Stripe vs Redsys: which payment gateway to use in Spain

What is each one?

Stripe is an online payments platform: you sign up, verify your company and can start taking cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and other methods very quickly. Money is paid out to your bank account on a schedule.

Redsys is the platform that processes card payments for most Spanish banks. You do not sign up with it directly: you request a virtual POS (TPV virtual) from your bank, which gives you the credentials to integrate it into your site. Payments land in your account at that bank.

Which is faster to set up?

Stripe, almost always. Sign-up is online and the integration is very well documented. With Redsys you wait for your bank to approve the virtual POS and send the configuration details, which can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on the bank.

What about fees?

Stripe publishes its standard pricing on its website with no fixed monthly fee by default; check it at the time, as it varies by card type and country. With Redsys, the fee is set by your bank in the virtual POS contract and can usually be negotiated, especially at volume.

So there is no universal answer: at low volume Stripe's convenience usually wins; at high volume it is worth asking your bank for terms and comparing.

What about Bizum?

Bizum is widely used in Spain and is offered through banks, usually as part of the Redsys virtual POS. If your customers ask for it, Redsys is the usual way to accept it.

Which works better for subscriptions?

Stripe has very complete tools for subscriptions, free trials, invoices and recurring billing. Redsys also supports recurring payments with a stored card, but it takes more development work to handle renewals, failed payments and notifications.

So which one should I choose?

• Choose Stripe if you want to start fast, sell subscriptions or sell to customers abroad.
• Choose Redsys if your bank offers good terms, you need Bizum or you prefer being paid through your bank.
• Use both to get the best of each: Stripe for subscriptions and international cards, Redsys for Bizum and Spanish cards.