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Best payment gateways for Indian D2C brands: fees, settlement times and features compared

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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Razorpay and Cashfree are the strongest starting points for most Indian direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands. Razorpay is easier to budget because it publishes a broad 2% transaction fee plus GST, with no setup or annual-maintenance charge. Cashfree publishes more granular method-level prices, supports UPI routing and EMI/pay-later options, and advertises 15-minute settlements for eligible merchants. The right choice depends on your actual UPI, card, EMI, international and refund mix—not on the headline rate alone.

PayU and PhonePe belong in a competitive quotation process, but obtain current written pricing and settlement service-level agreements (SLAs) before treating either as a like-for-like alternative. Settlement speed, reserve rules, refund charges, chargebacks and foreign-exchange costs can change the economics more than a few basis points on the transaction fee.

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Quick answer: which gateway should a D2C brand shortlist?

Use this operating-profile decision:

  • Cost-transparent generalist: Start with Razorpay if a single 2% + GST model and broad payment-mode coverage simplify forecasting and reconciliation. Confirm whether your agreement provides T+1, instant or another cycle; Razorpay’s public pricing and settlement documentation describe different contexts.
  • Fast cash flow or granular payment pricing: Shortlist Cashfree when instant or 15-minute settlement eligibility, UPI routing, pay-later/EMI, international cards or instant refunds are important. Its instant-settlement pricing starts at 0.30% excluding GST.
  • High international-card share: Put Cashfree’s published 3.5% + ₹7 international-card rate beside written competitor quotes, foreign-exchange spread and cross-border settlement timing. A lower domestic rate may not reduce your blended cost.
  • Large or negotiated volume: Ask Razorpay, Cashfree, PayU and PhonePe for enterprise pricing. Published list rates are a starting point, not a guaranteed quote.

Before signing, model your own payment mix and have every settlement, reserve and refund condition written into the merchant agreement.

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Published pricing compared

The table separates what each provider publicly states. “Not stated” means a comparable figure was not available in the material reviewed; it is not evidence that the provider has no such price.

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Provider Published transaction pricing Settlement information Setup or annual fee Important qualification
Razorpay 2% on successful payments + GST Pricing page says typically T+1 or instant; separate documentation says domestic transactions default to T+2 business days and international transactions to T+7 Zero setup fee; zero annual maintenance charge Confirm the cycle, eligibility and any accelerated-settlement charge in your contract
Cashfree UPI (listed apps) ₹0; RuPay, net banking and listed domestic cards 1.90%; pay-later/cardless EMI 2.5%; Diners/Amex 2.95%; international cards 3.5% + ₹7 UPI page describes default T+2; instant-settlement page gives a T+2 example; ecommerce page advertises 15-minute settlements for eligible merchants Not stated in the cited Payment Pages rate table Rates include MDR/TDR and platform fee; instant-settlement pricing starts at 0.30% excluding GST
PayU Not stated in comparable public gateway rate card Obtain a written SLA Not stated Request method-level rates, reserves, refunds, chargebacks and international pricing
PhonePe Not stated in comparable public gateway rate card Obtain a written SLA Not stated Ask for a current gateway quote rather than inferring pricing from market-share or payments-volume data

Razorpay’s 2% is a pay-as-you-go charge on successful payments. Its pricing page also explains that standard bank-to-bank UPI has zero MDR while the gateway service carries a 2% platform/technology fee. Cashfree’s Payment Pages table states that its listed charges include MDR/TDR and platform fee; confirm how GST is applied to each line item on your invoice. Cashfree’s instant-settlement price explicitly excludes GST.

How to compare your effective cost

A gateway’s advertised percentage is only one part of the amount debited from your business. Build a monthly model with separate rows for UPI, domestic cards, RuPay, net banking, EMI or pay-later, international cards, refunds and chargebacks.

Use a payment-mix formula

For each method, multiply gross successful payment value by the quoted transaction rate, then add any fixed per-transaction amount. Add GST on taxable gateway and settlement fees, plus any instant-settlement or platform charge. Subtract approved refunds only according to the provider’s written refund policy; do not assume the original transaction fee is returned.

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For example, on a ₹1,000 domestic-card order, a 1.90% Cashfree rate produces a ₹19 transaction charge before any applicable GST. A Razorpay 2% rate produces ₹20 before GST. On a ₹1,000 international-card order, Cashfree’s published 3.5% + ₹7 structure produces ₹42 before GST and foreign-exchange effects. These are illustrations of the tariff mechanics, not a promise about your final invoice.

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Include costs that headline tables omit

  • GST treatment: Razorpay publishes “2% + GST”; Cashfree’s instant-settlement rate starts at 0.30% excluding GST. Have the provider show tax on a sample invoice.
  • Fixed components: Cashfree’s international-card price includes ₹7 in addition to the percentage, so low-value orders can have a much higher effective rate.
  • Accelerated settlement: Add the instant-settlement fee to the payment fee and test whether the extra cash is worth the charge.
  • Foreign exchange: For international cards, compare the gateway’s FX conversion spread, currency-conversion fee and the currency in which funds settle.
  • Refunds and disputes: Ask whether a refund retains the original processing fee, whether partial refunds are supported and what a chargeback costs.
  • Reserves and holds: A rolling reserve or risk hold can reduce available cash even when the nominal transaction rate is low.

Settlement times: T+1, T+2, instant and 15-minute claims

T is generally the date on which the payment is captured. The cycle then counts eligible business days, subject to bank holidays, risk review and the provider’s rules.

Razorpay’s published timelines

Razorpay’s pricing page says remaining funds are settled to the registered bank account according to the settlement cycle, “typically T+1 or Instant.” Its settlement documentation separately states: “By default, the complete process takes a time of T+2 business days for domestic transactions and T+7 days for international transactions, T being the date of capture of payment.” These statements describe different plan or documentation contexts. Treat neither as a universal promise: ask Razorpay to identify the exact cycle attached to your account, the cutoff time, weekend and bank-holiday treatment, risk holds and the price of accelerated settlement.

Cashfree’s standard and accelerated options

Cashfree’s UPI information describes a default T+2-day settlement cycle. Its instant-settlement material uses T+2 as an example of the standard process and says pricing starts at 0.30% excluding GST. The same material warns that timing can vary with bank approval, transaction type, business category or model and risk parameters. Cashfree’s ecommerce page advertises “15 minute settlements”; regard that as a product claim for eligible merchants, not an automatic entitlement. Confirm onboarding approval, daily limits, minimum balance, supported payment methods and whether the 15-minute window applies on weekends and holidays.

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Questions to put in the SLA

  1. What is the default cycle for domestic UPI, cards, net banking, EMI and international cards?
  2. When does the clock start: authorization, capture or successful risk review?
  3. What are the cutoff times, bank-holiday rules and minimum payout amount?
  4. What is the instant or accelerated-settlement fee, and is GST additional?
  5. Can the provider pause a payout, create a reserve or extend settlement after a fraud, return or chargeback signal?
  6. Are international transactions settled on a different schedule or in a different currency?

Payment methods and checkout coverage

UPI

Cashfree’s UPI page describes an RBI-authorised UPI payment gateway with integrations to more than eight banks and real-time dynamic routing. Its ecommerce material lists BHIM UPI, Google Pay and PhonePe support. Cashfree’s Payment Pages table lists UPI options including PhonePe, Google Pay and Amazon Pay at zero transaction charges. Verify which UPI instruments are enabled for your account and whether a zero-MDR line still attracts a separate gateway or technology fee.

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Razorpay supports standard bank-to-bank UPI and explains that the gateway service uses a 2% platform/technology fee even where UPI MDR is zero. For a UPI-heavy brand, compare the complete fee line and failure rate rather than assuming “zero MDR” means zero cost.

Cards, RuPay, net banking and wallets

Cashfree publishes 1.90% for RuPay, net banking and listed domestic cards, and 2.95% for Diners and Amex. Razorpay’s public headline rate is not broken into the same method-level categories, so request a written schedule if your mix is card-heavy or includes premium networks.

Ask both providers which wallets and card networks are enabled, how tokenized cards and recurring mandates are handled, and whether a failed authorization is retried automatically. Those details affect conversion and support workload but are not captured by a single percentage.

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EMI and pay-later

Cashfree lists pay-later and cardless EMI at 2.5%. Confirm lender availability, customer eligibility, settlement timing, cancellation rules and who bears interest or promotional discounts. If your catalog includes high-ticket products, model EMI separately because its share can materially change your blended rate.

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Payment links and pages

Payment links and hosted pages help brands collect orders from social commerce, chat and phone sales without a full checkout integration. Confirm whether the same rates, refund tools, webhooks and settlement rules apply to links and pages as to API checkout. Do not assume that a feature shown on a product page is enabled by default for every business category.

International cards and cross-border sales

Cashfree publishes 3.5% + ₹7 for international cards. That is the only method-specific international-card figure in the supplied comparison, so use it as a benchmark—not as a complete cross-border cost. Ask every shortlisted provider for supported currencies, FX spread, conversion date, cross-border compliance requirements, settlement currency, payout schedule and dispute handling.

Razorpay’s settlement documentation says international transactions default to T+7 business days in that context. Reconcile that statement with the cycle in your merchant agreement, especially if inventory is imported or advertising spend is paid in another currency. A faster domestic payout does not imply a faster international payout.

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Provider-by-provider assessment

Razorpay: simplest published baseline

Razorpay is the clearest first quote when finance wants one broadly applicable number: 2% + GST on successful payments, zero setup fee and zero annual maintenance charge. Its broad checkout proposition suits brands that need UPI, cards, net banking, payment links, refunds and API/webhook integration in one account. The trade-off is that the public headline does not reveal your exact cost by card network, EMI or international method.

Use Razorpay when predictable list pricing and a familiar generalist stack matter more than the lowest rate on one payment method. Before launch, obtain written confirmation of your settlement cycle because the pricing page’s T+1-or-instant wording and the documentation’s default T+2 domestic wording are not interchangeable.

Cashfree: method detail and faster-cash options

Cashfree is attractive when your payment mix benefits from published method rates: zero transaction charges for listed UPI options, 1.90% for RuPay, net banking and listed domestic cards, 2.5% for pay-later/cardless EMI, 2.95% for Diners/Amex and 3.5% + ₹7 for international cards. Its UPI product describes dynamic routing across 8+ banks, while its ecommerce page promotes 15-minute settlements.

The trade-off is more modelling work. Instant settlement starts at 0.30% excluding GST, eligibility is conditional and the standard cycle is described as T+2. Test whether faster access to cash offsets the extra percentage, especially during inventory purchases or COD replenishment.

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PayU: quote-required alternative

No comparable current public gateway rate card or settlement SLA was captured for PayU here. Include PayU in an RFP, but do not assign it a percentage from memory or from another product. Request a method-level tariff, GST treatment, instant-settlement price, reserve policy, refund and chargeback fees, international-card terms, integration scope and support SLA.

PhonePe: quote-required alternative with market scale

PhonePe’s 2025 draft prospectus provides market context rather than a gateway tariff: Indian digital merchant (P2M) payments reached ₹112 trillion in fiscal 2025 and are projected at ₹278–302 trillion by fiscal 2030, a 20–22% compound annual growth rate. Those figures do not establish what your D2C business will pay. Obtain a current gateway quote and settlement SLA covering the same fields requested from PayU.

Do you need instant settlement?

Instant settlement is a financing decision, not automatically a conversion feature. It can help when you must reorder fast-moving inventory, pay suppliers before standard T+1/T+2 proceeds arrive, or bridge a large COD cycle. Calculate the daily fee on the amount accelerated and compare it with your working-capital cost, stock-out risk and lost-margin cost.

It may be unnecessary when you keep adequate cash reserves, have predictable order volume or can negotiate supplier credit. A 0.30% starting charge on every accelerated rupee can exceed the cost of a short-term facility at some volumes, while risk holds can still delay funds. Ask whether you can accelerate only selected payouts or payment methods instead of paying on all transactions.

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Implementation plan for a new gateway

  1. Export three months of orders. Classify every payment by UPI, domestic card, RuPay, net banking, EMI/pay-later and international card. Add average order value and refund rate.
  2. Build the fee model. Apply each provider’s quoted method rate, fixed fee, GST, instant-settlement charge, FX cost and any monthly or platform fee. Keep list rates and negotiated rates in separate columns.
  3. Run a written RFP. Ask Razorpay, Cashfree, PayU and PhonePe for the same settlement, reserve, refund, chargeback, dispute and support terms. Require an expiry date on every quote.
  4. Verify onboarding requirements. Confirm business-category approval, KYC documents, bank-account name matching, international-card eligibility and any prohibited-product restrictions before development is complete.
  5. Integrate safely. Use hosted checkout or the provider’s current API, verify webhook signatures, make order updates idempotent and record gateway transaction IDs alongside your internal order IDs.
  6. Test failure paths. Exercise payment success, timeout, duplicate webhook, partial refund, full refund, chargeback notification and payout reconciliation in your own staging environment. Do not rely only on a successful test payment.
  7. Reconcile daily. Match captured payments, refunds, fees, taxes, reserves and bank credits. Investigate unmatched items before the accounting period closes.
  8. Review after launch. Compare the forecast blended rate, authorization success, settlement variance and support tickets with actuals after the first complete payout cycle.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

  • Comparing UPI MDR with a gateway fee: zero MDR does not necessarily mean zero platform cost. Compare the invoice total.
  • Quoting T+1 as universal: settlement depends on plan, method, risk review, bank approval and holidays. Put the exact cycle in writing.
  • Ignoring fixed international fees: the ₹7 component in Cashfree’s published international-card rate disproportionately affects small orders.
  • Budgeting gross sales as cash: reserves, refunds, chargebacks, GST and settlement fees reduce available funds.
  • Assuming every feature is included: ask whether payment links, EMI, international cards, partial refunds and instant payouts are enabled for your account and category.
  • Changing gateways without reconciliation controls: preserve transaction IDs, webhook logs and refund references when running a parallel migration.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

CashfreeecommerceIndian D2CPayment Gatewayspayment processingRazorpayUPI

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