Best payment gateway with no setup fee India 2026

If your priority is **₹0 setup fee** and low upfront cost in India in 2026, these are the strongest options: | Payment Gateway | Setup Fee | Annual Fee | Typical Domestic Charges | Best For | |---|---:|---:|---:|---| | **Razorpay** | ₹0 | ₹0 | Around 2% per successful transaction | Startups, SaaS, e-commerce, developers | | **Cashfree Payments** | ₹0 | ₹0 | Standard around 1.95%; promotional offers may be lower for eligible new merchants | High-volume businesses, fast settlements | | **PayU** | ₹0 | ₹0 | Around 2% domestic transactions | Small businesses, international payments | | **Paytm Payment Gateway** | ₹0 | ₹0 | Varies by payment method | Businesses already using the Paytm ecosystem | | **Instamojo** | ₹0 | Usually ₹0 for basic plans | Pay-per-transaction | Freelancers, creators, small sellers | ### My recommendations by use case - **Best overall:** Razorpay - Excellent APIs and documentation - Supports UPI, cards, wallets, EMI, subscriptions - No setup or annual fee - Widely used by Indian startups - **Lowest effective pricing (for higher volumes):** Cashfree Payments - Competitive transaction rates - Fast settlements - Strong support for international payments - Promotional pricing may be available for eligible new merchants. - **Best for beginners:** PayU - Easy onboarding - No setup fee - Supports domestic and international payments - **Best for freelancers or selling without a website:** Instamojo - Payment links - Simple onboarding - No coding required ### Which one should you choose? - **E-commerce website (WooCommerce, Shopify, custom site):** Razorpay or Cashfree. - **SaaS with subscriptions:** Razorpay. - **High monthly volume (₹10 lakh+):** Cashfree—it's worth negotiating custom pricing. - **Freelancer or consultant:** Instamojo or Razorpay Payment Links. - **Need international payments:** Cashfree or PayU. If you tell me: - your business type (e-commerce, SaaS, services, coaching, etc.), - expected monthly transaction volume, and - whether you need international payments, I can recommend the most cost-effective gateway for your specific case.

In 2026, the standard for top-tier payment gateways in India is **Zero Setup Fees** and **Zero Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC)** for their basic/standard plans. They operate entirely on a pay-as-you-go model through a Transaction Discount Rate (TDR / MDR). The best payment gateways in India with no setup fees, evaluated by their features, integration ease, and reliability: --- ### 1. Razorpay The market leader in India, known for having the most robust developer tools and high payment success rates. * **Setup Fee:** ₹0 * **Annual Maintenance Fee (AMC):** ₹0 * **Transaction Fee (TDR):** Flat **2%** for standard domestic payments (UPI, Net Banking, Debit/Credit Cards). **3%** for international cards, Diners Club, and Amex. *(All subject to +18% GST)*. * **Best For:** Startups, SaaS, and E-commerce platforms that want a seamless, highly customizable checkout experience and extensive plugin support (Shopify, WooCommerce). ### 2. PayU India An enterprise-grade platform that is highly scalable and supports over 150+ payment methods. * **Setup Fee:** ₹0 * **Annual Maintenance Fee (AMC):** ₹0 * **Transaction Fee (TDR):** **2%** for standard domestic transactions; **3%** for international transactions and Amex. *(+18% GST)*. * **Best For:** Growing e-commerce stores looking for reliable multi-acquirer routing and high transaction success rates. ### 3. PhonePe Payment Gateway Leverages the massive PhonePe UPI user ecosystem, making checkout incredibly frictionless for mobile users. * **Setup Fee:** ₹0 * **Annual Maintenance Fee (AMC):** ₹0 * **Transaction Fee (TDR):** Offers highly competitive custom/standard rates. Standard plans sit around **1.99% to 2%** for non-UPI modes, with aggressive promotions often providing even lower operational overhead for small businesses. *(+18% GST)*. * **Best For:** Small-to-medium businesses focused deeply on optimizing the mobile checkout and UPI flow. ### 4. Cashfree Payments Excellent for businesses that require automated payout infrastructure (like vendor splits or instant customer refunds) alongside standard collections. * **Setup Fee:** ₹0 * **Annual Maintenance Fee (AMC):** Free on basic startup plans, though enterprise tiers may have variable overhead. * **Transaction Fee (TDR):** Ranges from **1.75% to 1.95%** for standard domestic payment options. *(+18% GST)*. * **Best For:** Marketplaces, D2C brands, or platforms needing advanced payout APIs and faster settlement cycles. ### 5. Paytm Payment Gateway A highly recognized household brand name with instant onboarding features. * **Setup Fee:** ₹0 * **Annual Maintenance Fee (AMC):** ₹0 * **Transaction Fee (TDR):** **1.99%** for standard domestic payment instruments (Wallet, Net Banking, Cards). *(+18% GST)*. * **Best For:** Small retail businesses and SMBs wanting a fast, trusted brand checkout with minimal technical setup. --- ### Key Comparison | Payment Gateway | Setup / AMC Fee | Standard Domestic TDR | Key Strength | |:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- | | **Razorpay** | **₹0** | 2.00% | Best developer APIs & smart routing success rates | | **PayU** | **₹0** | 2.00% | Enterprise-grade stability & security | | **PhonePe** | **₹0** | ~1.99% | Deep UPI ecosystem integration | | **Cashfree** | **₹0** | 1.75% - 1.95% | Superior bulk payout & instant refund APIs | | **Paytm** | **₹0** | 1.99% | Trusted consumer brand, fast onboarding | > ⚠️ **A Note on Hidden Costs:** While these options don't charge anything to get started, remember that a **18% Goods and Services Tax (GST)** applies to the transaction fee itself, not the total order value. For instance, on a 2% TDR for a ₹1,000 transaction, the fee is ₹20 + ₹3.60 (GST), meaning you receive ₹976.40. What kind of business are you setting this up for (e.g., E-commerce, SaaS, or a simple custom website)?

Based on 2026 data, several payment gateways in India offer no setup fees and no annual maintenance fees (AMC) for small businesses, primarily relying on transaction-based pricing. Here are the best payment gateways with zero setup fees in India for 2026: - **Razorpay:** A top choice with a self-serve onboarding process, ready-made checkout, and payment links, suited for all business types. Its standard plan has no setup fee, with transaction charges starting from 2% per successful transaction (plus 18% GST). - **PhonePe Payment Gateway:** Offers a Standard Plan with zero setup fees, zero AMC, and no hidden charges, enabling payments via UPI, cards, and netbanking. - **Cashfree Payments:** Enables businesses to accept payments via UPI, cards, netbanking, and wallets with a single payment gateway solution. - **MobiKwik (Zaakpay):** Recommended for startups due to its 0% MDR (Merchant Discount Rate) on the first ₹5 Lakh of GMV, featuring zero setup fees and zero AMC. These platforms are popular for small businesses due to their fast, digital, and often, free onboarding. Would you like me to compare these based on specific **transaction rates**, **payout times**, or **supported payment methods** (e.g. UPI vs Credit Card)?