Last updated: September 2026 · Reading time: 13 min · By the Best Web Developer team
Quick answer
Payment gateways worldwide differ in two ways: which gateways will accept your business as a merchant, and which local payment methods they support. Global providers such as Stripe, Adyen and Checkout.com cover many markets, but local methods like mada in Saudi Arabia, UPI in India, Pix in Brazil and iDEAL in the Netherlands often decide whether customers complete checkout.
Key takeaways
- Merchant availability depends on where your company is registered, not where your customers live.
- Saudi stores need mada, Apple Pay and usually STC Pay, Tabby or Tamara, through a locally licensed gateway.
- Real-time bank and QR payments (UPI, Pix, PayNow, PromptPay, QRIS) now rival cards in many Asian and Latin American markets.
- Cross-border sellers usually combine one global acquirer with local methods per market, rather than one gateway everywhere.
- Check fees, settlement currency, payout time and refund rules in writing before you integrate.
Why payment gateways worldwide matter for online sales
Understanding payment gateways worldwide matters because shoppers abandon checkouts that do not show the method they trust. A store that only accepts international cards can lose a large share of buyers in markets where bank transfers, wallets or local debit schemes dominate.
A payment gateway is the service that securely passes payment details from your checkout to the banks and card networks, then returns an approval or decline. A payment method is what the customer uses: a Visa card, a mada debit card, an Apple Pay wallet, a UPI transfer or an instalment plan. Gateways decide which methods you can offer.
For a business in Saudi Arabia, the question works in both directions. You need the right local setup to sell at home, and you need a plan for each foreign market you enter, whether that is the UAE, Egypt, the UK or Southeast Asia.
Note: how to read this guide
Gateway coverage changes often as providers gain licences, enter or leave markets, and add methods. The tables reflect widely known market patterns and our own integration work up to 2026. They are a starting point, not a guarantee. Always confirm merchant eligibility and supported methods on each provider’s current documentation, such as Stripe’s documentation, before you commit.
How gateway availability actually works
Availability has three layers: where the gateway can onboard merchants, which currencies it settles in, and which local methods it can process. A provider can process payments from customers in 40 countries while only accepting merchants registered in a handful of them.
Merchant country
Gateways need a licence or banking partner in the country where your business is registered. That is why a Saudi-registered company usually works with a gateway licensed in the Kingdom, and why a company with a UAE or UK entity may have access to a different list. Some international providers have historically not onboarded Saudi-registered merchants directly, so check eligibility first.
Settlement currency and payouts
A gateway may accept payments in 100+ currencies but pay you out only in a few. Currency conversion at payout can cost 1–3% in the arrangements we see. For SAR businesses, settlement in SAR to a Saudi bank avoids conversion on domestic sales, and USD settlement is easy to reconcile because the riyal is pegged at 3.75.
Local payment methods
Local methods include domestic debit schemes (mada, RuPay, Meeza), real-time bank transfers (UPI, Pix, PayNow, PromptPay, FPX), wallets (STC Pay, Alipay, GCash, M-Pesa), cash vouchers (OXXO, konbini, Fawry) and buy-now-pay-later (Tabby, Tamara, Klarna, Afterpay). Each needs specific support from the gateway and often a separate activation step.
Payment gateways worldwide: a country-by-country overview
The table below lists the local methods shoppers expect and gateways commonly used in each market. It is a practical map of payment gateways worldwide, not an exhaustive list.
| Country | Key local methods | Commonly used gateways |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | mada, Apple Pay, STC Pay, SADAD, Tabby, Tamara | HyperPay, Moyasar, PayTabs, Tap, Checkout.com, Amazon Payment Services |
| UAE | Cards, Apple Pay, Tabby, Tamara | Network International, Checkout.com, Stripe, Telr, Tap |
| Egypt | Meeza, Fawry cash, mobile wallets, cards | Paymob, Fawry, Kashier |
| United Kingdom | Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, open banking, Klarna, Clearpay | Stripe, Adyen, Worldpay, PayPal, Checkout.com |
| United States | Cards, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo, Affirm, Klarna | Stripe, Braintree, Square, Authorize.net, Adyen |
| Netherlands and Belgium | iDEAL, Bancontact, SEPA, cards | Adyen, Mollie, Stripe |
| Germany | PayPal, Klarna, SEPA direct debit, invoice payment | Adyen, Stripe, Mollie, PayPal |
| Turkey | Cards with instalments, Troy | iyzico, PayTR, local bank gateways |
| India | UPI, RuPay, net banking, wallets | Razorpay, PayU, Cashfree, CCAvenue |
| Pakistan | JazzCash, Easypaisa, cards, cash on delivery | Local bank gateways, wallet APIs |
| China | Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay | Alipay and WeChat Pay cross-border programmes, Adyen |
| Japan | Cards incl. JCB, konbini, PayPay, bank transfer | GMO Payment Gateway, Stripe, Adyen |
| Singapore | PayNow, cards, GrabPay, Atome | Stripe, Adyen, HitPay, 2C2P |
| Malaysia | FPX, DuitNow QR, Touch ‘n Go eWallet | iPay88, Billplz, Razer Merchant Services, Stripe |
| Indonesia | QRIS, virtual accounts, GoPay, OVO, DANA | Xendit, Midtrans, DOKU |
| Thailand and Vietnam | PromptPay; VNPay QR, MoMo | Omise (Opn), 2C2P; VNPay, OnePay |
| Brazil and Mexico | Pix, boleto; OXXO, SPEI | Mercado Pago, PagSeguro, dLocal, Stripe |
| Nigeria and Kenya | Cards, bank transfer, USSD; M-Pesa | Paystack, Flutterwave; M-Pesa APIs |
| Australia | Cards, Apple Pay, PayID, Afterpay | Stripe, Adyen, Square, Tyro |
Pro tip
Before building a checkout for a new market, look at the checkout pages of the top three local retailers in your category. The methods they show above the fold are the ones local shoppers expect. It takes 20 minutes and prevents most “wrong method” mistakes.
Payment setup inside Saudi Arabia
A Saudi checkout should offer mada first, then Apple Pay and international cards, with STC Pay and a BNPL option where the basket size justifies it. Gateways operating in the Kingdom are licensed and supervised by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA).
What Saudi shoppers expect
- mada: the national debit network, carried on most Saudi bank cards and usable online through local gateways.
- Apple Pay: heavily used on iPhones, often linked to mada cards.
- STC Pay: a popular wallet, especially among younger shoppers.
- BNPL: Tabby and Tamara split payments into instalments, which lifts conversion on fashion, electronics and furniture.
- Cash on delivery: still requested in some categories and regions, though its share is falling as digital payments grow.
Fees, invoicing and platform choice
In the setups we integrate, mada transactions usually cost noticeably less than international card transactions, while BNPL fees are the highest because the provider carries the credit risk. Salla and Zid bundle local gateways so you can launch in days; Shopify and WooCommerce stores connect to local gateways through apps or plugins. Every B2C and B2B sale also needs invoices that meet ZATCA’s FATOORA e-invoicing rules, which your gateway and store platform must support together.
Highlight: model fees before you choose
Take last quarter’s orders, split them by method and apply each gateway’s quoted fees. A 1% difference on SAR 2 million of annual sales is SAR 20,000 a year. Our free profit margin calculator shows how fees change your margin per product.
Key benefits of offering local payment methods
Local methods raise conversion, lower fees and reduce fraud disputes in most markets. The benefits compound when you sell in several countries.
- Higher conversion: shoppers complete checkout when they see a familiar method.
- Lower cost: domestic debit and real-time bank payments are usually cheaper than international cards.
- Fewer chargebacks: push payments such as UPI, Pix and bank transfers cannot be charged back like cards.
- Faster settlement: some real-time methods settle the same or next day.
- Trust signals: local logos at checkout reassure first-time buyers from abroad.
- Larger baskets: BNPL options typically increase average order value in fashion and electronics.
“Customers do not abandon your store because of price alone. They leave when the way they pay is missing.”
— Best Web Developer e-commerce team
Use cases: Saudi Arabia brands selling across borders
Saudi brands expanding abroad typically keep a local Saudi gateway for domestic sales and add one international acquirer plus local methods per target market. The right combination depends on where you register and where you sell.
Selling into the GCC
Many Saudi gateways also serve the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, which makes GCC expansion simpler. Add KNET for Kuwait and local debit options where relevant, and show prices in each local currency.
Selling into Europe, the UK and the US
These markets often require a local entity or a merchant-of-record service for full method coverage and tax handling. Some Saudi brands set up a UAE or UK company, which opens access to additional global gateways. Get tax and legal advice first.
Illustrative case: a Riyadh abaya brand adds GCC and UK checkouts
Challenge: A Riyadh abaya brand on Shopify accepted only international cards. Checkout completion was 41% in Saudi Arabia and 29% in Kuwait, and UK customers had no instalment option.
What we did: We added a Saudi-licensed gateway with mada, Apple Pay and STC Pay, enabled Tabby and Tamara, added KNET for Kuwait, and routed UK orders through a global acquirer with Klarna. Integration and testing took five weeks and cost SAR 34,000.
Result: Within three months, checkout completion rose to 58% in Saudi Arabia and 44% in Kuwait, blended payment fees fell from 2.9% to 2.2% of revenue, and UK average order value increased by about 18%.
Global vs regional vs local payment gateways worldwide
Global gateways give one integration for many markets, regional gateways cover a region deeply, and local gateways offer the widest domestic method range. Most growing stores end up using two types of payment gateways worldwide together when they compare payment gateways worldwide.
| Type | Examples | Strengths | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global | Stripe, Adyen, Checkout.com, PayPal | One API, many currencies, strong tooling | Merchant eligibility by country; some local methods missing |
| Regional | Tap, PayTabs, 2C2P, Xendit, dLocal | Deep coverage in a region | Fewer markets outside the region |
| Local | Moyasar, Razorpay, Paymob, iyzico | All domestic methods, local support | Usually one market only |
| Platform-bundled | Salla, Zid, Shopify Payments where offered | Fast setup, one bill | Less control over routing and fees |
Highlight: the gateway checklist we use
1) Confirm merchant eligibility for your registered entity. 2) List the top three local methods per target market. 3) Get fees per method in writing, including refunds and chargebacks. 4) Confirm settlement currency and payout time. 5) Test 3-D Secure, refunds and partial refunds in sandbox. 6) Check the platform plugin is maintained. 7) Confirm e-invoicing and tax data flow, such as ZATCA for Saudi sales.
Our e-commerce development service handles gateway selection, integration and testing for single-market and multi-market stores.
Payment trends to watch: real-time rails and Vision 2030
Real-time bank payments, wallets and BNPL are growing worldwide, and Vision 2030 has set a goal of shifting Saudi Arabia toward a largely cashless economy. Expect more methods, more regulation and more pressure on checkout design.
- Instant payments everywhere: UPI, Pix and PayNow show how fast real-time rails can reach mainstream use; similar systems are expanding in the Gulf.
- Open banking: account-to-account payments are growing in the UK, EU and increasingly the Middle East.
- BNPL regulation: regulators in several markets are tightening rules on disclosures and affordability checks.
- Tokenised wallets: Apple Pay and Google Pay keep taking share from typed card numbers, improving mobile conversion.
- Saudi fintech growth: the Kingdom’s fintech sector is expanding, bringing new gateways, wallets and payment features to local merchants.
Frequently Asked Questions about payment gateways
Which payment gateways work in Saudi Arabia?
Commonly used gateways in Saudi Arabia include HyperPay, Moyasar, PayTabs, Tap Payments, Checkout.com and Amazon Payment Services. They support mada, Apple Pay, international cards and often STC Pay, with Tabby and Tamara available for instalments. Gateways operating in the Kingdom are supervised by the Saudi Central Bank, so confirm the provider’s licence and supported methods before signing.
Can a Saudi business use Stripe?
Stripe has historically not offered direct merchant accounts to companies registered in Saudi Arabia, although it supports businesses in the UAE and many other countries. Availability changes, so check Stripe’s current supported-country list. Most Saudi-registered businesses use a locally licensed gateway instead, which also gives better support for mada, STC Pay and local settlement in SAR.
What is the difference between a payment gateway and a payment method?
A payment gateway is the service that securely sends payment details from your checkout to banks and card networks and returns an approval or decline. A payment method is what the customer uses to pay, such as a Visa card, mada debit card, Apple Pay, UPI or an instalment plan. The gateway you choose decides which payment methods your store can offer.
Do I need a local company to accept payments in another country?
Not always. Many global gateways let you accept payments from customers worldwide using your home entity. However, some local methods, lower domestic fees and local-currency settlement may require a registered company in that country. Merchant-of-record services are another option, handling payments and sales tax for you in exchange for a higher fee. Take tax and legal advice before deciding.
Which payment methods are most popular in different countries?
Popular methods vary widely by country. mada and Apple Pay lead in Saudi Arabia, UPI in India, Pix in Brazil, iDEAL in the Netherlands, Alipay and WeChat Pay in China, PayNow in Singapore, PromptPay in Thailand and M-Pesa in Kenya. Cards and PayPal remain strong in the US and UK, where BNPL services such as Klarna are also common.
How much does it cost to integrate a payment gateway in KSA?
On Salla or Zid, enabling a bundled gateway costs little beyond transaction fees. On Shopify or WooCommerce, installing and testing a local gateway plugin typically costs SAR 3,000–10,000 in our quotes. A custom integration with multiple methods, BNPL, refunds, webhooks and ZATCA-compliant invoicing usually costs SAR 15,000–45,000, before 15% VAT, depending on complexity.
Is buy now pay later available outside Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Tabby and Tamara operate across several GCC countries, while Klarna, Afterpay, Clearpay, Affirm and Atome serve markets in Europe, North America, Australia and Southeast Asia. Each has its own merchant eligibility rules, fees and regulation. Check which provider covers each target market and whether your gateway or platform supports it natively before planning your checkout.
Choosing payment gateways worldwide with confidence
Payment gateways worldwide come down to three checks: can the provider onboard your entity, can it settle in your currency, and does it support the methods local shoppers trust. Get those right and conversion, fees and disputes all improve.
For Saudi businesses, start with a locally licensed gateway covering mada, Apple Pay and STC Pay, add BNPL where baskets are large, and layer international acquirers and local methods market by market. Confirm current availability with each provider before you build.
Plan a checkout that fits every market
Tell us where you sell and where your company is registered, and we will map the gateways and methods you need, with an integration estimate in SAR.
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