The Stripe Alternative for High-Risk and Shopify Merchants
Stripe is excellent until your category lands on its restricted list. Shopify Payments runs on Stripe, so the same policies that shut you down on Stripe can shut you down on Shopify. If Stripe or Shopify Payments has declined, paused or closed you, or you just want an alternative, SwissPay reviews and underwrites your business in-house; approved merchants process on PayPal rails, with vaulting for subscriptions and rebills.
A Stripe alternative is a payment provider you use instead of Stripe when Stripe declines, pauses or closes your account, or when you simply want different terms. SwissPay is a PayPal-managed payment facilitator that boards US and Canadian merchants in supported high-risk and subscription categories on PayPal rails, including nutra, telehealth, crypto and iGaming, with no PayPal account needed.
What is a Stripe alternative?
A Stripe alternative is any payment provider a merchant uses in place of Stripe, usually because Stripe declined, paused or closed the account, restricted the category, or the merchant wants different terms or a second provider. For high-risk businesses it means a provider that underwrites the category on purpose.
Merchants look for a Stripe alternative for two broad reasons. The first is that Stripe stopped working for them: an automated review flagged the category, the volume or the chargeback pattern, and payouts were frozen or the account was closed. The second is choice, wanting a provider built for subscriptions and rebills, or terms that fit a higher-risk vertical. SwissPay accepts applications in both cases and reviews each one in-house.
Why did Stripe decline or close my account?
Usually because your business falls under a restricted category in Stripe's terms of service, or an automated review flagged volume or chargeback patterns. It is rarely a judgement about your legitimacy. Stripe manages risk by declining or terminating, which is why merchants in legal but higher-risk categories often run for a while, then get cut off.
Stripe's terms rule out a long list of businesses, and enforcement is automated. Merchants in perfectly legal but higher-risk categories, such as nutra and supplements, subscription and trial offers, telehealth, crypto or iGaming, are often approved, run for a while, then have the account terminated once volume or chargeback patterns trip a review. Payouts can be paused while that plays out. For a business that depends on steady settlement, that uncertainty is the real cost, and it is the gap a specialist facilitator is built to close.
Why do merchants move to SwissPay?
Merchants leave Stripe when their category trips its restricted list and payouts freeze, or when they need a provider built for subscriptions and rebills. SwissPay reviews and underwrites the same business in-house for processing on PayPal rails, supporting nutra, subscriptions, telehealth, crypto and iGaming, with card and wallet vaulting and chargeback and PayPal dispute handling, no PayPal account needed.
Built for high-risk categories
Nutra and supplements, subscriptions and trials, telehealth and GLP-1 via a licensed pharmacy, crypto and iGaming are supported verticals, underwritten in-house up front.
No PayPal account needed
SwissPay reviews and underwrites you in-house as a PayPal-managed payment facilitator, so you take card and PayPal-wallet payments on PayPal rails without opening your own PayPal merchant account.
Built for subscriptions and rebills
Card and wallet vaulting for subscriptions, trials and rebills, with the tokenized card vault inside the PCI DSS Level 1 environment.
Chargeback and dispute handling
Real-time fraud scoring plus chargeback and PayPal dispute handling with automated evidence submission, and T+2 USD settlement to your own bank account.
Stripe vs SwissPay at a glance
Stripe is excellent until an automated review decides your category is not allowed. SwissPay is built for supported high-risk categories, underwriting each business in-house on PayPal rails, with card and wallet vaulting for subscriptions and chargeback and PayPal dispute handling with automated evidence submission on every account.
| Stripe | SwissPay | |
|---|---|---|
| High-risk categories | Restricted by terms of service | Supported verticals |
| Category review | Automated, often mid-run | Underwritten in-house up front, on PayPal rails |
| Model | Direct processor | PayPal-managed payment facilitator, no PayPal account needed |
| Subscriptions and rebills | Supported for allowed categories | Card and wallet vaulting built for subscriptions, trials and rebills |
| Settlement | Varies by country | T+2 USD to your own bank account |
| Shopify | Powers Shopify Payments, same restrictions | Shopify plugin as a third-party gateway alternative |
| Payment methods | Cards and wallets | Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, PayPal wallet, PayPal Pay Later |
Can I use SwissPay as a Stripe alternative on Shopify?
Shopify Payments is powered by Stripe, so if Stripe restricts your category, Shopify Payments usually does too. SwissPay is a Stripe and Shopify Payments alternative for US and Canadian merchants who were declined, banned or frozen, or who simply want a third-party provider. It connects through the SwissPay Shopify plugin and works alongside Shopify rather than replacing it.
Because Shopify Payments runs on Stripe, the two share the same restricted-category logic. A nutra, subscription, telehealth or crypto store that Stripe will not underwrite typically cannot use Shopify Payments either, and Shopify can hold funds or disable the checkout when a review is triggered. Shopify does support third-party payment providers alongside or instead of Shopify Payments, which is where the SwissPay Shopify plugin fits.
SwissPay serves US and Canadian Shopify merchants in two common situations. Shut out by Shopify Payments or Stripe: your application was declined, your store was banned, funds were frozen or held, or your chargeback history was flagged. Or you just want an alternative: a provider built for subscriptions and rebills, or general dissatisfaction with Shopify Payments.
SwissPay connects to Shopify through a dedicated Shopify plugin, with a WooCommerce plugin, a rich REST API and hosted checkout also available, so a Shopify store can take card and PayPal-wallet payments on PayPal rails without its own PayPal account. SwissPay boards US and Canadian merchants and customers can pay worldwide wherever PayPal is accepted.
Keep the integration quality, with your category underwritten up front
SwissPay keeps the parts teams like about Stripe (a modern REST API, a Shopify plugin, a WooCommerce plugin and hosted checkout) while adding what Stripe lacks for a merchant in a restricted category: in-house underwriting for that category, on PayPal rails, built for subscriptions and rebills, though approval is never guaranteed.
Teams that like Stripe usually like its API. SwissPay is built to keep that quality of integration while underwriting your category up front, so it is reviewed when you apply rather than after you are already processing. You apply once, SwissPay reviews and underwrites you in-house as a PayPal-managed payment facilitator, and if approved you go live with card and PayPal-wallet processing on PayPal rails, settled T+2 in USD to your own bank account. SwissPay is designed for strong approvals on PayPal rails, not to guarantee approval, so the fit still depends on a legitimate, compliant business.
How do I switch from Stripe to SwissPay?
Submit one application with your business details, vertical and website through online onboarding. SwissPay reviews and underwrites you in-house as a PayPal-managed payment facilitator, so you do not need your own PayPal account. If approved, you connect through the Shopify plugin, WooCommerce plugin, REST API or hosted checkout.
- 1Apply once
Complete the application with your business name, contact, website and vertical.
- 2SwissPay reviews and underwrites
SwissPay reviews and underwrites your business in-house, so you do not need your own PayPal account.
- 3If approved, connect and go live
Connect through the Shopify plugin, WooCommerce plugin, REST API or hosted checkout, and go live with card and PayPal-wallet payments.
- 4Settle to your bank
Settle T+2 in USD to your own bank account, with card and wallet vaulting for subscriptions and rebills. Prefer email? Reach the team at support@swisspay.ai.
Declined by Stripe or Shopify Payments, or just want an alternative?
Apply once and SwissPay reviews and underwrites your business in-house, in its supported categories, for processing on PayPal rails.
Start my applicationRelated
Frequently asked questions
Why was my Stripe account closed?
Can SwissPay support a category Stripe declined?
Is SwissPay a Stripe alternative for Shopify?
Shopify Payments declined or banned my store. What can I do?
Do I need my own PayPal account to use SwissPay?
How does SwissPay handle subscriptions and payouts?
Apply for a merchant account
Tell us about your business. One application, boarded and underwritten in-house on PayPal rails, with card and PayPal-wallet processing built for subscriptions.
- Boarded and underwritten in-house, no separate PayPal account needed
- Card and PayPal-wallet vaulting for subscriptions, trials and rebills
- PCI DSS Level 1, 3-D Secure 2 where required, and chargeback and dispute handling built in