The short answer
- Expect a provider to ask for a valid UAE trade licence, identity documents and proof of a bank account before it activates your account.
- Compare the full cost: monthly fee, fee per transaction, the extra for international cards, and VAT on the fees.
- Ask when money settles, in which currency, and whether Apple Pay and an Arabic checkout are included.
- Buy now, pay later and cash on delivery widen the ways to pay, and each has costs of its own.
- Apply early. A store cannot launch until the provider has approved the account.
What a payment gateway is
A payment gateway is the service that takes a buyer's card details at checkout, asks the bank whether the payment is approved and passes the answer back to your store. The provider then pays the money into your bank account, less its fees. That payment is called settlement.
Choosing a payment gateway in the UAE is a business decision as much as a technical one. It sets what you pay on every sale, when the money reaches you and how the checkout feels to your buyer.
A gateway shows its payment form in one of two ways. A hosted page sends the buyer to the provider's own page to pay. An embedded form keeps the buyer on your site. Ask which the provider offers, and try both on a phone.
What providers ask for before they onboard you
Providers check who you are before they let you take payments. Stripe's published requirements for UAE accounts are a useful example of what to expect.
- A trade licence or permit issued in the UAE.
- For a limited liability company, the memorandum of association showing the owners and their shares.
- Passport and Emirates ID for the company representative and for each owner holding 25 per cent or more. Residents who are not UAE or GCC nationals also supply their residence visa.
- Proof of an active bank account, such as a statement from the last six months.
Telr states on its pricing page that a valid trade licence is mandatory. Expect other providers to ask for similar documents. It is sensible to have your refund, delivery and privacy policies written before you apply, in case the provider asks to see them.
How to compare providers
- Fees. Ask for the monthly fee, the percentage and fixed fee per transaction, the extra for international cards, and the charges for currency conversion and disputed payments.
- Refunds. Ask whether the original fee comes back to you when you refund a buyer. Stripe states that its processing fee is not returned.
- Settlement. Ask how many days pass between a sale and the money reaching your bank, and in which currency it arrives.
- Card types. Confirm which card brands are accepted, and whether any cost more.
- Apple Pay. Ask whether it is included, and whether it needs extra set-up on your site.
- Arabic checkout. Open the payment page in Arabic on a phone. Check the layout, the error messages and the receipt. Our Arabic and English guide explains what to look for.
- Support. Ask who answers when a payment fails, during which hours and in which languages.
We read the pricing pages of two providers. The table shows their UAE card fees as published on 27 September 2026.
| Provider and plan | Monthly fee | Fee per transaction | International cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe, standard pricing | None | 2.9% + AED 1.00 on domestic cards | 1% extra, and a further 1% if currency conversion is required |
| Telr Startup, sales of AED 0 to 9,999 a month | AED 249 | 0% + AED 0 | Shown as N/A |
| Telr Entry, sales of AED 10,000 to 24,999 a month | AED 199 | 2.45% + AED 1 | 0.50% extra |
| Telr Small, sales of AED 25,000 to 49,999 a month | AED 99 | 2.35% + AED 0.50 | 0.50% extra |
| Telr Medium, sales of AED 50,000 or more a month | AED 0 | 2.25% + AED 0.50 | 0.50% extra |
Read the table against your own sales. At low volume, a monthly fee can outweigh the percentage. On a sale of AED 200 paid with a UAE card, Stripe's published fee works out at AED 6.80. On Telr's Medium plan the same sale works out at AED 5.00 before VAT, but that plan applies to sales of AED 50,000 or more a month.
Telr states that its fees are subject to 5 per cent VAT. Stripe states that it charges no set-up or monthly fee. Fees change, so check the pricing page of Stripe or Telr before you decide.
Other providers to consider
Stripe and Telr are two of several. Others that serve UAE merchants include PayTabs, Checkout.com, Amazon Payment Services and Tap Payments. We quote fees only where we have read the provider's own pricing page, so none appear here. Ask each for a written quote based on your expected monthly sales.
Your store platform narrows the choice. Check which providers it supports before you compare fees. We set up payments as part of ecommerce website development, and on Shopify.
Several providers, Telr among them, state that they are licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE. Ask any provider which licence it holds.
Buy now, pay later
Buy now, pay later lets a buyer split the price into instalments. Tabby offers buyers four interest-free payments, with longer plans of up to twelve payments. Tamara lets buyers split a purchase into two, three or four payments. Both state that the merchant is paid upfront.
Neither shows its merchant fee on the pages we read. Ask for the rate in writing, and ask how refunds and returns are handled. Some gateways include an instalment option in their own checkout. Telr lists Tabby as a feature of every plan, which can save a separate integration.
Cash on delivery
With cash on delivery, the courier collects payment at the door and pays it over to you later. It needs no gateway, but it is not free.
- Ask your courier what it charges to collect cash, and how often it pays out.
- Ask who pays for delivery if the buyer refuses the parcel.
- Decide how you will refund a cash order, since there is no card to return the money to.
- Consider a limit on order value for cash orders.
If you offer it, present it as one option beside card payment, and record cash orders in the same system as the rest.
Decision checklist
- Confirm with your licensing authority that your trade licence covers selling online.
- List the ways your buyers want to pay: cards, Apple Pay, instalments, cash.
- Check which providers your store platform supports.
- Ask each provider for its fees in writing, including VAT.
- Ask about settlement: how many days, which currency, any minimum payout.
- Test the checkout on a phone, in Arabic and in English.
- Ask about support hours and languages.
- Ask which licence the provider holds.
- Apply at the start of the project, not in launch week.
Keep the written answers. They are your record if a fee or a settlement date is questioned later.