SAME CATEGORY. YOUR PRIORITIES.
Adyen vs PayPal
Compare evidence, costs and trade-offs. Adjust the criteria to reflect your own workflow.
MAKE THE SCORE YOURS
What matters most?
Core capabilities carry 32 points; workflow depth carries 68. AI contributes the category-specific weight shown below within those totals. Change group priorities and see every contribution update.
How the score is calculated →Documented fit across available plans · unknowns shown as ranges · no customer ratings
| Features & decision context |  Adyen72–100/100 documented fit Core capabilities26.4–32 / 32 pts8/10 checks with established status Workflow depth45.9–68 / 68 pts11/18 checks with established status |  PayPal67–100/100 documented fit Core capabilities26.4–32 / 32 pts8/10 checks with established status Workflow depth40.8–68 / 68 pts9/18 checks with established status |
|---|---|---|
| How AI changes fitSame priorities, with and without AI | 72–100 with AI71–100 without AIFeature-fit points; not measured ROI | 67–100 with AI67–100 without AIFeature-fit points; not measured ROI |
| Supplier website | Visit Adyen | Visit PayPal |
| Good fit for | Larger merchants with an integration team and complex payment requirements. | Merchants adding PayPal and Venmo alongside card acceptance. |
| Look more closely when | You need a simple universal flat-rate quote without a transaction mix. | You need one identical rate across every payment method and checkout product. |
| Pricing snapshotDifferent billing units are not directly comparable | Usage basedtransaction and method Processing fee plus payment-method fees; obtain a US quote for your actual mix. Pricing source | Usage basedtransaction by method US rates vary by checkout method; PayPal Checkout lists 3.49% plus the applicable fixed fee. Pricing source |
| Checkout & payment methods 24% base weight | ||
| Core capabilityOnline payment checkoutAccept a customer payment through a hosted or integrated checkout. | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts Online payment integrations support merchant checkout. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts PayPal offers online checkout for business payments. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Core capabilityCards plus alternative methodsOffer card acceptance and at least one supported wallet or bank-payment method. | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts Multiple card and alternative payment methods are documented. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts The documented acceptance options include cards, PayPal and Venmo. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkPartial refundsRefund less than the original payment and retain the remaining balance.Ask for a demonstrationRefund one item from a multi-item payment and show the remaining refundable amount. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported7.2 / 7.2 pts The payment testing guide explicitly includes partial refund flows. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–7.2 / 7.2 pts The reviewed documentation does not establish this specific workflow: partial refunds. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkCustomer authentication controlsSupport an additional cardholder authentication flow such as 3D Secure.Ask for a demonstrationRun a payment that requires cardholder authentication and show the resulting status. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported7.2 / 7.2 pts Checkout supports 3D Secure authentication and returns authentication outcomes. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported7.2 / 7.2 pts Expanded Checkout supports 3D Secure cardholder authentication. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Invoices & recurring payments 16% base weight | ||
| Core capabilityInvoice-based collectionCreate or send an invoice for customer payment. | Not verified0–3.2 / 3.2 pts Payment tokenization is not proof of an invoice-creation product. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–3.2 / 3.2 pts Subscription documentation does not establish merchant invoice creation. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Core capabilityRecurring customer chargesSchedule repeat payments or subscriptions using stored payment credentials. | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Tokenization supports subscription and unscheduled repeat charges. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts The subscriptions product and API support repeat customer charges. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkFailed recurring payment recoveryRetry a failed renewal or provide a recovery workflow for an unpaid recurring charge.Ask for a demonstrationFail a renewal and show the retry or payment recovery sequence. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–4.8 / 4.8 pts The reviewed documentation does not establish this specific workflow: failed recurring payment recovery. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts Failed subscription payments are retried with configured failure thresholds. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkStop or pause recurring billingCancel or suspend future recurring charges without erasing payment history.Ask for a demonstrationStop a subscription and show its history and next-charge state. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–4.8 / 4.8 pts The reviewed documentation does not establish this specific workflow: stop or pause recurring billing. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts Subscription cancellation and suspension produce documented status events. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Payouts & reconciliation 16% base weight | ||
| Core capabilityTransaction-level reportsInspect payment, refund and fee records for reconciliation. | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Settlement Details reports expose payment-level amounts and transaction costs. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Detailed transaction settlement reports require approved-merchant and SFTP access. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Core capabilityPayout or settlement reportingConnect transactions with the settlement or payout reported by the provider. | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Settlement Details supports transaction-to-settlement reconciliation. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Settlement reports support reconciliation for approved merchants with SFTP setup. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkGross, fees and net reconciliationInspect transaction or settlement records distinguishing gross collections, fees and net proceeds.Ask for a demonstrationTrace a payout to gross payments, fees and net proceeds. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts Settlement details expose transaction-level amounts and fees for payout reconciliation. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts Capture notifications expose gross amount, PayPal fee and net proceeds. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkDispute evidence workflowReceive a dispute and submit or manage supporting evidence through a supported workflow.Ask for a demonstrationOpen a dispute and show where evidence and response deadlines are managed. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts Dispute management accepts supporting documents through Customer Area or the API. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4.8 / 4.8 pts The Disputes API accepts evidence including proof of delivery or refunds. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| APIs & integration options 12% base weight | ||
| Core capabilityPayment APICreate or manage payment transactions using a documented developer API. | Supported2.4 / 2.4 pts Sessions and Advanced API flows are documented. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported2.4 / 2.4 pts Checkout and subscriptions developer interfaces are documented. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Core capabilityPrebuilt checkout or connectorsUse a prebuilt payment component, checkout or supported connector. | Not verified0–2.4 / 2.4 pts A prebuilt component or connector needs specific evidence beyond the reviewed API-flow record. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported2.4 / 2.4 pts The checkout product provides a prebuilt integration path. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkWebhook delivery recoveryDocument delivery retries or a supported way to recover failed event notifications.Ask for a demonstrationMake an event endpoint fail and show retry or replay behavior. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Failed webhooks enter a retry queue with troubleshooting and retry tools. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Failed webhook delivery is retried, with duplicate-safe processing recommended. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkDuplicate payment request protectionUse a documented idempotency or duplicate-request mechanism when retrying payment requests.Ask for a demonstrationSubmit the same payment request twice and show how duplication is prevented. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported4 / 4 pts Payment modification requests accept an Idempotency-Key header. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4 / 4 pts State-changing operations support idempotency keys for retry protection. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| AI fraud & payment optimization 14.5% base weight | ||
| Core capabilityMachine-learning fraud screeningUse explicitly documented machine learning to assess payment fraud risk. | Supported2.4 / 2.4 pts Advanced machine-learning risk controls require Protect premium. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported2.4 / 2.4 pts Machine-learning Fraud Protection is restricted to eligible card integrations. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
| Core capabilityAI payment acceptance optimizationUse documented AI or machine learning to improve authorization, authentication or retry decisions. | Supported2.4 / 2.4 pts Uplift documents payment-acceptance optimization. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.4 / 2.4 pts The reviewed Fraud Protection source does not establish AI payment-acceptance optimization. Not verified · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkExplain machine-learning risk flagsExpose risk indicators, reasons or review context for a machine-learning risk decision.Ask for a demonstrationOpen an ML-flagged transaction and show the information available to a reviewer. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Risk notifications expose triggered-rule results and review outcomes. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported3.2 / 3.2 pts Fraud Protection exposes risk-filter results for transaction review. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkHuman control over AI risk handlingAllow a merchant to review, override or configure the handling of machine-learning risk decisions.Ask for a demonstrationShow how staff review or change the handling of an ML risk flag. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported4 / 4 pts Risk handling supports manual review alongside automated risk decisions. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source | Supported4 / 4 pts Fraud Protection allows merchant configuration and handling of flagged payments. Official documentation · Oct 15, 2026Source |
Depth checkMeasure AI risk-model false positives on labelled paymentsDemonstrate “Measure AI risk-model false positives on labelled payments” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Measure AI risk-model false positives on labelled payments” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
| Operational detail 17.5% base weight | ||
Depth checkAuthorise now and capture funds laterDemonstrate “Authorise now and capture funds later” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Authorise now and capture funds later” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported2.5 / 2.5 pts The documented preauthorisation workflow captures funds manually after the final amount is known. Eligible preauthorisation workflow; configure manual capture; method-specific expiry and rules apply. Official documentation · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkAccept a partial card authorisationDemonstrate “Accept a partial card authorisation” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Accept a partial card authorisation” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported2.5 / 2.5 pts Eligible card payments can authorise the available balance and collect the remainder by another method. Checkout API v69+ advanced flow; support activation; eligible Visa/Mastercard issuers; not Sessions flow. Official documentation · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkIncrease an existing eligible authorisationDemonstrate “Increase an existing eligible authorisation” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Increase an existing eligible authorisation” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Supported2.5 / 2.5 pts A supported preauthorisation can be increased or decreased before manual capture. Preauthorisation; Adyen-acquired payments, supported methods and merchant categories; issuer approval and expiry apply. Official documentation · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkRefresh network tokens after a card replacementDemonstrate “Refresh network tokens after a card replacement” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Refresh network tokens after a card replacement” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkConfigure the customer bank-statement descriptorDemonstrate “Configure the customer bank-statement descriptor” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Configure the customer bank-statement descriptor” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkRestrict API keys to specified payment operationsDemonstrate “Restrict API keys to specified payment operations” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Restrict API keys to specified payment operations” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
Depth checkTrace and resolve a failed merchant payoutDemonstrate “Trace and resolve a failed merchant payout” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan.Ask for a demonstrationDemonstrate “Trace and resolve a failed merchant payout” with a sample record; show the result, permissions and required plan. A scenario to run with the supplier; not a completed product test. | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source | Not verified0–2.5 / 2.5 pts This specific check has not been verified. Missing evidence does not mean the capability is absent. Ask for a demonstration in the proposed plan. Not verified · Oct 21, 2026Source |
| AI usage and limits | Uplift combines payment optimization and machine-learning risk tools.
| Fraud Protection uses PayPal data and machine learning for eligible card-payment integrations.
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| Additional costs to ask about |
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| Integration shortlist |
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| Research date | Oct 15, 2026 Full source record → | Oct 15, 2026 Full source record → |