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Best Payment Processors for Game Engines

Expert recommendations for Unity, Unreal Engine, and game development payment integration

What Game Engines Need in a Payment Processor

Game engines and game developers have unique payment processing requirements:

  • ✓ In-game purchases and virtual goods
  • ✓ Subscription billing for premium features
  • ✓ Developer-friendly API for Unity/Unreal integration
  • ✓ Webhook support for real-time payment events
  • ✓ Global payment methods for international players
  • ✓ Low fees for high-volume microtransactions

Top Payment Processors for Game Engines

Stripe

★★★★☆ 4.5/5

The best choice for game developers. Excellent API, webhook support, and subscription billing make it perfect for Unity and Unreal Engine integration.

  • Excellent API & SDKs
  • Webhook support
  • Subscription billing
  • Global payment methods
  • Unity/Unreal plugins available
2.9% + $0.30 Learn More →

CoinGate

★★★★☆ 4.3/5

Perfect for games accepting cryptocurrency. Low 1% fees and support for 70+ cryptocurrencies. Great for crypto-native games.

  • 70+ cryptocurrencies
  • 1% transaction fee
  • API integration
  • Auto-conversion to fiat
  • Webhook support
1.0% fee Learn More →

PayPal

★★★☆☆ 3.5/5

Good for games targeting casual players who prefer PayPal. Easy integration but less flexible than Stripe for custom flows.

  • PayPal checkout
  • Brand recognition
  • Easy integration
  • Subscription billing
  • Limited customization
2.9% + $0.30 Learn More →

📖 Complete Integration Guide

Need detailed step-by-step instructions? Check out our comprehensive guide with code examples for Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, and more.

Read Complete Guide →

Game Engine Integration Overview

Unity Integration

Unity games can integrate payment processors through:

  • • Stripe Unity SDK: Official Stripe plugin for Unity
  • • REST API: Direct API calls from Unity C# scripts
  • • Webhook Server: Backend server to handle payment confirmations

Unreal Engine Integration

Unreal Engine games can integrate payments through:

  • • HTTP Requests: C++ or Blueprint HTTP nodes for API calls
  • • Backend Service: Separate server for payment processing
  • • Webhook Integration: Server-side webhook handling

Web-Based Games

For web-based games (HTML5, WebGL, etc.):

  • • JavaScript SDK: Stripe.js or PayPal SDK for browser integration
  • • Payment Links: Simple payment links for one-time purchases
  • • Checkout Sessions: Hosted checkout pages

Game Payment Processing Tips

1. Use Webhooks for Payment Confirmation

Never rely solely on client-side payment confirmation. Use webhooks to verify payments on your server before granting in-game items or access. This prevents fraud and ensures payment integrity.

2. Implement Idempotency

Use idempotency keys when processing payments to prevent duplicate charges if a request is retried. This is especially important for mobile games with unreliable network connections.

3. Handle Subscription Lifecycles

For subscription-based games, implement proper handling for subscription renewals, cancellations, and failed payments. Use dunning management to retry failed payments automatically.

4. Consider Microtransaction Fees

For low-value in-game purchases, the fixed fee ($0.30) can be significant. Consider batching small purchases or using processors with lower fixed fees for microtransactions.

5. Support Multiple Payment Methods

Different regions prefer different payment methods. Support credit cards, PayPal, and local payment methods to maximize conversion rates globally.

Common Use Cases

In-Game Purchases

Virtual currency, items, skins, and power-ups. One-time payments with instant delivery.

Premium Subscriptions

Monthly or annual subscriptions for premium features, ad-free experience, or exclusive content.

DLC & Expansions

Downloadable content, expansion packs, and additional game content. One-time purchases.

Battle Passes

Seasonal battle passes with recurring billing. Requires subscription management.