20 April 2026 · 7 min read
A practical breakdown of PayTabs, Telr, Checkout.com, Stripe, and buy-now-pay-later options for UAE e-commerce — with real fees and honest trade-offs.
If you're launching an online store in the UAE, choosing a payment gateway is one of the first real decisions you'll make — and it's one that's weirdly hard to get clear information on. Most comparison articles are written by affiliates. This one isn't.
Here's what we've seen work for UAE businesses across different sizes and categories.
UAE customers pay mostly by card (Visa and Mastercard dominate), and Apple Pay has grown fast — especially among younger Dubai residents. Cash-on-delivery still exists, particularly for fashion and lower-ticket items, but it's declining. If you want to offer COD, you'll need to handle that through your fulfillment logistics, not your payment gateway.
Expect your customers to want: credit/debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and if you're selling AED 300+ items, probably a buy-now-pay-later option.
| Gateway | Best For | Monthly Fee | Transaction Rate | Setup | |---|---|---|---|---| | PayTabs | SMBs, service businesses | AED 299/month | ~2.85% | Straightforward | | Telr | E-commerce, WooCommerce | AED 349/month | ~2.49–2.99% | Good docs | | Checkout.com | Scale-ups, high volume | Custom | Better at volume | Requires approval | | Network International | Bank-connected businesses | Custom | Negotiable | More complex | | Stripe | Tech-first businesses | None | 2.9% + 30 fils | Apply early |
PayTabs is UAE-founded and has good local support. The dashboard is functional without being overwhelming. For a small clinic or restaurant taking online payments, this is usually the right starting point. They support Apple Pay, Google Pay, and most major card types.
Telr is popular among WooCommerce users specifically, and their documentation is solid. Their pricing is transparent, which matters. We've seen a number of UAE e-commerce stores use Telr as their primary gateway without issues.
Checkout.com starts making sense when you're doing meaningful monthly volume — think AED 100,000+ per month. Their rates are negotiable at scale and their API is excellent. Don't bother with the sales process until you're there.
Network International (NI) is the gateway that UAE banks often push. It works, but setup is slower and the integration is more involved. If your bank relationship requires it, fine. Otherwise there are easier options.
Stripe has been available in UAE since 2023. It works for many businesses and the developer experience is genuinely the best in class. That said, some UAE businesses still report issues getting approved, particularly certain free zone setups or specific business categories. If you want Stripe, apply early — don't assume you'll be approved the week you launch.
Before you can go live with any of these, you'll need:
That last two are non-negotiable. Gateways will reject your application if your site doesn't have these pages. The T&Cs don't need to be written by a lawyer, but they need to exist and be findable.
Buy-now-pay-later is genuinely popular in UAE. Tabby and Tamara are the two main players, and they both integrate with WooCommerce and most major platforms.
If you're selling products in the AED 300–2,000 range, adding a BNPL option will likely increase conversion. Both platforms take a merchant fee (typically 3–6%) and handle the payment risk themselves — you get paid upfront. The trade-off is cost and added checkout complexity.
For e-commerce clients we build, we generally recommend adding at least one BNPL option at launch if average order value is above AED 400.
Transaction percentages are just the start. Watch for:
Chargeback fees: When a customer disputes a charge, you pay whether you win or lose. Typically AED 75–150 per dispute. If you're selling high-volume low-ticket items, dispute rates can add up.
Monthly minimums: Some gateways have a minimum monthly fee even if transaction fees don't cover it. Read the contract.
Setup fees: Some gateways charge a one-time setup fee (AED 500–1,500). Factor this in.
Currency conversion fees: If you're accepting payments in multiple currencies, each gateway handles conversion differently.
Start with PayTabs or Telr. Both are solid, both are UAE-approved, and both have local support that's actually reachable. If your volume grows and the percentage fees start hurting, switch to Checkout.com and negotiate.
One thing worth saying plainly: don't choose a payment gateway based on which one your web developer has an affiliate relationship with. Some developers default to whatever they've integrated before, or whatever pays them a referral fee. Ask them why they're recommending a specific gateway. The answer should reference your business type, volume, and needs — not their familiarity.
Customers expect these now. Every major gateway listed above supports both. When you're configuring your checkout, make sure these are enabled — they're not always on by default.
Apple Pay in particular converts well on mobile in UAE. It removes the step of typing card numbers, which matters on a phone.
If you're building an e-commerce site in UAE and want to make sure your payment setup is done right from the start, our e-commerce website packages include gateway integration, checkout configuration, and all the required legal pages as standard.
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