Worldpay vs Stripe: Is one better than the other?

Note that the information about Worldpay and Stripe found in this article was taken from their respective websites on 4 October 2024. This information is subject to change.

No business can ignore the changing nature of the payments industry. To stay competitive they must ensure transactions can be made quickly and efficiently.

But where should they start? How can they choose between the myriad providers in what has become a fiercely competitive marketplace?

Here we compare two hugely popular contenders: Worldpay versus Stripe. How do they differ in terms of their respective features and pricing structures?

Worldpay vs Stripe: An Overview

One of this article’s aims will be to answer the question: is Worldpay like Stripe? Let’s first provide a brief overview of the role played by these organisations.

Stripe and Worldpay are two payment specialists whose services are used and trusted by millions of people around the world.

They are relied upon by businesses of all sizes who appreciate the importance of being able to safely receive money from their customers.

Before we compare Stripe and Worldpay in more detail, highlighting the similarities and differences, let’s take a look at each of the offerings in turn.

Worldpay

It’s one of the financial technology firms on the planet and enables businesses of all sizes to make and manage payments.

Worldpay was founded back in 1997 by entrepreneur Nick Ogden, who is credited with inventing e-commerce by building the Wine Warehouse, an early online shop.

The company has since been through a number of owners before declaring in early February 2024 that it was starting to operate as an independent company.

According to the company, it now processes more than 140 million daily transactions across 146 countries and in 135 currencies, serving more than a million merchants.

It has stated: “Worldpay powers businesses of all sizes to make, take and manage payments. We are a global leader in financial technology with unique capabilities to power omni-commerce.”

So, is Stripe the same as Worldpay?

Stripe

The Irish-American financial services company was founded in 2010 by two entrepreneurial brothers, Patrick and John Collison.

It describes itself as a technology company that “builds economic infrastructure” for the internet, while its software is used by businesses of all sizes to accept payments.

Stripe has dual headquarters (in San Francisco and Dublin) as well as offices across the world, including in London, Paris, Singapore and Tokyo.

According to the company, it operates in more than 45 countries and supports in excess of 135 currencies and payment methods.

There was $817 billion in payments processed by businesses on Stripe during 2022. As an aside, the two brothers are still involved. Patrick is chief executive and John is president.

So, how is Worldpay different from Stripe?

Worldpay versus Stripe: How Do They Compare?

Now let’s delve deeper into each of these offerings in order to better understand the difference between Worldpay and Stripe.

We will consider a number of areas to help business owners decide for themselves which is better, Stripe or Worldpay? 

These are the areas we’ll be tackling:

• Features
• Security
• Payments
• Fees charged
• Support

Then we will look specifically at more of the factors to bear in mind when it comes to Stripe vs Worldpay for business.

Features

Our first section looks at Stripe vs Worldpay in terms of the features on offer and how these can help individual businesses.

Stripe

Stripe offers many “out of the box” features, courtesy of its integrated per-transaction pricing and here are some of them:

• Tools to build optimised checkout flows
• Global payments with a single integration
• Comprehensive security and rigorous compliance
• Fast, predictable payouts
• Financial reconciliation and reporting
• 24/7 support via phone, chat and email
• Unified dashboard to manage business operations
• Robust developer platform and third-party integrations

Worldpay

Worldpay also offers a variety of features when it comes to making, taking and managing payments.

• Payments accepted in person and online
• Omnichannel seamless experience
• Dashboard to manage settlements
• Reconciliation tools and real-time insights
• Ready-to-use plugins for e-commerce platforms
• Custom pricing packages available for larger volume transactions
• 24/7 customer support

Security

Few things are more important to customers and businesses than security, particularly given the rising levels of so-called cyber crime.

According to data from Statista, the average cost of a data breach in the US was a staggering $9.36 million in 2024.

Meanwhile, the global average cost per data breach was $4.88 million. These figures illustrate the financial devastation that can be caused.

With that in mind, how do the two companies compare in terms of the security provisions in place? Are they the same? Is Stripe safer than Worldpay or is Worldpay better than Stripe?

The good news is that both Stripe and Worldpay take security extremely seriously and have various measures in place to safeguard clients and their customers.

For example, Worldpay offers a SaferPayments Managed service, which involves a team that can guide businesses to meeting their PCI DSS compliance requirements.

Stripe, meanwhile, embraces the usual authentication methods and also has a machine learning fraud system in place. This is known as Stripe Radar.

It detects and blocks fraud using tools that have been trained on data compiled from millions of global companies. It’s also built into the basic Stripe provision.

Worldpay vs Stripe fees

This is another crucial area as the charges involved must be taken into account by business owners with at least one eye on making a profit.

However, as there are numerous fees involved for the different services offered, this makes it hard to answer the question: is Worldpay cheaper than Stripe?

The best way to assess the entire Worldpay vs Stripe pricing issue is by highlighting how much each company charges for particular tasks.

Stripe charges

For example, Stripe offers a standard pricing category, as well as the opportunity to custom design a package for businesses with large payment volumes.

According to the most recent information, the standard package charges 1.5% plus 20p for standard UK cards and 2.5% and 20p for EU cards.

The custom package, meanwhile includes the following benefits:

• Volume discounts
• Multi-product discounts
• Country-specific rates

Worldpay charges

Worldpay also has numerous options, depending on the service package chosen.

For example, its simplicity payment gateway enables businesses to take payments with Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Diners and Discover.

According to the website, there’s a 1.5% transaction fee applicable for Mastercard and Visa, as well as £19.95 per month online gateway fee.

Support

Another factor to consider when deciding whether Worldpay or Stripe will be the best fit for your organisation is the level of support on offer.

A payments provider can offer all the bells and whistles in the world in terms of exciting features, but will they be on hand if something goes wrong?

The good news is that both companies offer 24/7 support that should put everyone’s minds at rest.

Stripe has a comprehensive support section on its website, while Worldpay also offers detailed information on various topics.

Stripe or Worldpay for business

Here we compare Worldpay vs Stripe for small business owners.

Worldpay has plenty of options when it comes to helping business owners take payments from their customers.

For example, there are countertop card machines for those based in one location, as well as mobile card machines for footloose firms that are on the go.

The latter, for example, would be ideal for a firm that sells hot food and drinks at festivals and other events during the year.

There’s also a payment gateway option that’s simple, reliable and affordable. It enables businesses to take payments via the likes of Visa, Mastercard and Amex.

Worldpay also offers an all-in-one business management and payment EPOS solution that it claims will cut through admin duties and streamline your operation. 

How about Noda?

Although we are specifically covering Worldpay vs Stripe in this article, they aren’t the only players in this business. In fact, numerous fintech operators can potentially meet your needs.

A prime example is Noda. We obviously believe it’s worth considering what Noda has to offer as it’s specifically aimed at people wanting reliable payment provision.

The key benefits, which include speed and security, are on display across the world as Noda’s reach spans 1,650 banks in 30 countries.

If you’re after an efficient, cost-effective and secure alternative to traditional payment methods then these can all be provided by Noda.

Conclusion

So, should you use Worldpay or Stripe? It’s the question everyone reading this article will want answered but the reality is that it’s not that simple.

As our Worldpay Stripe comparison  illustrates, there are a number of metrics that can be used to evaluate the two options.

It all depends on what you’re looking to achieve and whether the business is a small startup or established global enterprise.

Obviously, one of the key considerations will be Worldpay vs Stripe online payments. The best advice is to see what solution you need and then check the fees involved.

The speed at which payment providers are upgrading what’s available means it can make sense to speak with them directly to discuss your particular needs.