For Indian e-commerce businesses, picking a payment gateway comes down to reliability, local payment method support, and cost. Here's how the three biggest options actually compare.
Razorpay: best for most Indian businesses
Founded in Bangalore in 2014, Razorpay was built specifically for India's payments ecosystem.
- Fees: 2% standard MDR on domestic cards and UPI, no setup or annual fees, 3% on international cards
- Payment methods: UPI, cards, net banking (50+ banks), wallets, EMI, Pay Later/BNPL
- Settlement: T+2 days (instant available at a 1.5% premium)
- Integrations: Official Shopify app, official WooCommerce plugin, clean REST API for custom sites
Razorpay's dashboard is modern and genuinely useful: refunds, analytics, subscriptions, and payment links all in one place. Onboarding usually completes in 1–2 business days. The main limitation is narrower international currency coverage than competitors.
PayU: best for high-volume and enterprise
Operating since 2011, PayU handles large transaction volumes across India.
- Fees: 2% standard MDR on cards, lower on UPI, volume-based pricing above ₹50 lakh/month
- Payment methods: UPI, domestic and international cards, net banking (100+ banks), wallets, EMI, BNPL
- Settlement: T+2 days
- Integrations: Third-party Shopify apps, official WooCommerce plugin, REST API
PayU is reliable at scale and has stronger international payment capabilities, useful for businesses with NRI customers. The interface feels dated next to Razorpay, and onboarding and support are slower for smaller merchants.
CCAvenue: best for large enterprises with complex needs
Established in 2001, CCAvenue has deep penetration in government portals, large retailers, and travel companies.
- Fees: 2% standard MDR (negotiable at volume), ₹1,200–₹2,400 annual maintenance, setup fees on some plans
- Payment methods: 200+ options, the broadest available, across UPI, cards, wallets, net banking, and multi-bank EMI
- Settlement: T+2 days
- Integrations: Shopify and WooCommerce plugins, more complex API for custom builds
CCAvenue's 200+ payment options are genuinely unmatched, which matters for government-adjacent or compliance-heavy businesses. But integration is more complex, the checkout looks dated, and annual fees make it a poor fit for startups and small businesses.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Razorpay | PayU | CCAvenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard MDR | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Setup/annual fee | None | Varies | ₹1,200–₹2,400/yr |
| UPI support | Excellent | Excellent | Good |
| International payments | Good | Better | Best |
| Shopify integration | Official app | Third-party | Plugin |
| WooCommerce integration | Official plugin | Official plugin | Plugin |
| Dashboard quality | Modern | Average | Dated |
| Onboarding speed | 1–2 days | 3–5 days | 5–7 days |
| Best for | SMBs, startups | High-volume merchants | Enterprises |
Our take
Choose Razorpay if you're a startup, SMB, or D2C brand on Shopify or WooCommerce that wants a smooth setup and a modern dashboard. Choose PayU if you process high volumes or need to negotiate rates for international INR payments. Choose CCAvenue if you're a large enterprise with government ties or specific compliance needs.
For most clients building Shopify or WooCommerce stores, we default to Razorpay: fastest setup, most reliable performance for Indian consumers, and the easiest post-launch management.