2Checkout is an online payment platform, now owned by Verifone, that lets businesses accept payments from customers in over 200 countries and territories. What sets it apart from a standard payment gateway is its merchant-of-record model: on its higher-tier plans, 2Checkout takes on legal responsibility for processing transactions, handling sales tax collection, managing chargebacks, and staying compliant with financial regulations in each country where your customers live.
How 2Checkout Works
At its core, 2Checkout sits between your online store and your customers’ payment methods. When a buyer checks out, 2Checkout processes the transaction, handles currency conversion if needed, and deposits your earnings into your account. It supports over 45 payment methods and 100 billing currencies, covering credit cards, digital wallets like PayPal and Apple Pay, and region-specific options like Alipay in China, iDEAL in the Netherlands, and Boleto/Pix in Brazil.
You can integrate 2Checkout into your site in several ways: a hosted checkout page that lives on 2Checkout’s servers, an inline cart that keeps buyers on your site, or direct API integration for full customization. There are also pre-built plugins for popular e-commerce platforms, which means you don’t necessarily need a developer to get started.
The Merchant-of-Record Model
This is the feature that most clearly separates 2Checkout from basic payment gateways like Stripe or a standalone credit card processor. A standard payment gateway handles the technical side of moving money, but you remain legally responsible for tax compliance, chargebacks, refund processing, data privacy rules, and financial regulations in every market you sell into. That burden grows fast when you’re selling internationally.
As a merchant of record, 2Checkout assumes those obligations for you. It collects and remits sales taxes and VAT to the appropriate authorities, manages chargeback disputes, handles refund requests, processes currency conversions, and maintains compliance with consumer protection regulations and security standards like PCI DSS. Your business still sets prices and fulfills orders, but the financial and regulatory complexity of global sales shifts to 2Checkout. This model is available on the higher-tier plans, not the entry-level option.
Three Pricing Tiers
2Checkout offers three plans, each designed for a different stage of business complexity:
- 2Sell: 3.5% + $0.35 per successful sale. This is the basic plan for businesses that need payment processing and checkout tools. It supports subscriptions with automatic billing and account-updater services that retry failed cards to reduce lost revenue. On this tier, you are still the merchant of record.
- 2Subscribe: 4.5% + $0.45 per successful sale. Built for subscription-based businesses, this plan adds more robust recurring billing management, subscription analytics, and tools for handling upgrades, downgrades, and renewals.
- 2Monetize: Custom pricing. This is the full merchant-of-record plan, where 2Checkout takes on tax compliance, chargeback management, and global regulatory responsibility. It’s geared toward fast-growing companies selling internationally, particularly software and SaaS businesses.
On all plans, an additional 2% fee applies when processing payments from shoppers located outside your home country. Certain localized payment methods, like Boleto Bancario in Brazil, carry separate pricing that varies by method.
Who 2Checkout Is Built For
The platform is optimized primarily for digital goods and software. SaaS companies, online service providers, and software publishers make up its core user base, largely because these businesses sell globally, rely on recurring subscriptions, and benefit most from having someone else handle cross-border tax obligations. The platform supports both B2B and B2C sales models.
That said, 2Checkout also supports physical product sales. The 2Sell plan, for instance, can handle one-time purchases and subscription-based physical product deliveries. It’s not a fulfillment platform (you still manage shipping and inventory), but it handles the payment and billing side for tangible goods. Companies selling a mix of digital and physical products can run both through a single 2Checkout account.
Global Reach and Payment Methods
2Checkout covers over 200 countries and territories, which is broader than many competing platforms. The 45-plus supported payment methods go well beyond Visa and Mastercard. Buyers can pay with digital wallets (PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, WeChat Pay), direct bank transfers (SEPA direct debit in parts of Europe, ACH/eCheck in the U.S.), and dozens of localized options like KakaoPay in South Korea, RuPay in India, and UnionPay in China.
This matters because conversion rates drop significantly when buyers can’t pay with their preferred method. A customer in Germany who expects to use SEPA direct debit, or a shopper in China accustomed to Alipay, may abandon their cart if those options aren’t available. 2Checkout’s breadth of payment methods is designed to reduce that friction.
2Checkout and Verifone
2Checkout is now a Verifone product. Verifone, the company best known for the credit card terminals you see at retail checkout counters, acquired 2Checkout and folded it into its “Global eCommerce” division. The 2Checkout brand and platform continue to operate under their original name, with their own merchant control panel, API, and documentation. For practical purposes, nothing changed for existing users after the acquisition. The platform’s documentation, integrations, and support all still carry the 2Checkout name, though the copyright belongs to Verifone Inc.
How Payouts Work
2Checkout collects payments from your customers, deducts its fees, and sends you the remainder on a regular payout schedule. You manage payouts, reporting, and product setup through the 2Checkout Merchant Control Panel, a web-based dashboard where you can track sales, view transaction details, configure webhooks for real-time notifications, and set up your product catalog. The dashboard also provides subscription analytics for businesses on the 2Subscribe or 2Monetize plans, giving you visibility into churn rates, renewal performance, and recurring revenue trends.