Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are defined in different ways and a variety of approaches is currently summarized under the PES label. This paper introduces a system for the multi-classification of PES schemes. The classification is based on different PES characteristics and their specifications. Analyzed characteristics include, amongst others: PES type, ecosystem service paid for (e.g. types of services, if the PES tries to improve the quality of the service vs. the quantity); payments specifics (e.g. funding sources, input- vs. output-based payments, etc.); involved actors (e.g. actors from the market, government or civil society sector); duration (short or long-term), and spatial scale (local to global). The classification system is then applied to 22 PES cases from Germany and the United States (US) that were assessed as successful by expert judgment. A comparative analysis (CA) is used to investigate how certain PES characteristics relate to PES success. Results of the CA indicate that characteristics such as intermediary involvement, involvement of governmental actors, contract length, co-benefits, voluntariness in entering the PES agreement, and design of PES as output-based schemes are of particular importance for the success of PES schemes. •A system for the multi-classification of payments for ecosystem services is presented.•Classification is based on PES characteristics, such as ecosystem service addressed, payments specifics, involved actors, etc.•Classification is applied to PES cases from Germany and the United States, that were assessed as successful through expert judgment.•Relation of certain PES characteristics to overall PES success is examined through comparative analysis.