PayHot or Traditional Online Acquiring: Which Is More Cost-Effective

What Is Traditional Acquiring

Traditional online acquiring is usually provided by a bank or a large payment aggregator.

The customer pays for an order by card, after which the bank transfers the funds to the settlement account of the company or sole proprietor.

This option is suitable for businesses that:

- are registered in Russia;
- are residents of the Russian Federation;
- operate through a legal entity or as a sole proprietor;
- work mainly with Russian customers;
- sell standard goods or services;
- receive settlements in rubles;
- do not require cryptocurrency;
- meet the requirements of a specific bank.

What PayHot Offers

- connection without an LLC or sole proprietor status;
- connection without an LLC, sole proprietor status, or self-employed status;
- mass payouts to bank cards and through the Faster Payments System;
- acceptance of payments through different payment methods within one service;
- the ability to receive settlements in cryptocurrency, including USDT;
- support for low-risk and medium-risk projects;
- a single account for managing payments and several projects;
- mass payouts.

Available payment methods and connection terms are determined individually after the project review. This approach makes it possible to select suitable payment infrastructure based on the characteristics of the business, its audience, and sales geography.

The Main Difference Between the Solutions

Traditional acquiring is usually a banking product designed to accept card payments and other local payment methods.

PayHot offers a broader set of tools within one platform, including payment acceptance, recurring charges, international payment methods, cryptocurrency, mass payouts, and multi-project management.

Therefore, the choice depends not so much on which service is generally “better,” but on the needs of a particular business.

Connection Requirements

To connect bank acquiring, you usually need:

- a registered legal entity or sole proprietor;
- a settlement account;
- a set of registration documents;
- information about the website, products, and business model;
- successful completion of the bank’s review.

Specific requirements depend on the financial institution and the business category.

With PayHot, a project can be submitted without sole proprietor status or a legal entity. To get started, you need to register and pass project moderation.

This may be convenient for owners of digital services, small teams, and projects that do not yet use a traditional legal structure.

However, the ability to connect without a legal entity does not mean there is no verification. The payment service must understand the project’s content, sales model, and source of payment traffic.

Payment Methods

Traditional online acquiring is primarily focused on accepting bank cards. Many banks also offer the Faster Payments System and recurring payments, but the available set of tools depends on the provider.

PayHot combines the following within one infrastructure:

- the Faster Payments System;
- Russian bank cards;
- international cards;
- ERIP;
- recurring payments;
- cryptocurrency.

The exact set of methods depends on the project category and becomes known after the review.

International Audience

Acquiring from a Russian bank is usually convenient for businesses focused mainly on the domestic market.

PayHot may be more suitable for projects with a more diverse audience, as the service supports international bank cards, ERIP for customers from Belarus, and cryptocurrency payments.

However, the availability of an international payment method does not guarantee that every project will be connected or that cards from every country will be accepted. Availability is determined individually.

Withdrawals and Receiving Funds

With traditional acquiring, revenue is usually transferred to the settlement account of a company or sole proprietor in fiat currency.

With PayHot, payouts may be available:

- to bank cards;
- through the Faster Payments System;
- in cryptocurrency.

Specific methods, timeframes, commissions, and limits are agreed upon during onboarding and displayed in the personal account.

Project Categories

Banks are usually more willing to connect standard categories of goods and services with a clear business model and a low level of risk.

Some digital projects may find it more difficult to pass a bank review because of the nature of the product, audience, or payment flow.

The PayHot website lists the following supported business areas:
- VPN services;
- digital services and goods;
- pharmaceutical businesses, dietary supplements, peptides, and sports supplements;
- online courses and information product businesses;
- gaming services and Steam top-ups;
- EdTech platforms;
- IPTV services;
- SIM card and virtual number rental services;
- SMS reception and account activation services;
- AI chats and services for the adult segment;
- online stores;
- Telegram Stars;
- donation services;
- SMS services;
- AI services.

However, belonging to one of the listed categories does not mean automatic approval. Every project undergoes a separate review.

Managing Several Projects

When working with multiple websites, banking infrastructure may require separate agreements, terminals, or additional approvals.

PayHot allows multiple projects to be managed from a single personal account.

This can simplify operations for companies developing several products, brands, or business areas. An entire ecosystem of projects can be managed from one account, even when each project requires different payment methods.

Mass Payouts

Traditional acquiring mainly solves the task of accepting payments. Mass payouts are often connected as a separate banking or payment product.

PayHot supports mass payouts to bank cards and through the Faster Payments System. They can be processed through the personal account or via API.

This feature may be useful for:

- marketplaces;
- affiliate programs;
- reward services;
- platforms working with contractors;
- projects that regularly pay funds to users.

Support and Assistance

В банке обращения обычно проходят через общую службу поддержки, а технические и финансовые вопросы могут обрабатываться разными подразделениями.

With a bank, requests usually go through a general support service, while technical and financial issues may be handled by different departments.

PayHot provides assistance during onboarding and further operation. Merchants with monthly turnover starting from 5 million rubles may qualify for the PayHot Premium program, which includes personal support and additional service conditions.

Standard support and the Premium program should not be confused. Dedicated personal assistance is primarily intended for merchants that meet the relevant turnover requirements.

What Actually Affects the Cost

Services cannot be compared only by the percentage charged for a successful payment. The total cost consists of many factors, including payment acceptance and withdrawal commissions, currency conversion costs and network fees, settlement timeframes, possible holds, online cash register expenses, refund processing, and chargebacks.

The cost of integration, payment channel stability, and the effect of the payment form on conversion should also be considered.

For example, a lower commission does not always mean lower costs. If a payment service regularly declines legitimate customer transactions or frequently experiences interruptions, the business may lose much more in missed revenue than it saves on commission.

When to Choose Traditional Acquiring

Bank acquiring may be the best solution if you have a registered Russian legal entity or sole proprietor and your main audience is located in Russia.

This option is suitable for businesses that only need to accept payments by bank card and through the Faster Payments System, with settlements exclusively in rubles.

It may also be convenient if the bank is prepared to work with your type of business and direct integration with banking payment infrastructure is important to you.

When to Choose PayHot

PayHot is worth considering if:

- the project operates in several GEOs;
- there is no legal entity or sole proprietorship;
- the project owner is not a resident of the Russian Federation;
- international cards are required;
- USDT withdrawals are needed;
- the business belongs to the digital segment;
- recurring payments are required;
- there are several websites or products;
- fast onboarding is important;
- the bank does not provide a suitable solution;
- support for low-risk and medium-risk merchants is important.

Can Both Solutions Be Used

Yes. A business can combine bank acquiring with alternative payment infrastructure.

For example:

- a bank can be used for standard Russian cards;
- PayHot can be connected for additional GEOs;
- the Faster Payments System can be used to reduce payment costs;
- cryptocurrency can be used for permitted international settlements;
- a backup channel can maintain payment acceptance if the main provider experiences an outage.

This approach is suitable even for a conventional brick-and-mortar electronics store operating as a legal entity. The store can obtain approval from PayHot, connect the required payment methods, and send payment links to customers. The received funds can be withdrawn in USDT and used to purchase goods from overseas suppliers. This helps reduce the number of currency conversion transactions and simplifies international settlements compared with transferring rubles through banking infrastructure.

Conclusion

Traditional online acquiring is suitable for businesses with a Russian legal entity, a local audience, and a standard model for accepting ruble payments.

PayHot is designed for projects that require more flexible payment infrastructure, including several payment methods, international cards, recurring charges, ERIP, cryptocurrency, mass payouts, and multi-project management from one account.

It is impossible to say in advance that one solution will always be more cost-effective than the other.

The most suitable service is the one that:

- supports the required payment methods;
- matches the project category;
- provides an acceptable conversion rate;
- processes transactions consistently;
- offers a convenient settlement method;
- does not create excessive operational costs.

At the same time, PayHot does not operate outside the law and does not connect projects that violate explicit legal prohibitions. All solutions are built within the applicable legal framework, while the onboarding process and ongoing operations are organized in a simpler, more flexible, and more technologically advanced way than in traditional banking infrastructure.