CoinPayments is one of the longest-running crypto payment processors, and many store owners first met crypto payments through its plugins. Payfim takes a different approach: instead of a processor account, you install a small gateway on your own hosting and customers pay your wallets directly. Below is what that difference means in money, control and effort, using figures published by CoinPayments as of September 2026.
Side-by-side comparison
| CoinPayments | Payfim | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Hosted payment processor | Self-hosted gateway + platform module |
| Processing fee | Listed as "starting at 3%" for coins and tokens (September 2026); adjustments may apply to high-risk industries | None |
| Other fees | Network fee per forwarded payment (ASAP) or per nightly batch; conversion partner fee for conversions | One-time license per module; customer pays the normal network fee |
| Custody | Can hold funds in your CoinPayments balance, or forward them to your wallet | Never holds funds; payments go straight to your wallet |
| Verification | Account and compliance verification required (AML/KYC framework) | None |
| Coins | 40+ cryptocurrencies | 16 coin/network options, including USDT TRC20/ERC20, USDC and Monero |
| Fiat | Conversion to fiat and bank payout via third-party partners, where supported | Not offered |
| Hosting | Nothing to host | PHP 7.4-8.4 + MySQL/MariaDB, works on shared hosting |
| Plugins | WooCommerce, WHMCS and others; API | 19 platform modules plus a PHP/Laravel SDK |
CoinPayments' fees can change and can differ by account or industry. Always check their current fee page before deciding.
How much does CoinPayments cost compared with Payfim?
CoinPayments charges a percentage of every payment. Its public fee page, as of September 2026, describes three ways to receive funds: keep them in your CoinPayments balance (the processing fee only), have each payment forwarded to your wallet as soon as it arrives (the fee plus one network fee per payment), or have payments forwarded in a nightly batch (the fee plus one network fee for the whole batch).
Payfim has no per-payment fee because it never touches the money. Your cost is the license: $20 for WooCommerce, $15 for WHMCS, or $99 for every module. Updates for the first 12 months are included, and renewing updates afterward is optional.
A simple example: a store taking $5,000 a month in crypto would pay $150 a month at a 3% rate, before network fees. The same store would pay nothing per payment with Payfim. At a lower negotiated rate the gap shrinks, but it grows with every month of sales. For a wider view of what payment methods really cost, see crypto vs card payment fees.
Custody and control: who holds the coins?
With CoinPayments, the processor receives the payment first. You can leave it in your CoinPayments balance, convert it, or have it sent on to an external wallet. That is convenient - one dashboard for many coins - but for as long as funds sit in that balance, access depends on your account being in good standing.
With Payfim, each invoice shows your own receiving address. The gateway only watches the blockchain and tells your store when the payment is confirmed. Payfim never needs your private keys or seed phrase, so there is no balance to withdraw and nothing for anyone to freeze. Read how this works in detail on how it works.
Verification and onboarding
CoinPayments describes an AML/KYC framework, and its WHMCS plugin guide lists completing compliance verification as a setup step. That is standard for a regulated processor and gives some merchants comfort. It also means your crypto checkout depends on being approved and staying approved.
Payfim has no application. You buy a license, install the gateway, paste in your wallet addresses and connect your store. Your own tax and legal obligations still apply - rules vary by country, so talk to a qualified professional about how you record crypto income.
Coins, networks and the checkout page
CoinPayments lists 40+ cryptocurrencies, which is more than Payfim's 16 coin and network options. If your customers regularly ask for less common coins, that breadth is a real advantage.
Payfim focuses on the coins most online shoppers and hosting clients use: Bitcoin, USDT on TRON and on Ethereum (shown as two clearly separate options so nobody sends to the wrong network), USDC, Ethereum, Litecoin, Solana, XRP, Monero and several others. Bitcoin, Litecoin, TRON, Solana, XRP and Cardano work without any API key; Ethereum-based coins need a free Etherscan key.
The Payfim checkout runs on your own domain in six languages, shows a QR code, and locks the exchange rate for 30 minutes by default. Each open invoice gets a unique amount so payments are matched automatically, and a payment that falls short by more than 0.5% (the default tolerance) is flagged as underpaid instead of being marked paid.
When CoinPayments is the better choice
- You want nothing to install or maintain beyond a plugin.
- You want to convert to fiat or receive a bank payout, and CoinPayments' partners support your country.
- You need a coin Payfim does not support. CoinPayments lists 40+ cryptocurrencies.
- You prefer a single custodial balance across many coins rather than managing several wallets yourself.
- Your platform only has a CoinPayments integration and no Payfim module.
When Payfim is the better choice
- You want to keep 100% of each sale apart from the network fee your customer pays.
- You do not want a third party holding your revenue, even briefly.
- You would rather skip onboarding and would rather not depend on a third-party account to keep your checkout running.
- You mostly take stablecoins such as USDT on TRON and are happy to hold them - see accept USDT (TRC20).
- You run a billing system like WHMCS, Blesta or FOSSBilling, where recurring fees on every renewal add up over years.
The bottom line
CoinPayments suits merchants who value breadth and convenience: many coins, a single balance, optional conversion and nothing to host. Its published rate, though, is higher than the other hosted processors we compare as of September 2026, and a compliance review is part of getting started.
Payfim suits merchants who would rather pay once than pay per sale, and who are happy to hold the coins they receive. The effort is a one-time installation on your hosting - there is also a $10 installation service if you would rather not do it yourself.
What about older WHMCS versions?
If you run WHMCS, check version support carefully on both sides. CoinPayments' current WHMCS plugin documentation lists WHMCS 9.0+ and PHP 8.1+. Payfim's WHMCS module supports WHMCS 7.10 through 8.x on PHP 7.4-8.3. Pick the one that matches the WHMCS version you actually run.
Switching from CoinPayments to Payfim
- Withdraw any balance you hold at CoinPayments to your own wallet before you close or stop using the account.
- Install the Payfim gateway on your hosting (installation guide) and add a receiving address for each coin you want.
- Install the Payfim module for your store or billing platform and run a test payment.
- Leave the CoinPayments plugin enabled but hidden (or keep its callback URL working) until open invoices have expired, so late payments are still recorded.
- Update your checkout text - for example, mention which networks you accept for USDT.
Customers do not need to do anything different. They still scan a QR code and pay from their wallet or exchange.
Sources
Third-party facts were checked on the date shown above. Prices and features of other services change - always confirm on their official pages.