Best payment gateway with no setup fee India 2026

If your priority is **₹0 setup fee**, **₹0 annual maintenance**, easy onboarding, and good developer support, these are the strongest options in India for 2026: | Payment Gateway | Setup Fee | Annual Fee | Typical Domestic Charges | Best For | |---|---:|---:|---:|---| | | ₹0 | ₹0 | ~2% + GST | Startups, SaaS, ecommerce | | | ₹0 | Usually ₹0 setup; promotional plans available | 1.6%–1.95% on eligible plans | Growing businesses with UPI-heavy transactions | | | ₹0 (on many plans) | Varies by plan | Around industry-standard rates | Ecommerce and subscription businesses | | | ₹0 | ₹0 on standard onboarding | Custom pricing | Businesses with strong UPI volume | ### Best Overall: Razorpay currently advertises **zero setup fees and zero AMC**, with a pay-as-you-go model. You only pay when a transaction succeeds. Their standard pricing is around 2% + GST for most payment methods. **Why it wins for most businesses:** - Fast onboarding - Strong API/documentation - UPI, cards, wallets, net banking - Payment links and subscriptions - No fixed annual costs ### Lowest Transaction Cost: Cashfree is running promotional pricing as low as **1.6%** for eligible new merchants, compared with its standard 1.95% rate. Good choice if: - You process significant UPI volume - You want lower MDR/TDR - You expect to scale beyond a few lakhs per month ### What Founders Commonly Recommend Recent discussions among Indian founders frequently mention **Razorpay** and **Cashfree** as the main contenders. Many early-stage startups prefer Razorpay because there are no setup charges or monthly commitments, while Cashfree is often chosen for lower transaction pricing. ### My Recommendation by Business Type - **New startup / freelancer / agency:** → - **Ecommerce doing ₹5L–₹1Cr/month:** → - **Subscription SaaS:** → - **UPI-heavy business:** → or If you tell me: 1. Website platform (WordPress, Shopify, custom app, etc.) 2. Expected monthly revenue 3. Domestic only or international payments too I can narrow it down to the single best gateway for your situation.

Several top payment gateways in India offer **zero setup fees** and **zero Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC)**. Instead, they operate on a pay-as-you-go model, charging a small percentage per successful transaction (Transaction Delivery Rate or TDR). The best options feature no setup fees, along with their fee structures and ideal use cases. --- ## 1. Razorpay Razorpay remains the gold standard for startups, e-commerce, and direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands due to its high reliability and robust developer API. * **Setup Fee / AMC:** ₹0 * **Domestic Transaction Fee:** Flat **2%** per successful transaction (UPI and RuPay debit cards are usually 0%). * **International / Amex / EMI:** 3% * **Best For:** Growing businesses that need high payment success rates (around 93%+ due to smart routing), automated payouts, and clean website/app integration. ## 2. PhonePe Payment Gateway PhonePe has aggressively captured market share by heavily leveraging its massive UPI ecosystem to offer incredibly competitive pricing. * **Setup Fee / AMC:** ₹0 * **Domestic Transaction Fee:** Standard plan is generally **free** for basic UPI/RuPay usage, with competitive rates (~1.99%) for standard instruments. * **Best For:** Small to mid-sized businesses looking for a highly trusted, zero-fixed-cost gateway that integrates natively with the PhonePe app ecosystem. ## 3. Cashfree Payments Cashfree is well-known for fast settlement cycles and specialized tools for split payments, e-commerce refunds, and subscription billing. * **Setup Fee / AMC:** ₹0 * **Domestic Transaction Fee:** Starts around **1.95% to 2%** depending on the specific payment instrument. * **Best For:** E-commerce stores and subscription models requiring fast payouts (instant or T+1) and specialized features like "Instant Refunds." ## 4. PayU India An enterprise-grade operator that is highly stable, trusted by major corporate brands, and accessible to newer businesses with zero upfront cost. * **Setup Fee / AMC:** ₹0 (for the standard PayU India plan; note that their "PayUBiz" enterprise plan carries fees). * **Domestic Transaction Fee:** **2%** across standard credit cards, debit cards, net banking, and wallets. * **Best For:** E-commerce stores looking for deep banking integrations and the option to upgrade to "Priority Settlements" to keep cash flowing. ## 5. Instamojo Instamojo is built specifically for absolute beginners, micro-merchants, freelancers, and creators who don't necessarily have a fully built website. * **Setup Fee / AMC:** ₹0 (Lite Plan) * **Domestic Transaction Fee:** **2% + ₹3** per successful transaction. * **Best For:** Solopreneurs who want to accept payments via simple links or WhatsApp, or who want to use Instamojo’s built-in, no-code online store platform. --- ## Summary Comparison | Payment Gateway | Standard Domestic TDR | Key Advantage | Best For | |:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- | | **Razorpay** | 2% | Highest transaction success rates & best API | Startups & D2C Brands | | **PhonePe PG** | Highly Competitive / 0% Tiered | Native tie-in to PhonePe UPI ecosystem | Budget-conscious SMBs | | **Cashfree** | 1.95% – 2% | Fast automated payouts & split payments | High-volume E-commerce | | **PayU** | 2% | Deep bank integrations & high stability | Scalable Online Retailers | | **Instamojo** | 2% + ₹3 | No website needed; link-based payments | Freelancers & Creators | > ⚠️ **Note on Taxes:** All transaction fees quoted by Indian payment gateways are subject to an additional **18% GST**. For instance, a 2% TDR effectively becomes 2.36% after GST. What kind of business or website are you integrating this gateway into? Knowing your expected monthly transaction volume can help narrow down the most cost-effective choice.

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**?