Key Insights:
- With stablecoin availability and clearer regulations, UK businesses are replacing traditional banking with crypto payment gateways.
- The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is in charge of crypto regulations in the country. Each payment processor operating in the country must register with this organization.
- BCB Group was the first company to obtain a full Authorized Payment Institution (API) license working in the crypto domain.
UK businesses are increasingly adopting crypto payments across sectors, enabled by stablecoins, clearer regulations, and improved networks. With widespread crypto adoption, businesses can now accept digital assets as payment. They also get the option to receive settlements in GBP without holding a volatile currency.
This guide outlines the steps to accept crypto payments in the UK, along with information on regulations and taxation. Moreover, it lists out the six major crypto payment gateways operating in the country.
How is Crypto Regulated in the UK?
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) oversees the digital asset regulations in the UK. It has made it mandatory for all crypto-related activities to comply with Anti-money laundering (AML) rules.
Any provider involved in payment processing must register with the FCA. They should also meet the Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance criteria before they can provide services.
Businesses accepting crypto payments may also have AML compliance as an obligation. However, that depends on how the funds are processed and stored. If they use a third-party gateway to convert crypto to fiat, compliance management lies with the provider.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is the UK’s tax, payments, and customs authority. It considers crypto as a digital/cyber asset rather than a legal currency. Businesses need to record the rate of crypto while receiving. This helps them to report accurate accounting and taxation figures.
Tax compliance obligations depend on the timing of the transaction, the value of the conversion, and the method of settlement. So, maintaining an accurate record of each transaction is essential.
Reasons Why UK Merchants are Accepting Crypto Payments
UK businesses are increasingly looking into adopting crypto payments. This is mainly based on operational practicalities rather than speculation or investment.
Using crypto as a payment method allows companies to receive cross-border payments much more quickly than with most traditional options. The cost of crypto transactions can also be lower than some international bank transfers and card networks.
Stablecoin availability offers a fixed price regardless of the actual market value of the underlying asset (for example, USD/GBP). This provides merchants with an option of using stable assets as payment.
Companies also have the opportunity to reach customers worldwide who don’t have access to traditional banking systems. Many platforms now support automatic conversion of crypto to GBP upon transaction completion. This reduces the operational complexity for merchants.
How to Accept Crypto Payments in the UK?
To accept crypto payments in the UK, businesses should follow the following steps:
- First, the merchant needs to choose a regulated crypto payment gateway that supports UK operations and makes settlements in GBP.
- Now, they need to go through the required business verification. That includes identity and company checks.
- Then, the merchant should integrate the chosen payment solution into its website, checkout system, or invoicing platform.
- In the 4th step, select whether the settlement should happen in crypto, fiat currency, or through automatic conversion.
- Lastly, the business owner should test the payment flow before introducing it to customers.
Now, most crypto payment gateways offer the facility of plugins, APIs, or hosted checkout pages. This makes the integration seamless even for the non-technical users.
The Top 6 Crypto Payment Gateways in the UK
Cryptomus
Cryptomus is ideal for small- to medium-sized businesses looking to accept crypto payments at a low cost. The platform supports over 100 digital assets. It also offers payment links, QR codes, and checkout widgets that allow for online store purchases.
Cryptomus easily integrates with many third-party platforms, including WooCommerce, Magento, and OpenCart. That makes it a go-to choice for e-commerce businesses. The platform’s processing fees start at around 0.4%. That is much lower than many of their competitors in the market.
Businesses get the option to choose between receiving crypto directly or converting it into GBT automatically. This flexibility makes it useful for freelancers and online businesses, enabling them to implement it with low overhead.
CoinPayments
Alex Alexandrov founded CoinPayments in 2013. It is one of the earliest and largest crypto payment gateways, supporting over 2,000 cryptocurrencies. The platform is the best option for merchants who want broad crypto acceptance across a range of digital assets.
The platform offers hosted checkout pages, invoicing options, e-commerce integrations, and Lightning Network support for quicker Bitcoin payments. Processing fees start at around 0.5% or lower, depending on the type of transaction asset.
Merchants can either hold crypto or convert their crypto holdings to fiat currency. It is compatible with businesses that have a crypto-focused customer base rather than those whose customers predominantly use fiat.
Stripe (Stablecoin Payments)
Stripe allows stablecoin transactions, such as USDC, to take place through its existing payment processing systems. Customers pay using a supported crypto wallet, while businesses receive their settlement in fiat.
The system is built into Stripe’s current checkout/billing systems. So, no major technical changes are required for new integrations. This makes it beneficial to SaaS companies and subscription-based businesses.
The transaction fee is around 1.5%. That’s higher than other crypto-exclusive avenues but guarantees a strong payment processing infrastructure and fraud protection solutions. That makes it ideal for businesses already using Stripe for credit card processing.
PayPal
PayPal started its crypto journey in 2020. They began by enabling the US users to buy, sell, and hold crypto by October 2020. Next year, in March 2021, they introduced their crypto checkout service. This allowed consumers to directly sell their digital asset holdings to pay merchants.
Users could liquidate their crypto balances into fiat currencies and pay at checkout and to online businesses. In the same year, August 2023, they expanded this service to the UK.
In August 2023, to make crypto payments more seamless, PayPal announced its USD-pegged stablecoin, PayPal USD (PYUSD). In July 2025, after 2 years, PayPal introduced the “Pay With Crypto” feature.
It supports 100s of digital assets for payment. Users can seamlessly check out with crypto directly inside the PayPal wallet, while the merchants receive settlement in their preferred fiat currency.
Pay with Crypto isn’t available in the UK at the moment due to the FCA’s strict restrictions. However, UK-based customers can fund their purchases or trade in crypto via the PayPal UK app.
SpicePay
Kiril Marinov launched SpicePay in 2009. He is currently serving as the CEO of the company, which has its headquarters in London, England. This crypto payment gateway enables UK businesses to accept transactions from customers worldwide and receive revenue automatically in GBP.
Merchants can route their converted GBP funds directly out of the platform via standard wire transfers or PayPal. The platform currently supports only 4 major cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). That is way less than what other payment processors charge.
It focuses on the market’s most stable and highly trafficked options. SpicePay charges a 1% transaction processing fee, which is way less than credit card merchant fees. The transactions are complete with zero chargebacks. This mitigates the risk of fraud for online retailers.
BCB Group
The BCB group was founded in June 2017 in the United Kingdom. In July 2018, the firm launched BCB Payment Limited, which was officially registered with the FCA. In January 2020, it became the first crypto-focused company to retain a full Authorized Payment Institution (API) license.
By mid-2020, BCB Group launched its real-time BLINC settlement network. This provided institutional crypto businesses with the ability to conduct instant multi-currency transactions. After 4 years of introducing this feature, the company launched its all-in-one stablecoin and crypto payment gateway in October 2024.
BCB Group’s gateway is designed for security, scale, and compliance, and is regulated across the UK, EU, and Switzerland. The platform supports over 40 fiat and cryptocurrencies, and relies on BLINC (BCB Liquidity Interchange Network Consortium).
BCB Group developed this closed-loop instant settlement network for quick crypto payment settlements. It processes payments 24/7/365 and works as a private “clearing house.” This allows companies to avoid standard clearing hours and move the funds with zero transfer fees.
Final Note
Crypto payments are no longer a technical experiment in the UK. They have now become a practical addition to the financial ecosystem. Businesses across the country are increasingly accepting digital assets while reducing complexity with approved payment gateways.
Smaller businesses prefer low-cost providers (Cryptomus, SpicePay). These processors provide simple integrations and lower transaction fees. Companies that prefer stablecoin payments use Stripe. At the same time, enterprise users tend to use BCB Group as their provider.
The right choice depends on the size of the business, transaction volume, and how you want to settle. Fee comparison, compliance coverage, and integration options are other important factors to consider before making the decision.
