NOWPayments Alternative: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Crypto POS System with True Self-Custody

The Custody Problem Nobody Talks About

Most crypto payment processors hold your money.

NOWPayments collects customer payments and stores them on their servers. You request withdrawals. They charge fees. You wait.

That's not crypto. That's a bank with blockchain branding.

True self-custody means funds hit your wallet directly. No intermediary. No holding period. No asking permission to access your own money.

NOWPayments: What They're Actually Offering

NOWPayments markets itself as a crypto payment gateway. Here's what happens behind the scenes:

Standard Model:

• Customer pays in crypto

• Funds sit in NOWPayments custodial account

• You request withdrawal

• They process it (when they get around to it)

• You pay withdrawal fees on top of processing fees

Their Numbers:

• Processing fees average 0.5-1%

• Withdrawal fees stack on top

• Your money isn't yours until withdrawal completes

• Additional KYC/AML requirements for larger amounts

The non-custodial option exists but comes with limitations and complexity most merchants don't need.

The Self-Custody Alternative

Larecoin flips the model.

Payments transfer directly to your self-custody wallet. No holding accounts. No withdrawal requests. No middleman controlling your funds.

How It Works:

1. Customer scans your POS QR code

2. Payment processes on-chain

3. Funds arrive in your wallet immediately

4. You maintain full control from second one

Gas-Only Pricing: You pay network fees only. No percentage cuts. No platform fees. No withdrawal charges.

On $500,000 annual volume, you're looking at roughly $2,000 in gas fees total.

NOWPayments? Around $3,750 in processing fees alone: before withdrawal costs.

Breaking Down True Cost Comparison

Let's run real numbers.

$50,000 Monthly Volume:

NOWPayments Model:

• Processing fees: ~$312.50 (0.625% average)

• Withdrawal fees: ~$50-100 per month

• Annual total: ~$4,350-$4,950

Larecoin Model:

• Gas fees: ~$165 per month

• Platform fees: $0

• Annual total: ~$2,000

Savings: $2,350-$2,950 annually

Scale that to $500K monthly volume and you're saving $23,500-$29,500 per year.

LUSD: The Stability Layer

Crypto volatility kills merchant adoption.

Accept Bitcoin at $65K. Price drops to $58K before you convert. You just lost 10.7% on the transaction.

LUSD solves this.

Larecoin's stablecoin maintains dollar parity through algorithmic mechanisms. Customers pay in any supported crypto. You receive LUSD in your wallet at stable value.

No volatility exposure. No conversion gambling. Predictable revenue in crypto-native form.

Plus, LUSD operates on-chain with the same self-custody model. Your stablecoin holdings stay in your control: not locked in someone else's account structure.

NFT Receipts: Compliance Meets Innovation

Every transaction generates an NFT receipt.

Immutable. Auditable. Cryptographically verified.

Why This Matters:

• Tax compliance simplified

• Chargebacks become irrelevant

• Proof of transaction lives on-chain forever

• Accounting automation possibilities

• Customer purchase history as NFT collection

NOWPayments sends email receipts. PDFs. Database entries they control.

Larecoin mints proof of every transaction as a permanent blockchain record. You own it. Nobody can alter it. Regulators can verify it.

CoinPayments Comparison

CoinPayments operates similarly to NOWPayments: custodial model with percentage-based fees.

Their Structure:

• 0.5% processing fee

• Additional withdrawal fees by currency

• Funds held in platform wallet

• Manual withdrawal process

Same problems. Different branding.

Self-custody eliminates these friction points entirely. When customers pay you in crypto, that crypto should be yours: not held by a third party charging rent for storage.

Merchant Freedom in Practice

Self-custody isn't just about fees.

It's about independence.

Custodial Risks:

• Platform can freeze your account

• Service outages block your funds

• Regulatory issues affect your access

• Company bankruptcy threatens your holdings

• Terms of service changes happen without warning

Self-Custody Reality:

• Your wallet, your keys, your crypto

• No entity can freeze your funds

• No platform dependency

• No counterparty risk

• True peer-to-peer commerce

You accept payments. They arrive. You control them. The way crypto was meant to work.

Setting Up Your Self-Custody POS

Getting started with Larecoin takes minutes.

Setup Process:

1. Create your self-custody wallet

2. Connect to Larecoin merchant portal

3. Configure your POS settings

4. Generate payment QR codes

5. Start accepting crypto

No lengthy approval process. No documentation uploads. No waiting for platform verification.

Your business. Your timeline. Your control.

Learn more about reducing merchant fees in our complete guide.

Real-World Use Cases

Coffee Shop: Customer orders latte. Scans QR. Pays in crypto. LUSD hits your wallet immediately. Transaction complete.

No waiting for NOWPayments to batch process. No checking if funds cleared. No requesting withdrawal at day's end.

Online Store: Customer completes checkout. Pays in supported crypto. LUSD arrives in your wallet. NFT receipt minted. Order ships.

Traditional model requires withdrawal requests, processing delays, and percentage fees eating into already thin e-commerce margins.

Service Business: Invoice generated. Client pays crypto. Funds transfer directly. Full amount minus only gas fees.

No platform taking 0.5-1% off every invoice. No accumulation waiting for withdrawal minimums.

Technical Advantages

Larecoin operates on Solana infrastructure.

What This Means:

• Sub-second transaction finality

• Minimal gas fees (fractions of a cent)

• High throughput capacity

• Proven blockchain security

• Growing ecosystem integration

NOWPayments and CoinPayments process across multiple chains with varying fees and confirmation times. You pay more and wait longer.

Solana's architecture delivers speed and cost efficiency that makes micro-transactions viable: something impossible on networks charging $5-50 in gas.

The Decentralization Argument

Custodial processors are centralized chokepoints.

One company controls your funds. One executive team makes policy decisions. One regulatory action can shut down access.

Self-custody distributes that power.

Your wallet operates independently. No single entity controls access. Your keys unlock your crypto regardless of any company's status.

This isn't theoretical. Multiple crypto platforms have frozen user funds, changed terms suddenly, or collapsed entirely: taking merchant money with them.

Self-custody eliminates that entire category of risk.

Making the Switch

Migration from NOWPayments to self-custody is straightforward.

Transition Steps:

1. Set up your Larecoin wallet

2. Process final NOWPayments withdrawal

3. Update payment integration

4. Test transaction flow

5. Go live with self-custody POS

Existing customers don't need to change anything. QR code payment flow remains identical from their perspective.

Backend infrastructure shifts to true peer-to-peer settlement. Benefits compound immediately through eliminated fees and instant fund access.

The Bottom Line

NOWPayments offers custodial convenience with percentage fees and withdrawal friction.

Larecoin delivers true self-custody with gas-only costs and immediate wallet settlement.

For merchants prioritizing financial independence, cost optimization, and crypto-native operations: self-custody isn't optional. It's essential.

Your business. Your crypto. Your control.

Explore the Larecoin ecosystem and start accepting crypto payments the decentralized way.