No custody option
NOWPayments offers an optional custody balance. Payclave has none: settlement always goes to the wallet you configure.
NOWPayments alternative
A NOWPayments alternative built only for stablecoin checkout
NOWPayments is a broad crypto payment gateway with 350+ coins: customers pay a NOWPayments deposit address, and funds are forwarded to your payout wallet or kept in an optional custody balance. Payclave is narrower. It handles stablecoin checkout, verifies every payment onchain before marking it paid, and has no custody option at all.
Lower fee for stablecoins
NOWPayments lists 1% without conversion and 1.5% with conversion. Payclave charges a flat 0.7% per completed live payment.
Maintained test mode
NOWPayments notes its sandbox has not been kept in sync with production since 2025. Payclave test mode runs the full checkout and webhook flow without real funds.
Switching to Payclave
Move stablecoin checkout to Payclave in four steps.
- 1
Create test keys
Sign up, open the dashboard in test mode, and create a secret key for your server. Test mode does not move real funds.
- 2
Set a settlement wallet
Choose USDC or USDT on Polygon and add a wallet you control. Live payments settle there directly.
- 3
Create checkout sessions
From your backend, create a checkout session with the trusted amount and your order reference, then send customers to the hosted checkout URL.
- 4
Verify signed webhooks
Verify X-Payclave-Signature on each webhook and fulfill orders on invoice.paid, after Payclave has verified the payment onchain.
Payclave vs NOWPayments at a glance
Last checked October 30, 2026 against each provider's own pages. Provider terms and fees change, so confirm current details on their sites before deciding.
| Payclave | NOWPayments | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment path | Connected wallet to your settlement wallet, or a one-time Scan or copy address that routes to it | Customer pays a NOWPayments deposit address; funds are forwarded to your payout wallet |
| Custody option | None | Optional custody balance on the platform |
| What you receive | USDC or USDT on Polygon | Any supported coin, with optional auto-conversion |
| Fee | 0.7% per completed live payment, no monthly fee | 1% without conversion, 1.5% with conversion, plus network fees |
| Accepted payments | Stablecoins through supported payment routes | 350+ coins, including USDT and USDC on several networks |
| Fiat | Not offered | Off-ramp to a bank from the custody balance |
| Testing | Free test mode | Sandbox exists but, per NOWPayments, is not kept in sync with production since 2025 |
| Notifications | HMAC SHA-256 signed webhooks | IPN callbacks signed with HMAC-SHA512 |
How the payment paths differ
Both services can give customers a one-time deposit address. With NOWPayments, the address belongs to NOWPayments' gateway, which tracks the payment, deducts its fee and network costs, and forwards the rest to your payout wallet or custody balance.
With Payclave, a connected-wallet payment goes straight to your settlement wallet. Scan or copy addresses are generated for a single payment route by Payclave's payment orchestration provider and deliver the settlement token to your wallet. Either way, Payclave verifies the recipient, token, amount, and finality onchain before reporting the invoice paid.
Where NOWPayments is the stronger fit
NOWPayments fits businesses that want to accept hundreds of coins, settle in a coin of their choice, or hold funds on the platform before converting to fiat. It also has WooCommerce and WHMCS plugins.
Sources
NOWPayments facts on this page come from NOWPayments' own pricing page, help center, and API documentation.
Frequently asked questions
NOWPayments alternative: common questions.
Is NOWPayments non-custodial?
NOWPayments describes itself as non-custodial and forwards payments to your payout wallet, but customers pay a NOWPayments deposit address first, and an optional custody balance can hold funds on the platform. Payclave has no custody balance option.
How do NOWPayments and Payclave fees compare?
NOWPayments lists 1% for payments without conversion and 1.5% with auto-conversion, plus network fees. Payclave charges a flat 0.7% per completed live payment with no monthly fee.
Which coins does Payclave accept?
Payclave focuses on stablecoins. Merchants receive USDC or USDT on Polygon, and customers can pay from supported networks when a payment route is available. NOWPayments supports a much wider coin list.
Does Payclave have a WooCommerce plugin?
Not yet. Payclave integrates through its API, server SDK, and React components. NOWPayments offers WooCommerce and WHMCS plugins.
Explore Payclave
Continue planning your integration.
Accept USDT payments
Accept USDT payments with Payclave-hosted checkout, USDT settlement on Polygon, independent onchain verification, and signed webhooks.
Learn morePricing
Payclave pricing has no monthly or setup fee. Test mode is free, and a flat 0.7% platform fee applies to each completed live payment.
Learn moreCoinbase Commerce alternative
Coinbase Commerce closed on March 31, 2026. Compare its custodial successor, Coinbase Business, with Payclave's non-custodial USDC and USDT checkout.
Learn moreHow to accept stablecoin payments
Compare the four ways a business can accept USDC or USDT: a wallet address, a store plugin, a custodial processor, or non-custodial hosted checkout.
Read the guideOnchain payment verification
How Payclave verifies stablecoin settlement: confirmation, recipient, token, amount, expiry, and duplicate transaction use before marking an invoice paid.
Read the guideTest the flow
Create a checkout session before you change your production stack.
Use test keys, the API playground, and signed webhook examples to validate the complete order-to-payment flow.