UAE Payment Gateways for Free Zone E-Commerce — Stripe, Checkout.com, PayTabs 2026
UAE e-commerce businesses need a payment gateway to accept online card payments from UAE and international customers. UAE has specific requirements for payment gateways and each option has different fees, supported cards, and approval requirements. This guide covers payment gateway options for UAE free zone companies in 2026.
In this guide:
International Payment Gateways in UAE
Stripe UAE
- Available: yes, Stripe expanded to UAE officially (2023); UAE free zone companies can apply
- Requirements: UAE trade licence; UAE bank account or WIO; business verification
- Fees: 2.9% + USD 0.30 per successful card transaction (UAE standard rates)
- Currencies: AED, USD, EUR, GBP and 135+ currencies
- Settlement: T+2 to UAE bank account
- Best for: tech-savvy businesses; international e-commerce; subscription billing via Stripe Billing
Checkout.com
- UAE presence: Checkout.com has a strong UAE presence; regional HQ in Dubai
- Best for: high-volume merchants; enterprise e-commerce; fintech
- Fees: negotiated rates for larger merchants; typically 1.8-2.9% + per-transaction fee
- Support: local UAE support team; Arabic-language support available
- Regulatory: licensed by UAE Central Bank as payment service provider
PayFort (Amazon Payment Services)
- UAE’s most established local payment gateway; now rebranded Amazon Payment Services
- Fees: 2.5-3.5% per transaction; setup fee may apply
- Cards: strong acceptance of UAE-issued cards (Mashreq, ENBD, FAB local cards)
- Integration: well-documented; widely used by UAE SMEs
UAE-Specific Payment Solutions
PayTabs
- UAE-born payment gateway (Saudi Arabian origin, strong UAE presence)
- Fees: 2.5-2.85% per transaction
- Special feature: payment links (no website needed); invoice payment; good for service businesses
- Acceptance: works with UAE local banks well; high approval rates
Telr
- UAE payment gateway; multi-currency; subscription and recurring billing support
- Fees: AED 199/month + 2.5% per transaction; lower per-transaction fees than some
- Arabic support: full Arabic interface for UAE consumers
UAE Payment Gateway Setup Requirements
- UAE trade licence (active)
- UAE bank account (Stripe: WIO accepted; PayFort: needs traditional UAE bank)
- Articles of Association / MOA
- Passport copies of all shareholders
- Business website (live and compliant with UAE requirements)
- Processing volume estimate