Craftgate vs Param

Craftgate is an Istanbul-based payment orchestration platform for Turkish merchants. Instead of integrating each bank's virtual POS separately, a merchant connects its existing POS agreements and payment providers to Craftgate once and manages them through a single API and dashboard, routing every transaction to the most suitable provider and reducing dependency on any single acquirer.

The platform covers smart routing rules based on card type, bank, installment count or cost, automatic fallback to another POS when a provider fails, installment tables and campaigns, a hosted checkout form and payment links, card storage for repeat payments, fraud rules, and marketplace features for sub-merchant onboarding and split payouts. Reporting brings transactions from every bank into one view, which simplifies reconciliation, and SDKs and plugins help with integration into custom sites and common e-commerce platforms. Pricing is not public and is agreed with each merchant, typically based on transaction volume.

Craftgate suits mid-size and large merchants, marketplaces and subscription businesses that already have several bank POS agreements and want better approval rates, lower costs and resilience. Very small merchants without their own bank agreements are usually better served by an all-in-one payment service provider such as iyzico, PayTR, Param or Sipay, which handle the merchant relationship themselves. Global orchestration tools such as Spreedly or Primer have little coverage of Turkish banks and local installment practices.

Param is a Turkish fintech company and licensed electronic money institution that provides payment services to merchants and consumers. For businesses it offers virtual POS for e-commerce, physical and mobile POS options, installment payments, payment links that can be shared over WhatsApp or SMS, and integrations and plugins for common e-commerce platforms, so a merchant can start accepting cards online and in store through one provider.

Important: on 13 July 2026, as part of an investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) was appointed trustee over Turk Elektronik Para A.Ş. (Param) and its group companies. ParamPOS merchant receivables have since been paid in stages, first up to 100,000 TL and then up to 250,000 TL, with remaining balances paid as the company's finances allow. Merchants considering Param should read the latest TMSF and company announcements before signing up.

On the consumer side, Param offers prepaid cards and a digital wallet, which makes it one of the better-known fintech brands in Turkey. For merchants, the main points of comparison are commission rates by installment count, how quickly funds are settled to the bank account, integration documentation and API quality, fraud and 3D Secure handling, and the quality of the merchant panel and support. Param advertises virtual POS commission from 2.29% with next-day settlement, while final rates depend on sector, volume, instalments and settlement terms.

Under normal operating conditions, Param suits small and mid-size Turkish merchants, e-commerce sites and service businesses that want a single provider for online and in-store payments without negotiating directly with several banks. Larger merchants with multiple bank POS agreements often add an orchestration layer such as Craftgate. iyzico is the best-known alternative with a strong buyer-protection brand, PayTR is popular with small e-commerce sites, and Sipay competes on marketplace and wallet features; comparing offers from several providers is the norm.