Are Shopify Payments / Shop Pay really the only options? If you're a scaling merchant on Shopify, the checkout flow is sacred, but so is your margin. As Shopify continues its push to consolidate payments under its own banner, many merchants are wondering: Is there a viable alternative to Shopify Payments? Spoiler: yes. And in some cases, those alternatives might actually be a better fit.
Why this Matters
The default payment setup on Shopify is Shopify Payments, powered by Stripe. It’s convenient, clean, and fast, but also comes with cost and flexibility. For many merchants, especially those doing between £5m–£30m a year, the convenience starts to crack under the weight of support, international fees, and transparency in pricing.
Merchants are growing more sophisticated. They know that improving checkout conversion rates with Apple Pay or Google Pay can move the needle. But they’re also starting to question whether they’re getting the best deal by staying with the default. And here’s the thing, a lot of merchants don’t have a clear picture on transaction fees.
What Makes an Alternative Good?
Let’s cut to the chase. A good Shopify payment gateway alternative needs to tick three boxes:
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Competitive pricing, even after factoring in Shopify’s tax for using an external gateway.
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Identical checkout experience, so the customer doesn’t feel a thing.
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Better support and more flexibility, especially for omnichannel and multi-store setups.
This is where players like Worldpay are stepping up.
Worldpay’s Quiet Transformation
If your last memory of Worldpay is their clunky hosted payment page on Magento, you’re not alone. But things have changed, dramatically. Now independent from FIS and PE-owned, Worldpay is moving fast and aiming squarely at Shopify’s mid-market merchants.
Here’s what’s new:
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Embedded payments that integrate natively with Shopify’s checkout (no UX difference from Shop Pay).
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Hybrid pricing models that beat Stripe’s headline rates and undercut Shopify’s effective rate after platform fees.
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Custom rates for merchants at scale (think: £10m+), making Worldpay cheaper than Shopify Payments in real-world terms.
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Broader vertical support (like furniture, fashion, and hospitality) that Stripe and Shopify might decline due to risk profiles.
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Real support with actual people, not just chatbots, and UK-based service teams.
Why Alternatives Are Gaining Traction
Merchants are waking up to the costs of being locked into platform-first payment setups. Agencies are also starting to pay attention. Some report that up to 50% of their clients don’t want Shopify Payments, especially those who need complex omnichannel setups or international reach.
It’s not just about price. Trust, transparency, and omnichannel flexibility are driving the interest in alternatives.
What This Means for Agencies
Agencies are used to front-end builds and light-touch integrations. But as the tech stack becomes more strategic, payments are entering the advisory conversation. When merchants ask “Can we do better than Shopify Payments?” agencies need an answer.
This is where Worldpay’s agency partner program becomes interesting: agencies can offer a credible alternative, and (most importantly) give their clients a better outcome.
What About the Tech?
Worldpay’s solution is based on components and checkout elements, not the old-school redirect or hosted page. That means:
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No compromise on UX
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PCI compliance handled
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Offline + online support for full omnichannel coverage
They’re even exploring POS integrations with platforms like NewStore and Sitoo, and quietly building out a network of retail tech partnerships.
So… Are They Any Good?
In short: yes, if you’re the right size and care about cost, control, or complexity.
If you're doing £5m+ online, want to future-proof your stack, and need a payment partner that flexes to your needs (rather than forces theirs on you), Worldpay’s offering is finally credible. And they’re hungry to prove it.
But, you need evidence. Case studies. Data. Real numbers.
That’s what we're chasing next. I’ve seen enough to know there’s a real alternative forming. Now we want to get under the hood.
