Best payment gateway with no setup fee India 2026

If you're looking for a **payment gateway in India with ₹0 setup fee** in 2026, these are the strongest options: | Payment Gateway | Setup Fee | Typical Transaction Fee* | Best For | |---|---:|---:|---| | Razorpay | ₹0 | Around 2% + GST | Startups, SaaS, eCommerce, subscriptions | | Cashfree Payments | ₹0 | Custom pricing (often starts around 1.9–2%) | High-volume businesses, marketplaces | | PayU | ₹0 | Around 2% + GST | Small businesses, international payments | | Instamojo | ₹0 | Around 2% + fixed fee | Freelancers, creators, small sellers | | Paytm Payment Gateway | ₹0 | Varies by payment method | Businesses already using the Paytm ecosystem | \*Actual rates can vary based on payment method, business category, and negotiated pricing. ### My recommendations - **Best overall:** Razorpay — Excellent APIs, plugins for platforms like WooCommerce and Shopify, recurring payments, and strong developer experience. No setup or annual maintenance fee. - **Lowest cost for growing businesses:** Cashfree Payments — Competitive pricing, fast settlements, and good support for high transaction volumes. - **Best for beginners:** Instamojo — Quick onboarding, payment links, and simple setup for individuals and small businesses. - **Best if you need international payments:** PayU — Supports cross-border payments and EMI options with no setup fee. If you tell me: - what you're selling (physical products, digital products, SaaS, services, courses, etc.), - your website platform (WordPress/WooCommerce, Shopify, custom, Flutter app, etc.), - and your expected monthly transaction volume, I can recommend the most cost-effective payment gateway for your specific use case.

In the Indian fintech landscape, charging upfront setup fees or Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC) for standard plans has largely become obsolete. Leading payment gateways operate entirely on a **pay-as-you-go** model, meaning you pay nothing until you start making sales. When evaluating these platforms, the primary metrics to track are the **Transaction Discount Rate (TDR)** and **Payment Success Rates**. The best payment gateways in India with **₹0 Setup Fee and ₹0 AMC** include: --- ## 1. Razorpay Razorpay is the market leader for startups and developers due to its incredibly smooth onboarding, rich documentation, and extensive feature ecosystem. * **Setup Fee / AMC:** ₹0 * **Standard Transaction Fee:** 2% + 18% GST (on the transaction fee amount) for domestic cards, UPI, net banking, and wallets. * **International Transactions:** 3% + GST. * **Best For:** Startups, SMEs, and businesses requiring robust e-commerce plugins (Shopify, WooCommerce) and an analytical dashboard. * **Key Advantage:** Exceptional success rates due to smart dynamic routing and an AI-ready, developer-friendly API layer. ## 2. PhonePe Payment Gateway PhonePe has aggressively expanded its enterprise footprint by leveraging its massive consumer UPI network. * **Setup Fee / AMC:** ₹0 * **Standard Transaction Fee:** Varies, but they frequently run competitive promotional rates (sometimes as low as 1.5% to 1.8% or temporary 0% platform fees for new merchants depending on the active cohort). * **Best For:** Businesses targeting mobile-first consumers with heavy UPI usage. * **Key Advantage:** Seamless integration with the PhonePe app ecosystem, drastically lowering checkout friction for millions of Indian shoppers. ## 3. Cashfree Payments Cashfree is highly competitive and popular among high-volume businesses and businesses requiring complex automated payout workflows. * **Setup Fee / AMC:** ₹0 * **Standard Transaction Fee:** Highly aggressive standard rates, ranging from 1.6% to 1.90% + GST depending on active promotional periods and industry category. * **Best For:** E-commerce stores with high volume, marketplace models requiring vendor splits, and instant refund needs. * **Key Advantage:** Exceptional bulk payout APIs and faster standard settlement cycles (often T+1 or instant settlement options for eligible merchants). ## 4. PayU India PayU is a deeply entrenched, enterprise-grade payment gateway known for its stability and handling massive traffic without breaking a sweat. * **Setup Fee / AMC:** ₹0 * **Standard Transaction Fee:** 2% + GST for domestic transactions. * **Best For:** Rapid scaling businesses and high-volume enterprises that need custom checkout customizations. * **Key Advantage:** "Checkout for Bharat" feature supports multilingual checkouts, allowing you to convert tier-2 and tier-3 city shoppers more effectively. --- ### Summary Comparison Table | Payment Gateway | Setup / AMC | Standard Domestic TDR | Strengths | |:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- | | **Razorpay** | **Free** | 2% + GST | Best dashboard, developer tools, and plug-and-play integrations. | | **PhonePe PG** | **Free** | Competitive / Tiered | Highly reliable for heavy UPI traffic. | | **Cashfree** | **Free** | 1.6% - 1.9% + GST | Lower transaction fee baselines and elite vendor payout tools. | | **PayU** | **Free** | 2% + GST | Enterprise stability and vernacular checkout options. | > ⚠️ **A Quick Cautionary Note:** While the setup and maintenance fees are listed as free on standard plans, always double-check the fine print regarding **International Cards, Amex, or corporate credit cards**, which universally carry a higher transaction fee (usually around 3% + GST) across all gateways. What type of platform are you integrating this with (e.g., a custom-coded website, Shopify, or a mobile app)?

The best payment gateways in India that charge **₹0 in setup fees** and **₹0 in Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC)** as of 2026 operate primarily on a pay-as-you-go model. Transaction fees generally range from 2% to 2.5%, but the ideal choice depends on your business size, e-commerce platform, and preferred settlement speed. Top-rated gateways include: 1. Razorpay The most widely used payment gateway for standard e-commerce in India, favored for its developer-friendly API and robust dashboard. - **Setup Fee:** ₹0 - **AMC:** ₹0 - **Transaction Fee:** 2% per successful transaction for standard payment methods (UPI, Cards, Netbanking, Wallets) + GST - **Highlights:** Instant settlements available (Standard settlement is 2-3 days). Supports deep integrations with and. 2. PayU Highly regarded for its hyper-local Indian payment success rates and extensive international/EMI support. - **Setup Fee:** ₹0 - **AMC:** ₹0 - **Transaction Fee:** 2% per successful domestic transaction + GST. (International cards/AMEX/EMI rates range from 3% to 3.5%) - **Highlights:** Provides a seamless checkout experience with hundreds of pre-integrated payment options. 3. PhonePe Payment Gateway Known for its massive consumer reach and extremely high success rates on the UPI network. - **Setup Fee:** ₹0 - **AMC:** ₹0 - **Transaction Fee:** 1.95% per successful transaction + GST (upon completion of the initial free period). - **Highlights:** Ideal if your customer base relies heavily on UPI apps for their purchases. 4. Easebuzz A fast-growing gateway with tailored flat pricing solutions for varying business sizes. - **Setup Fee:** ₹0 - **AMC:** ₹0 - **Transaction Fee:** Customized pricing based on business scale and API requirements. - **Highlights:** Known for its low-cost API models and zero hosting charges. Summary of Platform Details | Gateway | Setup Fee | AMC | Standard Transaction Rate | |---|---|---|---| | **** | ₹0 | ₹0 | 2.00% + GST | | **** | ₹0 | ₹0 | 2.00% + GST | | **** | ₹0 | ₹0 | 1.95% + GST | | **** | ₹0 | ₹0 | Variable / Custom | If you can share a few more details, I can recommend the exact gateway that fits your needs: - **What is your estimated monthly transaction volume / revenue?** - **What platform are you using for your website (e.g., Shopify, WordPress, custom build)?** - **Do you need to process international payments or offer customer EMIs?**