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Universal Payment Gateway Payments Reviews: UK Fees & Pricing


By: Ian Wright | Last Updated: April 25, 2025

Universal Payment Gateway is no longer operating as an independent brand. Therefore this page is no longer being updated.

Monek logo

Universal Payment Gateway was founded in 1998 with the aim of simplifying the complexities of payments processing.  It was one of the first payment gateways to launch in the UK.  The trading assets of Universal Payment Gateway have recently been acquired by Monek.  Monek was founded in 1998 as a company that processed online card payments.  Today, Monek powers payments for thousands of businesses, from start-ups to international groups.  To date, Monek has processed over 60 billion transactions.

Universal Payment Gateway Credit Card Processing & Payment Services

Universal Payment Gateway Payments

Universal Payment Gateway has a range of payment solutions for accepting payments online, by telephone and POS payments. UPG accepts a range of payments types in multiple currencies:

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • JCB
  • Maestro
  • Diners
  • UnionPay
  • Apple Pay
  • V Pay
  • Carte Bleue
  • Konbini
  • And many more

Universal Payment Gateway Pricing & Fees

Neither Universal Payment Gateway nor Monek list any of their pricing and fees on their websites.  The UPG website now directs you to Monek,  so these must be obtained directly from the Monek.

To see that that compares have a look at: UK Merchant Account and Credit Card Processing Fee Comparison.

Universal Payment Gateway Features

  • Online payments
  • In store payments
  • POS payments
  • Card machines
  • Mobile payments
  • Risk managements
  • Global payments
  • Monek Dynamic Fraud Protection
  • A single API to reduce technical work
  • A single commercial agreement
  • An intuitive administration portal
  • Simplified reconciliation and account management
  • One payment report/file
  • One contact with no tie-in
  • Hosted payment pages
  • One click check-out helping prevent abandoned trolleys
  • Wide range of contactless terminals
  • 24/7 customer service department

Company Background

Universal Payment Gateway began trading in 1998 from its offices in Tamworth, Staffordshire.  Its focus was enabling merchants and their customers to do business simply and safely.  The company processed one of the first online transactions in 1999.   Since then it has acquired Axiar, Securing Hosting, Acceptcards and PayCo which has helped UPG become one of the leaders in the global payments market.

UPG is used by thousands of businesses, from SMEs to international corporations.  It has recently been acquired by Monek.  Monek was also founded in 1998 and has its head office in Lichfield, Staffordshire, from where its team of experts work to provide easy payment solutions for their merchants.  The company grew up with the internet and now 90% of their work is online.

Monek believes in the ‘Power of Simplicity’.  It offers a single, full-service payment solution, allowing customers to make payments anywhere and any time, thus allowing merchants to increase their income.  Merchants can decide which payment types and channels they wish to use.  They can also decide how, where and when they wish to accept customer payments. Monek’s solutions also include the ability to integrate payments system with warehousing and distribution systems.

Universal Payment Gateway Pros & Cons

Unfortunately, there are no online reviews for Universal Payment Gateway or Monek, not even on the companys’ websites.

Website:  www.universalpaymentgateway.com and www.monek.com

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