Short version: ShieldClimb charges 1.5% plus the card provider's fee, and both come out of what you receive. ePayVista charges 1%, and the buyer pays the card provider's fee at checkout.
ShieldClimb vs ePayVista at a glance
| ePayVista | ShieldClimb | |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway fee | 1% | 1.5% |
| Card provider fee | Paid by the buyer at checkout | Comes out of the USDC you receive |
| Card providers | Stripe (card, Apple Pay, Google Pay) and Coinbase | Around 20, including Stripe, PayPal, Revolut, MoonPay, Transak |
| Card minimum | $5 | $2 to $100 depending on provider |
| Card buyers outside the US | Not guaranteed (Coinbase or crypto recommended) | Wider regional options |
| Settlement | USDC on Base for card orders. USDC or USDT on Base, Polygon or Ethereum for crypto | USDC on Polygon |
| Custody | Non-custodial, forwarded to your wallet | Non-custodial, forwarded to your wallet |
| Application or KYC | None | None |
| Integrations | WooCommerce plugin, payment links, REST API with signed webhooks | WooCommerce plugins, payment links, API |
Fees checked on November 2, 2026 from each company's own published pricing, FAQ or API documentation. Rates change, so confirm on their site before you decide.
What we saw on-chain
ShieldClimb's public white-label code is a copy of PayGate.to's, and both services use the same API endpoints. On ShieldClimb card orders from 2026 that we traced on Polygon, every payment was split before the merchant was paid: 1.00% to one fee wallet, 0.50% to a second, and about 0.35% for network costs. The merchant received about 98.1% of the USDC that arrived, and that USDC had already had the card provider's fee taken out.
That is why ShieldClimb merchants often see far less than "1.5%" when they compare their order totals with what landed in their wallet. One merchant who moved to ePayVista from ShieldClimb was netting around 87 cents on the dollar on card orders.
Where ShieldClimb is the better fit
- Most of your card buyers are outside the US. ShieldClimb lists more regional card providers. ePayVista fully supports US merchants selling to US card holders, and card payments elsewhere are not guaranteed.
- You need card orders under $5. Some of its providers accept smaller amounts.
Where ePayVista is the better fit
- Lower gateway fee. 1% instead of 1.5%.
- The card fee is the buyer's. Stripe and Coinbase show it at checkout, so it does not come out of your payout.
- US buyers. Stripe checkout with Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Switching takes about five minutes
- Download the ePayVista plugin and activate it next to ShieldClimb.
- Paste the same wallet address you use today.
- Run a test order, compare what reaches your wallet, then turn the old gateway off.