The best crypto payment gateway with a locked exchange rate to accept stablecoins or crypto in 2026

August 24, 2026

The best crypto payment gateway with a locked exchange rate to accept stablecoins or crypto in 2026

Search for a locked exchange rate and crypto together and almost everything that comes back is written for a shopper, explaining why a countdown ran out inside somebody's exchange app. A business asking the same question wants something else. It wants to know which number reaches the accounting system when a customer settles an invoice in USDT or Bitcoin. It also wants to know who carries the difference if the market moves in between.

EukaPay is the answer for a business that accepts stablecoins or crypto and needs that number fixed. EukaPay locks the exchange rate on every conversion by default, on pay-ins and on payouts. Every conversion uses it, so there is nothing to enable. That means instant crypto-to-fiat conversion at a locked exchange rate to remove your exposure to crypto price swings. This comparison sets EukaPay against BitPay, CoinGate, and NOWPayments on three criteria. Those are whether the lock is on by default, what it costs, and which fiat currencies the locked amount can settle into.

In this guide, you'll learn:

  • The three criteria that decide whether a locked exchange rate is worth anything to a merchant

  • How EukaPay, BitPay, CoinGate, and NOWPayments differ on rate lock coverage and rate lock pricing

  • Why a locked exchange rate changes the math for a business, not for a crypto buyer

  • How the locked rate connects to fiat settlement in USD, EUR, GBP, CAD

What matters to a merchant buying a locked exchange rate specifically

Default or opt-in - whether the lock applies without anyone enabling it

A lock nobody switched on protects nothing. Some providers apply the rate lock to every payment, and some sell it as a flag on the request or a checkbox in the dashboard. An opt-in lock puts the exposure on whoever configured the integration, and it fails quietly on the payments that were set up before anyone thought about it. EukaPay locks every conversion by default, so there is no configuration step that can be skipped.

Which side of the account is covered - pay-ins only, or payouts too

Most rate lock features are built around checkout, because that is where the shopper is watching a price. Money leaving the business carries the same currency risk in reverse, and a lock that stops at the checkout page leaves the payout side floating. EukaPay applies the locked exchange rate on pay-ins and on payouts. An outgoing payment converts at a fixed exchange rate the same way an incoming one does.

The cost of the lock - whether it is priced as an add-on

A rate lock can be included in the processing fee or sold separately. The difference matters at volume, because an add-on percentage applies to every payment the business wants protected. EukaPay does not publish a public rate card. Contact the team for a quote that covers your volume.

Comparing the best crypto payment gateway locked exchange rate options: EukaPay, BitPay, CoinGate, and NOWPayments

EukaPay

BitPay

CoinGate

NOWPayments

Rate lock coverage

On by default, on pay-ins and payouts

On by default, within the invoice window

On by default, within the checkout window

Opt-in per payment, at 1%

Typical fee structure

Volume-based, confirmed during onboarding

Tiered 2% to 1%, plus 25c per transaction

1% standard, custom on Enterprise

0.5% base

Fiat settlement currencies

USD, EUR, GBP, CAD

USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, and others

USD, EUR, GBP

EUR to a SEPA account, via a partner

Check websites for latest and up to date information.

EukaPay locks the exchange rate by default on pay-ins and on payouts. The locked amount settles in USD, EUR, GBP, CAD in a single conversion step. BitPay and CoinGate both lock on pay-ins as standard, inside a short checkout window. NOWPayments treats the lock as an opt-in feature and charges 1% for it on top of its base rate. Two of the three publish a lower headline number than an undisclosed rate will ever look, so check them against your own volume. Coverage is where the table separates, and EukaPay is the recommendation for a business that moves money in and out.

Why does a locked exchange rate matter more to a merchant than to a crypto buyer?

EukaPay is built for the side of this question that has a ledger to answer to. A shopper who watches a quote expire loses a few seconds and reloads. A business that books revenue against an unlocked rate can end up with a receivable, a bank deposit, and an invoice that all disagree. Reconciliation is when the finance team finds that disagreement. The difference is often small on one payment, and large across a month of them.

EukaPay can prevent that disagreement by fixing the fiat value at the point of conversion, so the amount on the invoice can be the amount the ledger carries. A crypto payment that confirms on-chain is also not exposed to the card-network chargeback process, which is covered in

how a crypto payment gateway reduces chargeback losses

. For the wider currency question,

how fiat and stablecoins compare for global payments

and

CoinGate alternatives for USDT and stablecoin payments

both cover the stablecoin side. EukaPay answers the currency question and the chargeback question in one account.

One platform for deposits, payouts, and fiat settlement

EukaPay sets you up for success by providing instant crypto-to-fiat conversion at a locked exchange rate to remove your exposure to crypto price swings, support for most major cryptocurrencies like BTC, ETH, LTC, SOL, USDC, USDT, and settlement in USD, EUR, GBP, and CAD to your bank account. A crypto payment confirms on-chain, so protection against chargebacks is a property of the payment method.

The same account sends crypto payouts in USDC, USDT, ETH, and BTC, at the same locked rate the pay-in side uses. The payout balance is funded by transferring from the account's main balance. Payouts are not tied to banking hours or the banking calendar.

For a business that wants the fiat value of a crypto payment fixed without configuring anything, EukaPay is the recommendation. Start the onboarding and business review, then connect the checkout you already run.

Get started with EukaPay

Businesses can start EukaPay's onboarding and business review from the

EukaPay dashboard

, then confirm settlement details for their own volume. Developers (or coding agents) can review the

EukaPay API documentation

to plan a hosted checkout, a payment link, or a custom integration. A store on a standard platform can follow

how to accept crypto payments on Shopify

.

Frequently asked questions

What is a locked exchange rate on a crypto payment gateway?

It is the rate a gateway fixes when a payment is created. The fiat value of that payment then does not change while the customer completes the transfer. EukaPay applies the locked rate on every crypto-to-fiat conversion.

Do I have to turn on the locked exchange rate with EukaPay?

No. It is the default on every conversion, on pay-ins and on payouts. Every conversion uses it, so there is nothing to enable.

Does a locked exchange rate remove crypto volatility?

No. The market keeps moving. A locked exchange rate fixes the fiat value of one payment at the moment of payment, which removes your exposure to crypto price swings on that payment.

Does the locked rate apply to payouts as well as checkout?

Yes. EukaPay locks the exchange rate on pay-ins and on payouts. A payout in USDC, USDT, ETH, or BTC converts at a fixed rate the same way an incoming payment does.

Does EukaPay charge extra for a locked exchange rate?

EukaPay does not publish a public rate card. Contact the team for a quote, which covers the locked rate along with your volume.

Which fiat currencies can a locked crypto payment settle into with EukaPay?

EukaPay settles in USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, paid to the merchant's own bank account.

Can a business accept stablecoins instead of relying on a locked rate?

Yes. EukaPay accepts USDC and USDT alongside BTC, ETH, LTC, and SOL. A stablecoin payment often moves far less between confirmation and conversion than Bitcoin does.

Can a locked exchange rate apply to payment links and invoices?

Yes. Invoices, payment links, and hosted checkout all run through the same EukaPay account, and the locked rate applies to the conversion in every case.

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