A gateway secures online payments through the encryption and authorization of customer payment information. It acts as a link between the website of a company and its payment processor to ensure seamless transactions. The popular gateways Square, PayPal, and Stripe accept a variety of payment methods including digital wallets and bank transfers. These gateways offer real-time monitoring of transactions, support for multiple currencies, and PCI Compliance, which makes them indispensable to online shops, subscription services, and mobile payments.