Best payment gateway with no setup fee India 2026

If your main requirement is **₹0 setup fee**, several leading Indian payment gateways qualify in 2026. The differences are in transaction fees, settlement speed, features, and ease of integration—not setup cost. | Payment Gateway | Setup Fee | Typical Domestic Fee | Best For | |---|---:|---:|---| | Razorpay | ₹0 | ~2% | Startups, SaaS, e-commerce | | Cashfree Payments | ₹0 | ~1.6–1.95% (offers vary) | Fast settlements, payouts | | PayU | ₹0 | ~2% | Established businesses, EMI support | | Instamojo | ₹0 | Around 2% + fixed fee on some plans | Small businesses, creators | *Transaction charges vary by payment method, business category, and negotiated pricing. GST applies where applicable. ### Best choice by use case - **Best overall:** Razorpay - Excellent APIs and documentation - High payment success rates - Supports UPI, cards, wallets, net banking, subscriptions, and payment links - No setup or annual maintenance fee. - **Lowest pricing (for many SMBs):** Cashfree Payments - Promotional pricing can start around **1.6–1.95%** - Faster settlement options - Strong payouts and bulk disbursements. - **Best for EMI-heavy businesses:** PayU - Wide EMI and BNPL support - Simple pay-as-you-go pricing - No setup fee. - **Best for beginners:** Instamojo - Easy onboarding - Good for freelancers, creators, and small online stores - Simple payment links and store creation. ### Recommendation - **Startup or e-commerce website:** Razorpay - **Need the lowest transaction cost:** Cashfree Payments - **Freelancer or small business:** Instamojo - **Large online store with EMI needs:** PayU If you tell me **what you're building** (Shopify, WooCommerce, custom website, mobile app, SaaS, or subscription business), I can recommend the most cost-effective gateway for your specific use case.

The term **"zero setup fee"** applies to almost every major payment gateway in India, as the industry standard has shifted to a pay-as-you-go model. However, the hidden catch is usually the **Annual Maintenance Charge (AMC)** or **lower success rates on cheaper plans**. The top payment gateways in India that offer **₹0 Setup Fee** and **₹0 AMC**, along with how they compare, are outlined below: --- ## 1. Top Payment Gateways (Zero Setup & Zero Maintenance) | Payment Gateway | Setup Fee | Annual Maintenance (AMC) | Transaction Fee (TDR) | Key Advantage | |:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- | | **Razorpay** | **₹0** | **₹0** | ~2% + GST (Standard) | Industry-best conversion rates, top-tier developer docs, easy integration. | | **PhonePe PG** | **₹0** | **₹0** | Free / Discounted (T&Cs apply) | Great for UPI-heavy transactions and mobile-first checkouts. | | **PayU** | **₹0** | **₹0** (Standard tier) | ~1.99% – 2% + GST | Strong cross-border/international capabilities and smart routing. | | **MobiKwik (Zaakpay)** | **₹0** | **₹0** | ~1.85% (0% on 1st ₹5L GMV) | Startup-friendly introductory offer for lower early-stage costs. | > ⚠️ **Watch Out for Cashfree:** While Cashfree advertises zero setup fee and slightly lower transaction fees (1.6%–1.95%), they charge a **₹4,999/year AMC**. Unless processing high volumes (>₹5 Lakhs/month), that fixed AMC will negate any transaction fee savings. --- ## 2. Key Things to Keep in Mind 1. **UPI Rules:** Under NPCI guidelines, standard UPI transactions on consumer apps generally carry **0% MDR** (though platforms may charge minor processing or service platform fees depending on credit-card-on-UPI or payment link usage). 2. **GST Addition:** Always add **18% GST** on top of the transaction fee. A 2% TDR effectively means paying **2.36%** total. 3. **Success Rate over Rate Deltas:** Choosing a gateway with a 0.2% lower rate but a 5% lower payment success rate will cost significantly more in lost sales than you save on processing fees. --- ### Which one should you pick? * **For High Conversion & Developer Experience:** Go with **Razorpay**. It is the easiest to set up, highly reliable, and carries true zero fixed cost. * **For Mostly UPI Customers:** Consider **PhonePe Payment Gateway**. * **For Bootstrap Startups (under ₹5L sales):** Check out **Zaakpay** to leverage their introductory 0% MDR offer. To help narrow this down to the single best option, what type of business are you running (e.g., D2C store, SaaS, digital products) and what is your expected monthly sales volume?

Based on data for 2026, the best payment gateways in India with no setup fees or annual maintenance charges (AMC) operate on a pay-as-you-use model, typically charging around 2% per transaction, excluding GST. Here are the top options: - **:** Considered a top choice in 2026 due to high success rates, supporting over 100 payment methods (UPI, Cards, Wallets, Netbanking) with 0% setup fees. It is especially recommended for startups and SaaS businesses looking for a robust API and subscription management. - **:** Offers free onboarding and no annual fees, supporting 150+ payment modes. It is highly suited for e-commerce, offering a good checkout experience and supporting international payments. - **:** Known for specialized features like instant refunds and no setup fee, making it ideal for fast-paced businesses. It features 0% fees on UPI and RuPay transactions in some plans. - **:** A strong alternative with a competitive, low flat transaction rate of roughly 1.75% for domestic transactions and zero setup/annual fees. - **:** Offers a 0% setup fee model, highly praised for its easy integration with websites (like WooCommerce) and high-quality API for developers. **Key 2026 Considerations:** - **Transaction Fee:** Typically ~2% + 18% GST (e.g., 2% * 1.18 = 2.36% effective rate). - **UPI:** Often cheaper or free (0% fee) compared to credit cards. - **International:** Fees for international cards are generally higher, around 3% to 3.5%. To help narrow this down further, are you looking for a **plug-and-play solution** (like WooCommerce) or a **custom-coded platform**?