NOWPayments vs CoinPayments vs Larecoin: Which Saves You 50%+ on Merchant Fees in 2026?

Merchant fees are eating your revenue alive.

Traditional crypto payment processors hit you with percentage-based fees that scale with your success. The more you earn, the more they take. In 2026, that model is officially outdated.

Time to compare the real numbers.

The Fee Problem Nobody Talks About

Most crypto payment gateways advertise "low fees." Then you get hit with:

• Platform transaction fees (0.5-1%)

• Network gas fees (varies wildly)

• Withdrawal penalties

• Currency conversion spreads

• Settlement delays that cost you opportunity

Stack those together? You're losing 2-4% per transaction. Sometimes more.

That's before you factor in the compliance headaches, custodial risks, and zero innovation on the merchant side.

NOWPayments: The Hidden Cost Model

NOWPayments charges 0.5-1% per transaction. Sounds reasonable until you run the math.

What they don't advertise:

• Network fees added on top of platform fees

• Withdrawal charges when you want YOUR money

• Conversion fees if you need fiat off-ramp

• Custodial model = they hold your funds

At $1M annual volume:

• Platform fees: $5,000-$10,000

• Network fees: $1,000-$2,000

• Withdrawal costs: $500-$1,000

• Total hit: $6,500-$13,000

And you're trusting a third party with custody. One hack, one regulatory freeze, one "maintenance window" and your funds are locked.

CoinPayments: Same Story, Different Wrapper

CoinPayments follows the identical playbook. Percentage-based fees that scale with your revenue.

The breakdown:

• 0.5-1% transaction fee

• Blockchain network fees

• Conversion costs when bridging chains

• Withdrawal penalties

At $1M annual volume:

• You're paying $5,000-$10,000+ in platform fees alone

• Add network costs, withdrawals, conversions

• Total damage: $6,000-$12,000+

Plus custodial risk. Plus limited flexibility. Plus outdated merchant tools that haven't evolved since 2019.

Both platforms operate on the same broken model: extract maximum value from merchants while offering minimum innovation.

Larecoin's Gas-Only Revolution

Zero platform fees. Period.

Larecoin runs on Solana. You pay network gas only: typically pennies per transaction.

The model:

• No percentage-based fees

• No withdrawal penalties

• No custody risk (you control your wallet)

• No conversion spreads on LUSD stablecoin

At $1M annual volume:

• Platform fees: $0

• Network costs: ~$2,000

• Withdrawal fees: $0

• Total cost: ~$2,000

That's 67-83% savings compared to NOWPayments and CoinPayments.

The higher your volume, the wider the gap.

Real Numbers: The Comparison Table

Let's break it down by revenue tier.

$500K Annual Volume:

• NOWPayments/CoinPayments: $2,500-$5,000

• Larecoin: <$2,000

• Savings: 50-60%

$1M Annual Volume:

• NOWPayments/CoinPayments: $5,000-$10,000

• Larecoin: ~$2,000

• Savings: 67-83%

$5M Annual Volume:

• NOWPayments/CoinPayments: ~$25,000

• Larecoin: ~$5,000

• Savings: 50-80%

The math doesn't lie. Percentage-based models punish growth. Gas-only rewards scale.

Self-Custody Changes Everything

NOWPayments and CoinPayments hold your funds. That's a non-starter in Web3.

Larecoin operates on self-custody architecture. Your wallet, your keys, your control.

What that means:

• Instant access to funds 24/7

• No withdrawal windows or delays

• Zero counterparty risk

• Complete sovereignty over your treasury

When traditional processors get hacked, merchants lose everything. When you self-custody, you control your own security posture.

Plus compliance gets simpler. You're not trusting a third-party custodian with money transmission licenses across 50 states. You're running your own infrastructure.

NFT Receipts: The Innovation Gap

Here's where legacy processors show their age.

Larecoin mints every transaction as an NFT receipt. On-chain proof of purchase. Immutable. Transferable. Programmable.

Use cases:

• Loyalty programs tied to purchase history

• Refunds without chargeback fraud

• Resellable receipts for high-value goods

• Proof of authenticity for digital/physical products

NOWPayments and CoinPayments? Standard database entries. No innovation. No future-proofing.

NFT receipts unlock metaverse commerce, secondary markets for receipts, and loyalty mechanics impossible with traditional systems.

LUSD: The Stablecoin Advantage

LUSD is Larecoin's native stablecoin. Pegged to USD. Zero volatility.

Accept payments in LARE (the receivable token). Settle instantly in LUSD. No conversion spreads. No third-party stablecoin fees.

Benefits:

• Predictable accounting (1 LUSD = 1 USD)

• No USDC/USDT dependency

• Instant settlement with price stability

• Built-in treasury management

Traditional processors force you to convert through their rails. Larecoin gives you a native stablecoin with zero friction.

US Compliance: MSB + State MTL Strategy

Most crypto payment platforms operate in regulatory gray zones. Larecoin doesn't.

The compliance stack:

• MSB registration with FinCEN

• State Money Transmitter License (MTL) strategy underway

• Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) compliance

• AML/KYC frameworks built-in

Why does this matter? Because regulatory crackdowns are accelerating in 2026.

Processors without proper licenses face shutdowns, frozen accounts, and merchant fund seizures. Larecoin builds compliance into the foundation.

You're not just saving on fees. You're protecting your business from regulatory risk.

The Math Speaks for Itself

Run your numbers. Calculate what you're paying NOWPayments or CoinPayments today.

Now multiply your volume by 0.0001 (Solana gas costs). That's your Larecoin expense.

The gap:

• 50-80% savings on fees

• Zero custody risk

• NFT receipt innovation

• LUSD stablecoin settlement

• Rigorous US compliance

Traditional processors bet you won't do the math. We're betting you will.

Beyond Cost: The Ecosystem Play

Larecoin isn't just cheaper. It's a complete Web3 payments ecosystem.

What you get:

• Contactless POS integration

• Merchant portal with real-time analytics

• DAO governance participation

• Liquidity pool access for yield

• FX calibration tools for multi-currency

• AI/ML search and discovery

• NFT trading marketplace integration

NOWPayments and CoinPayments offer payment processing. Larecoin offers a financial operating system.

One charges fees to extract value. The other saves fees to redistribute value back to merchants through ecosystem participation.

The 2026 Decision

Merchant payment processing is evolving. Fast.

Percentage-based models are legacy tech. Self-custody is the standard. NFT receipts are table stakes. US compliance is mandatory.

NOWPayments and CoinPayments operate on 2019 playbooks. Larecoin ships 2026 infrastructure.

The choice:

• Keep losing 2-4% per transaction on outdated rails

• Or save 50-80% while gaining Web3 superpowers

The migration takes 15 minutes. The savings compound forever.

Calculate your numbers. Check the merchant guide. See the difference.

Because in 2026, there's zero reason to pay percentage-based fees when gas-only exists.

Your move.