Top Payment Gateway Providers in the United Arab Emirates

With over 1 billion card transactions taking place daily and around 3 billion credit cards in use globally, a modern digital business can’t do without payment gateways. They help automate a payment transaction between the buyer and the merchant, ensuring a safe, instant deal no matter how far you are from each other. 

One of the booming digital markets is in the UAE today. 

First, it’s a favorable zone for offshore business operations today, giving clients unlimited freedom in commercial activities coupled with a reasonable taxation policy. 

Second, the UAE is a quickly advancing digital economy, which attracts many forward-looking businesses and encourages cutting-edge FinTech projects. 

An eCommerce business can find a reliable payment gateway with favorable terms and fair commissions in the UAE. Here we offer an expert overview of the UAE payment portals and provide a list of top picks for your business.

What is a payment gateway? 

A payment gateway is a digital solution for payment collection from customers. It is integrated with an eCommerce platform selling products or services online and striving to make the process of their offers’ acquisition as convenient for clients as possible. 

Using various payment gateway services, the clients only need to input their card details into relevant fields and authorize the transaction. 

In the infographic below, you can see the workflow of the payment gateway.

Talking about the payment gateway vs. payment processor difference, one should note that gateways are not responsible for the complete financial transaction. They only:

• Validate the customer’s card details with the bank via secure channels. 
• Ensure that the card contains enough money to complete the pending transaction successfully. 
• Approve the transaction and transfer of money. 

After these details are checked and verified, the chosen payment processor does the transaction itself. 

The payment gateway market: global overview 

If you’re still undecided about whether payment gateways are good business, just look at the figures. This market niche was valued at $22+ billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a mind-blowing CAGR of 22%+ from 2022 to 2030. 

Here’s a glance at the payment gateway market in terms of market figures:

This way, the payment gateway industry is projected to reach $98+ billion by 2030 as more businesses emerge in the digital space and transact with customers online.

The UAE payment gateway market landscape 

The Middle East and Africa (MENA) region, particularly GCC states, has been at the forefront of digital payment gateway development in recent years, with many top-rated web payment gateway services emerging here. 

The Middle East and Africa (MENA) region, particularly GCC states, has been at the forefront of digital payment gateway development in recent years, with many top-rated web payment gateway services emerging here. 

In 2019, the market size was $2.4+ billion and exceeded $3 billion in 2020. Its growth tempos are 28% per year, which can result in a $21 billion market size by 2028.

Here are more stats from the GCC online payment gateway market.

These figures show how much the MENA states invest in high-tech business solutions and innovative technology, and experts say that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE head that change.

How to choose the best payment gateway for your business? 

It’s always challenging to pick an optimal variant from the available payment gateway providers list. It would be best to weigh all candidates against a set of quality criteria.

• Pricing of services. The transaction processing cost is a vital parameter in the payment gateway choice. It would help to calculate all costs of a particular service involved. Most companies charge setup fees, monthly fees, and transaction fees. The latter typically fluctuates based on the transaction volume and value. 
• Types of covered cards. It’s vital to work with providers that support as many card types as possible. The rule of thumb is to cover Mastercard, Visa, and AmEx cards, but if your provider processes a larger number of cards, it’s surely an advantage. 
• Money holding period. There may be cases when you need the paid money urgently to pay for the ordered products and set the order in progress. Payment gateway services usually hold money for 1-7 days, so choosing a provider with a smaller holding period is better to ensure a more flexible use of your cash flow. 
• Variety of currencies. If your business is international, it’s better to provide multi-currency support so that your customers can pay in their native currency without costly exchanges. In this case, you should find a provider with multiple currency support and automatic currency rate calculation. 
• Recurring billing options. If your business is based on subscription payments, you’ll benefit from recurring billing features and avoid the manual setup of this feature. But the provider needs to be super reliable, as it will store your clients’ banking details for recurring billing.
• Security measures. Always double-check the security measures your chosen provider uses to protect the banking data of your clients. The solution should be level-1 PCI DSS compliant to avoid legal trouble or significant data breaches. Advanced fraud detection tools and screening algorithms will be a plus.
• Availability of mobile payments. As most people shop online from their smartphones today, mobile-friendliness is a must. So, you should use payment gateways with a mobile-first approach to allow a seamless transaction experience for your customers.
• Integration. A payment gateway is also judged by the availability of integrations with other services. You’ll need to integrate this software with invoicing and accounting programs to automate financial operations. Thus, it’s better to deal with a provider that can organize this procedure without friction.

Top of the UAE gateway providers

We at RNDpoint have analyzed gateway providers on the above criteria and selected the Top UAE payment services. 

We got the following list: 

• TELR 
• Amazon Payment Services 
• CashU 
• CCAvenue 
• Stripe 
• Checkout 
• PayTabs 
• CyberSource 
• Card Cutters 

Top payment gateway providers in the UAE 

As the choice is really wide in the UAE market, we’ve compiled a top payment gateway list allowing you to establish stable, transparent, and safe payment processing relationships.

1. TELR 

TELR is a highly flexible and innovative payment gateway for eCommerce businesses.

Integrations: Five integration options.

International presence: Coverage of payment solutions for your business in 100+ countries. 

Technical advantages: Users appreciate this company’s PCI DSS Level 1 certification, rigorous anti-fraud protection, and simplicity of payment processing. 

Business advantages: The TELR software is easily scalable, which suits dynamically developing startups. The TELR interface is responsive and customizable, with the client configuring any payment options in a couple of clicks without coding experience. 

Pricing plans: TELR has three pricing plans for businesses at different levels. The basic plan includes only a setup fee, which benefits startups with low processing volumes (AED 149 /mo). The second tier suits SMEs (AED 149 /mo), and the third tier is meant for big organizations with large transaction numbers (AED 349 /mo).

2. Amazon Payment Services 

This payment system for eCommerce was previously known in the UAE as Payfort, but it was acquired by Amazon in 2020 and got a rebranded name as Amazon Payment Services. 

Integrations. Clients can integrate payment processing into their websites with a quick, low-code, easily customizable solution. Mobile integration with native in-app payments is also possible. 

International presence. It can be used in the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, KSA, Oman, Lebanon, Egypt, and Qatar.

Technical advantages. Amazon Payment Services integrates an advanced business analytics system to help companies monitor their performance and improve operations. It connects clients to popular global card payment networks (Visa, Mastercard, AmEx), enables recurring payments, and allows payment in installments. 

Business advantages. Amazon Payment Services is a user-friendly platform with flexible pricing plans and service offerings custom-tailored to businesses of all sizes and scales. 

Pricing plans. It has two options: a standard and a customized plan. The standard pricing plan involves no setup fees, with the business paying only a monthly fixed sum. The customized plan allows configuring the terms depending on your business needs and transaction volumes. 

3. CASHU 

CASHU is a unique payment gateway that allows customers to complete transactions without a bank account.

Integrations. CASHU integration is business-friendly and free of charge. Clients only need to register on the website as merchants and receive the integration toolkit for gateway setup. 

International presence. The company operates in Dubai, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, and other states in the Levant region. 

Technical advantages. The system gives users a CASHU account that may be verified and replenished for completing online transactions on a variety of ecommerce platforms. This way, the users secure their banking details and enjoy a seamless payment experience. 

Business advantages. Merchants also love working with CASHU because of its tangible business benefits. First, the provider doesn’t support chargeback, allowing businesses to receive revenues quicker. Second, the broad network of CASHU partners increases the business’s visibility and attracts new customers. Third, the solution is easy to set up on the merchant’s website. 

Pricing plans. The provider doesn’t charge businesses for setup and has zero monthly or fixed fees for its gateway use. Merchants only need to pay fees for transactions.

4. CCAvenue 

This e-commerce payment system is headquartered in India but enjoys immense popularity among UAE businesses. 

Integrations. The provider enables quick payment gateway integration by binding the web application with CCAvenue using the client library, which is possible for PHP, WordPress, and other websites. The clients can customize the gateway’s look and feel to achieve brand consistency. 

International presence. CCAvenue processes payments in 27 major foreign currencies. 

Technical advantages. It’s a truly omnichannel payment option with multi-currency support and smart dynamic routing – a unique combo in the payment gateway market. It has a sophisticated fraud prevention system put in place and provides competent 24/7 support for businesses and customers. 

Business advantages. Clients point out hassle-free CCAvenue integration and configuration to their commercial needs. 

Pricing plans. INR30,000 of a setup fee for the Privilege plan and free setup for the Startup Pro plan. 

5. Stripe 

Stripe offers a seamless payment infrastructure for web-based businesses, no matter their location and industry. Needless to say, Stripe has won itself a solid reputation across the globe, so it’s trusted by big businesses like Zoom, Slack, Google, Lyft, and Amazon, among others. 

International presence. Stripe is a company with a truly global presence. It processes payments in 47 countries and supports transactions in 100+ currencies.  

Integrations. Clients can choose among plug-in or third-party service integrations with Stripe. The company offers a wide network of integrators in its Partners Directory. 

Technical advantages. Stripe enables easy and quick gateway online payments with end-to-end fund protection and robust financial data encryption. 

Business advantages. Stripe offers transparent pricing, a wide variety of payment methods, and a highly customizable checkout flow. Its customer support channels work 24/7. 

Pricing plans. The company offers an integrated plan (2.9% + AED1) or a customized pricing plan depending on your business scale and processing needs.

6. Checkout 

Checkout has a broad range of products related to payment processing, fraud detection, payment methods, integration, and authentication. So, it’s a popular partner for international businesses specializing in eCommerce, FinTech, gaming, crypto, and various marketplaces. 

Integrations. Clients can easily integrate Checkout with Magento, Salesforce, and Shopify platforms, as well as enjoy simple, user-friendly APIs for customized integrations. 

International presence. This payment gateway can be used by businesses in 45+ countries, including the USA, the UK, and Singapore. Payments are processed in 150+ currencies.  

Technical advantages. The Checkout system provides advanced risk and fraud detection features, a bonus in the risky digital market.

Business advantages. Checkout is a flexible payment gateway example that ensures a positive user experience, low commissions for transactions, and user-friendly integrations. 

Pricing plans. The company prices its services based on the business profile and risk category, thus following a flat-rate pricing policy. It handles payment processing for registered charities free of charge.

7. PayTabs 

PayTabs is not an eCommerce payment gateway in the traditional sense of this word. The company rather calls itself a payment orchestration solution. It helps businesses set up next-gen payment solutions and sell products and services across the globe with minimal processing fees and zero friction. 

Integrations. Easy integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, Opencart, and many other platforms. The company encourages clients to use one-time integration services from its official partners. 

International presence. The company works with businesses in the GCC and MENA regions.

Technical advantages. You can use the proprietary PayTabs SwitchOn or Unified API Gateway products to move your payment processing operations to the next level.  

Business advantages. The PayTabs SaaS software meets all payment processing needs of banks, financial institutions, and FinTechs. 

Pricing plans. The company offers three pricing plans: a Start-Up Plan ($49.99 per month) for small businesses with monthly processing volume up to $2,000, a Growth Plan (2.85% + $0.27 per transaction) for companies with monthly transaction volume over $2,000, and an Enterprise Plan (a customized plan) for businesses with monthly transaction volumes of $100,000+.

8. CyberSource 

CyberSource is a Visa solution headquartered in the UAE and offering state-of-the-art fraud detection and payment processing software. 

Integrations. The company provides many integration resources, such as Apple Pay, Chase Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Visa Click to Pay, etc. Businesses can download the implementation guides from the CyberSource website for easy integration. 

International presence. The company works with businesses in 160+ states and territories and handles over $690 billion in payments a year.

Technical advantages. Its proprietary Decision Manager system uses hundreds of fraud detection parameters, including biometrics and IP geolocation data, to protect users and businesses from hackers and scams. 

Business advantages. Its additional services include global tax calculation, recurring billing, and currency conversion. 

Pricing plans. The starting price is available on demand.

9. Card Cutters 

Card Cutters is a payment gateway solution from DNA Payments. 

Integrations. You can easily integrate the solution with your website, CMS, and shopping carts. It allows embedding payment links and QR codes onto the client websites and emails. You can integrate Card Cutters with a variety of e-commerce shopping modules, like Magento, Xcart, OScommerce, Drupal, and the like. 

International presence. The company operates in the UK, Ireland, and the UAE. 

Business advantages. It ensures simple and clear pricing for businesses of all scales and offers a complete POS service called Zettle. 

Technical advantages. The EPOS systems by Card Cutters help conduct all business operations in line with rigorous security regulations. The company has both ecommerce solutions and integrated payments systems for your business needs. 

Pricing plans. The company allows the first 100 transactions for free, with the following commissions of £0.15 per transaction and a flat operating fee of £15 per month. 

Conclusion 

The UAE payment gateway market is rich and diverse, so you’re free to choose one of the safe and dependable eCommerce payment methods from the list above. 

Each will be a safe deal for any digital business, especially given the rising pressure for secure, encrypted handling of sensitive customer data. 

Use our expert tips to simplify selection and partner with top providers only.