CoinPayments vs NOWPayments vs Larecoin: Which Crypto POS System Gives You True Merchant Freedom?

Merchant freedom. Two words that get thrown around constantly in the crypto payments space.

But here's the uncomfortable truth. Most crypto POS systems still operate like traditional payment processors. They hold your funds. They dictate your terms. They take their cut.

Not exactly the decentralized dream, right?

Today we're breaking down three major players in the crypto payment game: CoinPayments, NOWPayments, and Larecoin. By the end, you'll know exactly which platform delivers actual merchant autonomy, and which ones are just wearing a decentralized costume.

The Real Cost of "Convenient" Payment Processing

Let's talk numbers first.

Traditional credit card processing eats 2-4% of every transaction. Add interchange fees, gateway fees, and monthly minimums. Suddenly you're hemorrhaging revenue just to accept money.

Crypto payment processors promised to change that. And some did, partially.

But many merchants jumped from one custodial trap to another. Different technology. Same dependency.

The question isn't whether crypto payments save you money. They do.

The question is: who actually controls your funds after the sale?

CoinPayments: The Legacy Player

CoinPayments has been around since 2013. That's ancient in crypto years.

What they offer:

• 40+ cryptocurrencies supported

• 21 stablecoins available

• Custodial wallet system

• Processing fees around 0.5-1%

Sounds decent on paper. Here's where it falls apart.

The Custody Problem

CoinPayments operates on a custodial model. Your customer pays. The funds land in a CoinPayments-generated wallet. You don't hold the private keys.

Translation? They control your money until you withdraw.

Processing times can range from a few minutes to several hours. That's a long time for your revenue to sit in someone else's pocket.

Limited Flexibility

No public custom network-fee program. What you see is what you get. For merchants optimizing checkout conversion, that's a dealbreaker.

The cryptocurrency selection is also modest compared to newer competitors. 40+ coins sounds impressive until you realize the market has exploded with legitimate payment options.

CoinPayments works. It's reliable. But it's also yesterday's technology with yesterday's limitations.

NOWPayments: The Middle Ground

NOWPayments entered the game with a different approach. Non-custodial by default.

What they offer:

• 300+ cryptocurrencies supported

• 30+ stablecoins available

• Non-custodial option (payments forward directly to your wallet)

• ~5 minute processing time

• Customizable network fees

• 0.5-1% processing fees

Significant improvements across the board.

The Non-Custodial Advantage

Payments go straight to your wallet. You hold the keys. That's genuine merchant control.

They also offer optional custody for businesses that need operational balances. Flexibility matters.

Where NOWPayments Falls Short

Processing still takes around 5 minutes on average. Not terrible. But not instant either.

More importantly, NOWPayments doesn't offer the next-generation features that separate good payment processors from transformative ones.

No NFT receipts. No proprietary stablecoin designed for merchant optimization. No ecosystem that grows your business beyond simple payment acceptance.

It's a solid upgrade from CoinPayments. But it's still playing catch-up with where Web3 payments are heading.

Larecoin: True Merchant Freedom Redefined

Now let's talk about what merchant freedom actually looks like in 2026.

Larecoin wasn't built to compete with legacy crypto processors. It was built to replace them entirely.

Self-Custody as the Foundation

Every payment. Every transaction. Your keys. Your funds. Period.

The Larecoin ecosystem operates on complete self-custody principles. No middleman holding your revenue. No waiting for withdrawals. No permission needed to access your own money.

This isn't a feature. It's the foundation.

Slash Interchange Fees by 50%+

Here's where things get serious.

Traditional payment processing costs merchants billions annually. Even most crypto processors charge 0.5-1% plus network fees.

Larecoin's architecture dramatically reduces these costs. We're talking 50%+ savings on interchange fees compared to traditional processors. For high-volume merchants, that's not savings, that's a competitive advantage.

NFT Receipts: Beyond the Transaction

Every Larecoin transaction generates an NFT receipt.

Why does this matter?

Immutable Proof of Purchase

Disputes happen. Chargebacks are expensive. NFT receipts create permanent, verifiable records on-chain. No manipulation. No he-said-she-said. Just cryptographic proof.

Customer Engagement Opportunities

NFT receipts aren't just records. They're programmable assets.

Loyalty programs. Exclusive access. Future discounts. Gamification. Each receipt becomes a touchpoint for ongoing customer relationships.

Accounting Made Simple

Automated, blockchain-verified transaction records integrate seamlessly with modern accounting systems. Tax season becomes significantly less painful.

CoinPayments and NOWPayments don't offer this. Because they're still thinking about payments as isolated events, not relationship-building opportunities.

LUSD: The Stablecoin Built for Merchants

Volatility kills merchant adoption. Everyone knows this.

Accepting Bitcoin is great until it drops 15% before you can convert. Most processors solve this with third-party stablecoin conversions. Extra steps. Extra fees. Extra friction.

Larecoin built LUSD specifically for merchant operations.

Instant Settlement

LUSD transactions settle immediately. No waiting. No price fluctuation risk. Your $100 sale stays a $100 sale.

Optimized for Commerce

LUSD isn't just another stablecoin. It's engineered for commercial transactions. Lower gas fees. Faster confirmations. Seamless integration with the Larecoin merchant portal.

Ecosystem Integration

Accept any cryptocurrency. Auto-convert to LUSD. Maintain stable value while your customers pay however they want.

That's the freedom merchants actually need.

The Comparison That Matters

Feature	CoinPayments	NOWPayments	Larecoin
Custody Model	Custodial	Non-custodial option	Full self-custody
Processing Time	Minutes to hours	~5 minutes	Near-instant
Fee Savings vs Traditional	Moderate	Moderate	50%+ reduction
NFT Receipts	No	No	Yes
Native Stablecoin	No	No	LUSD
Cryptocurrency Support	40+	300+	Comprehensive
Network Fee Customization	No	Yes	Yes

The pattern is clear.

CoinPayments served its purpose. NOWPayments improved on the formula. Larecoin rewrote the playbook.

Why Self-Custody Isn't Optional Anymore

The crypto space learned hard lessons in 2022-2023. Centralized platforms collapsed. User funds vanished. "Not your keys, not your crypto" became survival advice.

Merchants face the same risk with custodial payment processors.

Your business revenue shouldn't depend on a third party's solvency. Or their security practices. Or their regulatory compliance in jurisdictions you've never heard of.

Self-custody removes counterparty risk entirely. Your funds. Your control. Your sovereignty.

Larecoin makes this non-negotiable. Because in Web3 payments, anything less isn't actually Web3.

The Bottom Line

CoinPayments is stable but outdated. Custodial model limits true merchant freedom.

NOWPayments offers meaningful improvements. Non-custodial options and broader cryptocurrency support make it a viable choice.

Larecoin delivers what the others can't. Complete self-custody. Dramatic fee reductions. NFT receipts that transform transactions into relationships. LUSD for instant, stable settlement.

Merchant freedom isn't about which processor has the nicest dashboard. It's about who controls your money after the sale.

With Larecoin, the answer is always you.

Ready to experience actual merchant freedom? Explore the ecosystem at larecoin.com or join the conversation in the Larecoin Community.

Your business deserves better than legacy payment processing. Time to claim what's yours.