Aurpay vs NOWPayments: Non-Custodial Crypto Gateway Comparison (2026)

If you are comparing crypto payment gateways, Aurpay and NOWPayments will end up on the same shortlist. Both market themselves as non-custodial. Both support major cryptocurrencies. Both integrate with Shopify and WooCommerce. On the surface, they look like near-identical alternatives to custodial processors like BitPay or Coinbase Commerce.

But “non-custodial” is not a binary label. These two gateways implement it differently, price it differently, and make different trade-offs on coin support, platform coverage, and compliance requirements. This comparison goes beneath the marketing to help you decide which one actually fits your business.

What “Non-Custodial” Actually Means at Each Gateway

Aurpay operates a purely non-custodial architecture. When a customer pays, the crypto moves directly from the buyer’s wallet to your merchant wallet address. Aurpay facilitates the transaction — generating the payment interface, monitoring the blockchain for confirmations, notifying your e-commerce platform — but at no point does it hold, pool, or route your funds through an intermediary wallet. There is no optional custody layer, no internal balance, and no withdrawal process. Funds are yours the moment the blockchain confirms the transaction.

NOWPayments defaults to non-custodial as well. In its standard configuration, payments flow directly to your designated wallet. However, NOWPayments also offers an optional custody solution that merchants can enable within their account. When custody is active, incoming payments are pooled into NOWPayments-controlled cold storage wallets. Merchants can then withdraw in batches, swap between currencies inside the custodial balance, or use mass payout features.

This hybrid model is not inherently bad. Custody reduces the number of on-chain transactions you manage, and batching withdrawals can save on network fees. But it introduces exactly the counterparty risk that non-custodial architecture is designed to eliminate. When your funds sit in a third party’s cold storage — even briefly — you depend on that party’s operational security, solvency, and compliance decisions. The crypto custodian failures of 2022-2023 showed what happens when that trust is misplaced.

For merchants who specifically chose non-custodial to avoid intermediary risk, Aurpay’s approach is simpler: there is no custodial option to accidentally enable, no internal balance to monitor, and no withdrawal step between receiving payment and controlling your funds.

Fee Structure: The 0.5% vs 0.8% Question

NOWPayments advertises a base fee of 0.5% per transaction — lower than Aurpay’s 0.8%. At first glance, this makes NOWPayments the cheaper option. But the real cost depends on how you use the platform.

NOWPayments charges an additional 0.5% exchange fee whenever auto-conversion is involved. If a customer pays in BTC but you want to receive USDT, the platform converts the currency and charges 0.5% (transaction) + 0.5% (exchange) = 1.0% total. The same applies if you use the in-custody conversion feature to swap between coins. For merchants who accept a single cryptocurrency and never convert, the 0.5% base rate holds. But most merchants accepting multiple coins will trigger the exchange fee on a significant portion of their transactions.

Aurpay charges a flat 0.8% on every transaction regardless of the payment coin or settlement coin. There is no conversion fee because Aurpay does not perform conversion — you receive exactly the cryptocurrency your customer sends, minus the 0.8% processing fee. If you want to convert to a different asset, you do that on your own exchange account, where you control the timing and the rate.

Real Cost Comparison by Monthly Volume

NOWPayments offers volume discounts: 0.45% above 50 BTC monthly turnover, 0.4% above 100 BTC. These thresholds correspond to roughly $3M+ and $6M+ monthly volume at current prices — relevant only for enterprise-scale merchants.

The takeaway: if you accept a single coin and never convert, NOWPayments is cheaper. If you use auto-conversion on most transactions — which is common for merchants who want to standardize on USDT or USDC — Aurpay’s 0.8% flat rate is 20% less than NOWPayments’ effective 1.0%. The cost question comes down to your conversion behavior, not the headline rate.

Coin and Chain Support

NOWPayments supports over 350 cryptocurrencies and tokens. This is one of the widest selections among crypto payment gateways, behind only CoinPayments (2,290+). If your business needs to accept niche altcoins — meme tokens, low-cap DeFi tokens, or chain-specific community coins — NOWPayments is one of the few gateways that can accommodate that.

Aurpay supports 10+ major cryptocurrencies across 10+ blockchain networks. The supported assets include USDT, USDC, DAI, BTC, ETH, BNB, and MATIC — the coins that account for the vast majority of real-world crypto payment volume. Multi-chain stablecoin support is a specific strength: USDT is available on Ethereum (ERC-20), Tron (TRC-20), BSC (BEP-20), Polygon, and Arbitrum, giving merchants and customers flexibility to choose the cheapest network for each transaction.

The practical question is whether 350+ coins translates to business value. Of the 350+ assets NOWPayments supports, the majority have daily trading volumes under $100,000 — meaning real customer demand for paying with these tokens is negligible. Merchants typically find that 90%+ of their crypto payments come from the same 10-15 assets: BTC, ETH, major stablecoins, and a handful of popular altcoins. Both gateways cover these.

Where Aurpay’s focused approach has an edge is in multi-chain stablecoin routing. If your customer base is cost-sensitive, offering USDT on TRC-20 (gas fees under $1) alongside USDT on ERC-20 (gas fees of $2-10) lets customers choose the cheaper option. Aurpay supports this natively. NOWPayments also supports multiple chains, but the stablecoin-specific routing is less prominently featured in their checkout flow. For a deeper look at stablecoin payment optimization, see our USDT payment gateway page.

Platform Integrations

This is where NOWPayments has a clear advantage, and there is no reason to soft-pedal it.

NOWPayments provides dedicated plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, PrestaShop, Magento 2, OpenCart, Zen Cart, WHMCS, and Ecwid. Beyond CMS plugins, it offers a full API, embeddable payment widgets, invoicing tools, and donation buttons. If your store runs on a less common platform, NOWPayments likely has an integration path.

Aurpay supports two platforms: Shopify (via a native App Store application) and WooCommerce (via a WordPress plugin). That is the complete list. If your store runs on PrestaShop, Magento, or any other platform, Aurpay is not an option today.

The honest assessment: if you are a Shopify or WooCommerce merchant, both gateways serve you well, and Aurpay’s native Shopify App Store integration offers a slightly tighter checkout experience. If you are on any other platform, NOWPayments wins by default.

KYC and Onboarding

Aurpay requires zero KYC. You connect your wallet address, install the Shopify app or WooCommerce plugin, and start accepting payments. There is no identity verification, no business documentation, and no waiting period. This applies to all merchants regardless of volume, geography, or business category.

NOWPayments takes a tiered, risk-based approach. For standard crypto-only accounts, KYC is generally not required. You can sign up, integrate, and begin accepting crypto payments without identity verification. However, KYC/KYB (Know Your Business) verification is triggered in several scenarios: when a transaction is flagged by their AML monitoring system, when you want to access fiat settlement features, or when your account exceeds certain volume thresholds.

In practice, most small-to-mid-size crypto-only merchants on NOWPayments will never encounter a KYC requirement. But the possibility exists. If your AML flags trigger — which can happen for legitimate reasons like receiving payments from privacy-focused wallets or operating in certain jurisdictions — NOWPayments may place a hold on transactions until you complete verification. This includes providing photo ID, proof of fund source, and a selfie with your ID.

For merchants who chose crypto payments specifically to avoid the onboarding friction of traditional processors, Aurpay’s unconditional zero-KYC policy is simpler and more predictable. There are no edge cases or conditional triggers. For a full analysis of KYC-free crypto payment options, see our guide on accepting crypto payments without KYC.

Fiat Settlement

NOWPayments offers fiat settlement through third-party partners such as Guardarian and Banxa. Merchants can convert received crypto to fiat in 25+ currencies. The process typically takes 2-5 business days, involves additional fees in the 1.5%-2.3% range, and requires KYC/KYB verification. It is not a native feature — it is a brokered service layered on top of the crypto gateway.

Aurpay does not offer fiat settlement. Full stop. If you need to convert crypto to USD, EUR, or any other fiat currency, you transfer your received crypto to an exchange account and sell it yourself. This gives you full control over timing and exchange rates, but it also means more manual work.

This is a genuine gap for merchants whose accounting, payroll, or supplier payments require fiat. If same-platform fiat conversion is a requirement for your business, NOWPayments offers a path (albeit through intermediaries with additional fees and KYC). Aurpay does not.

Settlement Speed and Withdrawal

In non-custodial mode, both gateways offer instant settlement. Once the blockchain confirms the transaction, the funds are in your wallet. For Tron (TRC-20) and Polygon transactions, this means seconds. For Ethereum and Bitcoin, confirmation times range from minutes to an hour depending on network conditions.

The difference emerges if you use NOWPayments’ custodial features. When custody is enabled, funds are not instantly available in your personal wallet. They sit in NOWPayments’ cold storage until you initiate a withdrawal. Batch withdrawals reduce network fees but introduce a delay between receiving payment and accessing funds — precisely the kind of settlement lag that non-custodial architecture is supposed to eliminate.

With Aurpay, there is no withdrawal step. Funds arrive in your wallet at the moment of blockchain confirmation. You can spend, hold, or transfer them immediately without interacting with the gateway’s dashboard at all.

When NOWPayments Is the Better Choice

Honest comparisons require honest conclusions. There are specific merchant profiles where NOWPayments is the stronger option.

You Need 100+ Coin Support

If your business caters to crypto-native customers who want to pay with niche altcoins, gaming tokens, or DeFi assets, NOWPayments’ 350+ coin roster is a real advantage. Aurpay’s 10+ supported assets cover the mainstream, but they will not satisfy a customer who wants to pay with SHIB, DOGE, or a low-cap token.

You Run PrestaShop, Magento, or Another Platform

If your store is not on Shopify or WooCommerce, Aurpay cannot serve you. NOWPayments supports 8+ e-commerce platforms and offers an API for custom integrations. Platform coverage is not close.

You Need Fiat Settlement

If converting crypto to fiat within your payment gateway workflow is a business requirement, NOWPayments offers it through partners. Aurpay does not offer fiat settlement at all. The additional fees and KYC requirements may be acceptable if the alternative is manually managing exchange accounts.

You Want Auto-Conversion Between Coins

If you want to accept any of 350+ coins but receive everything as BTC or USDT, NOWPayments’ auto-conversion handles this automatically (at the 0.5% exchange fee). Aurpay delivers exactly the coin the customer pays with — no automatic swaps.

When Aurpay Is the Better Choice

You Want Pure Non-Custodial — No Exceptions

If you specifically chose a non-custodial gateway to eliminate counterparty risk, Aurpay’s architecture is cleaner. There is no optional custody layer to enable, no internal balance to manage, and no scenario where your funds sit in a third party’s wallet. The simplicity is the feature.

You Are on Shopify or WooCommerce

Aurpay’s Shopify integration is a native App Store application — not a third-party plugin that routes through an external checkout. For WooCommerce, the plugin integrates directly with the WordPress dashboard. If your store is on one of these two platforms, Aurpay’s focused integration is polished and well-maintained.

You Want Predictable, Flat Pricing

Aurpay charges 0.8% on every transaction. No conversion fees, no exchange fees, no tiered pricing that changes based on how you configure your account. For merchants who value cost predictability — especially when budgeting payment processing expenses — a single flat rate eliminates the need to calculate effective fees based on conversion ratios.

You Want Zero KYC — Guaranteed

Aurpay’s zero-KYC policy is unconditional. There are no volume thresholds, no AML-triggered verification requests, and no features locked behind identity checks. If KYC avoidance is a priority — whether for privacy, speed-to-market, or operating in regions where documentation is difficult — Aurpay is the more predictable choice.

You Prioritize Multi-Chain Stablecoin Payments

If your payment volume is primarily stablecoins — USDT, USDC, DAI — Aurpay’s multi-chain support lets customers choose the cheapest network. Offering USDT on TRC-20, BEP-20, and Polygon alongside ERC-20 can reduce your customers’ gas costs by 80-95% compared to Ethereum-only options. This directly improves checkout completion rates for price-sensitive buyers.

Side-by-Side Summary

Making the Decision

This is not a case where one gateway is universally better. NOWPayments offers broader coin support, more platform integrations, and fiat settlement options that Aurpay does not match. For merchants who need those features, NOWPayments is the right choice.

Aurpay’s value proposition is different: architectural simplicity, predictable pricing, and zero-compromise non-custodial design. If you are a Shopify or WooCommerce merchant processing payments in major cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, and you want the cleanest possible non-custodial experience with no hidden fees, conditional KYC triggers, or optional custodial layers — Aurpay is built for exactly that use case.

The best way to evaluate is to match your actual requirements against the comparison table above. Start with the three questions that matter most: which platform does your store run on, do you need fiat settlement, and how many of the 350+ coins would your customers realistically use? Your answers will point you to the right gateway.

If Aurpay fits your profile, you can explore the stablecoin payment gateway and be accepting crypto payments within 15 minutes — no KYC, no custody risk, no conversion fees. For a broader look at how to evaluate gateways systematically, see our merchant decision framework.