Best payment orchestrator in Europe: What to look for
Industry
19 Dec 2025
11 min
Andrii Kononenko
Head of Merchant Operations, Solidgate
Optimizing payments across Europe? Learn how to evaluate payment orchestration providers, where Solidgate fits, and what to expect when making the switch.
European merchants face a complex payment landscape:
- Multiple payment methods that vary from country to country
- Growing declines due to a lack of local acquiring
- Ever-changing regulatory environment
- Direct integrations with payment service providers (PSPs)
If you're reading this article, you're likely evaluating platforms and looking to optimize your payment processes to meet the demands of European markets.
This guide outlines the key criteria for selecting a payment orchestration platform, where Solidgate fits, and the expected outcomes of making the switch.
What does a payment orchestrator actually do?
Think of a as your payment control center. Instead of building and managing separate connections to each payment service provider, you integrate once and access everything through that single point.
What it takes care of:
- Connects you to multiple payment providers like Stripe, Adyen, Checkout, PayPal, and more through one integration.
- Smart routing allows you to control your payment flows based on cost, approval rates, and availability. When a payment fails with one processor, the system automatically tries another one.
- Localized checkout displays the right payment options and language for wherever your customers are. Dutch shoppers see iDEAL, Belgians get Bancontact, Poles see BLIK, all without you having to build separate integrations for each one.
- Payment reconciliation consolidates your payment processing data from multiple payment service providers into a unified interface – no need to log in to multiple dashboards and manually match transactions.
- Fraud prevention lets you layer in fraud detection tools without extra development work. The orchestrator applies the same checks consistently across every payment flow.
- Unified analytics shows you what's actually working and what is not across all providers, methods, locations, and currencies. You can see which processors give you the best approval rates, spot patterns in declined transactions, and make better decisions about how to route payments.
Why Europe makes orchestration essential
The European payment market is diversified and fragmented, making orchestration a must when you target multiple countries:
- Local payment methods dominate. iDEAL owns the Netherlands, Bancontact rules Belgium, BLIK is growing fast in Poland. You need these methods to compete.
- Regulations add complexity. requires Strong Customer Authentication. governs data handling. Each market has its own compliance requirements.
- Fragmentation is the default. What works in Germany won't work in France. Currency, language, and customer preferences all vary by country.
- Authorisation rates vary from country to country. Cross-border transactions face stricter fraud checks from issuing banks, which view unfamiliar acquirers as higher risk. This leads to more payment declines, lowering regional authorization rates.
A payment orchestration platform must handle these differences so you can focus on growing your business instead of managing payment infrastructure.
Key selection criteria for European merchants
All orchestration platforms solve the same problem, but their possibilities vary. For European markets, the following criteria matter when you're sizing up your options:
Local payment method coverage
The platform must cover all major and local methods in other regions you target. That means:
- Major local schemes: iDEAL, Bancontact, Sofort, Giropay, Multibanco, Przelewy24
- Digital wallets: , Google Pay, with proper integration
- Buy Now Pay Later: Klarna, Afterpay, and regional BNPL options
- Bank transfers: SEPA Direct Debit with the right authorization flows
Different methods require different handling. SEPA Direct Debit needs specific authorization flows, some methods require redirects, and the orchestrator should manage these details automatically, so you don’t have to micromanage.
Multi-acquirer flexibility
Getting locked into one vendor kills your negotiating power. You want a platform that plays nice with multiple acquirers and processors.
This flexibility lets you switch providers if fees rise or service quality drops. You can route transactions to local acquirers for higher approval rates, and continue operating even if one processor goes down. Plus, you can negotiate better rates by strategically spreading your volume across different providers.
The best payment orchestration platforms work with both global processors and regional acquirers, giving you real options as you push into new markets.
Automatic smart routing
is the foundational capability of payment orchestration, but not all orchestrators deliver it at the same depth or quality.
The most advanced orchestration platforms offer highly customizable routing that lets you route transactions dynamically based on multiple factors, including:
- Geography and card issuer, for example, routing German-issued cards through German acquirers.
- Real-time performance data, steering transactions away from providers experiencing outages or degradation.
- Cost optimization, balancing payment processing fees against approval rates.
- Transaction characteristics, such as amount, payment method, or time of day.
- Automatic fallback logic that allows retrying failed transactions across alternative routes in real time, without forcing customers to re-enter payment details.
The most advanced platforms offer , so teams can configure routing logic without engineering sprints or redeployments. This gives payment, ops, and product teams speed and direct control over performance optimization as market conditions change.
A useful litmus test: Can the platform automatically re-route transactions in real time based on authorization performance or provider availability? If the answer is no, it’s closer to a payment hub than an orchestrator.
Unified analytics
You need to see what's happening with all your payments across providers and geographies, clearly and quickly. A unified interface that shows data across all PSPs and payment methods is table stakes.
The platform should track approval rates by processor, card type, and geography so you know exactly what's working. Decline analysis reveals patterns and helps you fix problems before they blow up. Settlement reconciliation should happen on its own, matching payments without anyone having to do it manually.
The platform should track approval rates by processor, card type, and geography so you know exactly what's working. Decline analysis reveals patterns and helps you fix problems before they blow up. Settlement reconciliation should happen on its own, matching payments without anyone having to do it manually.
If your payment lead can't quickly answer "which processor has the best approval rate for German cards?" then your analytics aren't doing their job. Custom reporting for your finance and operations teams should come standard, not cost you extra.
Built-in compliance support
European regulations aren't suggestions. Your payment orchestration platform must provide:
- Strong Customer Authentication under PSD2, including smart exemption handling to reduce friction
- Dynamic 3D Secure implementation that balances security without annoying your customers or affecting conversion rates
- GDPR compliance for how you handle and store data
- PCI DSS Level 1 certification for payment security
- Audit trails for when regulators come knocking
Platforms geared towards European merchants understand these requirements and build them in from the start.
Integration speed
Getting to market quickly matters when you're launching in new markets or testing new payment methods. The API should be well documented and RESTful, with clear error messages that actually help developers figure out what went wrong.
Pre-built SDKs and libraries for common programming languages save serious development time. Testing environments let you work things out in sandbox mode before you go live, catching issues when they're cheap to fix.
Some platforms offer no-code options that let you enable methods via configuration changes without deploying new code. This can be huge when you need to move fast. The difference between launching a new payment method in days versus weeks can directly affect whether you beat your competition to market.
Some platforms offer no-code options that let you enable methods via configuration changes without deploying new code. This can be huge when you need to move fast. The difference between launching a new payment method in days versus weeks can directly affect whether you beat your competition to market.
Transparent cost structure
To understand the total cost, look past the obvious platform fees. Transaction fees vary widely across platforms and can be structured in different ways.
Fixed costs like monthly fees, setup costs, and minimum commitments change your break-even point. Many platforms also offer an enterprise toolkit, like dispute representment, subscription billing, tax calculation, and so on. These often come with additional fees, which must be disclosed beforehand.
The cheapest platform is not always the best deal. Think about approval rate improvements, better operations, lowered risks, and faster market entry when you're calculating orchestration ROI.
Fixed costs like monthly fees, setup costs, and minimum commitments change your break-even point. Many platforms also offer an enterprise toolkit, like dispute representment, subscription billing, tax calculation, and so on. These often come with additional fees, which must be disclosed beforehand.
The cheapest platform is not always the best deal. Think about approval rate improvements, better operations, lowered risks, and faster market entry when you're calculating orchestration ROI.
How payment orchestration improves business metrics
Putting a payment orchestrator in place delivers results you can actually measure. What changes:
Improved payment conversion = revenue growth
Higher approval rates mean more money coming in. Improving from 85% to 88% authorization means 3% more successful transactions on the same volume. On €10 million in annual payment volume, that's €300,000 in additional revenue.
Better conversions happen when you offer payment methods locals actually use. Customers who see their preferred option are way more likely to complete checkout. This is especially true in markets where specific methods dominate – think iDEAL in the Netherlands.
Recovered sales come from logic and automatic fallbacks. When a payment fails, the system tries other routes automatically, improving conversion rates. A lot of transactions that would have been lost sales actually go through successfully on the second or third try.
Recovered sales come from logic and automatic fallbacks. When a payment fails, the system tries other routes automatically, improving conversion rates. A lot of transactions that would have been lost sales actually go through successfully on the second or third try.
Cost control
Orchestration decreases costs associated with payments through:
- Lower fees: You can renegotiate processing fees or simply send payments through a more cost-effective provider.
- Fewer fraud losses: You can apply consistent fraud prevention across all your payment flows. Better fraud detection means fewer chargebacks and lower fraud-related fees.
The combined effect of these savings often pays for the orchestration platform and then some.
Improved customer experience
Orchestration improves customer experience in many ways:
- High checkout customization level for smooth and on-brand payment experience across web and app flows
- Automatic localization that shows customers familiar payment methods in their own language and currency
Payments go through quickly without preventable declines - Failed transactions retry automatically instead of making people re-enter everything
- Authentication only happens when it actually needs to
- No “why my payment failed” messages, which cuts your support costs and makes your brand look better in competitive markets.
Operations simplified
Unified reporting gives finance and payment teams hours back every week. Instead of logging into a bunch of different dashboards and matching data by hand, everything shows up in one place.
Reconciliation happens automatically, matching transactions to settlements and flagging anything that doesn't line up. When approval rates drop for a specific processor, you see it right away and can dig into the reasons before it hurts your revenue.
These operational improvements free up your team to focus on building your product instead of payment engines.
Your payment stack becomes scalable
Orchestration makes your scalable and adaptable to your needs. Add new markets without massive technical projects. Enable local payment methods with configuration changes rather than custom development. Keep your reporting consistent as you grow across countries. Remove fragmentation and scale your infrastructure without rebuilding your entire payment stack.
This is where orchestration becomes strategic. The platform grows with your business instead of holding it back, turning payments from a bottleneck into something that actually helps you grow.
This is where orchestration becomes strategic. The platform grows with your business instead of holding it back, turning payments from a bottleneck into something that actually helps you grow.
Why Solidgate is the best payment orchestrator choice for global online businesses
Solidgate built its payment orchestration layer specifically for digital businesses operating in European markets. Here's why hundreds of fast-growing SaaS, consumer subscription software, and e-commerce businesses work with us.
Provider coverage that matters
With a constantly growing library of 110 , Solidgate supports all payment methods that European customers actually use – including iDEAL, Bancontact, BLIK, and dozens more.
The platform handles both local schemes and global options like Apple Pay and Google Pay, so you can serve customers throughout Europe and beyond. Our coverage spans key regions including Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa.
The platform handles both local schemes and global options like Apple Pay and Google Pay, so you can serve customers throughout Europe and beyond. Our coverage spans key regions including Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa.
Integration depth is crucial. Solidgate goes beyond basic connections, supporting the specific payment flows, authentication requirements, and regional differences for each method. This ensures you can accept payments smoothly, regardless of the country or method your customers prefer.
Compliance built in
Regulatory compliance is native to the platform:
- PSD2 and SCA support with intelligent exemption handling
- PCI DSS Level 1 certification for security
- GDPR compliance for data handling
- Dynamic 3D Secure that minimizes friction for trusted customers
You get enterprise-grade compliance without building it yourself or worrying about keeping up with regulation changes.
No-code smart routing
Solidgate gives payment teams full control over their without the need for engineering sprints. By combining enterprise-grade flexibility with an intuitive UX, our automatic routing helps businesses:
- Earn up to 7% more revenue with automatic routing and failovers that maintain high approval rates.
- Reduce processing cost by up to 10% with smart routing that picks the best provider and avoids payment downtime.
- Save over 100 hours monthly through automation.
Learn more about our .
Secure token vault for zero provider lock-in
Solidgate’s provides a central, PCI-compliant storage layer for payment credentials, including cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, without requiring merchants to build or maintain custom infrastructure.
Unlike provider-specific vaults, Solidgate tokens are portable across payment providers, removing lock-in and making PSP switching frictionless.
The vault also includes:
• Automatic credential updates via Account Updater and network tokens
• BIN and issuer metadata enrichment to support smarter routing decisions
• Issuer-linked token authentication to improve authorization rates
The result: fewer failed payments, lower churn, and full control over tokenized data, all with minimal development effort.
Flexible Payment Links & Forms for fast global acceptance
Solidgate’s and hosted let European merchants start accepting payments in minutes, without requiring heavy development work.
Both options include:
• Localization across 20+ languages and 150+ currencies
• Automatic routing and compliance handling
• Native integration with Solidgate’s orchestration layer
Whether you need no-code speed or API-driven scale, these tools will turn any touchpoint into a payment moment.
Unified payment dashboard
Solidgate's reporting gives you the insights needed to optimize performance:
- Track approval rates across processors, payment methods, and markets
- Identify decline patterns and fix issues proactively
- Monitor costs and identify optimization opportunities
- automatically across multiple PSPs
The data you need is available when you need it, without manual data digging.
Operational reliability
All the optimizations matter only if your platform actually works when you need it. Solidgate ensures operational reliability across every layer:
- Uptime: Industry-leading availability of 99.99% ensures your payment flows, dashboards, and routing rules are always accessible.
- API latency & responsiveness: Fast, stable APIs mean your systems and checkout processes stay smooth, even at peak volumes.
- Customer support & SLAs: Expert support and clear service agreements minimize downtime and keep your teams confident.
These capabilities give you peace of mind that your processing is always reliable, letting you focus on growth instead of firefighting downtime or technical issues.
Enterprise-grade tools that support growth at scale
Our payment platform scales with our merchants to meet enterprise-grade needs across the full payment lifecycle:
- Billing & subscriptions: manage recurring, usage-based, and hybrid models with automated retries, proration, and lifecycle logic built in.
- Antifraud: in real time using machine learning, adaptive rules, and global risk signals while keeping approval rates high.
- Chargeback representment: with evidence collection and submission to recover revenue with minimal manual effort.
- Pre-chargeback alerts: receive from card networks and stop disputes before they turn into chargebacks.
- Tax: calculate and apply accurate indirect at checkout across regions, with built-in compliance handling.
- Treasury: centralize operations with multi-currency accounts, fast settlements, and flexible payout options to improve cash flow and financial control.
Each tool integrates natively with Solidgate’s orchestration layer, improving your teams' operations when scaling into new markets.
Future trends in payment orchestration in Europe
- Alternative payment methods continue growing. options are exploding across Europe. Digital wallets keep adding features. Orchestration platforms make these methods easy to offer as they emerge.
- AI and machine learning improve routing decisions. Instead of rule-based routing, advanced models predict which path will succeed and route accordingly. Fraud detection also benefits from AI that spots suspicious patterns traditional systems miss.
- becomes standard for stored credentials and recurring payments. Network tokenization improves authorization rates while enhancing security—a win-win that orchestration platforms are implementing.
- Consolidation accelerates as merchants simplify their payment stacks. Rather than juggling multiple PSPs, gateways, fraud tools, and analytics platforms, businesses consolidate through orchestration.
- Regional expansion means platforms that started in specific markets now support more countries and payment methods. This benefits merchants who can access new markets without new integrations.
Making your decision
Choosing a payment orchestrator affects your revenue, customer experience, and operational efficiency. Start by getting clear on where you are and what you need:
- How many PSPs are you working with?
- What payment methods are you lacking?
- Do your teams need to customize payment routing easily?
- Where are you losing customers because of payment issues?
If international expansion is planned, choose the best payment orchestration platform that supports your target markets without requiring major technical work for each country.
At Solidgate, we provide European merchants with the payment infrastructure they need to compete across borders. You build your product, we build your payments.
Ready to see how it works for your specific case? to talk about your payment needs.
At Solidgate, we provide European merchants with the payment infrastructure they need to compete across borders. You build your product, we build your payments.
Ready to see how it works for your specific case? to talk about your payment needs.
Frequently asked questions
A transmits payment data. A PSP processes transactions and manages acquirer relationships. A payment orchestrator connects to multiple PSPs, adding intelligent routing, analytics, and unified management on top of everything.
Yes. Orchestration works with your existing PSPs. You keep your current relationships while adding the ability to work with additional processors through one integration.
It depends. Smart routing can lower processing costs, and higher approval rates mean fewer failed transaction fees. However, the platform itself costs money, so total savings vary depending on your situation.
Usually days to weeks instead of months. Once you're integrated with the orchestrator, adding supported payment methods typically requires only configuration changes, not development work.
While large enterprises were the first to adopt payment orchestration, mid-market businesses processing over $300,000 in monthly sales are now leveraging it as well. As a general rule, the higher your processing volumes and the more markets you target, the greater the ROI from orchestration.
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