Do not choose a payment provider by the logos in its checkout. First establish where the seller is registered, where customers pay from, whether subscriptions are required, which currency should settle, and who creates the fiscal receipt. Only then compare 1.3% with 2%.
For a Ukrainian sole proprietor or company, the shortest route usually leads to LiqPay, plata by mono, WayForPay, or Fondy. As of August 16, 2026, Stripe does not list Ukraine among countries where a merchant account can be opened directly. Stripe requires a real company in a supported jurisdiction, with that company's banking, tax, and compliance obligations.
This guide is not legal or tax advice. Confirm the final arrangement with an accountant familiar with your entity, product, and payment flow.
The short answer
LiqPay
Ukrainian store, competitive rate, PrivatPay, API, recurring payments.
mono
Fast local onboarding, 1.3%, simple daily operations.
WFP / Fondy
Links, CMS, recurring and broader payment operations.
Stripe
A genuine supported-country entity selling globally.
Five questions before pricing
- Who is the seller? Ukrainian FOP/LLC, EU company, or US company.
- Where are customers? Local and foreign cards have different fees and acceptance patterns.
- What is sold? MCC, digital goods, travel, donations, and marketplaces receive different underwriting.
- What flow is required? One-time, recurring, hold/capture, installments, split, refunds, or payouts.
- Who issues the receipt? A gateway receipt is not the seller's fiscal receipt.
LiqPay vs mono vs WayForPay vs Fondy vs Stripe
| Provider | Published standard fee | Merchant | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LiqPay | 1.3% UA; 2% foreign cards | Ukrainian entity | Price, local methods, API |
| plata by mono | 1.3% UA; 2% foreign | Ukrainian business | Fast local operation |
| WayForPay | 2% | Ukrainian merchant | Links, CMS, merchant tools |
| Fondy | 2.2% UA / 2.4% international below UAH 500k monthly; 2% / 2.2% above | UA, UK, EU entities | Cross-border and advanced flows |
| Stripe | Depends on account country | Supported-country entity | Global SaaS and developer tooling |
A public rate is not the whole contract. Volume pricing, prohibited categories, reserves, settlement schedules, and feature availability are confirmed during underwriting.
Where each local provider fits
LiqPay
LiqPay publishes 1.3% for Ukrainian and 2% for foreign-issued cards, with cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PrivatPay, tokens, subscriptions, holds, and API checkout. It is a strong local default when a competitive headline rate and PrivatBank footprint matter. Verify callback signatures, idempotency, refunds, conversion, and fiscalization. Never mark an order paid only from the browser redirect.
plata by mono
mono publishes 1.3% for Ukrainian cards, 2% for foreign cards, and no monthly business-account service fee. It fits teams wanting fast local onboarding and simple operations. Before development, verify exact API support for subscriptions, holds, partial refunds, test mode, webhook behavior, and reporting.
WayForPay
WayForPay publishes a 2% fee with no additional charges and supports online contracting and settlement to a Ukrainian bank account. It is widely used for CMS integrations, payment links, invoices, and subscription scenarios. Confirm your MCC rate, payout timing, chargeback rules, token lifecycle, and PRRO integration.
Fondy
Fondy publishes tiered Ukrainian and international rates and offers cards, wallets, recurring payments, holds, split payments, payouts, links, and cloud PRRO. It is attractive when international cards and advanced payment operations outweigh the lowest local fee. Confirm settlement country and currency, FX, refund terms, and feature approval.
Stripe is not a direct Ukrainian merchant account
Ukraine is absent from Stripe's official supported-country list. A Ukrainian FOP or LLC therefore cannot truthfully open a standard account as a Ukrainian merchant. Stripe Atlas can create a US company, but that creates a separate legal, banking, accounting, reporting, and tax structure—it does not connect Stripe to a Ukrainian FOP.
Stripe makes sense when a company already operates legally in a supported country and sells global SaaS, subscriptions, marketplaces, or digital products. Do not incorporate solely for a nicer API before pricing annual administration and compliance.
A payment receipt does not replace РРО/ПРРО
Ukrainian tax guidance published in 2026 states that, where the law applies, online card and payment-service transactions require the seller to use RRO/PRRO and provide the prescribed fiscal document. The bank or gateway receipt confirms payment; the provider does not become the seller.
A direct IBAN bank transfer may receive different treatment, but card acquiring does not become an IBAN transfer merely because settlement reaches a bank account. Get scenario-specific accounting advice. Technically, define which event issues the receipt and how delayed callbacks, captures, refunds, cash on delivery, and duplicate webhooks behave.
The real cost is more than the percentage
At UAH 1 million of monthly card volume, the difference between 1.3% and 2% is UAH 7,000 per month or UAH 84,000 annually. That matters. But a one-point acceptance-rate loss, weak foreign-card performance, or manual reconciliation can erase it.
| Monthly volume | 1.3% | 2% | Annual difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAH 100k | 1,300 | 2,000 | 8,400 |
| UAH 500k | 6,500 | 10,000 | 42,000 |
| UAH 1m | 13,000 | 20,000 | 84,000 |
Compare fee, authorization rate, FX, refunds, chargebacks, failed-payment recovery, integration cost, and accounting time.
Production integration checklist
- Create amount and order ID server-side.
- Verify webhook signatures and implement idempotency.
- Mark paid only after an authoritative server event.
- Prevent duplicate orders, receipts, and fulfillment.
- Test decline, timeout, abandoned 3DS, and duplicate submit.
- Test full/partial refunds and reconciliation.
- Never log PAN, CVV, or unnecessary personal data.
- Alert on webhook failures and reconcile daily.
- Make PRRO issue the correct receipt and refund.
- Show total, currency, merchant identity, returns, and support.
A 30-minute decision path
Frequently asked questions
What is the best payment gateway for a Ukrainian online store?
There is no universal winner. LiqPay and mono are strong local defaults; WayForPay offers ready merchant tools; Fondy fits broader international and recurring flows.
Does Stripe work in Ukraine in 2026?
Stripe does not support direct merchant accounts for Ukraine-registered companies. A genuine company in a supported jurisdiction may use it.
What do online payments cost in Ukraine?
Published rates in this comparison start at 1.3% for Ukrainian cards with LiqPay and mono. Confirm the actual contract for your business.
Is PRRO required for website card payments?
Where Ukrainian law requires it, yes. Tax guidance states that the payment-provider receipt does not replace the seller's fiscal receipt.
Can a business accept payments without a website?
Yes, through links, invoices, QR codes, and hosted payment pages. Merchant onboarding, accounting, and fiscal obligations still apply.
Sources and review date
Terms were reviewed on August 16, 2026 using official pages from LiqPay, monobank, WayForPay, Fondy, Stripe, and the Ukrainian tax authority. Verify contracts and law before launch.
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