Favicon of Adyen

Adyen

Payment processing platform for merchants, marketplaces, and platforms that handles card and alternative payments, risk screening, payouts, reconciliation, and point-of-sale integrations. Suitable for retailers, marketplaces, travel companies, digital services, and enterprises requiring global acquiring and unified settlement.

Screenshot of Adyen website

What is Adyen

Adyen is a global payment platform that enables businesses to accept payments online, in mobile apps, and in physical stores. The platform combines a payment gateway, global acquiring, and risk management into a single infrastructure so merchants can process card payments, local payment methods, and alternative payments across many currencies and regions. Adyen is used by mid-market and enterprise customers as well as by marketplaces and platforms that need unified reporting and settlement.

Adyen supports both direct acquiring in many regions and a multi-acquirer model when required by local markets. It provides point-of-sale (POS) terminals and connected terminal management for in-store payments, together with a single reconciliation flow that maps online and offline transactions to the same accounting records. Its product set is built to scale across geographies and sales channels while centralizing compliance and reporting.

The company focuses on a modular architecture: merchants can adopt the full-suite (acquiring + gateway + risk) or integrate specific components such as the Checkout API, Terminal API, or Payouts. Technical integrations are supported through SDKs, server-side libraries, and detailed developer documentation.

Adyen features

What does adyen do?

Adyen processes payments and manages associated workflows for merchants and platforms. Its core functions include payment authorization, settlement, dispute handling, refunds, and payout orchestration for sellers or vendors. The platform also provides device management for in-person payments and reconciliation tools that consolidate transactions across channels.

Adyen provides payment method coverage that includes major card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), regional schemes (e.g., Girocard, iDEAL, Bancontact), and wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay). It additionally supports bank-based methods such as SEPA Direct Debit and local real-time bank transfers where available, which helps merchants capture revenue in markets with different payment preferences.

Risk management and fraud prevention are built-in via rule-based systems and machine-learning models. The platform offers configurable fraud rules, scoring, and a review console that allows operations teams to accept, reject, or challenge transactions. Additional services such as chargeback management and automated dispute responses reduce manual effort.

Other notable features:

  • Unified reporting and reconciliation across channels with exportable ledgers and settlement reports.
  • Recurring and subscription billing support, including tokenization and stored credentials.
  • Payouts, marketplace split settlements, and vendor onboarding capabilities for platform business models.
  • POS and terminal management with remote configuration, software updates, and device monitoring.

Adyen pricing

Adyen offers these pricing plans:

  • Pay-as-you-go (Interchange++): Pricing is typically structured as interchange plus scheme fees plus an Adyen fee per transaction. Typical Adyen fees are presented as a fixed per-transaction component plus a percentage and vary by region and card type. For example, card-not-present transactions often end up in a range equivalent to 0.6%–3.0% + $0.10–$0.30 depending on country and card brand for many merchants.
  • Merchant acquirer pricing: For merchants using Adyen as the acquirer in supported countries, pricing reflects local scheme rules and acquiring costs; these are implemented as interchange plus Adyen’s fixed fee.
  • Platform and marketplace pricing: Platforms using Adyen for marketplaces are quoted fees that include split-settlement, onboarding, and additional payout fees rather than fixed subscription tiers.
  • Point-of-sale (POS) and terminal pricing: Terminal hardware is sold or leased; software and terminal management are typically covered by transaction fees or separate commercial agreements.

Adyen does not publish uniform per-user subscription tiers like consumer SaaS; pricing is negotiated and depends on transaction volumes, vertical, risk profile, and geographic footprint. Check Adyen's pricing overview for merchant pricing models and regional details.

How much is adyen per month

Adyen starts at $0/month for the core gateway in the sense that there is no standardized per-month consumer-style subscription fee published; commercial terms are typically transaction-based, and any monthly platform or service fees are negotiated for specific accounts. Many merchants experience no fixed monthly charge from Adyen outside negotiated service-level agreements or enterprise add-ons.

How much is adyen per year

Adyen costs $0/year in the sense that there is not a published flat annual license fee for the gateway component; total annual cost depends on transaction volume and the aggregated transaction fees (percentage + fixed cents) across all processed payments. Large enterprise customers will receive bespoke annual agreements that may include minimums or blended rates.

How much is adyen in general

Adyen pricing ranges from $0 to ~3.0% + $0.30 per transaction. Smaller e-commerce merchants often pay higher effective rates due to card mix and region; larger enterprises and high-volume merchants typically receive lower blended rates through negotiated interchange++ or blended fee models. The final cost is a function of interchange, card type (premium vs debit), country of issuance, and additional services such as dispute handling, chargeback guarantees, or dedicated support.

Check Adyen's regional pricing and payment method coverage for the most current examples and to request a merchant-specific quote.

What is Adyen used for

Adyen is used to accept and process payments for e-commerce storefronts, mobile apps, subscription services, marketplaces, and physical retail locations. It suits businesses that need unified payment flows across channels and the ability to reconcile payments and settlements centrally. The platform is also used by marketplaces to route funds to multiple sellers and apply fees or commissions during settlement.

Common verticals include retail and fashion, digital services and marketplaces, travel and hospitality, gaming, and on-demand services. Enterprise use cases often require support for multiple currencies, advanced fraud detection, and tailored reporting to meet accounting and tax requirements across jurisdictions.

Operational teams use Adyen to automate settlements, reconcile daily transactions, manage refunds and chargebacks, and implement recurring billing. Technical teams use the available APIs and SDKs to embed checkout experiences and integrate tokenization for secure storage of payment details.

Pros and cons of Adyen

Adyen has a number of strengths and trade-offs that researchers should consider when evaluating the platform.

Strengths:

  • Global reach with in-house acquiring in many regions reduces the need for multiple PSPs and simplifies reconciliation.
  • Unified platform for online, in-app, and in-person payments reduces integration overhead and centralizes reporting.
  • Advanced fraud tools with both rule-based and machine-learning models improve authorization rates and reduce chargebacks.
  • Extensive developer documentation and SDKs across languages and platforms accelerate integration.

Limitations and considerations:

  • Pricing is not presented in simple tiered plans; some small merchants may prefer transparent per-transaction pricing from other providers with published rates.
  • For very small volumes, negotiated enterprise-style contracts may not be cost-competitive compared with simpler processors.
  • Terminal hardware must be purchased or leased, and hardware availability depends on regional certifications and compliance.
  • Some value-added services (chargeback management, advanced reporting, dedicated support) are often part of bespoke commercial agreements.

Adyen free trial

Adyen does not offer a traditional time-limited free trial in the same way many SaaS products do because payment processing requires merchant verification, regulatory checks, and live acquiring relationships. Instead, Adyen supports sandbox environments for development and testing that replicate production APIs, payment methods, and webhook behavior. Developers can use the sandbox to test Checkout flows, tokenization, and reconciliation workflows before going live.

Merchant onboarding to production requires KYC checks and bank account validation, which is standard for payment service providers. During the onboarding process, businesses can test end-to-end flows in the sandbox and arrange a staged rollout to production once the account is approved.

For organizations evaluating the platform, Adyen’s documentation and developer tools provide sample code, integration guides, and test cards to exercise all standard flows without transacting real money.

Is adyen free

No, Adyen is not a free payment processor. There is no published consumer-style free plan; costs are transaction-driven and depend on the payment mix, volumes, and services required. However, the sandbox developer environment is available at no cost for integration and testing purposes.

Adyen API

Adyen offers a comprehensive set of APIs and SDKs that cover payment acceptance, payouts, terminal management, and reconciliation. The API surface includes the Payments API for authorizations and captures, the Checkout API for client-side integration and hosted payment pages, the Payouts API for sending funds to bank accounts or cards, and the Terminal API for in-person payment interactions. There are also specialized endpoints for recurrence (stored credentials), refunds, and dispute management.

APIs support tokenization and secure handling of card data to reduce PCI scope. Webhooks provide asynchronous event notifications for payment status changes, chargebacks, and payout updates. Adyen publishes official client libraries in several languages (Java, PHP, Python, .NET, Node.js) and SDKs for mobile platforms (iOS, Android) to simplify integration.

For platform and marketplace models, Adyen offers split-settlement and sub-merchant onboarding APIs that allow orchestration of funds between a platform and its vendors. The documentation includes sample flows for common use cases such as SCA (Strong Customer Authentication), 3DS, recurring payments, and cross-border processing. See Adyen's API documentation and developer guides for detailed endpoints, request examples, and integration patterns.

10 Adyen alternatives

  • Stripe — Developer-friendly payments platform with transparent pricing, broad developer SDKs, and strong support for marketplaces through Stripe Connect.
  • PayPal — Global payments network with consumer familiarity, PayPal Commerce tools, and integrated checkout options for merchants and marketplaces.
  • Braintree — A PayPal company offering flexible SDKs, vaulting, and marketplace split payments; often chosen for mobile-first apps.
  • Square — Integrated POS and payments for small and mid-sized merchants with simple pricing and hardware-first solutions.
  • Checkout.com — Global payments provider focused on enterprise customers with direct acquiring and developer APIs.
  • Worldpay — Large acquirer and payment services provider with expansive merchant acquiring footprint, especially in Europe.
  • Adyen (included for completeness in head-to-head comparisons) — strong for centralized global acquiring and multi-channel operations.
  • Global Payments — Enterprise payment processor with broad services and integrations for large merchants.
  • Fiserv (formerly First Data) — Traditional acquirer with extensive POS and merchant services.
  • BlueSnap — Payment orchestration and subscription billing with emphasis on e-commerce sellers.

Paid alternatives to Adyen

  • Stripe: Known for straightforward developer tooling and published pricing; strong for startups and enterprises looking for quick integrations and add-on products such as Radar for fraud and Billing for subscriptions.
  • Checkout.com: Enterprise-focused with custom pricing and an emphasis on high authorisation rates and direct acquiring in key markets.
  • Braintree: Good for mobile and app-focused merchants; includes vaulting and good support for marketplaces.
  • Worldpay: Suitable for merchants that need local acquiring relationships across many countries and prefer a traditional acquirer model.
  • PayPal: Offers strong consumer trust and a suite of merchant services including payouts and invoicing; pricing can vary by service.
  • Square: Best fit for merchants prioritizing integrated hardware and simple fee structures for in-person sales.

Open source alternatives to Adyen

  • Kill Bill: Open-source billing and payments orchestration engine that supports plugins for payment gateways and complex billing scenarios; useful for companies that want control over billing logic.
  • Apache OFBiz: A broader open-source e-commerce and ERP framework that includes payment integration points, suitable for teams building custom commerce stacks.
  • Solidus: An open-source e-commerce platform (Ruby) that integrates with payment gateways and gives full control of checkout logic; better for teams that want to self-host commerce functionality.
  • Spree Commerce: Modular open-source e-commerce platform with gateway integrations; suitable for merchants building highly customized storefronts.

Frequently asked questions about Adyen

What is Adyen used for?

Adyen is used for global payment processing and acquirer services across online, in-app, and in-person channels. Businesses use it to accept cards, local payment methods, and wallets, handle settlements and reconciliations, and implement fraud mitigation. It is commonly chosen by merchants and platforms that need a single provider for multi-channel payment flows.

Does Adyen support marketplaces and split payments?

Yes, Adyen supports marketplaces and split settlements. Adyen provides APIs for onboarding sub-merchants, routing payments, and performing split settlements to multiple parties while handling KYC and payouts. These features are part of the platform offerings for platforms and marketplaces and are typically implemented under commercial agreements.

How secure is Adyen?

Adyen meets industry security standards and supports PCI compliance and data encryption. The platform offers tokenization, secure vaulting of payment credentials, role-based access, and support for SCA/3DS flows. Adyen also publishes information on certifications and compliance in its security documentation.

What payment methods does Adyen accept?

Adyen accepts credit and debit cards, wallets, bank-based methods, and regional payment schemes. Supported methods include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay, iDEAL, SEPA Direct Debit, and many local options depending on the country. Payment method availability depends on merchant location and contracting.

Can Adyen handle recurring billing and subscriptions?

Yes, Adyen supports recurring payments and stored credentials. The platform includes tokenization for card-on-file use, scheduled captures, and APIs to manage subscription flows and retry logic for failed payments. These capabilities help merchants run subscription businesses and handle card updates.

Does Adyen offer a sandbox for testing?

Yes, Adyen provides a sandbox environment for developers. The sandbox simulates production APIs, test card numbers, and webhook events so teams can validate integration and reconciliation flows before going live. It is the standard method to test Checkout, tokenization, and Terminal integrations.

How does Adyen handle chargebacks and disputes?

Adyen provides dispute management tools and chargeback workflow automation. Merchants receive dispute notifications via webhooks and can submit evidence through the Adyen merchant interface or API. Additional managed dispute services are available under commercial arrangements to automate responses and reduce manual handling.

What SDKs and libraries does Adyen offer?

Adyen offers official client libraries and mobile SDKs in major languages and platforms. Supported languages typically include Java, PHP, Python, .NET, and Node.js, with mobile SDKs for iOS and Android, plus JavaScript for client-side checkout. These SDKs simplify tokenization, 3DS flows, and server-to-server integrations.

Does Adyen support in-person payments and terminals?

Yes, Adyen supports in-person payments via certified POS terminals and a Terminal API. The platform includes device provisioning, remote updates, and transaction reconciliation for brick-and-mortar stores. Hardware availability and certification depend on region and local card scheme requirements.

How long does it take to go live with Adyen?

Time to go live varies but typically ranges from days to several weeks. Development teams can integrate using the sandbox quickly, but production onboarding requires merchant verification (KYC), bank account validation, and sometimes acquirer setup in target countries. Complex marketplace configurations or enterprise-grade setups may require more time due to contractual and compliance steps.

adyen careers

Adyen hires across engineering, product, risk, sales, and operations roles focused on global payments infrastructure. Career opportunities often emphasize experience in payments, finance, compliance, and large-scale distributed systems. Technical roles typically require strong experience in API-driven development, security, and systems design.

Large organizations seeking enterprise support can often request dedicated account managers and technical onboarding as part of commercial agreements. Prospective applicants and hiring managers can review job listings and the company’s hiring pages for available openings and role descriptions.

adyen affiliate

Adyen does not operate a public consumer-style affiliate program like software marketplaces; instead, the company works through direct sales and partnerships with platform integrators, ISVs, and systems integrators. Firms that partner with Adyen typically enter reseller or referral agreements to integrate Adyen’s payments flow into broader commerce solutions. For partnership details, consult Adyen’s partner and ISV information.

Where to find adyen reviews

Independent customer reviews and analyst reports are available on platforms that aggregate merchant feedback and industry analysis. For peer reviews and customer sentiment, view Adyen’s profiles on sites such as G2 and Trustpilot, and consult payment industry analyst reports for performance benchmarking. See Adyen’s listing on G2 by visiting the page for merchant feedback and user ratings.

Share:

Ad
Favicon

 

  
 

Similar to Adyen

Favicon

 

  
  
Favicon

 

  
  
Favicon

 

  
  

Command Menu

Adyen: Global payment processing and risk management for online, in-app, and in-person commerce – Invoicing Software