Checkout.com and BlueSnap are two leading payment providers focused on international business. Both offer orchestration, both support alternative payment methods, both target mid-market and enterprise. But their architecture and approach are fundamentally different.
Websites: checkout.com | bluesnap.com
Positioning and Company DNA
Checkout.com is a London fintech founded in 2012 by Guillaume Pousaz (a former Neteller developer). It was built from the ground up as a “unified gateway” for international payments. Focus: enterprise, complex payment chains, customization.
BlueSnap is a US-Israeli company founded in 2001 (originally Plimus). It evolved from a digital goods platform to a full-fledged payment orchestrator. Focus: SMB and mid-market, ease of integration, breadth of coverage.
Comparison Table
| Parameter | Checkout.com | BlueSnap |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | London, UK | Boston, USA |
| Founded | 2012 | 2001 |
| Valuation (2025) | $40B | $1.2B (private) |
| Merchants | Enterprise: Netflix, Sony, Grab, Klarna | SMB/Mid-market: 50,000+ |
| Markets | 50+ countries, direct acquiring | 200+ countries, via orchestration |
| API | RESTful + GraphQL | RESTful |
| SDKs | iOS, Android, JS, React, Vue, .NET, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, Go, Node.js | iOS, Android, JS, .NET, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby |
| Settlement Currencies | 150+ currencies | 100+ currencies |
| Alternative Methods | 50+ APMs | 100+ APMs |
| Orchestration | Smart Routing (proprietary) | Payment Orchestration Engine |
| Fraud Prevention | Built-in ML + Forter partnership | Kount (owned by BlueSnap) |
| Marketplaces | Checkout.com Flow | BlueSnap Marketplace |
| Subscriptions/Recurring | Via API | Subscription Billing Engine |
| Onboarding | 2–4 weeks | 3–5 days |
| Minimum Volume | ~$500K/year | No restrictions |
| Support | 24/7, dedicated manager (enterprise) | 24/7, chat + email |
| Documentation | Excellent, with interactive examples | Good, partially outdated |
| Compliance | PCI DSS Level 1, SOC 2, GDPR, PSD2 | PCI DSS Level 1, SOC 2, GDPR |
Pricing: Detailed Comparison
| Item | Checkout.com | BlueSnap |
|---|---|---|
| EEA Cards (Europe) | Interchange + 0.5–1.2% | 2.9% + €0.25 (flat) |
| US Cards | Interchange + 0.5–1.2% | 2.7% + $0.30 |
| International Cards | Interchange + 1.5–2% | 3.5% + $0.30 |
| Currency Conversion | +0.5–1% | +1% |
| Chargeback | £15/€15/$15 | $15 |
| Refund | Free | Free |
| PCI Compliance | Included | Included |
| Monthly Minimum | None (negotiable for small) | None |
| Small Business Access | No (minimum volume) | Yes |
| Interchange++ | Yes (for all) | Yes (from $50K/month) |
Pricing takeaway: for enterprise clients, rates are comparable at similar volumes. BlueSnap is more accessible for small businesses (flat rates, no minimum volume). Checkout.com is more advantageous at $500K+/year due to lower Interchange++ markup.
API and Development
Checkout.com wins decisively:
- Documentation: interactive, with live request/response examples. API Reference updates in real time.
- GraphQL API: in addition to REST, allows querying only needed fields — traffic savings for mobile SDKs.
- Unified API: a single interface for cards, APMs, payouts, and subscriptions — reduces integration complexity.
- Flow: a visual payment flow builder (no-code routing, 3DS, and retry configuration).
BlueSnap:
- REST API with adequate coverage, but no GraphQL
- Documentation is good but updated more slowly
- Payment Orchestration Engine is powerful but setup requires manual testing
- Go and Ruby SDKs lag behind the current API version
Geography and Payment Methods
Checkout.com is stronger in direct acquiring regions:
- Full acquiring in UK, EU (SEPA), US, Brazil, UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia
- Direct Visa/Mastercard contracts — fewer intermediaries
BlueSnap is stronger in coverage breadth:
- 200+ countries through provider aggregation
- 100+ APMs (vs. 50+ for Checkout.com)
- Stronger in Latin America (local methods) and Asia (Alipay, WeChat, GrabPay)
Affiliate Programs
Checkout.com Partner Program
- Enterprise-focused: targets agencies, system integrators, and technology platforms
- Revenue share: percentage of transaction revenue (custom terms)
- Referral model: for smaller partners — fixed commission per referred merchant
- Plus: high average client value (enterprise), long-term contracts
- Minus: high barrier to entry for partners, opaque terms, long sales cycle
BlueSnap Partner Program
- Open model: referrals + revenue share for everyone
- Referral Fee: $100–500 per merchant
- Revenue Share: 0.03–0.1% of transaction revenue
- Cookie: 90 days
- Plus: accessible to a broad range of affiliates, transparent rates, long cookie
- Minus: low revenue share percentage, audience limited to SMB
Affiliate appeal comparison:
| Checkout.com | BlueSnap | |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | Enterprise partners | Open |
| Rates | Custom (higher) | Fixed (lower) |
| Cookie | 30 days (estimated) | 90 days |
| Customer LTV | High (enterprise) | Medium (SMB) |
| Transparency | Low | High |
| For Whom | Agencies, integrators | Broad affiliate range |
Problems and Limitations
Checkout.com:
- Unavailable for small business — $500K/year minimum threshold
- Enterprise orientation means long sales cycles (2–4 months)
- Fewer APMs (50+ vs. 100+)
- Pricing opaque to outsiders
BlueSnap:
- No dedicated manager for standard accounts
- Documentation partially outdated
- Onboarding more complex than expected (3–5 days with documentation)
- Limited language support (English, Spanish, Portuguese)
Verdict
The choice comes down to business size:
For enterprise ($500K+/year): Checkout.com — more mature API, direct acquiring in key regions, GraphQL, enterprise support. But be prepared for a long sales cycle.
For SMB and mid-market: BlueSnap — more accessible, broader APM coverage, easier to get started. Loses on depth of customization, but that’s sufficient for 95% of businesses.
For affiliates: BlueSnap wins thanks to its open partner program with transparent rates and a long cookie window. However, the potential commission per client is higher with Checkout.com (assuming you can bring in an enterprise client).