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Adyen vs Cashfree: which is better for international payments in 2026?

  • Adyen is enterprise-grade omnichannel acquiring trusted by global brands, but it is sales-led, carries a minimum invoice, and cannot collect export payments into India
  • Cashfree holds the RBI PA-CB licence and settles within days, but its fee is a third-party estimate of 1 to 1.5% rather than a published price, and invoices above $10,000 fall outside the product
  • Which one is better comes down to your priorities - fees, FIRA handling, and how your clients prefer to pay
Accept payment from 150+ countries
USD
Client pays
USD 100USD 100,000
1 USD = 85.00 INR
Live fx rate
You'll receiveINR
₹4,22,091
Adyen
₹4,07,434
You lose:4.1%
Cashfree
₹4,18,731
You lose:1.5%
100+ reviews
Trusted by 40,000+ businesses
Over $1B processed • Licensed by RBI
RBI PA-CB authorizedHDFC BankISO 27001 certifiedVisa

Adyen vs Cashfree: understanding the key differences

Both Adyen and Cashfree are well-known names for international payments, but they differ in who can use them from India, fees, export documentation like FIRA, GST compliance, settlement timelines, and support. Here is how they compare side by side.
FeaturesadyenCashfree
Transfer feesInterchange++ plus 0.60% + $0.13 per transaction (~3.5% est. on international cards)Est. 1-1.5%, quote-only
Forex markupNot published, contract-specific0% claimed, unverified
FIRANot offered at allFree e-FIRA within 24 hours
eBRCNo eBRC, and no inward flow to need it forNot supported, closed on DGFT after your bank issues the IRM
GST-compliant invoiceNot available, no invoicing productNot available
Settlement time2 to 3 business daysWithin 7 days of NOSTRO credit
Customer supportTicket-based, account managers for enterpriseIndia-based; email, tickets, WhatsApp for enterprise
Best suited forEnterprise omnichannel acquiringDomestic-plus-exporter businesses under the $10K cap

Adyen vs Cashfree: pricing and forex breakdown

Beyond the published fees, the real cost is what lands in your bank after fees, forex and GST. Move the slider to see what each one works out to, and how Skydo compares.
With Skydo, you receive₹8,47,091
Money transferUSD 10,000
$500$10K$100K$1M
adyenFX not published
₹8,14,882
Exchange rate85.00
Forex markup₹0
Card fee₹29,750
Fixed fee₹11
GST (18%)₹5,357
Total fees₹35,118
You receive₹8,14,882
Cashfree0% markup (claimed)
₹8,37,463
Exchange rate85.00
Forex markup₹0
Transfer fee₹10,625
Fixed fee₹0
GST (18%)₹1,913
Total fees₹12,538
You receive₹8,37,463

Adyen vs Cashfree: compliance, payment rails, and platform comparison

adyen
  • No FIRA or e-FIRC — not offered at all
  • No eBRC support — and no inward flow to need it for
  • No GST-compliant invoicing; Adyen has no invoicing product
  • Purpose codes not handled — no export remittances move through Adyen
  • India licences: online PA (Jul 2024) plus import-side PA-CB only
Cashfree
  • Issues free e-FIRA within 24 hours, per transaction
  • No automated eBRC, generate manually through DGFT
  • Invoicing tool does not produce GST-compliant invoices for India
  • Purpose code assignment method not publicly documented
  • SOFTEX and EDPMS handled separately via your bank

Adyen vs Cashfree: which one is right for you

There is no single winner. The right pick depends on who pays you, how large your invoices are, and how much paperwork you can handle.
01adyen

Choose Adyen if:

You are an enterprise selling omnichannel at scale and can meet sales-led minimums.
  • Global brand with an Indian entity acquiring from Indian consumers
  • High-volume retailer unifying online and in-store payments on one stack
  • Marketplace or platform needing split payments and sub-merchant payouts
  • Enterprise with developer teams ready for API integration
02Cashfree

Choose Cashfree if:

You want RBI PA-CB licensing from an established Bengaluru fintech and can work within the product's limits.
  • You're comfortable requesting a quote instead of seeing a published fee
  • Your invoices stay reliably under the $10,000 cap
  • You already run domestic payments through Cashfree and want one dashboard
  • You value a full PA-CB licence over published pricing

Skydo: a better alternative to Adyen and Cashfree

FeaturesadyenCashfree
Settlement time2 to 3 business daysWithin 7 days of NOSTRO credit24 hours
Forex markupNot published0% claimedZero, live rate
Transaction fee~3.5% est. on intl cardsEst. 1-1.5%, quote-only$19 up to $2k, $29 up to $10k, 0.3% aboveBest
FIRANot offeredFree e-FIRA, 24 hrsFree, instant, per payment
eBRC and EDPMSNot supportedNot supported, handled with your AD bankOne-click eBRC, EDPMS closure assistance
GST invoicingNot availableNot availableBuilt in, GST compliant
Customer supportTickets, enterprise account managersIndia-based, ticketsIndia-based, on WhatsApp, call and email
Payment trackingReal-time dashboardReal-time dashboardAuto tracked, remittance to bank deposit
RBI authorisationPA + import-side PA-CB onlyFull PA-CB (2025)Full PA-CB authorized
Losing money on each transfer but not sure how much?

See what our clients say about us

100+ reviews
Trusted by 40,000+ businesses
Shashank
“I'm looking for straightforward, transparent pricing. With most payment providers, it's hard to understand the actual fees and exchange rates, making it difficult to know what I'm really paying.”ShashankCEO, HCODE

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, Adyen or Cashfree, for international payments in 2026?+
It comes down to how your clients pay you and how much compliance you want handled. Adyen is enterprise-grade omnichannel acquiring trusted by global brands, but onboarding is sales-led with a minimum invoice, and its India cross-border licence covers import flows only. Cashfree holds the RBI PA-CB licence and settles within days, but its fee is quote-only and every invoice above $10,000 falls outside the product. Adyen suits enterprise omnichannel acquiring, while Cashfree suits domestic-plus-exporter businesses under the $10K cap.
Is Adyen cheaper than Cashfree?+
Usually not. Adyen prices at Interchange++ plus 0.60% + $0.13, working out to roughly 3.5% on international cards — and its India licence covers import-side flows only, so Indian exporters cannot collect through it. Cashfree's Global Collections fee is not published — third-party estimates put it at 1 to 1.5% with 0% claimed FX markup, roughly 1.2 to 1.8% all in. Cashfree is generally cheaper, though what actually lands in your bank depends on invoice size.
Which provides better exchange rates, Adyen or Cashfree?+
Cashfree, on published information. Cashfree claims 0% forex markup, though the rate is unverified, while Adyen does not publish FX pricing — it is contract-specific, and Indian merchants settle in INR only.
Do Adyen and Cashfree provide FIRA for Indian exporters?+
Adyen provides no FIRA or e-FIRC at all. Cashfree auto-generates a free e-FIRA within 24 hours, per transaction. For GST refunds and export compliance an instant per-payment FIRA matters — Skydo issues one free with every payment.
Are Adyen and Cashfree RBI-approved for receiving payments in India?+
Adyen is an RBI-authorised online payment aggregator (July 2024) with PA-CB for outward, import-side flows only. Cashfree holds a full PA-CB licence (Certificate 266/2025).
Is Adyen or Cashfree better for freelancers or businesses?+
Enterprises with an Indian entity acquiring omnichannel at scale lean towards Adyen — it is not an option for exporters collecting from abroad. Businesses already running domestic payments on Cashfree, with invoices under the $10,000 cap, lean towards Cashfree.
Is there a better alternative to Adyen and Cashfree for receiving money in India?+
Skydo is built for Indian exporters and freelancers. It charges a flat fee ($19 up to $2k, $29 up to $10k, 0.3% above) that works out cheaper than a percentage fee as invoices grow, with zero forex markup, instant FIRA on every payment, one-click eBRC and EDPMS closure assistance, built-in GST-compliant invoicing, full RBI PA-CB authorisation, and India-based support.

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Start receiving global payments with Skydo and keep more of what you earn.