Choosing payment methods for digital goods comes down to four questions: do your buyers have it, can it be confirmed automatically (so delivery is instant), can the payment be reversed after you’ve delivered, and who holds the money.
How the methods compare
| Method | Buyer pays with | Confirmed automatically | Can be reversed | Money goes to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link and methods you enable | Yes | Yes, by chargeback | Your Stripe account |
| PayPal checkout | PayPal, Pay Later, Venmo, cards | Yes | Yes, by dispute or chargeback | Your PayPal account |
| Crypto | BTC, LTC, ETH, USDC, USDT | Yes, from the blockchain | No | Your own wallet |
| Cash App | Cash App Pay (via Stripe or Square) or a $Cashtag | Yes | Depends on the route | Your account |
| PayPal Friends & Family | A personal PayPal payment | Yes, from PayPal’s email | Rarely, but against PayPal’s terms for goods | Your PayPal account |
| Gift cards | A Binance or Steam gift card code | No: you redeem, then accept | No, once redeemed | Your Binance or Steam account |
| Skins | CS2 and Rust skins via Skinloop | Yes, when the trade completes | A reversed trade counts as a chargeback | Your Skinloop account |
Your own accounts or a merchant of record
With your own gateway, buyers pay your Stripe, PayPal or wallet directly. ShopFast takes no fee on those orders, you are the seller of record, and taxes are yours to handle (payment models). With ShopFast Pay, available by application, ShopFast collects the payment as merchant of record, remits VAT and sales tax and handles chargebacks with the processor. Many stores use their own gateways and keep the other as a fallback.
Every payment is checked before delivery
Whatever the method, an order is created and its keys or files delivered only when the payment really came from the provider, matches that checkout, is complete, and covers the exact total in the right currency. A notification sent twice never creates a second order. See how every payment is checked and instant delivery.
Questions sellers ask
Which payment method has the fewest chargebacks?
Crypto payments can't be reversed by a bank, so there are no chargebacks on them. Card and PayPal payments can be disputed, which is why Fraud Shield, 3-D Secure and order limits matter most on those methods.
Can I offer several payment methods at once?
Yes. Connect as many as you like and set the order buyers see them in, with rules per buyer country and order total. If one payment fails, checkout offers the next method in one tap.
Does ShopFast take a cut of payments through my own accounts?
No. When buyers pay your own gateway or wallet, only your provider's own fees apply and the money goes straight to you. ShopFast Pay, where ShopFast is the merchant of record, is a separate option by application, with fees on the pricing page.