ForumPay vs CoinGate

Itemised against bundled#

CoinGate's pricing page is the most complete fee disclosure in this index: 1% processing, 1% on manual conversion, free SEPA, 0.5% SWIFT and a stated crypto payout charge. ForumPay's page describes one all-inclusive fee that covers the conversion rate, chain screening, conversion and settlement, with a published example of 0.5% for fiat settlement.

The two are not directly comparable until both are expressed as a share of settled value, and doing that arithmetic is the whole job of this page. A euro merchant on SEPA pays CoinGate roughly 1% plus conversion where applicable; the same merchant pays ForumPay one negotiated number that starts at half that.

The floor and the schedule#

ForumPay's fee depends on processing type, volume and average transaction value, which is the language of a tiered schedule the page does not print. CoinGate's rates are flat and printed. A small merchant with low tickets will find the CoinGate number is the CoinGate number, and the ForumPay number is a conversation.

That is the honest trade: a transparent 1% against a negotiable figure that can be lower. Which is better depends on whether you have the volume to negotiate with.

Settlement cadence#

ForumPay initiates settlement at the end of every business day above a minimum and weekly at the latest, and converts at payment so no price risk sits between the two. CoinGate settles to a euro balance and pays out on request over SEPA at no charge, which is flexible rather than scheduled.

For cash-flow planning the daily cadence is the firmer commitment. For a merchant who wants to choose when to move money, the on-request model is the more useful one.

Retail against online#

ForumPay sells a terminal and a point-of-sale app as first-class products, and lists WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop and OpenCart for online. CoinGate lists five online plugins including Wix and WHMCS and does not publish a point-of-sale product, which the card records as not disclosed.

A physical retailer reads the ForumPay column and finds the counter covered. An online shop on Wix or a hosting reseller on WHMCS reads the CoinGate column and finds its platform named.

Assets and networks#

CoinGate publishes a count of 10 or more and names three networks. ForumPay describes major cryptocurrencies without a count and names five networks including Tron and Bitcoin Cash. Neither is broad, and both are built around the merchant receiving fiat rather than the customer choosing from a long list.

A merchant whose customers pay USDT on Tron finds it named on the ForumPay card and absent from the CoinGate network list, which is worth confirming with each before it decides anything.

What each does not publish#

CoinGate does not describe its merchant verification, which is unusual for a provider that publishes everything else, and does not name a point-of-sale product. ForumPay does not count its assets, name its contracting entity or state its founding date, and describes white label and recurring billing nowhere.

Both cards are above the publication threshold, which is why this comparison exists, and both leave exactly the questions a merchant should ask in writing before signing.

Where this pair lands#

CoinGate for a merchant who wants every fee on one page and a named Lithuanian entity behind it. ForumPay for a retailer who wants a terminal, a daily settlement and one number to negotiate down.

Both settle euros to a bank and both convert away the price risk, which is the property most merchants in this category are actually shopping for. The weights will not decide between them; your counter will.