SpacePay vs NOWPayments 2026: Which Crypto Payment Gateway Should You Choose?

A detailed head-to-head of SpacePay and NOWPayments across every dimension that matters to merchants: fees, fiat settlement, chain support, gas handling, white-label checkout, compliance, and integration complexity.

NOWPayments has been one of the most-recognised crypto payment processors since its launch in 2019. It supports a wide range of coins, integrates with popular e-commerce platforms, and markets itself as a low-cost option with a headline fee of 0.5%. SpacePay launched with a different philosophy: absorb all gas fees, settle same-day in fiat, and wrap compliance into the product so merchants in regulated markets do not have to build it themselves.

This comparison is written by SpacePay, so we have an obvious interest in the outcome. We have tried to represent NOWPayments' genuine strengths fairly, note where NOWPayments is the better choice, and be precise about where SpacePay has a real structural advantage rather than a marketing one. To understand the underlying mechanics of how these platforms work, our guide on what a crypto payment gateway actually does is a useful starting point.

Quick Comparison: SpacePay vs NOWPayments at a Glance

The table below summarises the key differences. Each dimension is explored in depth in the sections that follow.

1. Fees: What You Actually Pay

NOWPayments advertises a 0.5% processing fee, which is lower than SpacePay's 1% on paper. In practice, the total cost of using NOWPayments is almost always higher once all charges are accounted for.

On-chain gas fees are not included in NOWPayments' 0.5%. Every payment made on Ethereum mainnet, BNB Chain, Tron, or any other proof-of-work or proof-of-stake network incurs a gas charge that is added on top of the transaction amount and passed directly to the customer. During periods of network congestion, a single Ethereum gas fee can exceed $10 to $30 on a modest transaction, effectively eclipsing the advertised processing fee many times over.

NOWPayments also charges withdrawal fees when merchants move settled funds. The fee schedule varies by asset but applies to every outbound transfer. When a merchant opts into fiat conversion, a currency exchange spread — typically 0.5% to 1% — is applied on top of the processing fee.

SpacePay charges a transparent pricing that is genuinely all-in. There are no gas fees, no exchange-rate spreads, no withdrawal fees, and no minimum payout thresholds. Every dollar the customer sends to pay a $100 invoice costs the merchant $1.00, not $1.00 plus $8 in gas plus a $0.40 withdrawal fee. For a detailed breakdown of how hidden fees compound across payment processors, see our analysis of hidden costs in crypto payments.

Where NOWPayments has a genuine fee advantage is for merchants settling entirely in crypto (no fiat conversion), paying customers who use low-fee networks like TRON or Solana, and for high-value B2B transactions where the 0.5% difference matters and gas fees are proportionally small. In those specific scenarios, the effective NOWPayments cost can fall below SpacePay's 1%.

2. Chain and Token Support

NOWPayments supports approximately 200 cryptocurrencies across around 20 chains. That breadth covers most major use cases: Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT on Tron and BNB Chain, Solana, Litecoin, Ripple, Dogecoin, and several smaller chains. For merchants whose customers primarily use mainstream coins, NOWPayments' coverage is likely sufficient.

SpacePay supports 5 EVM networks and multiple tokens from a single integration. The additional chains matter most in three contexts. First, for businesses in emerging markets where regionally popular networks like TON, Near, or Avalanche are preferred payment methods. Second, for platforms serving DeFi-native users who hold assets on Layer 2 networks like Arbitrum, Optimism, or Base. Third, for iGaming and digital-goods platforms where customers frequently pay in ecosystem-specific tokens.

The practical consequence of narrower chain support is that merchants on NOWPayments must instruct customers to bridge assets or convert before paying, adding friction that measurably reduces conversion rates. Our analysis of why multi-chain support drives higher checkout conversion examines this dynamic in detail. Both gateways add new chains periodically, so the exact count may shift; the structural gap, however, reflects a deliberate architectural choice: SpacePay is built around a chain-agnostic routing layer, while NOWPayments selects chains individually.

3. Settlement: Same-Day Fiat vs Crypto-Only Default

This is where the two gateways diverge most sharply for the majority of legitimate businesses.

NOWPayments' default settlement model is crypto-to-crypto. Funds accumulate in a NOWPayments-managed wallet in the currency the customer paid, and merchants withdraw to their own wallet when the balance exceeds a coin-specific minimum threshold. Converting to fiat requires either manual action (selling on an exchange) or activating NOWPayments' fiat conversion feature, which routes through a third-party partner. When available, fiat conversion typically settles in one to three business days. The feature is not available in all regions, and it is not activated by default.

SpacePay converts every incoming crypto payment to fiat at the moment of transaction confirmation and deposits the fiat amount to the merchant's bank account the same business day. There is no exposure to crypto price volatility between payment and settlement, no manual conversion step, and no minimum payout threshold. Supported settlement currencies include GBP, EUR, USD, AED, SGD, and eight additional fiat currencies.

For any business that prices goods or services in fiat currency and operates under standard accounting or tax obligations, same-day fiat settlement is not merely convenient — it eliminates an entire category of operational and financial risk. Our guide on same-day settlement in crypto payments explains how the conversion mechanics work under the hood.

4. Gas Fees: Absorbed vs Passed On

Every transaction on a public blockchain costs gas — a fee paid to network validators to process the transaction. This fee is set by market conditions and can spike dramatically during periods of high network activity. When a customer pays with USDT on Ethereum mainnet, the gas fee for that transfer is an additional cost on top of the payment itself.

NOWPayments passes on-chain gas fees directly to the customer. When the customer initiates a payment, they see the invoice amount plus the prevailing gas fee displayed in their wallet. On networks like Ethereum mainnet, this can represent a significant and unpredictable additional cost. On low-fee networks like TRON or Solana, the gas cost is negligible, but for many ERC-20 tokens the gas friction remains a material checkout barrier.

SpacePay absorbs all on-chain gas fees. The customer pays exactly the invoice amount and nothing more. SpacePay covers the network costs through its routing infrastructure and operational model. This eliminates a class of checkout abandonment that consistently affects platforms using gateways that pass gas costs through. The economics of how SpacePay makes this work are explained in our post on zero gas fees in crypto payment gateways.

5. Integration: SDK vs REST API

NOWPayments provides a REST API with comprehensive documentation, as well as ready-made plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, PrestaShop, Magento, OpenCart, and other popular platforms. For merchants on one of these platforms, the plugin route requires no custom code. For custom integrations, the REST API is well-documented and covers payment creation, status polling, and webhook notifications. NOWPayments also offers a hosted payment page that redirects customers off the merchant's site, which is the fastest way to get started but provides the least control over the checkout experience.

SpacePay provides a JavaScript SDK that integrates in fewer than 20 lines of code and renders a fully embedded payment widget directly within the merchant's page — no redirect, no pop-up, no customer leaving the checkout flow. The SDK handles wallet detection, chain selection, token selection, gas estimation (though gas is never shown to the customer), transaction broadcasting, and confirmation polling automatically. For merchants who want direct REST API access, SpacePay also exposes a full payment API with idempotent order creation and webhook delivery. Our guide on integrating a crypto payment SDK in under 30 minutes walks through a complete implementation.

NOWPayments has an edge for merchants already on a supported e-commerce platform who want to get live quickly with minimal development. SpacePay has an edge for developers building custom checkout flows who want the embedded experience, or for platforms where a redirect to an external payment page would break the user journey.

6. White-Label Checkout

NOWPayments allows limited customisation of its hosted payment page. Merchants can set a logo, adjust accent colours, and choose which coins are offered. However, the NOWPayments brand and URL remain visible on the default hosted page. Full white-label removal is available on enterprise plans but requires a commercial agreement and is not part of the standard self-serve offering.

SpacePay's checkout widget is white-label by design at every tier. There is no SpacePay logo, no SpacePay domain, and no SpacePay branding visible to the end customer. The widget renders inside the merchant's own page on the merchant's own domain. Custom colours, fonts, and layout options allow the widget to match brand guidelines precisely. For businesses where brand consistency and customer trust are a commercial priority — luxury retail, premium SaaS, financial services — a fully white-label checkout is not optional. Our post on the future of checkout experiences covers why embedded, branded payment flows outperform redirects on conversion metrics.

7. Compliance: UK/EU Regulatory Requirements

Regulatory compliance is increasingly the deciding factor for established businesses evaluating crypto payment gateways. The European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation (MiCA) came into full effect in 2025 and imposes transaction monitoring, AML screening, and reporting obligations on crypto asset service providers operating in the EU. In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has extended crypto-asset registration requirements and enforced stronger consumer-protection standards.

NOWPayments operates under a basic registration structure and provides standard KYC for merchant onboarding. It does not provide built-in MiCA-aligned transaction monitoring, does not offer FCA-compliant onboarding documentation, and does not include AML screening or suspicious activity reporting as part of its core product. Merchants using NOWPayments in regulated UK and EU markets must implement this compliance infrastructure themselves or via third-party integrations.

SpacePay is built specifically for the UK and EU regulatory environment. Merchant onboarding includes full KYB (Know Your Business) verification aligned with FCA requirements. Every transaction is subject to automated AML screening. Transaction monitoring is MiCA-aligned and generates the audit trails regulators expect. GDPR-compliant data processing is built into every layer of the product. For regulated businesses — financial services, legal, real estate, healthcare, SaaS with enterprise contracts — this is not a marginal difference. Our guide on compliance without complexity in crypto payments explains how SpacePay structures its compliance layer.

8. Multi-Currency Settlement

NOWPayments' fiat conversion feature supports USD and EUR in select regions. Coverage is not universal, and availability depends on the merchant's jurisdiction and the banking partner NOWPayments uses in that region. Merchants outside the US and Europe may find fiat settlement unavailable entirely, leaving them to self-manage crypto balances and off-ramp manually.

SpacePay supports same-day settlement in USD, EUR, GBP, AED, SGD, and eight additional fiat currencies, covering merchants across the UK, the EU, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The settlement currency is configured per merchant account and does not require separate activation. This breadth matters for international businesses that invoice in multiple currencies or operate subsidiaries in different jurisdictions. For more on how multi-currency settlement works in practice, see our guide on multi-currency settlement for crypto merchants.

When NOWPayments Is the Right Choice

NOWPayments is a capable product and is genuinely the better choice in several scenarios.

• Crypto-native merchants who want to settle in crypto: If you operate a crypto-first business that invoices in BTC, ETH, or USDT and has no need for fiat settlement, NOWPayments' 0.5% fee is lower than SpacePay's 1%, particularly when customers use low-fee networks.
• WooCommerce or Shopify merchants who want zero development: NOWPayments' plugin ecosystem is mature. If you are on a supported e-commerce platform, the plugin can have you live in under an hour with no code changes.
• Merchants in regions where SpacePay is not yet available: SpacePay's fiat settlement and compliance features are optimised for UK and EU markets. NOWPayments has broader global availability for basic crypto acceptance.
• Businesses prioritising coin variety over chain variety: NOWPayments supports many obscure coins that SpacePay does not. If your specific customer base uses coins outside SpacePay's 800-token catalogue, NOWPayments may offer the asset you need.

When SpacePay Is the Right Choice

SpacePay is the stronger choice for most UK and EU businesses that need to operate professionally in a regulated environment.

• Any business that prices in fiat and needs working capital: Same-day settlement eliminates currency risk and cash-flow delays that crypto-only settlement creates.
• Merchants who cannot afford checkout friction: Zero gas fees mean the price the customer sees is the price they pay. Gas surprises are among the most common causes of crypto checkout abandonment.
• Brands that need a seamless, white-label checkout: Full white-label from day one, on all plans, with no enterprise negotiation required.
• Businesses in regulated sectors: Built-in KYB, AML, and MiCA-aligned compliance removes the burden of building compliance infrastructure independently.
• Developers building custom checkout flows: The JavaScript SDK integrates in under 20 lines and renders natively in-page without a redirect, preserving the user journey.
• International businesses settling in multiple fiat currencies: USD, EUR, GBP, AED, SGD, and eight additional currencies are available from a single integration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary Verdict

NOWPayments is a legitimate and widely-used gateway. Its plugin ecosystem and low headline fee make it accessible, and for merchants who settle in crypto and operate on low-fee networks, it remains competitive on cost.

For the majority of UK and EU businesses accepting crypto as a payment method — especially those that price in fiat, need regulatory compliance, want a branded checkout experience, and cannot tolerate hidden fees or gas friction — SpacePay provides a materially better outcome. Same-day settlement, zero gas fees, full white-label checkout, 50+ chain support, and built-in compliance are not incremental improvements. They remove entire categories of operational risk, checkout friction, and regulatory burden that NOWPayments leaves to the merchant.

For a broader view of where SpacePay sits among all major crypto payment gateways, see our full 2026 crypto payment gateway comparison.