Best embedded payments providers: Ryft, Stripe Connect, and Adyen compared (2026)

The best embedded payments provider in 2026 depends on your platform's stage, geography, and pricing needs. Ryft is purpose-built for UK and European platforms and volume-based pricing. Stripe Connect is the fastest route to market for developer-first teams. Adyen for Platforms is the enterprise choice for global operations at scale. This comparison covers pricing, compliance, split payments, and onboarding speed so you can identify the right fit.

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What embedded payments involve

Embedded payments are payment processing built directly into a software platform's product. Users complete transactions without being redirected to an external checkout, and the regulated payment infrastructure runs in the background; the experience is entirely native to the platform.

For marketplace and platforms, this matters because it removes friction from the buyer journey and gives operators direct control over how funds are collected, split, and distributed. For a full explanation of how embedded payments work, see our embedded payments guide.

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Provider comparison: Ryft, Stripe Connect, and Adyen

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Ryft

Ryft is a fully regulated embedded payments solution built for UK and European platforms, holding an Authorised Payment Institution licence alongside PCI DSS Level 1 certification and PSD2 compliance. KYC and AML are handled through Ryft, so operators can focus on growth instead of managing regulatory obligations.

Pricing is volume-based, with costs reducing as transaction volumes grow. Split payments are distributed across unlimited sellers per transaction, with automated payouts and fee deductions built in. Tuft reduced processing costs by 62% after switching to Ryft from Stripe. Clients include Epos Now, Love The Sales, OrderTiger, and Sprive.

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Stripe Connect

Stripe Connect is the most widely used embedded payments solution for developer-first platforms. API documentation is thorough, most developers complete a working integration in days, and KYC, payouts, disputes, and compliance sit within a single self-serve dashboard.

The constraint for scaling platforms is pricing. Stripe operates on a flat-rate model: UK domestic processing sits at 1.5% + 20p per transaction, with international cards adding a further 1.5% and currency conversion adding 1 to 2% on top. That rate does not reduce as volume grows. On top of transaction fees, Stripe charges a monthly fee per active connected account, meaning that as your platform scales and your sub-merchant base grows, costs compound in two directions simultaneously. For platforms with a large or growing number of sellers, that combination makes total cost difficult to predict and increasingly expensive over time. 

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Adyen for Platforms

Adyen for Platforms suits international operations. Its acquiring model spans online and in-person across Europe, the US, and Asia Pacific, with local payment methods, multicurrency support, and built-in risk tooling.

Adyen uses interchange-plus pricing, which can outperform flat-rate models at high volumes, but when compared to volume-based pricing, it is far more complex to track and less rewarding for the platform. 

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How to choose an embedded payments provider

Stage and geography are the two most important variables.

Pre-scale and launching within weeks: Stripe Connect is the fastest route, with no minimum volumes and self-serve onboarding. 

Enterprise platforms with global operations across multiple channels: Adyen provides the infrastructure for that at scale. 

UK and EU business that need compliant and efficient marketplace / platform payments:  Ryft is purpose-built for that, with volume-based pricing, compliant infrastructure across PSD2, KYC, AML, and PCI DSS Level 1, and a UK-based support team available 24/7.

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