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Best Barclays ePDQ Alternatives: Finding the Right Payment Services Provider

November 17, 2025

Barclays has officially confirmed the end-of-life for ePDQ on 31 March 2026. If your online checkout, MOTO payments, or payment links currently rely on ePDQ, the countdown has begun. Now is the ideal moment to prepare your migration - calmly, strategically, and without risking revenue.

In this guide, you’ll learn what the shutdown really means, the actions you should take, and why Unipaas is the best Barclays ePDQ alternative, and the most future-proof Barclays ePDQ replacement - especially for SaaS platforms and marketplaces.

Barclays ePDQ shutdown - what it means for your business

When Barclays retires ePDQ, every part of your payment setup that relies on it will stop working. That means your online checkout, MOTO payments for phone orders, any payment links you send by email or SMS, and the reporting and reconciliation tools your finance team uses day to day will all be affected.

Delaying your Barclays ePDQ migration brings real operational risk, including failed or abandoned payments, frustrated customers, gaps in your finance workflows, and ultimately potential revenue and reputation loss. The longer you wait, the more pressured the migration becomes. Starting early puts you in control and makes the switch much easier to manage.

What ePDQ users should do right now

1) Audit your current payment setup

Document every payment touchpoint you rely on: checkout, MOTO, payment links, subscription billing, currencies, fraud tools, and reconciliation flows. This becomes your migration blueprint.

2) Define your non-negotiables

Your ePDQ replacement needs to meet core standards:

  • FCA-authorised
  • PCI DSS Level 1
  • PSD2/SCA compliant
  • Wallets: Apple Pay, Google Pay
  • Pay by Bank, debit/credit cards
  • Clean API + webhook support
  • Transparent SLAs and real human support

3) Start the migration early

Start your migration planning early so you have enough time to rebuild every key payment journey, including checkout, MOTO, payment links, subscriptions, and refunds, and to run realistic end-to-end test scenarios. A controlled parallel period allows you to validate performance under real conditions, catch issues before customers experience them, and reduce migration risk significantly. With Unipaas, this stage is fully guided. Our team would mirror your existing ePDQ setup, align reporting and reconciliation flows, improve your overall checkout experience, and ensure your final cutover happens smoothly and without disruption.

Unipaas is the Barclays ePDQ alternative

Unipaas provides a complete payments infrastructure built specifically for SaaS platforms, merchants, and marketplaces. Instead of relying on a basic gateway, you get a unified solution that powers modern and high-converting checkout experiences, automated and flexible payout flows, fast merchant onboarding, and advanced reporting and reconciliation tools. Unipaas combines technology, compliance, and multi-methods payments in one platform so you can scale efficiently, simplify operations, and deliver a seamless payment experience your customers can trust.

Modern checkout experiences that drive higher conversion

Give customers a smooth and branded payment journey that feels native to your platform. Unipaas supports fully embedded or hosted checkout flows, fast MOTO payments for phone orders, professional payment links, recurring billing, and digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Every element is designed to load quickly, reduce friction, and improve conversion across all devices.

Regulated, secure, and enterprise-grade

Unipaas is FCA-authorised with PCI DSS Level 1 and PSD2/SCA support. Fraud controls, chargeback management, and monitoring dashboards come ready out of the box. We handle regulation, so you can focus on growth. 

Rapid integration and fast go live

Unipaas is built for speed. Developers can integrate quickly using clean APIs, clear documentation, and ready-made components for checkout, payment links, subscriptions, reporting, and onboarding. Most core workflows are already pre-configured, which means you spend less time building and more time launching. Whether you want a fully embedded experience or a hosted flow, Unipaas makes it simple to go live fast without heavy engineering work or long development cycles. This gives your team the freedom to focus on product innovation while Unipaas handles the payment complexity.

Human partner that actually helps

Skip faceless ticket queues and slow, generic support. With Unipaas, you get guided onboarding, fast response times, and direct access to a dedicated Customer Success Manager and Technical Integration Manager who understand your business model and stay with you throughout the entire journey. You always work with real people who know your setup, your goals, and your migration plan, ensuring issues are resolved quickly and your payment operations run smoothly.

Choosing your Barclays ePDQ replacement

The ePDQ shutdown does not need to turn into a stressful project. With the right partner, the move can be organised and far easier than most teams expect. If you want a Barclays ePDQ alternative that keeps you compliant, improves the checkout experience, and properly supports platform and marketplace models, Unipaas is built for exactly that.

We work closely with your team from the first planning call through to go-live, making sure your migration is smooth and your customers continue paying without interruption. When you are ready, we can map out your Barclays ePDQ migration and help you switch over with confidence.

FAQ

What risks do businesses face if they delay migrating from ePDQ?


Waiting too long to move away from ePDQ can create unnecessary pressure. As the shutdown date gets closer, there is less time to test your payment journeys properly, which increases the chance of failed payments. It can also lead to frustrated customers, extra workload for support and finance teams, and even loss of revenue. Starting early simply gives you more time to move in a calm, controlled way.

What features should I look for when evaluating ePDQ replacements?

When choosing a new provider, look for a platform that offers strong security and full compliance, including PCI DSS Level 1 and PSD2 SCA support. You also want reliable card and bank payment options, digital wallets, Pay by Bank, clear reporting, and straightforward reconciliation. If you are a SaaS platform or marketplace, it is worth checking whether the provider supports flexible fee rules, fast KYB and KYC onboarding, and a simple integration process. Unipaas is built to deliver on all of these needs - It is easy for developers to implement, allows you to create a fully branded in-product checkout experience, and provides a fully managed service that removes much of the operational work. These strengths make a noticeable difference in day-to-day operations and help teams move faster with less effort.

How difficult is the migration from ePDQ to Unipaas?

Moving from ePDQ to Unipaas is easier than most businesses expect. With the right partner, the integration is straightforward, and you get clear documentation, ready-made components, and access to a sandbox for testing. The Unipaas team works with you to mirror your current setup, and validate payment flows, so everything can be checked before going live. This approach keeps the process organised and helps you switch over smoothly, without disrupting your service.

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