SpacePay vs BitPay 2026: Which Crypto Payment Gateway Is Better?

Head-to-Head Comparison

Chain Support

BitPay was built for Bitcoin. It later added Ethereum and Polygon, but its DNA remains Bitcoin-first. Merchants can accept roughly 16 tokens across three networks. If a customer wants to pay with USDC on Solana, Arbitrum, or Base — BitPay cannot process that transaction.

SpacePay supports 5 EVM networks and multiple tokens from a single integration. Ethereum, Polygon, BNB Chain, Polygon, BNB Chain, Base, and Avalanche. One API key. One webhook endpoint. Every chain.

Gas Fee Handling

With BitPay, the customer pays the blockchain network fee on top of the purchase price. On Ethereum mainnet, this can add $2-15 in unpredictable gas costs. This creates sticker shock at checkout and drives cart abandonment.

SpacePay absorbs all gas fees. The customer pays exactly the amount shown — nothing more. Zero gas fees remove the single biggest friction point in crypto checkout and bring the experience in line with card payments.

Settlement Speed

BitPay settles to the merchant's bank account on the next business day. Transactions processed on Friday settle Monday. Weekend and holiday transactions can take even longer.

SpacePay delivers instant on-chain confirmation. Your systems receive the signed transaction data the same business day. No holding periods. No multi-day float. Fulfilment pipelines stay predictable.

White-Label Checkout

BitPay's checkout page carries BitPay branding. Customers leave the merchant's site and land on a BitPay-hosted page. This brand break reduces trust and increases drop-off — particularly for enterprise and luxury merchants.

SpacePay provides a fully embeddable, white-label checkout widget. The merchant's colours, fonts, and branding. No redirects. No third-party logos. The payment form loads inline on the merchant's own domain.

Compliance & Regulatory Coverage

BitPay is US-registered and has strong compliance in North American markets. It holds MSB licenses and follows FinCEN guidelines. However, its regulatory footprint is US-centric.

SpacePay is built for UK and EU compliance from the ground up. Built-in KYB, AML/CTF screening, sanctions checks, and MiCA-ready infrastructure. For merchants operating in European markets, SpacePay provides the compliance layer that BitPay does not natively offer.

Pricing Transparency

Both gateways charge 1% on each transaction. But BitPay adds a network fee surcharge passed to the customer, has a $20 minimum payout threshold, and charges additional fees for certain currencies.

SpacePay charges transparent, competitive pricing. No gas fee surcharge. No hidden fees. No minimum transaction threshold. What you see is what you pay.

Final Verdict

BitPay is a credible option for merchants who only need Bitcoin and Ethereum support, are comfortable with next-day settlement, and operate primarily in the US. It has the longest track record in the industry.

SpacePay is the better choice for merchants who need multi-chain flexibility, zero customer gas fees, instant on-chain confirmation, full white-label checkout, and UK/EU regulatory compliance. It is the more technically advanced and merchant-friendly checkout solution.