Crypto Payment Gateway

Since Europe is the largest crypto economy in the world, it goes without saying that the number of consumers willing to pay for certain products and services in cryptocurrency is increasing. A payment option like this in Europe can help businesses improve customer conversion rates.

If you’re a forward-looking entrepreneur, then you definitely should give a chance to your customers to pay with cryptocurrencies, which will extend the functions of your payment processing ecosystem and make you strongly competitive. Although you can receive cryptocurrency payments with the help of your personal crypto wallet, there is also a more efficient method: a crypto payment gateway able to connect your online store with a payment processor.

A crypto payment gateway is software or a service that helps merchants accept cryptocurrency payments and track their payment status. Depending on the solution, payments may be received directly into the merchant’s wallet or processed through a custodial provider. A gateway is optional: merchants can also receive cryptocurrency directly into their wallets.

The page in an e-store where the customer is asked to select a form of payment-that is, credit or debit card, or an e-payment portal like PayPal-and then specify the details about the form of payment. Some crypto payment providers offer automatic conversion into supported fiat currencies. Exchange-rate protection depends on the provider’s terms, including the payment window and invoice conditions. Conversion and bank settlement are separate processes, and bank payouts are not necessarily immediate.

Custodial providers may receive cryptocurrency on the merchant’s behalf and arrange conversion and settlement. Non-custodial gateways can direct payments to the merchant’s own wallet without holding the funds. Fiat conversion is not a standard feature of every gateway.

If you would instead keep the received cryptocurrencies in your crypto wallet and not immediately convert them into cash, then there are growing numbers of crypto payment gateway providers that facilitate direct settlements to merchants’ crypto wallets.

How It Works

How a Typical On-Chain Crypto Payment Works:

The customer selects a supported cryptocurrency and blockchain network.

The gateway creates an invoice showing the amount, destination address and any payment deadline.

The customer authorises the payment in their wallet. For a self-custodial wallet, the transaction is signed using the customer’s private keys without disclosing them to the merchant or gateway.

The transaction is broadcast to the blockchain network. It does not require authorisation from a merchant acquiring bank.

The gateway detects the transaction and checks whether the correct amount has been received on the supported network.

The payment status is updated after the required confirmations or other finality conditions have been met.

With a non-custodial setup, funds are received directly into the merchant’s wallet. With a custodial provider, the provider receives the funds and credits the merchant according to its terms.

If fiat settlement is supported and selected, the provider arranges conversion and a bank payout under its settlement schedule. Conversion and payout are not necessarily instantaneous.

Depending on the implementation, a crypto payment gateway can provide:

Payment invoices specifying the cryptocurrency, network and amount

Payment addresses or QR codes

Transaction monitoring and confirmation tracking

Notifications of paid, expired, underpaid or overpaid invoices

Integration of payment status with the merchant’s order system

Transaction records for reconciliation

Optional conversion and settlement services where supported by the provider

How to Decide What Works Best for You

Things to consider before selecting a crypto payment gateway provider include the following:

• Is the provider of the payment gateway fully licensed in your selected regions and countries?
• Does it adhere to data protection regulations, especially the
  GDPR
  ?
• Does it provide the types of payment options preferred by your customers?
• Whether the provider is aware of/understands the area of your business
• Types of cryptocurrencies the provider accepts
• Risk management software, specifically that which can ward off fraudulent transactions and cyber attacks
• Compatibility with your online store
• Usability and speed of the software
• Setup fees and recurring pricing
• Whether the system is borderless or only available in certain regions
• Whether it is possible to localize the system in terms of currency and language
• Whether the provider offers smooth payment processing
• Whether the technology behind the payment gateway comes along with impeccable customer service and support, including its maintenance
• A type of payment gateway that would suit the infrastructure of your website

Types of payment gateways you can choose from:

• Self-hosted crypto payment gateways, such as BTCPay Server, run on infrastructure controlled by the merchant or its hosting provider. Self-hosting refers to operating the payment software, rather than simply displaying a checkout form on the merchant’s website. The merchant is responsible for maintaining and securing its deployment.
• The disadvantages include the absence of a technical support team, which means any technical hiccups and major failures will be your responsibility and may come pricey.
• Hosted payment gateways (e.g. PayPal) facilitate off-site payments as a customer is directed away from your website to enter their payment details on the payment gateway provider’s page for processing.
  • A hosted gateway can reduce the amount of payment data handled by the merchant and may provide technical support and transaction analytics. However, outsourcing payment processing does not remove the merchant’s applicable GDPR and information-security obligations. Responsibilities depend on the parties’ roles and the personal data each processes.
  • Unfortunately, such a gateway will not enable complete monitoring and controlling of one’s customer payment experience since it does not take place in your online store.
• API-hosted payment gateways (Binance Pay) enable a merchant to handle the collection of the payment data and the processing of the payment directly on the online store, thanks to an API – Application Programming Interface.
  • You can enjoy such benefits as full control of the website design and a fully customizable checkout experience, integrated with various devices.
  • One of the disadvantages consists in strict local regulations compliance to be done by your means since all the payment data are stored on your online store.

Crypto Payment Gateways Regulations in Europe

While choosing a crypto payment gateway provider, you only need to make sure it is fully compliant and trustworthy. For this purpose, identify what local and regional regulations are applicable, and what national authority is responsible for supervising the bank or the provider, including whether it is listed as a licensed business. Below follows a summary of applicable European legislation, but please note that because the legal position is complex, it is recommended that you consult personalized advice with our lawyers at Regulated United Europe.

As of October 2026, the principal EU rules relevant to crypto payment providers include:

• Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA). Providers carrying out regulated crypto-asset services must hold the appropriate CASP authorisation or qualify to provide those services under Article 60. The maximum transitional period for previously operating providers ended on 1 July 2026. Merely supplying technical software does not automatically constitute a regulated crypto-asset service.
• Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 on information accompanying transfers of funds and certain crypto-assets. Its Travel Rule requirements apply to covered crypto-asset transfers involving crypto-asset service providers.
• The revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), where the activities constitute payment services. Certain services involving electronic money tokens fall within both MiCA and PSD2. The EBA’s general supervisory transition ended on 2 March 2026; subsequent treatment of pending authorisation applications depends on the conditions specified by the EBA and the competent authority.
• Applicable national AML/CFT legislation and the GDPR.
• Accepting cryptocurrency as payment for a merchant’s own goods or services does not, by itself, make that merchant a crypto-asset service provider.

A merchant can integrate a crypto payment provider directly or deploy a self-hosted gateway. Integration with a merchant acquiring bank is not required for direct cryptocurrency payments. A bank account is relevant where the selected provider offers fiat payouts.

The following services have different geographic and merchant eligibility restrictions. Inclusion in this list does not mean that their cryptocurrency payment features are available to merchants in every European country.

• Stripe
• Binance Pay
• Coinbase Business — the successor to Coinbase Commerce, whose portal closed on 31 March 2026. Merchant eligibility is subject to Coinbase Business’s supported jurisdictions; it is not a universally available replacement for European merchants.
• Coingate
• Paypal
• BitPay
• Square
• ALFAcoins
• Blockonomics
• NOWPayments

Requirements for Merchants

Commercial crypto payment providers impose their own merchant eligibility and verification requirements, which may include business registration and corporate documents. A self-hosted, non-custodial gateway does not inherently require a merchant account with a payment provider. Merchants remain subject to applicable business registration, tax and other legal obligations.

For applying to a merchant’s account with crypto payment gateways, you have to provide the following information:

Documents needed to get a crypto payment gateway:

How to Obtain Crypto Payment Gateway in Europe

If you are planning on obtaining a crypto payment gateway, you most likely already have a merchant account and have a business relationship with a merchant account service provider who facilitates more common payment methods. You may want to request them to offer a crypto payment gateway. If this is not possible, then the solution must be sought from the hands of more developed providers.

To normally get a payment gateway, you’ll need to do the following:

• Define your business and the needs of your customers: name the cryptocurrencies, the budget you can dedicate, etc.
• Research among different service providers, compare, and choose a merchant account service provider offering crypto payment gateways.
• Find out in what regulatory environment your selected crypto payment gateway works and make sure it is a fully licensed service.
• Application submission – together with the required documents – to a selected Merchant Account Service provider, or directly to the Merchant Acquiring bank.

If you’re ready to expand your business in Europe by embracing state-of-the-art means of payment, our team at Regulated United Europe will be more than happy to help you in the best possible manner. We have eight years of experience in helping clients obtain a payment gateway for the European markets. With the broad network of key trusted partners in the financial service industry in Europe, we are focused on the development and implementation of best and cost-effective solutions aimed at enhancing the served customers’ operational performance.