Card checkout is only one way to collect money online. Behind less familiar payment pages are bank transfers, digital checks, carrier billing, cash networks, real-time rails, and specialized settlement tools. These methods can help businesses match how customers already prefer to pay, although availability, underwriting, refunds, and compliance requirements vary.
Table of Contents
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- Why overlooked payment methods matter to online businesses
- 1. Dwolla : Account-to-Account Payments
- 2. Increase : Real-Time Payment Rails
- 3. AeroPay : Pay by Bank
- 4. Seamless Chex : Digital Checks
- 5. Everyware : Text-Based Payments
- 6. PayNearMe : Cash-Enabled Online Payments
- 7. Boku : Mobile Carrier Billing
- 8. Moov : Marketplace Payment Splitting
- 9. Spreedly : Payment Orchestration
- 10. SwipeSimple : Remote Card Collection
- 11. Invoiced : Invoice-to-Payment Workflows
- 12. VoPay : Bank Payment Infrastructure
- 13. OpenNode : Bitcoin Payment Processing
- 14. Banked : Bank-Authenticated Checkout
- 15. PayRange : Connected-Device Payments
- Bonus mentions for specialized payment workflows
- Checkbook : Digital Check Delivery
- Gr4vy : Configurable Payment Routing
- Tilled : Embedded Payment Programs
- Request Finance : Digital-Asset Invoicing
- Beyond the standard checkout
Why overlooked payment methods matter to online businesses
Customers do not all use money in the same way. Some avoid cards, some prefer direct bank authorization, and others need invoices, cash access, or mobile-first payment flows. Alternative processing methods can reduce friction in specific situations, but they are not universal substitutes. Businesses still need to examine settlement timing, dispute handling, data security, geographic coverage, and industry restrictions.
1. Dwolla : Account-to-Account Payments
What it is: Infrastructure for moving funds between US bank accounts through account-to-account payment workflows.
Category: Bank payments
Why it stands out:
- It supports bank-based collection and disbursement without making card checkout the default.
Best for: Marketplaces, financial applications, and recurring bank payments.
2. Increase : Real-Time Payment Rails
What it is: Banking infrastructure that gives software businesses access to transfers, accounts, and faster US payment rails.
Category: Embedded banking
Why it stands out:
- Its infrastructure can support real-time transfers where compatible banks and transaction types permit them.
Best for: Developers building payment operations directly into software.
3. AeroPay : Pay by Bank
What it is: A bank-to-bank payment platform focused on account-based checkout and regulated business categories.
Category: Bank-authenticated payments
Why it stands out:
- Customers authorize payment from a bank account rather than entering card details.
Best for: Businesses seeking a card alternative in supported industries.
4. Seamless Chex : Digital Checks
What it is: A platform for eCheck, bank debit, and remotely created check payment workflows.
Category: Electronic checks
Why it stands out:
- It converts a familiar check-style transaction into an online collection process.
Best for: Invoice-heavy businesses and customers accustomed to paying by check.
5. Everyware : Text-Based Payments
What it is: A customer communication platform that includes secure payment requests delivered through text messaging.
Category: Text-to-pay
Why it stands out:
- Payment requests can appear in the same mobile channel used for customer conversations.
Best for: Service businesses, appointment billing, and remote collections.
6. PayNearMe : Cash-Enabled Online Payments
What it is: A payment platform supporting digital transactions alongside cash payment options at participating retail locations.
Category: Alternative payment network
Why it stands out:
- It can connect an online bill or account with an offline cash transaction.
Best for: Billers serving customers who rely on cash or mixed payment methods.
7. Boku : Mobile Carrier Billing
What it is: A mobile payment network that can place eligible purchases on a customer’s phone bill or balance.
Category: Direct carrier billing
Why it stands out:
- The mobile account becomes the payment credential in supported markets.
Best for: Digital content, subscriptions, and small mobile-first purchases.
8. Moov : Marketplace Payment Splitting
What it is: A developer-focused platform for accepting, storing, splitting, and transferring funds within applications.
Category: Embedded payments
Why it stands out:
- Payment movement can be designed around multiple sellers or service providers.
Best for: Marketplaces, vertical software, and multi-party transactions.
9. Spreedly : Payment Orchestration
What it is: A payment layer that connects businesses with multiple gateways and transaction services.
Category: Payment orchestration
Why it stands out:
- It separates payment credentials and routing logic from a single processing connection.
Best for: Online businesses managing several processors, regions, or transaction routes.
10. SwipeSimple : Remote Card Collection
What it is: A payment system with virtual terminal, invoice, and payment-link capabilities for remote transactions.
Category: Card-not-present payments
Why it stands out:
- It supports payment collection without requiring a conventional online storefront.
Best for: Small service businesses taking orders by phone, link, or invoice.
11. Invoiced : Invoice-to-Payment Workflows
What it is: Accounts-receivable software that connects digital invoices, customer portals, reminders, and payment collection.
Category: Invoice payments
Why it stands out:
- Payment is attached to the receivables workflow rather than a retail-style cart.
Best for: Business-to-business services and recurring invoice operations.
12. VoPay : Bank Payment Infrastructure
What it is: An API-based platform for bank payments, collections, payouts, and financial data connections.
Category: Account-to-account infrastructure
Why it stands out:
- It combines incoming and outgoing bank payment functions within one technical layer.
Best for: Software platforms coordinating business payments and disbursements.
13. OpenNode : Bitcoin Payment Processing
What it is: A processor for accepting Bitcoin payments through online checkout and invoicing tools.
Category: Digital-asset payments
Why it stands out:
- It supports a payment rail outside traditional card and bank-transfer flows.
Best for: Businesses whose customers already understand digital-asset transactions.
14. Banked : Bank-Authenticated Checkout
What it is: A pay-by-bank system that lets customers approve eligible purchases through their banking environment.
Category: Open banking payments
Why it stands out:
- Authentication occurs through the customer’s bank rather than stored card credentials.
Best for: Merchants evaluating direct bank checkout in supported regions.
15. PayRange : Connected-Device Payments
What it is: A mobile payment system for unattended machines and connected physical equipment.
Category: Unattended commerce
Why it stands out:
- It turns machine-based purchases into app-assisted digital transactions.
Best for: Operators connecting physical machines with online payment accounts.
Bonus mentions for specialized payment workflows
Checkbook : Digital Check Delivery
What it is: A platform for sending and receiving digital checks and related disbursements.
Category: Digital payouts
Why it stands out:
- Recipients can receive a check-style payment without physical mail.
Best for: Refunds, vendor payments, reimbursements, and remote disbursements.
Gr4vy : Configurable Payment Routing
What it is: A cloud payment orchestration platform for connecting and managing payment services.
Category: Payment infrastructure
Why it stands out:
- Businesses can organize payment connections without tying every workflow to one provider.
Best for: Merchants with changing payment routes or regional requirements.
Tilled : Embedded Payment Programs
What it is: Payment infrastructure designed for software companies that want payments inside their own products.
Category: PayFac-as-a-service
Why it stands out:
- It focuses on software-led merchant onboarding and payment experiences.
Best for: Vertical software platforms serving multiple business customers.
Request Finance : Digital-Asset Invoicing
What it is: An invoicing and payment operations platform supporting digital assets and conventional currencies.
Category: Crypto finance operations
Why it stands out:
- It places digital-asset payments within a recognizable invoice and accounts-payable workflow.
Best for: Distributed businesses already handling digital-asset invoices.
Beyond the standard checkout
Hidden payment methods are usually specialized rather than mysterious. Their value depends on customer behavior and the transaction itself: a digital check may suit an invoice, carrier billing may suit mobile content, and split payments may suit a marketplace. Before adopting any method, businesses should verify US availability, settlement rules, refund procedures, security responsibilities, tax treatment, and industry eligibility.