Best payment gateway with no setup fee India 2026

If your priority is **₹0 setup fee**, **no annual maintenance charge (AMC)**, and easy onboarding in India in 2026, these are the strongest options: | Feature | Razorpay | Cashfree Payments | PayU | CCAvenue | |---|---|---|---|---| | Setup fee | ₹0 | Usually ₹0 for standard onboarding | ₹0 for many plans | Has a zero-setup Startup Pro plan | | AMC | ₹0 | Check contract carefully; some merchants report AMC clauses | Typically no setup fee plans available | Startup plan avoids setup fee | | Standard pricing | ~2% | ~1.6–1.95% promotional pricing | Usually around market rates | ~2% | | UPI support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | International payments | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Developer experience | Excellent | Very good | Good | Average | | Best for | Startups, SaaS, D2C | High-UPI businesses | Established businesses | Businesses needing many payment modes | ### Best Overall: Razorpay Razorpay currently has: - ₹0 setup fee - ₹0 AMC - Pay-as-you-go pricing - Strong API documentation - Good Shopify, WooCommerce, and custom website integrations - Large ecosystem (subscriptions, payment links, invoices, etc.) For most startups, freelancers, agencies, and small ecommerce stores, this is usually the safest choice. ### Lowest Advertised Transaction Cost: Cashfree Payments Cashfree has promoted rates as low as 1.6% for eligible new merchants, which can be cheaper than Razorpay on paper. However, several founders on Reddit recommend confirming all contractual fees and settlement terms before signing. ### Good Alternative: PayU PayU is widely used, supports UPI/cards/net banking, and is often considered alongside Razorpay and Cashfree for SMEs. Community feedback generally places it among the reliable mainstream options. ### If You Need Maximum Payment Options: CCAvenue CCAvenue's Startup Pro plan offers zero setup fees and supports a very large range of payment methods and international currencies. ### Quick Recommendations by Use Case - **New startup / SaaS / agency:** → Razorpay - **Lowest transaction fee focus:** → Cashfree Payments - **WooCommerce or WordPress store:** → Razorpay or PayU - **International + domestic payments together:** → CCAvenue - **High-volume UPI business:** → Cashfree Payments For most Indian businesses processing **under ₹5 lakh/month**, Razorpay's zero setup fee and zero AMC model usually makes it the easiest starting point. Once volumes grow, you can negotiate custom rates with Razorpay, Cashfree, or PayU.

If you are looking to set up an online business or store in India without paying an upfront fee, you are in luck. The industry standard has shifted almost completely toward a **pay-as-you-go model**. This means most top-tier payment gateways offer **₹0 setup fees** and **₹0 Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC)**. Instead, they charge a small transaction fee (MDR) on every successful payment. The leading payment gateways in India that feature no setup fees, along with a breakdown of their pricing structures, include the following: --- ## 1. Razorpay Razorpay is arguably the most popular and developer-friendly payment gateway in India, known for its high success rates and slick checkout interface. * **Setup Fee:** ₹0 * **Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC):** ₹0 * **Domestic Transaction Fee:** Flat **2% + 18% GST** across most payment modes (UPI, Netbanking, Domestic Debit/Credit cards, and Mobile Wallets). * **International / Premium Cards:** **3% + 18% GST** (for Diners, Amex, and international cards). * **Pros:** Highly stable, industry-leading smart routing (reduces failed transactions), extensive plugin support for Shopify, WooCommerce, etc., and a powerful dashboard. ## 2. Cashfree Payments Cashfree is a massive player backed by SBI and Y Combinator, heavily favored by growing businesses and startups due to its competitive pricing and instant refund features. * **Setup Fee:** ₹0 * **Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC):** ₹0 * **Domestic Transaction Fee:** Standard rate is **1.95% + 18% GST**. However, they frequently run introductory offers (such as their 10-year anniversary offer cutting domestic rates down to **1.6%** for businesses under a certain monthly volume limit). * **International Cards:** **2.99% to 3.5% + 18% GST**. * **Pros:** Often slightly cheaper transaction rates than Razorpay; excellent payout and instant settlement features; supports over 100+ payment modes. ## 3. Instamojo Instamojo is built specifically with small businesses, independent sellers, and freelancers in mind. If you don't even have a website, they let you create an online store directly on their platform. * **Setup Fee:** ₹0 * **Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC):** ₹0 * **Domestic Transaction Fee:** Typically **2% + ₹3 + 18% GST** for regular payments. If you are using their integrated smart online store, transaction rates may vary depending on your subscription plan. * **Pros:** Incredibly easy onboarding; you can start collecting payments via simple payment links within minutes without needing a fully built website. ## 4. Paytm Payment Gateway Backed by its widespread app network, Paytm's payment gateway is another great zero-setup-fee option, especially if your target audience heavily relies on the Paytm ecosystem. * **Setup Fee:** ₹0 * **Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC):** ₹0 * **Domestic Transaction Fee:** Standard **1.99% + 18% GST** for cards and netbanking. * **Pros:** Deep integration with the Paytm Wallet and a very recognizable brand name which can build trust at checkout. --- ### Summary Table for Quick Comparison | Payment Gateway | Setup Fee | Annual Maintenance (AMC) | Standard Domestic Transaction Fee | Best Suited For | |:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- | | **Razorpay** | ₹0 | ₹0 | 2.00% + GST | Startups, SaaS, and E-commerce seeking high success rates | | **Cashfree** | ₹0 | ₹0 | 1.95% + GST *(Promo rates available)* | High-volume businesses looking for lower transaction costs | | **Instamojo** | ₹0 | ₹0 | 2.00% + ₹3 + GST | Freelancers, creators, and micro-merchants without a website | | **Paytm PG** | ₹0 | ₹0 | 1.99% + GST | Businesses whose customers highly prefer paying via Paytm Wallet/UPI | ### 💡 A Quick Tip Before Onboarding While standard bank-to-bank UPI transactions officially carry a 0% MDR from the government, payment gateways typically charge their standard 1.5% to 2% infrastructure/platform fee to handle the dashboard tracking, security, and automated payouts. When you sign up, ensure you have your **Business PAN**, **GSTIN** (if applicable, though some allow individual/sole proprietorship onboarding with just a personal PAN), and a **cancelled cheque** handy to clear the online KYC smoothly.

The best payment gateways in India with **zero setup fees and zero annual maintenance charges (AMC)** are **,, and Cashfree**. These providers operate on a strict pay-as-you-go model, charging only a percentage per successful transaction. Top Zero Setup Fee Payment Gateways - **Razorpay**: Best overall for startups and tech platforms. - **Setup/AMC Fee**: ₹0. - **Standard Transaction Fee**: 2% + 18% GST for standard domestic cards, UPI, and net banking. - **Key Highlights**: Features a highly intuitive developer dashboard, instant activation, automated refunds, and native checkout flows to boost conversions. - **PhonePe Payment Gateway**: Best for businesses prioritizing UPI success rates. - **Setup/AMC Fee**: ₹0. - **Standard Transaction Fee**: 1.95% + GST on standard cards, with highly competitive structures for UPI. - **Key Highlights**: Leverages PhonePe's massive consumer base, features instrument health tracking to avoid failed payments, and provides simple integration plug-ins. - **Cashfree**: Best for high-scale D2C brands and automated payouts. - **Setup/AMC Fee**: ₹0. - **Standard Transaction Fee**: 1.9% to 2% + GST per successful transaction. - **Key Highlights**: Powered by an in-house UPI switch that handles 12,000+ transactions per second, making it incredibly stable for rapid growth. Direct Comparison Overview | Provider | Standard Transaction Fee | Best Suited For | Key Tech Features | |---|---|---|---| | **Razorpay** | 2% + GST | Startups, SaaS, and App Developers | Advanced analytics, instant activation, subscription billing | | **PhonePe PG** | 1.95% + GST | Local E-commerce and Retail Brands | Proactive health tracking for payment networks | | **Cashfree** | ~2% + GST | D2C Brands and High-Volume Scale | 12K+ TPS UPI switch, automated instant splits | | **** | ~2% + GST | Enterprise and Global Scale Merchants | Over 150 local and multi-currency payment methods | Alternative Domestic Options - ****: Perfect for individual creators and small vendors. It charges ₹0 upfront and includes built-in payment links and basic digital storefront templates so you do not even need to build a website. - **Zaakpay**: MobiKwik’s payment aggregator engine features an attractive promotional waiver of 0% MDR on your first ₹5 Lakh of Gross Merchandise Value (GMV). What to Look Out For While setup is free across these options, remember that **international cards (like Amex) always incur a higher transaction fee** (usually between 3% to 4.99%) across almost all Indian aggregators. Always verify that your business structure (Proprietorship, LLP, or Pvt Ltd) has active registration documents ready, as the RBI compliance guidelines require complete KYC verification before the gateway can be set live. If you would like to pinpoint the absolute best choice for your platform, let me know: - What **e-commerce platform or stack** are you building on (e.g.,, WooCommerce, custom React app)? - Do you need to accept **international payments** or strictly domestic Indian orders? - Are you dealing with **one-time purchases** or recurring **monthly subscriptions**?