# A PayGate.to alternative for card payments: Caravel Pay compared

Source: https://caravelpay.app/guides/paygate-alternative/ · Caravel Pay guides · By the Caravel Pay team · Published 2026-11-09

PayGate.to and Caravel Pay side by side: card fees per method, who pays the provider fee, payout tokens, webhooks, and when PayGate is the better fit.

If you take card, Apple Pay or Google Pay payments through PayGate.to and get paid in crypto, the alternative worth comparing is a gateway with the same model and a different price list. Caravel Pay works the same way: hosted checkout, card provider in the middle, payout straight to your own wallet, no account. It charges a 2% Caravel fee on every method. With both, the card provider's own fee usually comes out of the payment before it reaches you.

This page compares the two side by side. It shows where Caravel Pay is cheaper, and where PayGate.to is still the better choice.

> **Disclosure.** We make Caravel Pay. PayGate.to facts come from its public pages and API, checked on 9 November 2026 and linked in [Sources](https://caravelpay.app/guides/paygate-alternative/#sources). Caravel Pay is not affiliated with PayGate.to; the names are trademarks of their owners. Caravel Pay launched in November 2026, so it has no track record or customer numbers to compare yet.

## Side by side

|  | PayGate.to (as of 9 Nov 2026) | Caravel Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Fee on card payments | 2%, 3% or 5% + provider fee, by route. Card form, Apple Pay and Google Pay are 5%. | 2% Caravel fee on every method, taken on the order total |
| Average take in practice | About 3.5% of payment value: our estimate from public blockchain data ([how we estimated it](https://caravelpay.app/guides/paygate-alternative/#estimate)) | 2% Caravel fee, on every route |
| Card provider's fee | Comes off what reaches the merchant by default; its card page says merchants can choose who handles fees | Kept by most card providers out of the buyer's payment, so it comes off what you receive. We take no cut. |
| Payout token | "ETH or USDC or USDT (Polygon or BEP-20) or POL" | The token the buyer paid with, never swapped. Card payments arrive as USDC on Polygon. |
| Network gas for your payout | Crypto payments: "1% PayGate.to fee plus the network (gas) fee to forward the payout". Not itemised for card routes on the pages we checked. | Covered by the 2% Caravel fee |
| Sign-up | None; you supply a wallet | None, and no KYC for your business: one API call (or the plugin's Save button) returns your keys |
| Buyer ID checks | The card provider may ask, "at the first time using this method" | The card provider may ask, usually only the first time |
| Chargebacks | "ZERO chargebacks" (card page); its FAQ says providers handle them | None: payouts are final, and a card dispute stays between the buyer, their bank and the card provider |
| Platforms | WooCommerce, EDD, WHMCS, FOSSBilling, Paymenter, OpenCart, PrestaShop, Magento, API, payment links | WooCommerce, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Magento 2, Laravel, WHMCS, EDD, FOSSBilling, Paymenter, Blesta, HostBill and Clientexec modules, PHP and Node.js SDKs, a REST API and payment links ([integrations](https://caravelpay.app/docs/integrations)) |
| Buyer pays with crypto | 111 coins and tokens | USDC, USDC.e or POL on Polygon |
| Store currency | Several (payment links: USD, EUR, CAD, INR, GBP, SEK) | USD only in this version |
| Short payments | Fees Tolerance setting; plugin default accepts payments up to 40% short | The amount is fixed on the server. A payment counts as paid when at least 85% of it arrives, to allow for the card provider's fee. Below that it is `underpaid`, and the order goes on hold. It isn't a merchant setting. |
| Callbacks | GET with RSA signature; verifying it is optional | POST signed with HMAC-SHA256; the plugin verifies every one. Retried for 24 hours. |
| Order statuses | Paid / unpaid in the API; plugins add failed or on hold | Six: awaiting_payment, confirming, paid, underpaid, expired, review |
| Test mode | None | None yet: test with a $1 order |
| Support | Telegram | Email |
| Track record | WordPress.org plugin since May 2024, 2,000+ active installs | New: launched in November 2026 |

## The fee difference, in dollars

Take a $100 order paid by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. On PayGate these are the 5% routes. With both gateways the buyer pays $100 and the card provider keeps its fee first. To keep it simple, assume it keeps $4, so $96.00 arrives. That $4 is an illustration only; real provider fees vary. Here is what each gateway takes from there:

|  | Arrives after the provider fee | Gateway fee | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| PayGate.to, 5% route | $96.00 | $4.80 (5% of what arrives) | $91.20 in the token PayGate sends |
| PayGate.to, 2% route | $96.00 | $1.92 (2% of what arrives) | $94.08 in the token PayGate sends |
| PayGate.to, our estimate of the average take (about 3.5%) | $96.00 | about $3.36 | about $92.64 |
| **Caravel Pay, any method** | 96.00 USDC | $2.00 (2% of the $100 order) | **94.00 USDC** |

On PayGate's 2% routes the listed percentage is the same as ours, and because PayGate applies it to what arrives, its listed fee is a few cents lower per $100. The listed gap is on the 3% and 5% routes, which include the card form, Apple Pay and Google Pay: on those, Caravel Pay leaves you about $0.90 to $2.80 more per $100 in this example.

### What PayGate takes in practice: our estimate

Across all routes, **our estimate of PayGate's average take is about 3.5% of payment value, versus the 2% Caravel fee**. On the $100 order above that is about $1.36 more per order. Two things make up the gap over PayGate's 2% base fee. First, extra 1% and 3% fee transfers on some payments, which line up with its 3% and 5% routes. Second, a separate network-cost amount held back before the 98/2 split, around 0.9% of volume.

> **How we estimated this.** We added up public Polygon and Ethereum transfers into the wallets that collect PayGate's fees, for July to September 2026: about $108,000–$120,000 a month, against roughly $2.7M–$3.3M a month of forwarded merchant payments. As a share of what reached PayGate after the card provider's fee, that came to about 3.3%–4.2% a month, and about 3.5% on average. It's an estimate, not an audit. The fee wallets were identified from repeated payment patterns and haven't been confirmed by PayGate, BSC and Base aren't counted, and the figure moves with the mix of routes. Full method in our [PayGate.to review](https://caravelpay.app/guides/paygate-to-review/#estimate).

To check your own payments, look up a payout on [Polygonscan](https://polygonscan.com/) and compare what arrived in your wallet with what the buyer paid. The card provider's fee is part of that gap too.

The [worked example in our PayGate.to review](https://caravelpay.app/guides/paygate-to-review/#worked-example) shows this route by route.

Provider fees themselves differ between providers and gateways. The provider's fee on a Caravel Pay payment may be higher or lower than on a PayGate payment for the same card. [On-ramp fees explained](https://caravelpay.app/guides/on-ramp-fees/) shows published tariffs.

## When PayGate.to is the better choice

- **You need a module we don't have.** Caravel Pay has modules for WooCommerce and 11 other platforms ([the list](https://caravelpay.app/docs/integrations)). If yours isn't on it and PayGate has a module for it, that is the quicker route.
- **Your buyers pay in crypto from many chains.** PayGate takes 111 coins and tokens; Caravel Pay takes USDC, USDC.e and POL on Polygon.
- **Your store doesn't price in US dollars.** Caravel Pay checkouts are USD-only for now.
- **You rely on specific US routes** such as Cash App, Venmo or Robinhood. Caravel Pay's hosted checkout offers card, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- **You want a product with a track record,** white-label domains or built-in affiliate splits.

## When Caravel Pay fits better

- Most of your buyers pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and you'd rather pay a flat 2% Caravel fee than a fee that varies by route.
- You want card payments to arrive in one token, USDC on Polygon, so bookkeeping is one ledger.
- You want the amount fixed on the server, a fixed 85% floor for what counts as paid instead of a 40% default tolerance, and webhooks that are always verified.
- You run WooCommerce or another [supported platform](https://caravelpay.app/docs/integrations) in USD, or you can call a REST API.

## What Caravel Pay doesn't do

- **No dashboard.** Orders, payouts and transaction hashes live in your WooCommerce order notes, or in [GET /v1/checkouts](https://caravelpay.app/docs/checkouts) if you use the API.
- **No refunds button.** There are no chargebacks, because payouts are final on-chain transfers, but refunds are up to you: send USDC from your wallet. See [no chargebacks, and refunds](https://caravelpay.app/docs/payouts#refunds).
- **No bank payout.** You receive USDC; moving it to a bank is up to your wallet or exchange.
- **Buyer checks still apply.** The card provider may ask a buyer to verify their identity, usually only the first time.

## Trying it next to PayGate

You don't have to switch everything at once. The Caravel Pay WooCommerce plugin has an **Import from PayGate plugin** button. It copies your checkout title, description and icon, and shows your PayGate payout wallet so you can reuse it with one click. It only reads PayGate's settings, so both gateways can run side by side while you compare. [How to switch from PayGate](https://caravelpay.app/guides/switch-from-paygate/) walks through it.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best PayGate.to alternative?

It depends on why you're leaving. If card, Apple Pay and Google Pay fees are the reason, compare gateways on what you keep per $100 on those methods. If you need many crypto coins or non-WooCommerce platforms, PayGate.to itself may still be the best fit.

### Is Caravel Pay cheaper than PayGate.to?

On card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, yes: the 2% Caravel fee against the 5% PayGate lists for those routes (checked 9 Nov 2026). On PayGate's 2% routes the listed percentage is the same; PayGate applies it to what arrives after the provider's fee and Caravel Pay to the order total, so there PayGate's listed fee is a few cents lower per $100. Across all routes, our estimate of PayGate's average take, from public blockchain data, is about 3.5% of payment value, versus the 2% Caravel fee. In both cases the card provider's own fee comes off the payment first, and it varies.

### Can I keep my PayGate wallet?

Yes, if it's an ordinary Polygon address you control. Contracts and token addresses can't receive payouts. If it's an exchange address, check that the exchange accepts USDC, USDC.e and POL on Polygon at that address.

### Can I run PayGate.to and Caravel Pay at the same time?

Yes. They are separate WooCommerce gateways, and the Caravel Pay plugin never changes PayGate's settings.

### Do I need KYC to use Caravel Pay?

Not for your business: there are no documents, no account and no sign-up form. You get keys with one API call, or the plugin gets them when you save your wallet. Buyers may be asked by the card provider to verify their identity, usually only the first time.

### Are there chargebacks with Caravel Pay?

No. Payouts are final on-chain transfers that nobody can pull back. A buyer's card dispute is between the buyer, their bank and the card provider that sold the USDC. Refunds are up to you, and providers can stop serving sellers whose buyers dispute a lot, so fraud still matters.

### Is Caravel Pay affiliated with PayGate.to?

No.

## Sources

1. [PayGate.to live provider list](https://api.paygate.to/control/provider-status/), checked 2026-11-09.
2. [PayGate.to card payment gateway page](https://paygate.to/instant-payment-gateway/) (payout tokens, who pays fees, buyer ID checks, "ZERO chargebacks", platforms), checked 2026-11-09.
3. [PayGate.to FAQ](https://paygate.to/faq/) (chargebacks handled by providers), checked 2026-11-09.
4. [PayGate.to WooCommerce guide](https://paygate.to/instant-payment-gateway/woocommerce/) (Fees Tolerance), checked 2026-11-09.
5. [PayGate.to pricing page](https://paygate.to/fees/) (crypto fee and network fee), checked 2026-11-09.
6. [PayGate.to card API docs](https://paygate.to/docs/payment-gateway-api/) (callback signing), checked 2026-11-09.
7. [PayGate.to API docs index](https://paygate.to/docs/) (Telegram support), checked 2026-11-09.
8. [PayGate.to EDD guide](https://paygate.to/instant-payment-gateway/easy-digital-downloads/) (no test mode), checked 2026-11-09.
9. [PayGate.to payment links](https://paygate.to/payment-link/) (currencies), checked 2026-11-09.
10. [PayGate.to coin list](https://api.paygate.to/crypto/info.php), checked 2026-11-09.
11. [PayGate.to card plugin on WordPress.org](https://wordpress.org/plugins/instant-approval-payment-gateway/), checked 2026-11-09.
12. Caravel Pay estimate from public Polygon and Ethereum transfers to PayGate's fee-collecting wallets, July–September 2026 (not audited, and not confirmed by PayGate). Method in [our PayGate.to review](https://caravelpay.app/guides/paygate-to-review/#estimate).
13. Caravel Pay docs: [Payouts and fees](https://caravelpay.app/docs/payouts), [Checkout statuses](https://caravelpay.app/docs/statuses), [Webhooks](https://caravelpay.app/docs/webhooks), [WooCommerce plugin](https://caravelpay.app/docs/woocommerce).