Going global: Choosing a competition payment gateway that works across borders

Running an awards program in a single market is straightforward enough. You pick a payment gateway, set your entry fee and that’s it. But when your competition draws entrants from multiple countries, or you’re actively expanding into new regions, your payment setup becomes a critical piece of the puzzle. 

The wrong choice could end up costing you entries, damage your reputation and possibly create compliance headaches you didn’t even see coming.

Here’s what to consider when choosing a competition payment gateway for a global awards program.

Why local payment methods matter more than you think

It’s tempting to assume a single, internationally recognised gateway such as Stripe or PayPal will cover you everywhere. In many markets, it will. But in others, entrants expect to pay using methods that are deeply embedded in local banking culture, and a missing option can be the difference between a completed entry and an abandoned one.

A few examples worth knowing:

• Alipay is the dominant digital payment method across much of Asia, particularly China. If your competition targets Asian markets and you can’t accept Alipay, you’re creating friction for a significant segment of potential entrants.
• Paystack is built specifically for African markets and supports local payment rails in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, regions where international cards are less widely held.
• iDEAL processes the majority of online payments in the Netherlands. Dutch consumers are accustomed to paying directly from their bank account via iDEAL; card-based alternatives feel foreign by comparison.

These are typically the default in their respective markets. A good payment gateway for competition websites recognises this and gives administrators the flexibility to offer the right methods for each audience.

Multi-currency pricing: Fair fees across geographies

Setting a single entry fee in one currency creates an uneven playing field. A fee that feels modest to entrants in the UK or Australia can be prohibitive for participants in markets with lower average incomes or weaker exchange rates against the pound or dollar.

There are a few ways to approach this:

Display prices in local currency. Even if settlement happens in your base currency, showing fees in the entrant’s local currency reduces confusion and abandonment at the payment step. Entrants shouldn’t have to work out exchange rates to understand what they’re being charged.

Set tiered pricing by region. Some organisations running international competitions deliberately structure their entry fees by geography — lower fees for emerging markets, standard fees for established ones. This isn’t discounting; it’s acknowledging that access and participation matter as much as revenue.

Watch out for conversion fees. If your online payment gateway software doesn’t support multi-currency settlement, your entrants may be hit with conversion fees at their bank’s end, making the real cost higher than advertised. Gateways that support settlement in multiple currencies give you more control over this.

Compliance considerations for cross-border payments

Accepting payments across borders introduces regulatory complexity that’s easy to underestimate. Here are some considerations: 

Data residency. Payment data, like all personal data, is subject to the privacy laws of the jurisdiction where the entrant resides. If your competition collects payments from EU citizens, GDPR applies to how that data is processed and stored, regardless of where your organisation is based. Choosing a payment gateway that processes data in compliant regions matters.

PCI DSS. Any system that handles card payments must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. A reputable prize competition payment gateway handles PCI compliance on your behalf; it’s one of the key reasons to use an established gateway rather than building your own payment flow. 

Local financial regulations. Some markets have specific rules around who can collect payments, how funds can be transferred across borders, and what disclosures must be made at the point of sale. If you’re expanding into a new region for the first time, it’s worth taking legal advice before you go live.

Structuring entry fees fairly

Beyond the technical setup, there’s a broader question of equity. A genuinely global competition shouldn’t inadvertently favour entrants from wealthier markets simply because the fee structure was designed with one geography in mind.

Some practical approaches:

• Offer a fee waiver or reduced rate for entrants from lower-income countries, applied automatically by geography.
• Publish your fee structure transparently, including any currency conversion assumptions, so entrants know what to expect before they start an entry.
• Consider whether your fee structure discourages participation from markets you’re actively trying to grow in, and adjust accordingly.

None of this requires complex technology. It requires intentional decisions at the program design stage, supported by a competition website payment gateway flexible enough to implement them.

What to look for in a competition payment gateway

When evaluating your software options for a cross-border program, the best payment gateway for competitions will typically offer:

• Support for multiple local payment methods, not just card payments
• Multi-currency pricing and settlement
• Clear PCI DSS compliance handled at the gateway level
• Regional support so entrants can contact someone in their timezone if something goes wrong
• Transparent fee structures, whether flat-rate or percentage-based

Award Force is often chosen for its payment gateway flexibility. In 2025, awards programs charged more than €26 million in awards entry fees through the Award Force platform. (Best part? Award Force never holds that money, and never charges a percentage of fees.)  

Award Force integrates with a range of trusted gateways, including Alipay, Paystack, iDEAL, Stripe, PayPal, WorldPay and others, so your program can offer the right payment experience regardless of where your entrants are based. You don’t have to pick one gateway and hope it works everywhere.

Going global with your competition is an exciting step. Getting your payment setup right from the start means your entrants spend their energy on submitting great work, and not wrestling with a checkout that won’t work for them in the end.