CoinPayments alternatives: fees, KYC and custody compared
CoinPayments is one of the longest-running crypto payment processors, with 40+ coins and a WooCommerce plugin. In 2026 merchants weighing it face three practical questions: which of its two fee schedules applies to them, whether they want to pass identity and business verification, and whether they are comfortable with a custodial wallet. Here is how it compares with the alternatives.
How CoinPayments works and what it costs
CoinPayments now publishes two fee pages. On its New Platform it charges 0.5% on coins and 1% on tokens such as USDT and USDC, with payouts to your balance, as soon as possible, or nightly; payouts that need a conversion add 0.1%, and withdrawals cost the network fee. Its Legacy platform page shows the same structure at 3%. Check which platform your account is on before you compare.
You need an account, and CoinPayments states that identity verification and business verification (KYB) are mandatory. Payments are held in a custodial wallet, with optional automatic payouts to an outside wallet; conversion to fiat for a bank payout is offered through partners where supported. It lists USDT on Ethereum, TRON, BNB Smart Chain, Polygon, Solana and Arbitrum, and USDC on several of the same networks plus Base.
Its official WooCommerce plugin on WordPress.org was last updated in May 2025 and is marked as tested only up to WordPress 6.2, several major versions behind.
When an alternative fits better
You do not want to submit identity and company documents to start taking payments. You would rather be paid into your own wallet than hold a balance with a processor. Your account is on the Legacy fee schedule. Or you want a plugin that is tested against the WordPress version you actually run.
The alternatives
Vaultion Payments is a free WooCommerce plugin in the WordPress.org directory with no account, no verification and no API key: paste a receiving address and the checkout is live. It charges 0.75% per payment, coins and stablecoins alike, with nothing monthly. On EVM networks, Solana and TRON the buyer pays your wallet directly and the fee is split off in the same transaction; Bitcoin, Litecoin and the “Send to address” ETH option pass through a Vaultion deposit address and are forwarded after confirmation. It takes USDT on TRON and Solana, USDC on Base, Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, BNB Smart Chain and Solana, and BTC, ETH, LTC, SOL, TRX, POL and BNB. It needs a USD store currency and does not pay out in fiat.
NOWPayments takes more than 300 coins and forwards payments to your own wallet, with an account and API key but no KYC to sign up. Its published fee is 0.5% to 1% depending on conversion.
CoinGate charges 1%, requires business verification, settles weekly to a crypto wallet or a bank in EUR, USD or GBP, and holds a MiCA licence. It does not list USDT.
BTCPay Server is free, self-hosted, non-custodial and KYC-free, built for Bitcoin and Lightning, with USDT available only through community plugins.
Escrow for high-value orders
None of these processors can hold a payment until the buyer confirms delivery. Vaultion Payments can: switch on escrow in USDC or USDT on six networks, and the payment sits in a smart contract, not with Vaultion, until the buyer confirms or the review period ends. The buyer pays the escrow fee (4% below 500 USDC, 3% from 500, 2% from 5,000). Disputes go to Vaultion-assisted human arbitration, which is not decentralized: you are trusting Vaultion’s reviewers. A separate guardian can pause a ruling but never redirect funds.
See it for yourself
Vaultion runs on a published, open-source contract that holds the funds — not Vaultion. You can read it and the locked balance on the block explorer before you send anything.
Frequently asked
What are CoinPayments’ fees?
On its New Platform, 0.5% on coins and 1% on tokens, plus 0.1% on payouts that need a conversion and network fees on withdrawals. Its Legacy platform fee page shows 3%. Confirm which applies to your account.
Does CoinPayments require KYC?
Yes. CoinPayments says identity verification is required for all users and that business verification (KYB) is mandatory for merchants.
Is CoinPayments custodial?
Yes. Payments are held in a custodial wallet, with optional automatic payouts to an outside wallet.
Is there a CoinPayments alternative with no KYC?
Vaultion Payments needs no account or verification, just a receiving address. BTCPay Server is self-hosted with no KYC, and NOWPayments says no KYC is needed to sign up.
No verification, paid to your wallet
Install Vaultion Payments from WordPress.org and paste a wallet address. 0.75% per payment on coins and stablecoins, no account, nothing monthly.
See Vaultion Payments Install free from WordPress.orgNot on WooCommerce? Add the same checkout with the escrow API →
