Pros and Cons of Using Crypto Gateways in 2025

Have you heard of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Tether (USDT)? If the answer is yes, you are halfway through the free, secure, and fast transactions. The other half lies within finding the best crypto gateway for your online shop (or any other type of business you own). In the following 5 minutes, you will see the pros and cons of crypto gateways, and the best of them in 2025. 

What Is a Crypto Gateway?

Crypto gateways are the intermediaries between you and your customers. They are like PayPal, Stripe, and WorldPay, with one slight difference: many of them “only” support cryptocurrencies. Of course, some of them (such as CoinGate, Swapin, BVNK, and BitPay) receive payments in crypto and then convert them into fiat currencies, like USD, EUR, or AUD. Crypto payment gateways are especially good for those selling digital goods, gaming stuff, travel-related services, and luxury products. 

Pros of Crypto Gateways

Here are 8 benefits of crypto payment gateways that everyone should know.

1. They are available to everyone across the globe.

When it comes to payment gateways, some countries have very limited options. In places with economic sanctions, political tensions, or strict commerce regulations, it’s hard to make international payments freely. Russia, China, Iran, Afghanistan, and North Korea are some examples of such countries. 

Luckily, crypto gateways have no boundaries. Anyone with a high-speed internet can make the payment, without dealing with governments’ regulations. If you own a business, this means that you have access to a broader market and can have more paying customers. 

2. They have low transaction fees. 

Regular gateways charge between 2-5% per transaction while many of the crypto payment gateways charge you 0.5–2%. This feature makes them perfect for small businesses that are at the beginning of the road. In the following table, we have introduced top 12 crypto gateways in 2025 and mentioned their transaction fee. 

3. The customers cannot request a chargeback.

When the customer reverses the transaction, it’s called chargeback. People usually do this when there is an issue with the goods or services or they’ve been charged incorrectly. Unfortunately, some people misuse this option and request a chargeback although they received a good-quality product or service. 

In such situations, crypto gateways are in the favor of sellers because the transactions made through them are definite and the customer cannot request a chargeback once the payment is confirmed. This protects them from fraud and abuse, especially in online sales.

4. They are safe and untraceable.

When you use crypto gateways, the financial organizations (like central banks and credit unions) cannot track the payment. Also, these gateways generate a code that encrypts data, so the risk of identity theft and data breaches is zero. 

5. They support different currencies. 

They usually support multiple cryptocurrencies as well as fiat currencies. This option makes them perfect for international businesses that have customers from all over the world. 

6. You can integrate them easily. 

You can add crypto gateway plugins to Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and Telegram bots without having technical expertise. They also have simple APIs that you can use in your custom website (on WordPress or Wix). 

7. They make your business look modern and cool. 

Gen Z and Millennials use crypto gateways much more than other generations. If you are planning to boost your brand image and attract youngsters to your business, having a crypto gateway is a must. Now imagine you use a Telegram bot with a crypto gateway to sell your products and services! Your brand will be as cool as “The North Face in the eyes of the young generation.”

8. You can add them to multiple accounts. 

Traditional payment gateways usually don’t allow you to sync them with multiple accounts, but the crypto gateways do (how sweet of them)! This feature specifically benefits “online shop owners” and “subscription-based businesses” because they can manage their money more easily. 

Cons of Using Crypto Gateways

Now that we know the advantages of crypto gateways, it’s time to take a look at their downsides.

1. The price of cryptocurrencies change all the time. 

The price of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are constantly changing. For example, in “one of those days” the price of Bitcoin can swing by 5-20% in a day. How does it affect your business? Not all crypto gateways convert the crypto to fiat on the same day. In fact, it often takes 1 to 3 business days (or 5-7 business days depending on the currency) for them to convert it. So, imagine you sold a product for $100 worth of Bitcoin today might only be worth $80 tomorrow. 

Note: Some gateways have an “auto-conversion” option but this usually comes with extra fees.

2. They have legal issues in some countries. 

Some countries have banned crypto gateways because they can be used for illegal purposes as well. For instance, China and Bangladesh have banned them and the U.S. asks for complex tax reports. So, if crypto is prohibited in your region, you will have serious issues using them. 

3. Some customers have not trusted them yet. 

Although Gen Z and Millennials are ok with using crypto gateways, many older generations still prefer traditional payment methods like credit cards, PayPal, or bank transfers. If you have customers of all ages, this might be a huge drawback for you. 

4. They are too complicated for some.

Most customers don’t have enough knowledge about crypto wallets or how gas fees work. Therefore, they abandon their cart and leave your online shop unhappy. On the other hand, it takes lots of time and effort to educate the customers on how these gateways work. To avoid such problems, add two types of payment gateways to your website OR use Telegram store bots that support both fiat and crypto gateways. 

5. It’s hard to integrate them with some eCommerce platforms.

Some online shop owners complain about the difficult integration of crypto gateways with certain eCommerce platforms. They mostly hire developers or third-party services to do so, which adds to their expenses. 

How to Add a Crypto Gateway to Your Website

Here are 4 steps to add a crypto gateway to your website. 

A) Choose a proper crypto gateway. 

You have two options: 1) use popular providers like CoinBase Commerce, BitPay, NOWPayment, or TripleA. 2) use self-hosted, open-source cryptocurrency payment processors like BTCPay. 

Note: when choosing the provider, pay attention to their transaction fees, supported coins, availability in your region, and their UX. 

B) Sign up on the gateway’s website. 

Once you have found the right gateway, sign up on its website and set up your wallet address or bank account. Note that some gateways might ask you to verify your business. 

C) Add the gateway to your eCommerce. 

You can add crypto gateways to your ecommerce platform via plugins, extensions, web services, or APIs. If your online shop is on Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or BigCommerce, you need to use plugins, extensions, or web services. Fortunately, almost all famous crypto gateways have ready-to-use plugins that are easy to set up.

However, if your ecommerce is on a custom-coded website or Telegram bot, you need APIs or web services. Although setting up APIs are a bit harder than plugins and extensions, they are more customizable. By “a bit harder” we mean you should embed (copy and paste) the API code on the frontend of your checkout page.

D) Test and run your crypto payment gateway.

It’s better to test your gateway before letting others use it. Pay small amounts with your gateway to make sure everything is working properly. Things you should check are:

• How long after the payment you receive the money.
• Order status updates after the payment.
• The customers receive confirmation emails or are redirected to the ‘payment success’ page.
• The gateway creates invoices. 
• If you have added a tutorial for the checkout process, it’s being shown properly. 
• The gateway is mobile-responsive and loads fast. 
• The accepted cryptos on the cart or checkout page. 

The Last Words

If you tell somebody to use crypto gateways for your eCommerce, they probably say “nah man! They’re too complicated and I don’t have the technical knowledge.” But, what they don’t know is that integrating these gateways has become much easier, thanks to plugins and APIs. If you are planning to create an online shop (whether on Telegram or via a website), make sure to add at least one crypto gateway to it; otherwise, you’ll lose the market to your rivals.

FAQs

1. How secure are crypto gateways?

Crypto transactions are secured by blockchain technology. In other words, the transaction data is distributed across a network of computers, so the hackers cannot find the information all at one place. 

2. What is the best crypto gateway?

The best crypto payment gateways are CoinPayments, NowPayments, and Stripe (Crypto Beta). 

3. How can I install a crypto gateway on my website? 

You need to get the gateway’s API from its official website (usually the APIs are in your dashboard) and add it in the frontend of your website. Some platforms, like Shopify and Woocommerce have ready-made plugins, so you only need to activate it. 

4. How many cryptos do they support?

Most gateways support more than one crypto. They also auto-convert payments into stablecoins (like USDT or USDC) or even fiat currencies (like USD, EUR). So, you will be safe from volatility risk. 

Other Articles You Should Read

The Best Payment Gateways on Telegram 

How to Sell Digital Products on Telegram

Make Money with Telegram Bots