For an international seller, I’d compare platforms on what the customer actually experiences at checkout, not just the number of currencies listed on the pricing page.
1. Separate “currency display” from “currency processing”
This is the most important distinction.
A platform may let you display prices in EUR, GBP, CAD, etc., while still charging the customer in USD. That can create unexpected card-conversion fees and a less trustworthy checkout.
For each platform, ask:
- Can customers pay in their local currency, or merely see it?
- Is the local currency used for refunds as well?
- Can you set fixed/market-specific prices, rather than relying entirely on live FX?
- What currencies can you actually settle/payout in?
- What FX markup or conversion fee applies?
For example, Shopify currently requires Shopify Payments or Adyen for true multi-currency processing; with other providers, local-currency prices may revert to the store's default currency at checkout.
2. Score localized checkout separately
“Localized checkout” should mean much more than currency.
Compare whether the platform can dynamically provide:
- Local payment methods — e.g., ACH/cards in the US, iDEAL/Wero in the Netherlands, Bancontact in Belgium, etc.
- Local language
- Local address/postal-code formats
- Local tax/VAT presentation
- Local wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay
- BNPL where relevant
- Country-specific fraud/authentication flows
- A checkout that automatically recognizes the shopper's country
Stripe, for example, currently advertises 30+ languages, 135+ currencies and dynamic payment-method/currency presentation through Checkout.
3. Build a US-vs-overseas test matrix
Don't evaluate the platform with one generic “international” test. Use representative customer journeys:
| Test shopper | Currency | Payment experience to test |
|---|
| 🇺🇸 US | USD | Card, ACH, Apple Pay/Google Pay |
| 🇬🇧 UK | GBP | Card + UK-preferred methods |
| 🇪🇺 Germany | EUR | Card + local European method + tax display |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | EUR | iDEAL/Wero |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | CAD | CAD checkout + local address/tax behavior |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | AUD | AUD + local payment options |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | JPY | JPY + Japanese localization |
The key question is: Does each shopper get a checkout that feels native to their market?
Shopify, for instance, can determine the market using location, language and domain/subfolder, and the shipping address can ultimately change the checkout experience to match the destination market.
4. Weight the criteria by your actual sales
I'd use a scorecard something like:
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|
| True multi-currency charging | 20% |
| Local payment-method coverage | 20% |
| Country/language localization | 15% |
| FX rates & conversion costs | 15% |
| Payout/settlement flexibility | 10% |
| Tax/shipping localization | 5% |
| Fraud/authentication | 5% |
| Checkout customization & performance | 5% |
| Reporting/reconciliation | 5% |
Then multiply each platform's 1–5 score by the weight.
Don't give “number of supported currencies” too much weight. Ten currencies that your customers actually use are more valuable than 150 currencies that can't be charged, refunded, or settled conveniently.
5. Pay particular attention to payment-method localization
This can have a bigger impact than currency.
For example, Adyen lets merchants configure payment methods by country/region and currency and can dynamically order methods based on conversion or cost.
Likewise, Shopify's local payment methods are presented according to the customer's location and eligible currency rather than simply the merchant's location.
6. Calculate the real international cost
For each platform, calculate:
Customer price → payment processing fee → FX conversion → payout conversion → refund cost → chargeback/fraud cost
Don't stop at the advertised transaction fee.
For example, a platform could look cheaper per transaction but become more expensive if you must convert every EUR/GBP payment back into USD before you can use the funds.
Also distinguish between customer-facing FX, merchant FX, and payout FX. Adyen, for example, supports multiple payout currencies, but the economics depend on whether a payout can use local payment rails or requires cross-border/SWIFT settlement.
My practical decision rule
For a seller primarily serving US + a handful of major overseas markets, prioritize:
- Local-currency charging
- Country-specific payment methods
- Automatic country/language localization
- Transparent FX and payout economics
- Tax/address/shipping localization
- Easy reporting and reconciliation
If you're on Shopify, Shopify Payments/Markets is particularly worth evaluating because the ecosystem ties currency, market, localization and payment-method configuration together.
If you're building a more customized or enterprise checkout, compare Stripe and Adyen on the same test matrix rather than assuming that broad currency support automatically means an equally localized customer experience. Stripe emphasizes broad currency/language/payment-method support, while Adyen provides extensive country/currency-specific payment-method configuration.
Bottom line: choose the platform that minimizes the difference between “shopping internationally” and “shopping locally” for your highest-value overseas markets—not necessarily the one claiming the most currencies.
4. Weight the criteria by your actual sales
I'd use a scorecard something like:
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|
| True multi-currency charging | 20% |
| Local payment-method coverage | 20% |
| Country/language localization | 15% |
| FX rates & conversion costs | 15% |
| Payout/settlement flexibility | 10% |
| Tax/shipping localization | 5% |
| Fraud/authentication | 5% |
| Checkout customization & performance | 5% |
| Reporting/reconciliation | 5% |
Then multiply each platform's 1–5 score by the weight.
Don't give “number of supported currencies” too much weight. Ten currencies that your customers actually use are more valuable than 150 currencies that can't be charged, refunded, or settled conveniently.
5. Pay particular attention to payment-method localization
This can have a bigger impact than currency.
For example, Adyen lets merchants configure payment methods by country/region and currency and can dynamically order methods based on conversion or cost.
Likewise, Shopify's local payment methods are presented according to the customer's location and eligible currency rather than simply the merchant's location.
6. Calculate the real international cost
For each platform, calculate:
Customer price → payment processing fee → FX conversion → payout conversion → refund cost → chargeback/fraud cost
Don't stop at the advertised transaction fee.
For example, a platform could look cheaper per transaction but become more expensive if you must convert every EUR/GBP payment back into USD before you can use the funds.