BlueSnap vs Stripe: Which Solution is Right for Your Business?

Please note that the information about the payment providers in this article was taken from their respective websites on 24 February 2025. This information is subject to change.

As digital payments evolve, businesses are searching for efficient, secure, and cost-effective payment solutions. In this article, we’re going to compare BlueSnap and Stripe, both offering diverse payment methods, global reach, and advanced fraud prevention tools. However, their strengths cater to different business needs. This article provides a detailed comparison to help you make an informed choice and introduces Noda, an alternative payment solution leveraging open banking to offer low-cost, instant transactions.

Companies Overview

BlueSnap: The Global Payment Orchestration Platform

BlueSnap positions itself as a global payment orchestration platform, offering businesses a streamlined way to process transactions globally. It has a big focus on local card acquiring in 50 countries, that allows to reduce costs compared to international card acquiring and avoid extra FX. The platform supports 100+ currencies, and integrates with some additional payment methods, including digital wallets, and direct debits (ACH transfers in the US, SEPA in Europe and local options for Canada, Australia and Netherlands), as well as has one BNPL service.

Originally founded in 2001 as Plimus by Tomer Herzog and Danny Kleinberg in Israel, BlueSnap was later rebranded and has since expanded its services, focusing on large enterprises requiring global payment solutions.

Stripe: The Developer-Friendly Payment Infrastructure

Stripe is widely recognised as a developer-first payment platform designed for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises. It supports 135+ currencies, a big number of payment methods globally, and offers highly customisable APIs. Stripe is commonly used for subscription billing, e-commerce, and platform-based businesses, with a strong presence in industries like SaaS and marketplaces.

Founded in 2010 by by Irish entrepreneurs John and Patrick Collison, Stripe has grown into a market leader, often chosen for its seamless integrations and comprehensive financial tools. As of February 2025, Stripe is in talks for staff share sales that could place its valuation at over $85 billion.

Key Offerings and Industries Served

Bluesnap Features

BlueSnap payment processing functions in over 200 regions, supporting 100+ local currencies. BlueSnap payment methods include:

• credit and debit cards
• eWallets
• direct debits (US, EU, Canada, Australia and Netherlands)
• BNPL (Splitit)

The BlueSnap gateway The service uses an optimisation technology that improves transaction success rates through intelligent routing and local acquiring in 50 countries.

Fraud prevention tools minimise chargebacks, while BlueSnap subscription, which allows businesses to manage recurring billing and automated invoicing streamlines payments.

BlueSnap 3D Secure (BlueSnap 3ds, 3DS2) ensures strong customer authentication (SCA) for PSD2 compliance.

Best fit for:

BlueSnap primarily serves large businesses functioning across multiple markets, which usually require sophisticated and scalable payment solutions. For example:

• Software companies, including education, healthcare, and business management;
• Retail—online and brick-and-mortar vendors;
• Logistics and Freight;
• Manufacturing;
• Banking and Financial Institutions.

Stripe Features

Stripe facilitates online and in-person payments, supporting over 135 currencies and numerous payment methods, including:

• Cards
• Wallets
• Direct Debits
• Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)
• Local payment methods & Open banking in some regions
• Vouchers and Cash-based Payments
• Crypto Payments (limited availability, US businesses only)

The service offers tools for managing subscriptions, invoicing, and recurring billing. There is also Stripe connect—a solution designed for platforms and marketplaces to manage payments between multiple parties. It enables to onboard, verify, and pay users complying with global regulations. It also allows to customise payment routing, split payments, and control fund distribution.

Stripe offers a sub-service called Atlas which assists entrepreneurs in establishing and managing a global business by receiving a legal entity in Delaware.

Best fit for:

Among the industries served by Stripe are:

• E-commerce and Software as a Service (SaaS);
• Platforms and Marketplaces;
• Travel and Tourism;
• Nonprofit organisations accepting donations online.

Customer support

It is also important to compare consumer support among the listed services. BlueSnap offers assistance through a support form available on their website, with operating hours from Monday to Thursday, 1 am-9 pm ET; Friday, 2 am-9 pm ET; and Sunday, 1 am-12 pm ET, which may not be the most convenient for BlueSnap customers globally. Merchant support phone numbers are available for the USA, UK, Ireland and Israel.

BlueSnap has received mixed feedback on Trustpilot, with a 2.6 rating based on customer reviews. While some users praise its support responsiveness and functionality, many complain about account closures, fund withholding, poor documentation, and lack of communication.

Stripe customer support provides 24/7 assistance via phone, chat, and email, making it more accessible for businesses requiring round-the-clock assistance.

Stripe has received an overall rating of 2.1 on Trustpilot, with many complaints about fund holds, unresponsive support, and account closures, despite positive reviews praising its ease of use and global payment capabilities.

Integration & Security

BlueSnap payment service can be integrated via RESTful APIs and mobile SDKs. Plugins are available for 26 e-commerce platforms, including Drupal, Bigcommerce, Magento, Shopify and others. Additionally, BlueSnap supports integrations with third-party tools, such as CRM and accounting software.

Stripe company offers integration via RESTful APIs, mobile SDKs, and pre-built solutions, along with a comprehensive developer portal featuring extensive documentation and testing tools. It offers its own connectors for major e-commerce platforms Adobe Commerce and PrestaShop and a variety of third-party plugins built for Shopify, WooCommerce and multiple other platforms. A wide library of partner connections is available for CRM, accounting, booking management, and other needs.

Pricing & Fees

In addition to standard transaction fees, these providers offer extra services at additional costs. The company may charge BlueSnap merchants for features like chargeback management, fraud prevention, and advanced reporting, depending on the selected package, making BlueSnap processing fees potentially higher based on the services and tools used. Stripe costs consist of optional paid tools, including subscription billing, Stripe Radar for fraud prevention, and custom reporting, with pricing based on usage.

For businesses operating in specific regions, BlueSnap's local acquiring model could help optimise costs and transaction success rates. Meanwhile, if your target audience prefers alternative payment methods, Stripe’s broader coverage might justify its additional fees.

An Alternative: Noda’s Open Banking Payment Solution

For businesses looking to reduce costs and improve settlement times, Noda offers an alternative to traditional payment gateways. Instead of relying on card networks, Noda enables direct bank transfers, significantly lowering transaction fees and improving cash flow.

Why Consider Noda?

• Instant bank payments: No waiting for card settlements—funds are received quickly.
• Lower transaction fees: Typically around 1% or lower, compared to 2.9%+ for card-based payments.
• Seamless integration: Supports APIs, plugins for popular e-commerce platforms, no-code payment pages, QR code payments and instant payment links.
• Fully compliant: PSD2 and GDPR compliant with strong authentication and fraud detection.
• Strong coverage: Connects with 2,000+ banks across 28 countries in the UK & EU, Brazil and Canada.

Best Fit For:

• E-commerce & SaaS businesses looking to cut payment processing fees.
• Platforms & marketplaces needing seamless, low-cost transactions and payouts.
• Online gaming & digital goods businesses aiming for faster settlements.
• Travel & hospitality businesses wanting to avoid high card fees on international payments.

Conclusion: Which Solution is Right for You?

Choose BlueSnap if you're a large enterprise operating across multiple markets, needing local card acquiring and global optimisation.

Choose Stripe if you're a developer-focused business, SaaS, or an e-commerce brand needing customizable APIs and global payment flexibility.

Choose Noda if you want a cost-effective alternative to card payments, reducing fees and improving cash flow with instant bank transfers.

Want to see how much your business can save with bank payments? Get in touch with Noda today.