ISV Payment Integration
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Clearent vs Checkout.com

A feature-by-feature comparison for ISVs integrating payments.

By Marcus Reed·

Note: Clearent rebranded to Xplor Pay on July 8, 2025. Press release →

Clearent's market is American mid-sized merchants and their software providers; it processes in the US only and is now marketed as Xplor Pay. Checkout.com's market is international online commerce, with local acquiring in 50+ markets and an API split into separate services. Both process on their own networks and route very little elsewhere.

Feature Comparison

Clearent5.5
vs13 criteria
Checkout.com6.2Winner
FeatureClearentCheckout.com
Integration Architecture68
API & Developer Experience58
White-Label Capabilities65
Processor Flexibility33
Pricing & Fee Structure77
Omnichannel & In-Person Payments64
Fraud & Security68
Revenue Sharing66
Merchant Onboarding75
Global Reach38
Recurring Billing56
Customer Support66
PayFac Options56

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Best for

Clearent

ISVs and vertical SaaS platforms wanting dedicated PayFac capabilities, integrated terminals, and ISV-optimized revenue sharing.

Visit xplorpay.com ↗

Best for

Checkout.com

Enterprise platforms and high-growth e-commerce needing global acquiring, high uptime, and broad currency support.

Visit checkout.com ↗

Note: Clearent has rebranded to Xplor Pay. This comparison reflects the combined capabilities of the Clearent/Xplor Pay platform.

Clearent vs Checkout.com: What ISVs Need to Know

Choosing between Clearent and Checkout.com for embedded payments is a decision that directly impacts your ISV’s revenue model, merchant experience, and technical architecture. This comparison breaks down where each platform excels from an ISV integration perspective.

Key Differences for ISVs

The most important distinction between Clearent and Checkout.com comes down to how each platform approaches ISV payment facilitation. Clearent and Checkout.com take fundamentally different approaches to merchant onboarding, revenue sharing, and platform integration — and those differences matter when you’re building payments into your software.

Integration architecture varies significantly between the two. ISVs evaluating Clearent vs Checkout.com should consider how each platform handles sub-merchant onboarding, payment splitting, and settlement timing. The right choice depends on your specific vertical, transaction volumes, and how much control you need over the merchant payment experience.

Pricing and revenue economics also differ. ISVs earn money from embedded payments through the spread between what they charge merchants and what the processor charges them. The pricing model each platform uses — flat-rate, interchange-plus, or custom — directly affects your payment revenue per transaction.

Which Platform Fits Your ISV?

The best choice between Clearent and Checkout.com depends on your ISV’s specific requirements:

  • Transaction volume: Higher-volume ISVs may benefit from interchange-plus pricing, while lower-volume platforms often prefer flat-rate simplicity
  • Merchant type: B2B merchants have different payment needs than consumer-facing businesses
  • Geographic scope: International payment support varies significantly between providers
  • Integration depth: Some ISVs need white-label checkout while others are fine with co-branded experiences
  • Revenue model: How much of the payment margin you want to capture determines which platform’s economics work better

The ISV Payment Integration Perspective

For ISVs evaluating Clearent vs Checkout.com, the comparison shouldn’t stop at processing fees. Consider the total cost of integration, ongoing maintenance, and the revenue opportunity from embedded payments. The platform that generates the most payment revenue for your ISV while providing the best merchant experience is the right choice — and that calculation is different for every software company.

Evaluate both platforms against your specific use case. Request ISV-specific pricing from each, and compare the total economics including setup costs, per-transaction revenue, and the engineering investment required to integrate and maintain each platform.

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