MSME and small business

Top 13 Online Payment Systems in the World (Oldest to Newest)

Selection Rule: Still active online payment systems, globally recognised and working.

YearOnline Payment SystemWhat It’s Known For
1998PayPalPioneer of global digital payments, now supports 200+ markets. Wikipedia+2PayPal+2
1999NetellerEarly cross-border e-money service.
2001SkrillWidely used in gaming, forex, and international transfers.
2002PayUOperating across 50+ emerging markets.
2003Mercado PagoLatin America’s largest fintech payment platform.
2004AlipayChina’s biggest super-app wallet; worldwide ambition. Wikipedia+1
2005KlarnaSwedish BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) pioneer. Wikipedia+1
2006AdyenEnd-to-end enterprise payments for global brands.
2007BraintreeDeveloper-friendly gateway (acquired by PayPal in 2013). Wikipedia
2009Square (Block)Turned smartphones into POS machines.
2010StripeAPI-first payments platform powering SaaS, startups, marketplaces.
2013WeChat PayEmbedded payments inside a social-messaging super-app.
2014Apple PayTokenised NFC payments with high security adoption.

✅ All 13 above are still live and in operation globally.

you may also like to read: Why Every MSME Should Accept Online Payments — And How It Drives Real Growth in 2025


🇮🇳 Top Online Payment Systems in India (Still Operating, Oldest → Newest)

YearOnline Payment SystemRole in India’s Digital Payments
2000BillDeskOne of India’s earliest payment gateways, still active.
2001CCAvenueGateway trusted by lakhs of merchants & MSMEs.
2010IMPSBank-to-bank real-time rail, 24×7.
2010PaytmOne of India’s biggest QR + wallet + merchant ecosystems.
2012RuPayIndia’s domestic card scheme; expanding to Credit on UPI.
2014AePSAadhaar Enabled Payment System for rural cash-in/out & micro-ATMs.
2014RazorpayFull-stack MSME-first payment gateway and stack.
2016UPIInstant account-to-account interoperability; backbone of P2P and P2M. NPCI+1
2016BHIMGovernment-backed UPI app for mass adoption. Wikipedia
2016PhonePeOne of India’s largest UPI + QR + merchant networks.
2017Google PayMajor UPI-based player in India (rebranded from Tez).
2018BBPSBharat Bill Payment System – unified bill-payments platform.
2022Credit on UPINew acceptance category: Credit card / BNPL via UPI QR.

✅ These Indian systems listed are active and relevant for MSME/business usage here and now.


🔎 Why This List Matters for MSMEs

  • For Indian MSMEs, digital payments are no longer optional: they are a growth lever.
  • With the availability of multiple online payment systems, you can tap into global rails (for exports) and local rails (for domestic sales) easily.
  • Local systems like UPI and gateways eliminate high cost of infrastructure and high MDR (merchant discount rate).
  • Accepting payments via QR, links, subscriptions, P2P, payouts, credit lines: all enabled via these platforms.
  • You get trust, speed & convenience – keys to winning customers in the digital age.

🧾 Evolution of Online Payment Systems in India (Short Timeline)

  • 2000-2010: Gateways + net-banking + cards dominate e-commerce.
  • 2011-2015: Wallets (Paytm) + RuPay card scheme. Early rural rail (AePS) emerges.
  • 2016-2019: UPI launched; static/dynamic QR acceptance hits MSMEs; smartphones + merchants boom.
  • 2020-2023: Expansion to every corner: soundbox devices, no MDR for QR small-merchants; credit on UPI announced.
  • 2024-2025: UPI ecosystem matures; link-payments + invoice-payments + international rails start; gateway stacks integrate payouts + subscriptions for MSMEs.

🏁 Final Word

Online payment systems are not luxury add-ons: for Indian MSMEs they are now a must-have business tool.
From acceptance to settlement, from credit access to customer convenience – choose the right mix of these systems.
Start small (QR), scale smart (links + subscriptions), grow fast (export + credit).
Your payment stack could become your growth engine.


✍️ About the Author

BusinessZindagi writes practical, no-jargon guides on business, MSMEs, compliance, fintech & digital growth in India.


🔗 References (click to read more)

  1. PayPal – Wikipedia — global payment system history and operations.
  2. UPI – NPCI Product Overview — official UPI description.
  3. Alipay – Wikipedia — history of Alipay.
  4. Klarna – Wikipedia — founding and global presence of Klarna.
  5. What is UPI and How it Works – Razorpay Blog — MSME-friendly explanation.
  6. BIS Paper: Lessons from UPI — detailed analysis of UPI infrastructure
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