eWAY

What eWAY does

eWAY (legally Web Active Corporation Pty Ltd) is an Australian online payment gateway founded in 1998 by Matt Bullock and headquartered in Bowen Hills, Queensland. The company enables businesses to accept credit card, debit card and digital wallet payments online via three core product lines: Online Payments (all-in-one with a 1.99% international card fee), Payment Gateway (for merchants using their own bank merchant facility), and Enterprise Solutions (custom high-volume pricing with dedicated account management). The platform is built on PCI DSS Level 1 compliant infrastructure, supports 3D Secure 2.0, network tokenisation, and integrates with 250+ third-party platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Xero, NetSuite and BigCommerce. A tiered Fraud Protection Suite (Fraud Lite, Fraud Essentials, Fraud Ultimate) uses machine learning against 3 billion+ data points, with premium tiers powered by ACI ReD Shield AI.

The company operates across five countries (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau) and processes roughly one in four transactions in the Australian ecommerce market. Revenue is generated primarily through per-transaction fees, supplemented by subscription charges for premium fraud protection and value-added services like PayTo pre-authorised payments and Click to Pay. eWAY became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) in 2016 and serves 97,000+ businesses through a hybrid go-to-market combining self-serve online signup for SMBs with dedicated field sales for enterprise customers.

Since 2021 the company has employed 310+ payments experts and serves 28,000+ active merchants, though firmographic data also indicates a headcount of 51-100 which suggests possible post-restructuring under the Global Payments umbrella. The platform is preparing for the Reserve Bank of Australia's surcharge reform effective October 2026, which will remove card surcharging capability and require proactive merchant service fee reviews. Leadership includes Managing Director Mark Healy, COO Tony Sheehan, and General Manager of International Integrated and Platforms Alison Morris.

Name

eWAY

Legal name

Web Active Corporation Pty Ltd

Website

https://eway.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

eWAY is an Australian online payment gateway, founded 1998 and owned by Global Payments Inc. since 2016, processing roughly one in four Australian ecommerce transactions for 97,000+ businesses across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau via its PCI DSS Level 1 platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Payment Processing

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Payment Gateways & Orchestration (BPAMAFAA), Payment Gateways & API Connectivity (FSAGABAB)

Keywords

• Online payment gateway
• Credit card processing
• Ecommerce payment solutions
• Fraud protection services
• Merchant payment processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Phillip

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Transaction Processing Fees: Primary revenue stream from processing online credit/debit card transactions. Merchants pay per transaction processed, with rates varying by card type and merchant volume. International credit card transactions charged at 1.99%.
2. Fraud Protection Add-on Plans: Tiered fraud protection plans - Fraud Lite (free), Fraud Essentials (paid upgrade), and Fraud Ultimate (enterprise paid). Premium tiers provide advanced customization, dedicated consultants, and 24/7 monitoring.
3. Gateway Services: Payment gateway services for merchants who bring their own merchant facility. Revenue from gateway access and processing fees based on chosen plan.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

eWAY is an online payment gateway that enables businesses to accept credit/debit card payments, digital wallets, and other transaction types online. Its core offerings include Online Payments (all-in-one solution for merchants to start transacting), Payment Gateway (for merchants using their own bank merchant facility), and Enterprise Solutions (high-volume custom pricing). The platform is backed by PCI DSS Level 1 security, an award-winning fraud protection suite, the Eway Rapid API for developers, and over 250 third-party integrations.

Product overview

Eway is a payment technology company (subsidiary of Global Payments Inc.) providing a unified online payments platform primarily for Australian and New Zealand businesses. The core offering consists of three main products: Online Payments (all-in-one payment solution for businesses to start transacting online), Payment Gateway (for merchants using their existing bank merchant account), and Enterprise Solutions (flexible high-volume pricing for large merchants). These are complemented by a suite of add-on modules including fraud protection plans (Fraud Lite — free, Fraud Essentials, and Fraud Ultimate), 3D Secure 2.0, Network Tokenisation, PayTo, Click to Pay, Merchant Tools, and developer access via the Eway Rapid API. The platform integrates with over 250 third-party platforms including major ecommerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce), accounting software (Xero with Eway PayThis and Xero-Eway Bank Feed), and other business tools. All payments are backed by PCI DSS Level 1 architecture. Eway's product portfolio also includes the MyEway merchant portal and the Merchant Trust Initiative (powered by SecureTrust) for PCI DSS compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Payments All-in-one online payment solution enabling businesses to start transacting online. Includes hosted checkout for credit cards, digital wallets, refunds, Fraud Lite protection, PCI DSS Level 1 security, and 1.99% international credit card transaction fee. For SMBs and startups needing quick setup with same-day merchant approval.
• Payment Gateway Allows merchants to use their existing merchant bank account through eWAY's payment gateway. Offers flexible pricing options, fast settlement, dedicated local support, and 24/7 emergency technical support. For merchants that already have a merchant facility.
• Enterprise Solutions Flexible, high-volume pricing tailored to business needs. Includes custom solution design, personal account management, regular pricing reviews, and volume-based competitive rates. For large merchants with complex or high-volume payment requirements.
• Fraud Lite Free fraud protection plan included with every eWAY account. Includes email alerts, country matching, blocking of international transactions, anonymous proxies and free email accounts, real-time risk scores (0-100) powered by machine learning over 3+ billion data points, and device fingerprinting.
• Fraud Essentials Advanced paid fraud protection plan configured for specific industries. Includes all Fraud Lite features plus industry-specific rules (via ACI ReD Shield), velocity checks, customisable challenge settings, and support from a global team of 30 expert analysts.
• Fraud Ultimate Enterprise-level paid fraud protection plan with fully customisable rules, 24/7 advanced monitoring via AI and machine learning, automatic rule updates, and a dedicated one-on-one fraud analyst from ACI ReD Shield.
• PayTo Payment feature enabling pre-authorised, real-time payments. Allows merchants to take pre-authorised real-time payments from customers, enabling modern payment workflows for recurring and on-demand transactions.
• 3D Secure 2.0 Additional layer of identity verification at checkout combining data from merchant, issuing bank, and card scheme. Prevents up to 50% of unauthorised purchases and shifts financial liability of fraudulent chargebacks to the issuing bank.
• Click to Pay One-click payment experience bringing together American Express, Mastercard, and Visa Checkout into a seamless checkout. Customer card details are stored securely by the credit card schemes; free for eWAY merchants to activate through the MyEway portal.
• Eway PayThis Xero add-on enabling customers to pay Xero invoices online with one click using any device, all major credit cards and digital wallets. Supports credit card surcharging with surcharges automatically applied and reflected in Xero transaction data.
• Xero-Eway Bank Feed Automatic invoice reconciliation integration with Xero. Every day, Xero imports eWAY transactions and reconciles them automatically, saving time on manual matching.
• Network Tokenisation Enhanced security feature that stores customer payment card details securely and automatically updates them when cards change or expire, removing the need for manual card updates and boosting repeat sales while minimising cart abandonment.
• Merchant Tools Insights, reporting, and transaction management tools for merchants to monitor and manage their payment activities.
• Eway Rapid API Developer-facing API combining fraud prevention, hosted payments, transparent redirect, and direct connection to create securely rendered payment pages on all devices. Includes simple SDKs for iOS and Android, code snippets, API specs, and an Eway Sandbox for testing.
• MyEway Portal Merchant management portal for account management, settings configuration, integration setup (including Xero and Click to Pay activation), transaction monitoring, and settlement reporting.
• Merchant Trust Initiative Security tool powered by SecureTrust that helps businesses complete a PCI DSS self-assessment by running a scan that automatically identifies compliant and non-compliant areas, providing a guided path to compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by 97,000+ businesses across Australia and New Zealand
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

AI capability3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationEway integrates as a third-party payment provider for Shopify merchants in Australia and New Zealand, enabling secure online payments through Shopify checkout without requiring Shopify Payments.
• WooCommercecoreTechnology or IntegrationEway gateway plugin available through WooCommerce marketplace. Allows merchants to accept major credit and debit cards directly within their WordPress/WooCommerce store without customer redirects.
• MagentocoreTechnology or IntegrationEway Magento integration enables engaging, shoppable experiences with Magento Commerce platform.
• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationDeep integration with Xero accounting software including Eway PayThis for invoice payments, Xero-Eway Bank Feed for automatic reconciliation, and credit card payment processing directly from Xero invoices.
• BigCommercecoreTechnology or IntegrationEway integrates with BigCommerce cloud ecommerce platform for growing businesses.
• NetSuitecoreTechnology or IntegrationEway NetSuite integration enables uniquely branded and personalised shopping experiences.
• ChargeBeecoreTechnology or IntegrationEway integrates with ChargeBee billing platform for handling subscription billing use cases.
• Global Payments Inc.flagshipTechnology or IntegrationEway became part of Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) in 2016, one of the world's largest payment technology companies. Global Payments provides global reach, resources, and technology infrastructure backing.
• EzidebitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEway all-in-one solution is provided through partnership with Ezidebit. Combined Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement apply to both brands under this arrangement.
• Retail Decisions (ReD)coreTechnology or IntegrationFraud Alerts powered by Retail Decisions (ReD) providing third-party fraud detection services. ReD Shield AI technology with 3 billion+ data points used in Fraud Essentials and Fraud Ultimate plans.
• SecureTrustcoreTechnology or IntegrationSecurity tooling through SecureTrust (cybersecurity and managed security services provider) offered to merchants through Merchant Trust Initiative for PCI DSS compliance scanning.
• Gnocchi Gnocchi BrothersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCustomer case study demonstrating Eway's ability to support hospitality businesses during COVID-19 with home delivery payment solutions.
• OzHarvestminorOthersSydney team participated in OzHarvest food drive charity collecting quality excess food from commercial outlets for delivery to 1,300+ charities.
• Eat My LunchminorOthersNew Zealand team worked with Eat My Lunch charity delivering 467 lunches to 13 schools around Auckland for kids in poverty.
• Clean Up AustraliaminorOthersCanberra team participated in Clean Up Australia guided clean-up event collecting 4 bags of rubbish and 3 recycling bags.
• Brisbane City Council Waste and Resource Recovery ServicesminorOthersPartnership with Brisbane City Council for Day of Service community cleanup events with 85 employees participating.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Adyen: Enterprise-focused unified payments platform that processes online and in-person payments globally, increasingly competing with eWAY for large Australian merchants.
• Stripe: Global online payment gateway and processing platform competing directly with eWAY for Australian and APAC SMB and enterprise merchants with API-first developer tooling.
• Pin Payments: Australian payment gateway offering developer-friendly online card processing for SMBs and platforms; direct head-to-head competitor in the Australian market.
• SecurePay: Australia Post-owned online payment gateway serving Australian SMBs with card processing and gateway services; competes with eWAY on price, trust and integration.
• Fat Zebra: Australian payment gateway and processor with direct API and hosted checkout offerings aimed at SMBs and platforms in Australia and New Zealand.
• Braintree: PayPal-owned developer-focused payment gateway serving online merchants globally with card processing, fraud (Kount) and vault services; competes with eWAY for enterprise and platform merchants.
• Square (Block): Payment gateway and processor serving SMBs and enterprises with integrated checkout, fraud and POS solutions; competes head-on with eWAY in Australia and New Zealand.

Broad incumbents

• PayPal: Global incumbent in online payments with branded checkout and Braintree gateway; overlapping coverage of eWAY's merchant base, especially SMBs and cross-border e-commerce.
• Shopify Payments: First-party payment processing inside Shopify that competes with eWAY for Shopify merchants by offering lower-friction, native checkout and bundled fraud tools.

Regional players

• Windcave: New Zealand-headquartered payment gateway and processor operating across APAC; comparable offering to eWAY in online card processing and integrations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eWAY_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eway_2

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about eWAY