Payment processor for taking payments inside a mobile app for physical goods and services, such as deliveries or bookings

For payments for physical goods or real-world services—such as deliveries, transportation, or bookings—Stripe is a solid default for taking payment directly in your mobile app. You can integrate it with its iOS/Android SDKs and offer card payments and, where supported, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Apple’s guidelines require a payment method other than In‑App Purchase for goods or services consumed outside the app; Google Play likewise excludes physical goods and services from its billing requirement. (developer.apple.com)

Consider Adyen as an alternative if you’re a larger business or need to unify online and in-person payments across markets. (adyen.com)

Quick recommendation: Start with Stripe unless you have a specific reason to choose another processor. If your app is a marketplace that pays out to multiple providers, check that the processor supports your onboarding and payout model too.

One important distinction: payments for digital content or app features can be subject to different App Store and Play Store rules than physical goods and services. (developer.apple.com)

Short answer: Stripe is the usual starting point. For a mobile app selling physical goods or real-world services, it has the strongest mobile SDKs and a marketplace product (Stripe Connect) if you pay out to providers. Adyen suits large enterprise volume, and Braintree is worth a look if PayPal or Venmo checkout matters to you.

Store rules first: For deliveries, bookings, and physical goods, you generally don't use Apple or Google's billing. Apple's Guideline 3.1.3(e) says apps that sell goods or services used outside the app must use another payment method, such as Apple Pay or a credit card. Google's policy is similar. Google Play's billing must not be used for physical goods or for services like transportation, food delivery and event tickets. So a third-party processor is the right category. Apple's US external-link rules have also been changing, so check the current terms if you're weighing other paths.

Options:

• Stripe: Stripe is the default for most app-first brands: 2.9% + $0.30, no monthly fee, and the cleanest iOS, Android, and React Native SDKs in the market. For marketplaces or booking platforms that pay providers, Stripe Connect is purpose-built for marketplace payments with sub-merchant onboarding, split payments, and compliance handling. Watch the platform costs: on Express or Custom accounts, you (the platform) pay 0.25% of transaction volume and a $2 per-active-seller monthly fee.
• Adyen: It handles online, in-app, and in-store payments on one platform with a single settlement, and its pricing gets cheaper as volume grows. It's usually better suited to larger businesses than to a startup.
• Braintree (PayPal): Consider it if PayPal and Venmo checkout are central. Consider Braintree when PayPal integration is central to your app, provided Braintree confirms support for your seller onboarding and payout model. Its headline rate has also been lower on high-volume card processing. One source notes that Braintree charges the same 2.9% + $0.30 but waives fees on the first $50,000 in processing, though other sources list Braintree at 2.59% + $0.49 or 2.89% + $0.29, so check the current price sheet.
• Square: A good fit if you also sell in person. It is best for brands blending in-store and in-app, with a fee of 2.6% + $0.10 online, which varies by product.

How to choose:

1. Single-seller app (you sell your own goods or services): Stripe, unless you need PayPal/Venmo or in-person payments.
2. Marketplace (you pay out to providers, drivers, or service workers): Stripe Connect or Braintree Marketplace. Compare the all-in cost with your expected commission and payout volume, since advertised rates don't include platform fees. Stripe Connect Standard leaves fees with the sellers, while Express and Custom move them onto you.
3. Large volume or global reach: Get custom quotes from Adyen and Stripe.

Also plan for chargebacks, refunds, and payouts. For booking or delivery flows, a provider that supports marketplace payouts, Apple Pay, and Google Pay will save you a lot of work.

For mobile apps selling physical goods or services (such as delivery or bookings), the choice of payment processor depends largely on your scale, developer resources, and geographic requirements.

Because you are selling physical goods and services, you should use a payment gateway/processor integration rather than Apple or Google’s "In-App Purchase" (IAP) systems, which are strictly for digital goods and typically charge a 15–30% commission.

Top Recommended Payment Processors

Key Considerations for Your Business Model

1. Developer Experience & Integration

• Stripe is widely considered the industry standard for developer experience. If your team wants to get up and running quickly with clean APIs and comprehensive documentation, this is usually the top choice.
• Adyen requires more intensive setup (weeks vs. hours) but offers a more robust platform for enterprise-level global operations.

2. Pricing Models

• Flat-Rate (Stripe, Braintree): Generally charge a fixed percentage + a small fee per transaction (e.g., 2.9% + $0.30). This is predictable and easy to manage for most businesses.
• Interchange-Plus (Adyen, and optional for others at scale): You pay the actual cost of the card network plus a small markup. This is almost always cheaper once you reach significant transaction volumes (often $5M+ annually).

3. Specific Features for Goods & Services

• Digital Wallets: Ensure your chosen processor natively supports Apple Pay and Google Pay, as these significantly increase conversion rates for mobile users by removing the need to type in card details.
• Marketplace/Split Payments: If your app is a marketplace (e.g., you take a commission while the delivery driver or service provider gets the rest), look for processors with "Connect" or "Split Payment" features (Stripe Connect is the most popular for this).
• Security & Compliance: All the providers above handle tokenization, which means sensitive card data is never stored on your servers. This drastically reduces your PCI-DSS compliance burden.

Summary Recommendation

• If you are a startup or medium-sized business: Start with Stripe. Its ability to scale from simple payments to complex marketplace setups makes it the most flexible "utility" for modern app development.
• If you need deep PayPal/Venmo integration: Consider Braintree, as its relationship with PayPal is native and highly reliable.
• If you are an enterprise processing massive volume: Look into Adyen to optimize authorization rates and minimize processing costs through interchange-plus pricing.

For payments inside an app for physical goods or services—such as delivery orders, transport, or bookings—Stripe is a solid default. Its mobile SDKs provide a prebuilt checkout UI (PaymentSheet) for iOS, Android, and React Native, and can support options including cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, depending on availability. ³⁹¹²

The app-store rules fit this use case: Apple says purchases of physical goods or services consumed outside the app must use a method other than In-App Purchase, such as Apple Pay or card entry. ⁵ Google Play likewise says its billing system should not be used for physical goods or services such as food delivery or transportation. ¹²

Practical setup: use Stripe’s mobile SDK in the app, with your server creating and managing the payment; offer Apple Pay or Google Pay where supported. ⁴⁶ Confirm that Stripe supports your country, business model, and desired payment methods. If you meant in-person payments rather than app checkout, Stripe Terminal is a separate option. ¹¹