In 2023 KKR agreed to hand majority control to the company's lenders, according to press reports.
VS
Overview
We compare the two for a business in Germany taking euro card payments, with online and in-store payments in separate rows. We used each company's German product pages, price lists and terms as of 25 October 2026. Both firms sell terminals, tills and online checkout to small and mid-sized German merchants. PAYONE publishes the most: per-card rates for a phone app, terminal plans and two online plans, plus a price list of extra charges such as €50 per chargeback. Its terms say fees are net, with VAT added. Unzer's main pricing page now only takes quote requests, but a separate pricing-information page still lists starting prices: online from 1.50% + €0.20 per payment plus a monthly fee and €149 setup, and in store from 0.99% + €0.20 and from €29 a month. Its per-card rates, chargeback fee and payment-contract term are set in your contract. PAYONE's terminal plans mostly run 24 to 60 months. Unzer's till software defaults to 24 months, and its card-present terms require you to settle all your transactions through Unzer.
Key Takeaways
- ✓It depends on what you need. PAYONE is easier to price in advance: it publishes per-card rates for its phone app, terminals and online plans, plus a full list of extra charges. Unzer is the one-supplier option for a till, terminal, webshop and invoice payments, but it publishes only starting prices, and your actual rates come in a quote.
- ✓Online, PAYONE's E-Com Starter costs 2.49% + €0.99 per payment with no monthly fee, and E-Com Pro costs €19 a month plus 1.09–1.49% and from €0.09 per payment. Unzer's standard online plan starts at 1.50% + €0.20 per payment, plus a monthly fee from €19 (€22.50 on its German page) and €149 to set up.
- ✓In store, PAYONE's Tap on Mobile app turns a phone into a card reader for 1.90% per Visa or Mastercard payment and 0.89% per Maestro or V Pay payment, with no monthly fee or contract. Unzer has no phone app yet; it says Android Tap to Pay is planned for 2026. Unzer's shop lists the POS Go till and PAX A920 terminal at €0 a month with card fees from 1.29%, but other Unzer pages price the POS Go from €29 a month.
- ✓Read the contract terms on both. PAYONE's fixed terms renew for 12 months unless you cancel three months before the end. Unzer's till-software terms default to 24 months, renewing for 12 unless you cancel six months ahead. Its card-present terms make Unzer your exclusive processor, and Unzer can charge €99 a month if you send it no or very little card volume for six months.
- ✓Both have had trouble with regulators over money laundering. BaFin lifted Unzer's ban on new customers in October 2024. BaFin appointed a special representative to oversee PAYONE in January 2025, still in place according to Worldline's mid-2026 report, and fined PAYONE €95,000 in late 2025.
PAYONE
Choose PAYONE if you want to know your per-card price before you sign. That is especially true if your customers pay mostly by girocard, which costs 0.26% + €0.08 per payment on its Classic plan. It also suits you if you want a no-contract phone app or a no-monthly-fee online plan. Check the term on the plan you choose: All Card Flat runs 36 or 60 months and All Time Flex 24, and fixed terms renew for 12 months unless you cancel three months before the end. Ask which items on the price list apply to your contract.
Unzer
Choose Unzer if you want one company for the till, card terminal, webshop checkout and white-label invoice or instalment payments, and you are happy to negotiate. Before you sign, get these in writing: the per-card rates, the minimum term and notice period, the chargeback fee and any holdback. Its card-present terms make Unzer your exclusive processor while the contract runs.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
Neither is the better choice for every German merchant. PAYONE is easier to evaluate. It publishes per-card rates for its phone app, terminals and online plans, a full schedule of extra charges and General Terms that set the renewal and notice rules. It also has a no-contract phone app that Unzer cannot yet match. Its drawbacks are long terminal terms, a long list of surcharges and a BaFin special representative still overseeing its anti-money-laundering remediation. Unzer is the stronger fit if you want one supplier for a fiscally compliant till, terminal, webshop and white-label invoice payments, and its shop lists some devices at no monthly fee. But it publishes only starting prices; your per-card rates, payment-contract term and chargeback fee are in the quote, and its card-present terms require exclusivity.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Online payments (Germany, EUR)
| Feature | PAYONE | Unzer |
|---|---|---|
| Published entry plan | 2.49% + €0.99; €0/mo; €49 setup | From 1.50% + €0.20; from €19/mo; €149 setup |
| PAYONE E-Com Starter has a €49 one-off setup fee and no monthly fee. Every payment costs €0.99 plus 2.49%, whatever the payment method. Unzer's 'standard rates' plan appears on its pricing-information page (read 25 October 2026), which its main navigation does not link: from 1.50% + €0.20 per transaction, a monthly service fee from €19 on the English page but from €22.50 on the German page, and a €149 setup fee. The page does not say whether these figures include VAT; Unzer's terms say fees are net unless stated otherwise. Unzer's main pricing page shows only a quote form. We pick no winner: Unzer's figures are starting prices, and which is cheaper depends on your basket size and volume. | ||
| Lower-rate plan for regular sellers | €19/mo; 1.09–1.49% + from €0.09 | Not disclosed |
| PAYONE E-Com Pro has a €99 setup fee and a 12-month minimum term. The percentage depends on the payment method. Secured invoice purchase costs more on this plan, from 2.49% + €0.49. Unzer's pricing-information page offers volume pricing for shops processing more than €100,000 a month, with no service fee and no setup fee, but it does not publish the per-payment-method fees. | ||
| Pay by invoice and instalments | Secured invoice (from 2.49% + €0.49) | Own invoice, instalments, direct debit |
| PAYONE offers secured invoice purchase in its E-Com plans. Unzer sells its own white-label invoice payment, instalments of up to 12 months and SEPA direct debit, shown in your design. Under its BNPL terms (January 2026) it checks the shopper's credit and takes on the credit and fraud risk for payments it accepts, with exceptions such as a changed delivery address. Unzer publishes no fees for these products. | ||
Published entry plan
PAYONE
2.49% + €0.99; €0/mo; €49 setup
Unzer
From 1.50% + €0.20; from €19/mo; €149 setup
PAYONE E-Com Starter has a €49 one-off setup fee and no monthly fee. Every payment costs €0.99 plus 2.49%, whatever the payment method. Unzer's 'standard rates' plan appears on its pricing-information page (read 25 October 2026), which its main navigation does not link: from 1.50% + €0.20 per transaction, a monthly service fee from €19 on the English page but from €22.50 on the German page, and a €149 setup fee. The page does not say whether these figures include VAT; Unzer's terms say fees are net unless stated otherwise. Unzer's main pricing page shows only a quote form. We pick no winner: Unzer's figures are starting prices, and which is cheaper depends on your basket size and volume.
Lower-rate plan for regular sellers
PAYONE
€19/mo; 1.09–1.49% + from €0.09
Unzer
Not disclosed
PAYONE E-Com Pro has a €99 setup fee and a 12-month minimum term. The percentage depends on the payment method. Secured invoice purchase costs more on this plan, from 2.49% + €0.49. Unzer's pricing-information page offers volume pricing for shops processing more than €100,000 a month, with no service fee and no setup fee, but it does not publish the per-payment-method fees.
Pay by invoice and instalments
PAYONE
Secured invoice (from 2.49% + €0.49)
Unzer
Own invoice, instalments, direct debit
PAYONE offers secured invoice purchase in its E-Com plans. Unzer sells its own white-label invoice payment, instalments of up to 12 months and SEPA direct debit, shown in your design. Under its BNPL terms (January 2026) it checks the shopper's credit and takes on the credit and fraud risk for payments it accepts, with exceptions such as a changed delivery address. Unzer publishes no fees for these products.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Market stall, tradesperson or occasional seller taking a few card payments a month
Recommended
PAYONE
PAYONE's Tap on Mobile app turns a phone into a card reader for 1.90% per Visa or Mastercard payment and 0.89% per Maestro or V Pay payment, with no monthly fee and no contract term. Unzer has no phone-based option yet.
Retailer or pharmacy whose customers mostly pay by girocard
Recommended
PAYONE
PAYONE publishes a girocard rate of 0.26% + €0.08 per payment on its Classic plan, so you can work out the cost before you sign. Unzer publishes no girocard rate. Check the term in your Classic offer and which price-list surcharges apply.
Café, salon or shop that wants a till, terminal and support from one company
Recommended
Unzer
Unzer owns its Tillhub till software and sells the POS Go handheld till, which combines a fiscal-compliant till, printer, scanner and card terminal, with local installation. Get the card rates, the term (24 months by default for till software) and the notice period in writing.
Online shop that wants a published price and no monthly fee
Recommended
PAYONE
PAYONE's E-Com Starter costs €49 to set up and 2.49% + €0.99 per payment, with no monthly fee. Unzer's standard online plan has a monthly fee from €19 and a €149 setup fee on top of rates from 1.50% + €0.20.
Webshop that wants white-label pay-by-invoice and instalments
Both. Unzer sells its own invoice, instalment and direct-debit products in your design and takes on the shopper's credit and fraud risk for payments it accepts, with exceptions. PAYONE offers secured invoice purchase in its E-Com plans, from 2.49% + €0.49 on E-Com Pro. Compare written offers.
PAYONE: Best for 3 use cases
Unzer: Best for 1 use case
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
We cannot say in general, because Unzer publishes only starting prices. As of October 2026, PAYONE charges 2.49% + €0.99 per online payment on E-Com Starter, 1.90% per Visa or Mastercard payment on Tap on Mobile, and 0.26% + €0.08 for girocard on Classic, before price-list surcharges. Unzer lists online rates from 1.50% + €0.20 with a monthly fee, in-store rates from 0.99% + €0.20, and some terminals at €0 a month with card fees 'from 1.29%', but your actual rates come in a quote. Get a written offer from both and compare the total, including monthly fees and surcharges.
PAYONE's Tap on Mobile has no term. All Time Flex runs 24 months, All Card Flat 36 or 60 months and E-Com Pro at least 12 months; Classic terms vary. Fixed terms renew for 12 months unless you cancel three months before the end. Unzer's general terms leave the term to your contract. Its till-software terms default to 24 months, renewing for 12 months unless you cancel six months before the end.
Not if you take card payments in store through Unzer on its standard terms. Its Special Terms for Card Present (January 2026) have you guarantee that you submit all transactions made in your business to Unzer while the contract runs, and Unzer can charge €99 a month if you send it no card payments, or a very low volume, for six months. The clause does not limit itself to in-store payments, so ask Unzer in writing whether it would cover an online provider. We found no such clause in PAYONE's General Terms.
Mostly no, but check each price. PAYONE's General Terms say VAT is added at the applicable rate to any fee that is subject to VAT. Unzer's terms say its fees are net prices in euros plus VAT unless stated otherwise, but its own pages mix the two: the shop lists the Desk 5000 rent excluding VAT, while the pricing-information page lists till packages including 19% VAT. Ask each provider which of your fees will carry VAT.
PAYONE is a joint venture of Worldline (60%) and the savings banks' DSV Group (40%), and we found no announced change to that. Unzer, formerly heidelpay, was owned by KKR. In 2023 KKR agreed in principle to hand majority control to its lenders, Alcentra, Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Partners Group, and keep a minority stake, according to press reports. Unzer does not name its shareholders.
Both have. BaFin banned Unzer E-Com from taking new customers and fined it €350,000 in 2022, and Unzer announced on 31 October 2024 that the ban had been fully lifted. BaFin restricted PAYONE's high-risk e-commerce business in 2023. It appointed a special representative and raised PAYONE's capital requirements in January 2025, and announced €95,000 in fines in December 2025. Worldline's mid-2026 report says the special representative's work is still ongoing.