iGaming Payment Solutions
NOWPayments Review
Is It the Right Payment Solution for Your iGaming Business?
Strong
With 350+ cryptocurrencies at 0.5 to 1% per transaction, NOWPayments handles what fiat-only PSPs cannot: getting crypto deposits live in minutes, not weeks. API and plugin-based integration, NuxGame platform connector. Instant settlement, zero chargebacks. Betfinal, Chipstars and BazedBet process crypto through it. Pure crypto play, not a hybrid.
What operators ask about NOWPayments
What are NOWPayments fees?
- 0.5% same-currency, 1% on cross-currency conversions; add 0.5-1% for fiat auto-conversion
- Zero setup, zero monthly; volume discounts start above 50 BTC/month
- On $200k monthly with fiat settlement: roughly $2,000-4,000
Is NOWPayments legit?
Reputationally, yes: a pure-crypto gateway running since 2019 with 350+ currencies, AML-compliant transaction monitoring via ChangeNOW algorithms, a 4.4/5 Trustpilot from 850+ reviews, and a #1 crypto-payment-gateway ranking from Forbes Advisor in 2025. Betfinal and Chipstars process crypto deposits through it. The regulatory caveat is hard, though: MiCA's transitional period ended on July 1, 2026 without NOWPayments obtaining a CASP license, so it cannot lawfully serve EU clients as a crypto-asset service provider. In practice it is a rail for Curacao-licensed books, not for EU-regulated stacks. Details in Compliance.
Processing fee
EU status
Trustpilot
Catalog score
Quick Info
- Type
- Crypto Gateway
- Founded
- 2019
- HQ
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Pricing
- % per transaction
- APMs
- 350+
- Settlement
- Instant (crypto) / T+1-3
iGaming Score
- iGaming Fit
- 8.0
- Geographic Coverage
- 5.0
- Security & Compliance
- 5.0
- Fees & Pricing
- 9.5
- Tech & Integration
- 8.5
- User Trust
- 8.8
Our iGaming Score: 7.0/10
Weighted scoring across five criteria
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| iGaming Fit iGaming is a named vertical, and the NuxGame platform connector plus named casino clients (Betfinal, Chipstars, BazedBet, TonPoker, Champions Casino) are what make the fit Strong. Still no SoftSwiss connector, and the coin list rather than the gambling tooling is what operators come for. | 30% | 8.0 | Strong |
| Geographic Coverage Global by default since crypto is borderless, but zero local fiat methods in any market | 22% | 5.0 | Adequate |
| Security & Compliance AML transaction monitoring through ChangeNOW algorithms and optional, tiered KYC the operator configures. No payment or crypto-asset license anywhere, and the MiCA transitional period lapsed on 1 July 2026 with no CASP, so there is no lawful basis to serve EU clients as a crypto-asset service provider. Zero chargeback exposure is structural rather than earned. Workable behind a Curaçao license, not behind a UKGC or MGA one. | 20% | 5.0 | Adequate |
| Fees & Pricing 0.5-1% deposits, zero rolling reserve on crypto, 0.5-1% FX on fiat conversion | 16% | 9.5 | Leading |
| Tech & Integration Single API plus plugins, integration in minutes not weeks, full sandbox, NuxGame connector | 12% | 8.5 | Strong |
| User Trust 4.4/5 Trustpilot from 850+ reviews, higher than AstroPay (4.3) but from a much smaller sample | 0% | 8.8 | Strong |
| Overall | 100% | 7.0 | Strong |
We score each provider on 5 weighted criteria using a 1 to 10 scale. iGaming Fit carries the most weight at 30% because that is what matters most for gambling operators. Geographic Coverage gets 22%. Security & Compliance gets 20%. Fees & Pricing gets 16%. Tech & Integration gets 12%. The final score is a weighted average of those 5. Trustpilot is shown for context but carries no weight, since player reviews of casinos are not a read on B2B acquiring quality.
Score Explanation
Fees and Tech pull the numbers up. At 0.5 to 1% with zero rolling reserve, NOWPayments prices under the custodial norm, though Request Network (0.05%), XAIGATE (0.2%) and B2BINPAY (0.4%) publish lower headline rates. CoinsPaid charges 0.8%, CoinGate around 1%, BitPay 1-2%. Plugin-based integration and a minutes-to-live timeline push Tech scores up. User Trust edges AstroPay, since NOWPayments' 4.4/5 beats its 4.3, though from 850+ reviews versus 9,591. iGaming Fit lands Strong on the strength of a named gambling vertical, the confirmed NuxGame connector and real casino clients, even though the platform serves crypto broadly rather than gambling exclusively. Geographic Coverage lands mid-scale: crypto works globally, but there are no local fiat methods in any market, and reach you do not acquire is not the same as coverage you own.
Who Is NOWPayments Best For?
The operator profiles that fit, and the ones that do not
Recommended For
- Crypto-native casinos. Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoin deposits carrying the majority of player transactions is the case this was built for: 350+ coins at 0.5 to 1%, against CoinsPaid at 20+ and CoinGate at 70+. If your players deposit Dogecoin or Solana rather than only Bitcoin, the coin list is the product.
- Quick MVP launch. Launching fast matters more than anything else here. Plugins install in minutes and direct API work runs to hours, against the one to two weeks CoinsPaid takes. No minimum volume, no lock-in, no setup fee, so crypto deposits can be on staging today and live tomorrow.
- High-volume mass payouts. Regular crypto payouts to players or affiliates go out as instant batches with no stated daily limit. CoinPayments and CoinGate both do mass payouts through one API call too, so the differentiator is the coin list the batch can draw on rather than the mechanism itself.
- Hybrid casinos wanting fiat settlement. Adding crypto next to existing fiat processing without holding volatile assets: auto-conversion takes the player's coin and settles EUR or USD to your bank account, so the deposit-conversion benefit arrives without the treasury exposure.
Not Recommended For
- Fiat-only operators. Where 90%+ of deposits come through cards and bank transfers, this is a supplement at best. NOWPayments processes crypto only, so Nuvei, Trustly or Paysafe still carry the fiat side, and bolting crypto onto a fiat-heavy site typically captures 5 to 15% of deposits.
- UKGC-licensed businesses. UKGC-licensed books will not clear it. NOWPayments works behind Curaçao licenses but holds no EU authorization now that the MiCA transitional period has ended, and no UK authorization of any kind, which is the first question a UKGC compliance review asks about a payment partner. BitPay holds US MSB and has the stronger regulated-market file.
- Operators needing smart routing. Cascading, failover and provider-level routing logic do not exist here; routing is basic. Operators who need that run Corefy or Primer with NOWPayments plugged in as one method among several.
- Full compliance stack requirements. Full KYC automation and AI-driven fraud prevention are not part of the product. KYC is optional and tiered by operator choice, and AML is flagging rather than a compliance suite. CoinsPaid ships heavier built-in tooling, and Nuvei has AI-driven fraud detection where a license demands it.
Geographic Coverage
Per-market verdict, regions, and market focus
Regions
- Global (crypto)
Coverage Analysis
Crypto is borderless by design, so coverage maps to anywhere players can send a blockchain transaction. No country restrictions at the protocol level. In practice, NOWPayments blocks sanctioned jurisdictions and complies with EU AML rules. CoinGate covers similar territory but with 70 coins versus 350+. Where NOWPayments falls short: zero local fiat payment methods. A Brazilian player who wants to deposit via PIX still needs AstroPay or PayRetailers for that.
Gambling Licenses Served
- Curaçao
- Anjouan
Key Features for iGaming Operators
Products, payment methods, and verticals
Key Products
Crypto Gateway, Fiat on-ramp, Mass Payouts, Auto-conversion
Four products. The Crypto Gateway is the core: accept 350+ coins through API or plugins, auto-convert to fiat or hold crypto. Fiat On-Ramp (via Guardarian partnership) lets players buy crypto with cards before depositing, removing the barrier for first-time crypto users. Mass Payouts send crypto to thousands of wallets in one batch with no stated daily limit. Auto-Conversion handles real-time exchange from volatile coins to stablecoins or fiat at 0.5 to 1% markup.
Payment Methods
350+ cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin and Ethereum handle the bulk of volume, but the long tail matters for crypto casinos. Solana, Polygon, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, dozens of stablecoins including USDT and USDC on multiple chains. CoinsPaid supports 20+. CoinGate supports 70+. CoinPayments covers 40+ after its May 2025 revamp. NOWPayments has the widest coin coverage of any crypto gateway the catalog covers, matched only by B2BINPAY at 350+. Auto-conversion settles everything in EUR or USD, so operators never touch volatile assets unless they choose to.
Verticals
Crypto and iGaming split the majority of the business. NOWPayments has a NuxGame platform connector and case studies with Betfinal, Chipstars and BazedBet. But it also serves Forex and general eCommerce. Not a pure gambling specialist like CoinsPaid. More of a crypto infrastructure provider that happens to serve iGaming operators well.
- Crypto
- iGaming
- Forex
| Feature | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit Processing | Available | 350+ payment methods, Instant |
| Withdrawal / Payout | Available | Instant crypto |
| Instant Withdrawals | Available | Instant crypto |
| KYC / AML Built-in | Available | Semi-auto (optional KYC) |
| Chargeback Protection | Available | 0% (crypto) |
| Multi-Currency | Available | 350+ crypto, EUR, USD, GBP |
| API Integration | Available | Single API + plugins |
| Local Payment Methods | Available | Varies by market |
| iGaming Specialization | Available | 350+ crypto + auto-conversion + mass payouts |
| Geographic Coverage | Available | 170 countries across Global (crypto) |
Pricing & Fee Structure
Fee structure and pricing model
Rate Card
0.5-1% (crypto)
1% conversion
Instant (crypto) / T+1-3
350+
0% (non-custodial)
0.5-1% conversion
0 / none
$0
No
Pricing Details
0.5% for same-currency transactions, 1% for cross-currency conversions (0.5% service fee + 0.5% exchange fee). Volume discounts available: 0.45% above 50 BTC/month, 0.4% above 100 BTC/month. Zero setup fee, zero monthly fee, no minimum volume requirement. NOWPayments is non-custodial, so rolling reserve does not apply in the traditional sense. FX markup of 0.5 to 1% kicks in when you convert crypto to EUR or USD through auto-conversion. CoinsPaid charges 0.8% on mono-currency deposits and 1.5% when converting crypto to fiat. CoinGate charges 1% base. BitPay charges 1-2% plus $0.25 per transaction. CoinPayments takes 0.5% on coins and 1% on stablecoins and tokens. Total cost for an operator running $200k monthly in Bitcoin deposits with fiat settlement: roughly $2,000 to $4,000 including conversion. Nuvei would cost $3,000 to $7,000 on the same volume for card processing.
Negotiation Tips
Same-currency transactions (player pays in BTC, you receive BTC) cost 0.5% flat. That is already the floor rate. For cross-currency, the total is 1%. If you settle in crypto and skip fiat conversion entirely, you eliminate the 0.5 to 1% FX spread on every transaction. The math works if your operating costs are already in stablecoins. High-volume operators should push for the 0.4% tier (100+ BTC/month). NOWPayments is non-custodial, so funds go straight to your wallet without custody risk or rolling reserve holdbacks.
Speed & Settlement
Transaction processing and settlement timelines
Instant
Player-initiatedInstant crypto
Operator payoutInstant (crypto) / T+1-3
To operator accountCrypto + fiat (EUR, USD)
Settlement optionsDeposits confirm on-chain, typically under 10 minutes for Bitcoin, seconds for Solana and stablecoins on faster networks. Withdrawals to player wallets are instant. Settlement to your operator account: instant for crypto, T+1 to T+3 when converting to fiat. CoinsPaid and CoinPayments also settle crypto instantly. BitPay settles EUR at T+1 through SEPA and USD at T+2 through ACH, the fastest fiat conversion among crypto gateways. For context on fiat alternatives: Brite does T+0, Trustly T+1, Nuvei T+2 to T+7. Refunds process instantly for crypto since there is no bank intermediary.
Integration & Tech
Developer experience and technical capabilities
- API Type
- Single API + plugins
- Onboarding
- 1-3 days
- Sandbox
- Yes - full sandbox
- Mobile SDK
- Yes (plugins + SDK)
- White-Label
- No
- Docs Quality
- Good
Integration Time
Minutes
Pre-Built iGaming Integrations
- NuxGame
Integration Assessment
Single REST API with webhooks. E-commerce plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, PrestaShop and others. NuxGame iGaming platform connector. Full sandbox for testing. Documentation rated Good with clear endpoints and code samples. Integration time: minutes for plugin installs, hours for direct API. Onboarding in 1-3 days and integration in minutes, among the fastest of any crypto gateway here. Mobile SDK available.
Risk & Compliance
Licensing, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance
Supported Gambling Licenses
- Curaçao
- Anjouan
- KYC/AML Automation
- Available. Semi-auto (optional KYC)
- Chargeback Protection
- Available. 0% (crypto)
- Licenses
- No payment or crypto-asset license. AML transaction monitoring only (ChangeNOW algorithms). MiCA transitional period lapsed 1 July 2026 with no CASP authorization obtained
- Fraud Prevention
- AML flagging, optional KYC
- Responsible Gaming
- No
- Tokenization
- Yes + wallet vault
- Dispute Resolution
- Self-service + support
Compliance Context
AML flagging monitors transactions through ChangeNOW algorithms. There is no license behind it though: NOWPayments holds no MiCA CASP authorization, and since the EU transitional period ended on July 1, 2026, serving EU clients lawfully requires one. Works with operators licensed under Curacao and other crypto-friendly frameworks. KYC is optional and tiered: operators choose how strict to set verification. Chargeback liability is 0% because crypto transactions are irreversible by design. CoinsPaid offers the same zero chargeback with heavier compliance tooling, though it lost its own EU licensing at the same MiCA deadline. BitPay is strongest on regulated-market compliance with US MSB status. NOWPayments sits at the loose end: workable for Curacao, insufficient for UKGC or EU-regulated books.
Regulatory Position
AML-compliant with transaction flagging powered by ChangeNOW algorithms, but no license behind the flagging. The operating entities are NOWPayments Ltd in Seychelles and FD Transfers LLC in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and neither holds a MiCA CASP authorization or any other EU license. That gap became a hard boundary on July 1, 2026, when MiCA's transitional period ended: serving EU clients lawfully now requires an authorized CASP, which NOWPayments is not. Works with operators in crypto-friendly jurisdictions including Curacao. Optional KYC with tiered verification levels. No FCA or UKGC credentials either. UKGC and EU-regulated operators need to look elsewhere.
About NOWPayments: Company Background
Company and product information
- Company Name
- NOWPayments
- Headquarters
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Founded
- 2019
- Employees
- 11-50 (Crunchbase). Distributed team. Small compared to CoinsPaid (200+) or Nuvei (2,700+).
- Company Type
- Private
- Product Type
- Crypto Gateway
- Licenses
- No payment or crypto-asset license. AML transaction monitoring only (ChangeNOW algorithms). MiCA transitional period lapsed 1 July 2026 with no CASP authorization obtained
- Key Products
- Crypto Gateway, Fiat on-ramp, Mass Payouts, Auto-conversion
- Website
- nowpayments.io
- Supported Verticals
- Crypto, iGaming, Forex
- Integration Type
- Single API + plugins
- Settlement Speed
- Instant (crypto) / T+1-3
- Onboarding Speed
- 1-3 days
- Named iGaming Clients
- Betfinal, Chipstars, BazedBet, TonPoker, Champions Casino
Company History
Launched in 2019 by the team behind ChangeNOW. Runs a dual-entity structure: NOWPayments Ltd (Seychelles) for the core gateway and FD Transfers LLC (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) for certain payment operations, with the team operating from Amsterdam, Netherlands. The gap it filled: most crypto payment gateways at the time supported Bitcoin and maybe Ethereum, charged 1%+ and took days to integrate. NOWPayments went wide on coin support from day one, betting that the altcoin market would grow faster than anyone expected.
That bet paid off. By 2022 the platform hit 200+ supported coins and started building iGaming partnerships. NuxGame integrated NOWPayments as a payment option for its casino clients. Forbes Advisor, the affiliate-funded comparison arm rather than the newsroom, ranked it the #1 crypto payment gateway in 2025 on coin coverage and the 0.5% fee floor.
Today: a distributed team of 11-50 (Crunchbase estimate), still privately held. Over 350 cryptocurrencies supported. Betfinal, Chipstars and BazedBet process crypto deposits through the platform. The team runs 24/7 crypto-specific support, which matters when a player's Solana transaction gets stuck at 3 AM on a Saturday. The long-advertised MiCA compliance push never landed: the EU transitional period ended on July 1, 2026 with no CASP authorization, so the platform now runs EU-facing business without an EU license.
What Users Say About NOWPayments
Our analysis of 854 reviews from Trustpilot and industry sources
Remaining 12% are 2-4 star reviews. Trustpilot does not publish a programmatic breakdown for intermediate ratings, so we report only the verified 5★ and 1★ shares.
Review Analysis
4.4/5 from 850+ Trustpilot reviews. Edges AstroPay's 4.3 score, though AstroPay's comes from 9,591 reviews. CoinGate sits at 3.5/5 from 1,702. CoinPayments at 3.8/5 from 1,088. BitPay is at 1.2/5 from 291, one of the worst scores of any payment provider. CoinsPaid has only 19 reviews, too small to draw conclusions. Positive NOWPayments reviews mention fast payouts, responsive support and easy integration. Complaints cluster around occasional conversion delays during high network congestion and the learning curve for operators new to crypto payment flows.
Context for Operators
Mostly merchant reviews, not player reviews. An operator rating NOWPayments 5 stars for easy integration signals that your dev team will have a smooth experience. The conversion delay complaints correlate with blockchain congestion events, not NOWPayments processing speed. When Ethereum gas spikes, everything on that chain slows down regardless of provider. The 16% one-star rate is notable but the company actively addresses complaints. BitPay's 1.2/5 rating should concern any operator considering that alternative.
Named iGaming Clients
Betfinal, Chipstars, BazedBet, TonPoker, Champions Casino
Betfinal is the most prominent case study: a global sportsbook and casino that switched to NOWPayments for stability and fast deposits. Chipstars and BazedBet are crypto-focused gambling platforms processing deposits through the gateway. TonPoker runs on the TON blockchain with NOWPayments handling crypto payments. Jetton, Zengaming and Champions Casino are also listed as iGaming partners. NuxGame, an iGaming software provider, integrated NOWPayments as a payment option for its platform clients. The real operator count likely runs higher than the published names since any merchant can integrate via the standard API.
Operational Details
Business terms, contracts, and support
- Dedicated Account Manager
- Yes 24/7 crypto-support
- Minimum Monthly Volume
- No minimum
- Contract Lock-In
- No lock-in
- Migration Support
- Yes
- Min/Max Transaction
- $1 - unlimited
- Mass Payouts
- Instant + batch · No published limit
- Biometric / One-Click
- Yes
- Reporting
- Daily CSV + basic dashboard
Crypto-first, very fast integration
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions about NOWPayments
AML-compliant with transaction monitoring via ChangeNOW algorithms, though it holds no EU authorization: the MiCA transitional period ended on July 1, 2026 without NOWPayments obtaining a CASP license, so it cannot lawfully serve EU clients as a crypto-asset service provider. Works with Curacao-licensed operators. 4.4/5 Trustpilot from 850+ reviews. Betfinal and Chipstars process deposits through it. Zero chargebacks on all crypto transactions since blockchain payments are irreversible.
Crypto withdrawals to player wallets are instant. No bank processing delay, no batch schedule. Players see funds in their wallet within minutes depending on the blockchain network. Bitcoin confirmations take up to 10 minutes. Solana and stablecoins on fast chains settle in seconds. Settlement to your operator account is also instant if you keep crypto. Fiat conversion adds T+1 to T+3.
Global coverage by nature of cryptocurrency. Players from any non-sanctioned country can deposit. No local fiat methods though. If you need PIX in Brazil, that requires AstroPay. Bank transfers in Europe need Trustly. NOWPayments covers the crypto layer only. Fiat On-Ramp via Guardarian supports 25+ fiat currencies across 175+ countries for players who need to buy crypto first. Pair it with fiat providers for full geographic coverage of your player base.
Minutes for e-commerce plugin installs (WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, PrestaShop). Hours for direct API integration. Full sandbox available for testing. CoinsPaid takes 1 to 2 weeks, CoinGate 1 to 2 days, BitPay about a week. NOWPayments is the fastest crypto gateway to go live with. No minimum volume requirement to start processing.
350+ and growing. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, USDT, USDC across multiple chains, and hundreds more. CoinsPaid supports 20+, CoinGate 70+, BitPay 100+, CoinPayments 40+. If a player wants to deposit in a specific token, NOWPayments is the most likely to support it.
Different strengths. NOWPayments: 350+ coins, 0.5% fee floor, minutes to integrate via API or plugins. CoinsPaid: 20+ coins, 0.8% mono-currency deposits rising to 1.5% for crypto-to-fiat, 1 to 2 weeks integration. CoinsPaid has heavier compliance tooling and positions itself as iGaming-first, though its Estonian license lapsed at the July 2026 MiCA deadline, so neither holds an EU authorization anymore. NOWPayments has wider coin coverage and lower base cost. If coin breadth and speed matter most, NOWPayments. If iGaming-specific tooling is the priority, CoinsPaid. If you need an actual MiCA-licensed CASP, that is CoinGate, not either of these.
Yes. Auto-conversion exchanges crypto to EUR or USD in real-time at 0.5 to 1% markup. Settlement in fiat takes T+1 to T+3. You never have to hold volatile assets. Players pay in Bitcoin, you receive euros. If you prefer to hold crypto, that option is available too with instant settlement and no conversion fee.
NOWPayments can be integrated into any casino platform through its REST API. NuxGame has a direct platform connector. For SoftSwiss casinos specifically, CoinsPaid is the primary crypto partner listed on SoftSwiss's payment partners page. NOWPayments offers a broader coin selection at 350+ versus CoinsPaid's 20+, but would require API integration rather than a plug-and-play SoftSwiss module.
Our Verdict: Should You Use NOWPayments?
Final assessment for iGaming operators
Overall iGaming Score
Summary
350+ coins, 0.5% fees, instant settlement and zero chargebacks. On coin breadth only B2BINPAY matches it, and few gateways price lower. The overall score reflects a structural gap: no fiat processing at all. For crypto-specific deposits it outperforms every competitor on coverage and price. Small team (11-50 people) but responsive support. Build your fiat stack separately.
Strongest Point
Coin coverage. 350+ cryptocurrencies under one integration, a number only B2BINPAY matches. CoinsPaid has 20+, CoinPayments 40+, CoinGate 70+, BitPay 100+. For crypto casinos where players deposit in dozens of different tokens, this breadth means fewer bounced deposits and zero situations where a player's preferred coin is unsupported.
Key Limitation
No fiat processing. Cards, bank transfers, open banking, e-wallets: everything traditional requires a separate provider. Nuvei handles fiat and some crypto under one roof. If more than half your deposits are fiat, NOWPayments becomes a supplement, not a foundation. Budget for dual provider management and separate reconciliation workflows.
Recommendation
Add NOWPayments if crypto deposits account for 20% or more of your payment mix, or if you are launching a crypto-first casino. The 0.5% fee floor and simple API make it a fast path to live crypto deposits. Skip it if your player base is 90%+ fiat, and treat it as off the table for EU-regulated books now that the MiCA transitional period has ended without NOWPayments obtaining a CASP license. For regulated UK operators, evaluate BitPay instead. For iGaming-specific tooling, look at CoinsPaid; for a MiCA-licensed EU processor, CoinGate.
Pros
- Widest cryptocurrency coverage of any payment gateway the catalog covers, matched only by B2BINPAY. 350+ coins versus CoinsPaid at 20+, CoinGate at 70+, BitPay at 100+ and CoinPayments at 40+. Players depositing in Solana, Polygon, Dogecoin or niche tokens do not bounce off your deposit page looking for an exchange.
- Among the cheapest processing fees in the crypto gateway category. 0.5% floor on same-currency transactions, versus 0.8% at CoinsPaid and 1% at CoinGate; only Request Network, XAIGATE and B2BINPAY publish lower headline rates. Volume discounts drop it to 0.4% above 100 BTC/month. On $200k monthly volume, the savings add up to $600 to $1,000 every month versus alternatives.
- NuxGame iGaming platform connector plus e-commerce plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento and PrestaShop. Direct API integration for any custom platform. For iGaming operators on NuxGame, adding NOWPayments is a configuration step. For others, the REST API makes custom integration straightforward.
- Zero chargeback liability on all crypto transactions. Blockchain payments are irreversible. No disputes, no reserve holdbacks, no fraud-related clawbacks. Fiat processors like Nuvei still expose operators to merchant chargebacks even with protection tools running.
- Fastest integration timeline of any crypto gateway. Plugin installs take minutes. Direct API integration is measured in hours. CoinsPaid takes 1 to 2 weeks, BitPay takes a week, CoinGate 1 to 2 days. Full sandbox available, no minimum volume to start. Non-custodial model means funds go straight to your wallet.
- Mass payouts in instant batches with no stated daily limit. Affiliate payments, player withdrawals, operational transfers all go out in one call. CoinPayments and CoinGate run mass payouts through a single API call too, so this is table stakes among crypto gateways rather than an edge. Auto-conversion is available on payouts as well.
Cons
- Crypto only. No card processing, no bank transfers, no e-wallets, no open banking. Every fiat deposit on your site still needs a separate provider. Nuvei handles 720+ methods including some crypto. Paysafe covers cards plus Skrill and Neteller wallets. NOWPayments covers one payment category, even if it covers it more deeply than anyone else.
- iGaming is one of three verticals (Crypto, iGaming, Forex) rather than the primary market. CoinsPaid brands itself as built specifically for gambling operators and has a SoftSwiss integration that NOWPayments lacks.
- Optional KYC is flexible but risky in strict jurisdictions. Curacao operators can use the tiered verification. UKGC-licensed operators cannot. If your regulatory framework tightens, you may need third-party KYC tools that NOWPayments does not provide natively. CoinsPaid has heavier built-in compliance tooling, though its Estonian license lapsed at the July 2026 MiCA deadline.
- Reporting is basic. Daily CSV exports and a simple dashboard. No real-time analytics, no advanced reconciliation automation. Nuvei and Worldpay offer full reporting suites with customizable dashboards. High-volume operators processing across dozens of coins will find reconciliation becomes manual work.
- Small company risk. Estimated 11-50 employees versus 200+ at CoinsPaid or 2,700+ at Nuvei. If the team hits capacity constraints or key people leave, support and development could slow down. The 850+ Trustpilot reviews at 4.4/5 are solid, but the small team size is worth factoring into long-term provider decisions.
Ready to evaluate NOWPayments for your business?
NOWPayments vs. Alternatives: How It Compares
Similar payment processing solutions
CoinsPaid targets iGaming specifically with operator-focused tools and heavier compliance tooling, though its Estonian license lapsed at the July 2026 MiCA deadline. If European regulation is the primary concern, CoinGate is the one that actually holds a MiCA license. BitPay has the strongest compliance credentials including US MSB, ideal for regulated markets despite a 1.2/5 Trustpilot score. CoinPayments is the oldest surviving multi-crypto gateway, running since 2013, but the May 2025 revamp cut it to 40+ coins and the OneCoin ties of its owners make it a hard provider to put in front of a licensing authority. BVNK runs stablecoin processing with zero volatility risk and carries the heaviest regulatory stack of any crypto peer, covering MiCA in the EU and US MSB registration with state money transmitter licenses, which is why Mastercard agreed to buy it for up to $1.8 billion in 2026.
When to Choose an Alternative
- CoinsPaid
Choose CoinsPaid if iGaming-specific operator tools and heavier compliance tooling matter more than coin coverage; note its Estonian license lapsed at the July 2026 MiCA deadline, so neither of these two holds an EU authorization. 20+ coins is enough if your players mainly use Bitcoin and Ethereum.
- CoinGate
Choose CoinGate if you need a MiCA-licensed gateway for EU operations. 70+ coins, similar pricing, stronger regulatory positioning in Europe.
- BitPay
Choose BitPay if operating under US regulation. MSB license and compliance stack that NOWPayments lacks. Accept the 1.2/5 Trustpilot score and the 1-2% + $0.25 fee as the trade-off.
- CoinPayments
Choose CoinPayments only if a 2013 track record and zero barriers to entry outweigh everything else. Coin coverage is now 40+, not the thousands it once carried, there is no dedicated account manager, and the owners' documented OneCoin connections are a compliance conversation you will have to hold.
- Inpay
Pair with Inpay for fiat payouts to player bank accounts in 90 countries. Instant local rails complement NOWPayments' instant crypto deposits, so operators get one-stop deposit + payout coverage without forcing every player into crypto.
Nuvei
Trustly
Paysafe
AstroPay
XAIGATE- 6.9
CoinsPaid
Crypto Processor- Deposit Fee
- ~0.8%
- Settlement
- Instant (crypto)
- Methods
- 20+
- Rating
- 4/5
- 6.3
CoinGate
Crypto Gateway- Deposit Fee
- ~1%
- Settlement
- Instant (crypto)
- Methods
- 70+
- Rating
- 3.5/5
- 6.4
BitPay
Crypto Gateway- Deposit Fee
- 1-2% + 25c
- Settlement
- USD T+2 (ACH), EUR T+1 (SEPA)
- Methods
- 100+
- Rating
- 1.2/5
- 6.3
CoinPayments
Crypto Gateway- Deposit Fee
- 0.5-1%
- Settlement
- Instant
- Methods
- 40+
- Rating
- 3.8/5
Related Reading
Operator guides and analysis relevant to evaluating NOWPayments.
- How to Get a Gambling Merchant AccountGuide →
- High-Risk Payment ProcessingGuide →
- Crypto Payment GatewaysGuide →
- iGaming Payment ProcessingGuide →
- Gaming Payment GatewayGuide →
- iGaming Acquirer Underwriting 2026: Files That Win, What Kills ItRead →
- iGaming PSP Comparison 2026: Card vs Crypto-Native Payment GatewaysRead →
- MiCA CASP Licenses: Which Crypto Payment Processors Hold One, Who Went DarkRead →
- Curaçao Reform vs Anjouan 2026: iGaming Payment Access MapRead →
End of Report. NOWPayments Provider Assessment Report 2026
Prepared and reviewed by the iGaming Payment Solutions Editorial Team ·