Do You Really Need NOWPayments or CoinPayments? Here's the Truth About Self-Custody Merchant Accounts

Let's cut to it.

You're a merchant exploring crypto payments. You've seen the names. NOWPayments. CoinPayments. They promise easy integration. Low fees. Hundreds of supported tokens.

Sounds great on paper.

But here's the question nobody's asking: Who actually controls your money?

That's the real conversation. And it's one that could cost you thousands, or save you even more.

The Custodial Trap Most Merchants Fall Into

Traditional payment processors already take a massive cut. We're talking 2.5% to 3.5% per transaction. Credit card interchange fees eat into your margins like termites in a wooden house.

So you look at crypto. Smart move.

CoinPayments charges 0.5% for single-currency transactions. NOWPayments offers similar rates. Compared to Visa and Mastercard? That's a win.

But there's a catch.

CoinPayments operates on a custodial model. They hold your funds. You don't have the private keys. Your revenue sits in their wallets until you withdraw it.

Think about that for a second.

You're trading one middleman for another. Sure, the fees are lower. But your financial sovereignty? Gone.

NOWPayments offers a non-custodial option. Funds go directly to your wallet. Better. But you're still relying on their infrastructure. Their conversion rates. Their operational framework.

The question isn't just about fees anymore.

It's about who owns your business revenue.

Self-Custody Isn't a Feature. It's a Requirement.

Web3 was built on one principle: decentralization.

The entire point? Remove intermediaries. Give control back to individuals and businesses.

Yet most crypto payment processors operate like traditional banks with a blockchain veneer. They hold your money. They set the rules. They decide when and how you access your funds.

That's not Web3. That's Web2 with extra steps.

Self-custody means:

• You hold the private keys

• Funds settle directly to your wallet

• No third-party approval for withdrawals

• Complete transparency on every transaction

This isn't a nice-to-have feature. It's the foundation of financial sovereignty.

And here's where it gets interesting.

Slashing Interchange Fees by 50%+ (Yes, Really)

Let's talk numbers.

Traditional payment processing:

• Credit cards: 2.5% - 3.5% per transaction

• Monthly fees, chargeback fees, PCI compliance costs

• Hidden surcharges buried in your statement

Crypto payment processors:

• NOWPayments: 0.5% - 1% depending on conversion

• CoinPayments: 0.5% standard

Larecoin merchant solutions:

• 50%+ reduction in interchange fees

• Direct settlement to self-custody wallets

• No hidden conversion markups

Processing $10,000 monthly through traditional channels? You're losing $250 to $350 in fees alone.

With Larecoin? That number drops dramatically.

But it's not just about the percentage. It's about where those savings compound over time.

A merchant processing $100,000 annually could save $2,500 or more just by switching to a proper Web3 payment infrastructure.

That's not marketing fluff. That's math.

NFT Receipts: The Feature You Didn't Know You Needed

Here's something NOWPayments and CoinPayments don't offer.

NFT receipts.

Every transaction on the Larecoin network generates a verifiable, immutable receipt stored on-chain. Not a PDF. Not an email confirmation. A permanent, blockchain-verified record.

Why does this matter?

• Dispute resolution becomes instant. The receipt exists on-chain. Period.

• Accounting becomes automated. Every transaction is timestamped and verifiable.

• Customer trust increases. They have proof of purchase that can't be altered or deleted.

• Audit trails are bulletproof. Try arguing with a blockchain record.

Traditional receipts can be lost. Emails can be deleted. Databases can be compromised.

NFT receipts? They live forever on the blockchain.

For merchants dealing with high-value transactions, subscription services, or international customers, this isn't a gimmick. It's operational security.

LUSD: Stability Without the Centralization Risk

Crypto volatility is real. Bitcoin swings 10% in a day. Ethereum follows.

Merchants need stability. That's why stablecoins exist.

But here's the problem with most stablecoins:

• USDT and USDC are centralized. Companies can freeze your funds.

• Regulatory uncertainty looms. Governments are circling.

• Counterparty risk exists. You're trusting a corporation with your value.

LUSD: Larecoin's stablecoin solution: offers a different approach.

Pegged to value. Designed for merchants. Built for self-custody.

No third-party freeze risk. No corporate approval needed. Just stable value you actually control.

When you accept payments in LUSD, you're not hoping a centralized issuer doesn't decide to lock your account. You're operating with genuine financial autonomy.

The Real Comparison: NOWPayments vs. CoinPayments vs. Larecoin

Let's break it down:

CoinPayments:

• 120+ cryptocurrencies supported

• 0.5% transaction fee

• Custodial model (they hold your funds)

• No NFT receipt functionality

• Standard dispute resolution

NOWPayments:

• 300+ cryptocurrencies supported

• 0.5% - 1% transaction fees

• Non-custodial option available

• No NFT receipt functionality

• Better, but still intermediary-dependent

Larecoin:

• True self-custody architecture

• 50%+ interchange fee reduction

• NFT receipts on every transaction

• LUSD stablecoin integration

• Merchant portal with full transparency

• Contactless POS solutions

• Zero custodial risk

The difference isn't subtle. It's structural.

NOWPayments and CoinPayments solve a problem. Larecoin solves the right problem.

When Do You Actually Need These Platforms?

Fair question.

If you're processing a handful of crypto transactions monthly, any solution works. Set up a wallet. Share an address. Done.

But scale changes everything.

When you're handling:

• Multiple cryptocurrencies

• International customers

• High transaction volumes

• Complex accounting requirements

• Customer service expectations

You need infrastructure.

The question is: whose infrastructure?

NOWPayments integrates with Shopify and WooCommerce. So does CoinPayments. Convenient.

But convenience without control is just a different flavor of dependency.

Larecoin's merchant solutions offer the integration you need without sacrificing the sovereignty you deserve. E-commerce platforms. Point-of-sale systems. API access for custom implementations.

All while you maintain complete custody of your funds.

The Bottom Line

NOWPayments and CoinPayments aren't bad products. They serve a purpose.

But they're built on a compromise.

Lower fees than traditional processors? Yes. True financial sovereignty? Not quite.

Larecoin was designed differently. From the ground up. For merchants who understand that control matters.

• 50%+ fee reduction vs. traditional payment processors

• NFT receipts for bulletproof transaction records

• LUSD stablecoin for volatility protection

• Complete self-custody with no intermediary risk

The crypto payments space is growing fast. The merchants who win will be the ones who chose the right infrastructure early.

Not the cheapest. Not the most convenient.

The one that actually delivers on Web3's promise.

Financial sovereignty. True ownership. Real control.

That's the truth about self-custody merchant accounts.

Ready to see it in action? Explore the full Larecoin ecosystem at larecoin.com and discover what merchant payments should actually look like.