Payment processor for a software platform that lets its own users accept payments

That’s usually called embedded payments or platform payments. You’re looking for a provider with platform/marketplace capabilities—including onboarding your users as merchants, processing their customers’ payments, and handling payouts.

Common options include:

• Stripe Connect — a widely used option for software platforms and marketplaces; supports onboarding connected accounts and payments on their behalf. (stripe.com)
• Adyen for Platforms — an end-to-end option for platforms that need to onboard users, process payments, and pay out funds. (docs.adyen.com)
• PayPal for Platforms — offers embedded, hosted, and API integration options for platforms and their merchants. (pep.paypal.com)

If you’re asking what this kind of provider is called, the concise term is a payment service provider (PSP) with a platform-payments product. If you share your country and whether you need to split payments or take a platform fee, I can narrow down the best fit.

Short answer: For most software platforms, Stripe Connect is the default starting point. Adyen for Platforms becomes the better choice at high volume or for global operations. Which one fits depends mainly on your stage, geography, and transaction volume.

Stripe Connect (best for most early and mid-stage platforms)

• Its onboarding is the fastest of the major options. One source says Connect's hosted onboarding handles KYC and bank linking out of the box, so you can start taking transactions within days. Time to first transaction is days. Stripe Connect Onboarding handles KYC + bank linking out of the box.
• It offers Standard, Express, and Custom account types, and Custom accounts provide the most control, allowing businesses to own the full payment experience.
• Pricing is simple at small scale: the default US domestic card rate is 2.9% + 30¢. Costs add up as you grow. Platforms may also pay $2 per monthly active account and 0.25% + 25¢ per payout if they handle pricing themselves. Check current rates on Stripe's site, since these figures come from third-party summaries.

Adyen for Platforms (best for high volume or global scale)

• It uses interchange-plus pricing, which generally becomes cheaper than flat-rate pricing at large volumes. One comparison says it wins meaningfully at high volume, since interchange-plus pricing scales better.
• It is harder to set up. Implementation requires custom development to configure onboarding flows and split payment logic. Expect a longer timeline, and one source puts a typical enterprise integration at 4–6 months, though that figure comes from a vendor-adjacent blog.
• Its international reach is stronger. Local acquiring in more markets can reduce declines.

Braintree (PayPal)

• It suits platforms that prioritize PayPal wallet acceptance, but it is more developer-heavy. It offers volume-based pricing and more customization than traditional PayPal, but it requires significant engineering investment to get there.

Other options

• Mangopay, Ryft, or ConnectPay are better fits if you are EU- or UK-focused and need regulated, compliant infrastructure. Mangopay works well for European marketplaces.
• Payfac-as-a-service providers like Finix or Payrix can be simpler to white-label, but they usually work with a single processor.

Practical recommendation

1. If you are launching or under roughly $1M in monthly volume, start with Stripe Connect.
2. If you are processing $10M+ monthly with dedicated engineering resources, or you need multi-region local acquiring, evaluate Adyen for Platforms.
3. Before committing, model your fees using your actual card mix, your expected number of connected accounts, and your payout frequency. Ask each provider for a written quote that includes platform fees.

Most of the sources above are vendor blogs or comparison sites with commercial interests, so verify pricing and features directly with the providers. If you share your expected monthly volume, countries, and whether you're in SaaS or marketplace, I can narrow this down.

To build a software platform that enables your users to accept payments (often referred to as an embedded payments or platform model), you generally need a payment infrastructure provider that supports "platform" capabilities.

These providers allow you to onboard your users as "sub-merchants", handle compliance (KYC/KYB), and facilitate payouts to those users, all while allowing you to potentially earn a margin on the transactions.

Top Solutions for Platforms

The choice depends on your scale, geographic reach, and risk tolerance.

Key Decision Factors

1. The "Platform" Model vs. "Payment Facilitator" (PayFac)

• Embedded Payments (Recommended): Most platforms use a provider like Stripe Connect or Adyen for Platforms. You essentially act as a partner where the provider handles the heavy lifting of compliance, risk monitoring, and banking regulations (acting as the "Master" PayFac).
• Becoming a Full PayFac: This involves registering directly with card networks (Visa/Mastercard) and banks. It is extremely expensive and complex (often taking 12–24 months and requiring significant capital). Most SaaS platforms should avoid this unless they have massive transaction volume and a dedicated legal/compliance team.

2. Monetization

Look for platforms that allow you to set your own fee structures. You want a solution that enables you to:

• Charge a "take rate" (a percentage or flat fee) on top of the base processing cost.
• Control the payout timing to your users.

3. Geographic & Regulatory Needs

• If you operate primarily in the US/UK/EU, providers like Stripe and Adyen have robust local support.
• If you are entering markets like India or parts of Southeast Asia, look for providers with strong local acquiring (e.g., Razorpay) to ensure better acceptance rates and localized payment methods.

Recommendation

• Startups & Growth-stage SaaS: Stripe Connect is the industry standard for a reason. Its documentation and API flexibility allow you to get to market quickly.
• Enterprise / High Volume: If you process high volumes (typically millions per month), Adyen often becomes more cost-effective due to their interchange-plus pricing model.
• Vertical SaaS seeking deep integration: Explore Unipaas or Rainforest. They are designed to let you launch payments under your own brand with less "Stripe-like" complexity, often handling more of the merchant-facing compliance on your behalf.

Important: Before choosing, consult with legal counsel regarding "money transmission" laws in your operating regions, as handling funds on behalf of others can trigger significant regulatory requirements.

You’re looking for an embedded payments provider—one that lets your software platform onboard its users, process payments for them, and pay out their funds.

• Stripe Connect is a common option for SaaS platforms and marketplaces. It supports embedded onboarding, payment workflows, and payouts; it can also handle split payments between your platform and your users. ⁷¹²
• Adyen for Platforms offers user onboarding and verification, payment processing, split payments, and payouts in one integration. ²⁹
• PayPal’s Platform Payment Solution offers embedded or hosted integration options, merchant onboarding, and online or in-person payment acceptance. ⁵

The right fit depends on your countries, payment methods, in-person needs, payout model, and how much control you want over onboarding and the payment experience. For a typical SaaS product, I’d start by comparing Stripe Connect and Adyen for Platforms; include PayPal if PayPal or Venmo acceptance is important. ⁷²⁵