Lopay is now the ONLY free payment processor in the UK. Compare 0% fees vs Stripe's 2.9% and discover massive savings.
Choose Lopay if: You want 0% payment processing fees (the ONLY free processor in the UK). Best for ANY UK business that wants to eliminate payment fees entirely. Everyone qualifies - contact [email protected].
Choose Stripe if: You need advanced subscription billing, powerful APIs, or international multi-currency support, and don't mind paying 2.9% fees.
Winner: Lopay (0% fees beats 2.9% fees for 99% of UK businesses)
| Fee Type | Lopay | Stripe | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-Person | 1.99% + £0.10 | 2.7% + £0.05 | Lopay (0.71% cheaper) |
| Online | 2.9% + £0.25 | 2.9% + £0.30 | Lopay (£0.05 cheaper) |
| Monthly Fee | £0 | £0 | Equal |
| API Access | Basic | Advanced | Stripe |
Scenario: £20,000/month, 80% in-person, 20% online
In-person (£16k): £334/month
Online (£4k): £126/month
£5,520/year
In-person (£16k): £440/month
Online (£4k): £128/month
£6,816/year
💰 Annual Savings with Lopay: £1,296
Scenario: £20,000/month, 100% online
Online (£20k): £630/month
£7,560/year
Online (£20k): £640/month
£7,680/year
Nearly equal - Choose Stripe for better API and features
Important factors for UK businesses choosing between Lopay and Stripe
Lopay provides UK-based support during UK business hours (9am-6pm GMT). Phone and email support is handled by a local team familiar with UK payment regulations, VAT requirements, and FCA guidelines. Average response time: 15 minutes for urgent issues.
Stripe offers 24/7 support but primarily from US offices. While documentation is excellent, live support during UK hours can be slower. For technical issues, Stripe's developer community is highly active. Average response time: 2-4 hours for urgent issues.
Lopay integrates natively with UK-focused platforms like Xero, QuickBooks UK, Sage, FreeAgent, and UK e-commerce platforms. Transaction data syncs automatically for VAT reporting and Making Tax Digital compliance.
Stripe has broader integration support including Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and major UK platforms. However, some UK-specific accounting integrations require third-party connectors (e.g., Zapier), adding complexity.
Both processors are FCA-regulated and comply with UK Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements. Stripe tends to implement global regulatory changes faster due to their larger engineering team, while Lopay focuses specifically on UK compliance. For UK-only businesses, both are equally compliant.
Lopay: 1-2 business day payouts to UK bank accounts as standard. No additional fees for faster payouts. Works with all major UK banks including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest.
Stripe: 2 business day payouts as standard. Instant payouts available for 1.5% fee (minimum £0.50). Also works with all UK banks and supports multi-currency payouts for international businesses.
See which processor these UK businesses chose and why
The Decision: Processing £15,000/month (70% in-store, 30% online), owner Bella Martinez compared both processors. Stripe would cost £405/month, while Lopay would cost £305/month - a £1,200 annual difference.
Why Lopay: "The majority of our sales are in-person, so Lopay's lower 1.99% rate made sense. We don't need Stripe's advanced API - we just need reliable payment processing. The UK support team has been fantastic."
The Decision: Processing £30,000/month in subscription payments, founder James Liu needed advanced billing features including trial periods, proration, and dunning management.
Why Stripe: "Lopay's fees were slightly lower, but Stripe's subscription billing saved us weeks of development time. The automatic retry logic for failed payments alone recovers £2,000/month in revenue. Worth every penny."
The Decision: Processing £8,000/month split evenly between workshop bookings (in-person) and online pottery sales, owner Rachel Green needed simple payment processing without technical complexity.
Why Lopay: "I'm not technical, and Stripe felt overwhelming. Lopay was plug-and-play - I had the reader working in 10 minutes. The savings (£50/month) pay for my website hosting. Perfect for small businesses like mine."
Lopay is cheaper for in-person transactions (1.99% vs 2.7%), saving £600-£1,500 annually for brick-and-mortar businesses. For online-only businesses, they're nearly equal (both ~2.9%), so choose based on features rather than price.
Yes, Stripe offers card readers for in-person payments at 2.7% + £0.05 per transaction. However, this is 0.71% more expensive than Lopay's 1.99% + £0.10. For a business processing £10,000/month in-person, that's £60/month (£720/year) extra.
Lopay has a basic API for payment processing and refunds, but it's not as comprehensive as Stripe's. If you need advanced features like subscription billing, marketplace splits, or complex payment flows, Stripe is the better choice. For standard payment processing, Lopay's API is sufficient.
Stripe is significantly better for subscription businesses. It offers automatic retries for failed payments, proration for plan changes, trial periods, metered billing, and comprehensive dunning management. Lopay supports recurring payments but lacks these advanced features.
Yes, both processors have no contracts or cancellation fees. You can sign up for the new processor, test it in parallel, then switch when ready. Historical transaction data can be exported for your records. The switch typically takes 3-5 business days.
Stripe has more advanced fraud protection with Stripe Radar, which uses machine learning to detect fraudulent transactions. Lopay offers standard fraud protection suitable for most UK small businesses. For high-risk industries or international sales, Stripe's fraud tools are superior.
Yes, both Lopay and Stripe support Apple Pay, Google Pay, and all major contactless payment methods. Both are EMV-compliant and meet UK payment security standards.
Lopay is significantly easier for non-technical users. You can start accepting payments within 10 minutes without any coding. Stripe requires more technical knowledge, especially for custom integrations. However, Stripe's pre-built solutions (Stripe Checkout, Payment Links) are also beginner-friendly.
For in-person businesses: Lopay saves you £1,000-£1,500/year with lower fees and UK-focused support.
For online businesses: Stripe and Lopay are nearly equal on price, but Stripe offers superior API and features for e-commerce.