Shopify Payments in the UAE: who can use it, what it costs and how to set it up
Short answer: Shopify Payments works in the UAE, but only for stores on the Advanced and Plus plans, and only for online sales. You need a UAE trade licence (LLC or sole establishment, mainland or free zone) and an AED checking account with an AE IBAN. On Basic and Grow you still use a third-party gateway, and Shopify adds its own 2% or 1% fee on top.
Half of what ranks for “Shopify Payments UAE” still says it isn’t available here. That was true for years. In 2026 Shopify opened it to Plus stores, then to Advanced on 26 August 2026. Basic and Grow have no date yet.
This guide covers who qualifies, what Shopify Payments actually costs in AED, the documents Shopify asks for, the setup steps, and the sales level where moving to Advanced just to get it starts to pay. If you’re still comparing providers, the full list is on my guide to UAE payment gateways for Shopify.
On this page: Availability · Plans and rates · Fees vs a UAE gateway · Requirements · Setup · On Basic or Grow · FAQ
Is Shopify Payments available in the UAE?
Yes, with three limits that matter more than the headline.
| When | What changed |
|---|---|
| Before 2026 | Not available. Every UAE store used a third-party gateway. |
| 2026 | Opened to UAE stores on Shopify Plus. |
| 26 August 2026 | Extended to the Advanced plan (Shopify changelog). |
| Basic and Grow | No announcement. Third-party gateway only. |
- Plan: Advanced or Plus only.
- Channel: online selling only. Shopify’s Help Center is explicit that it can’t be used for in-person POS payments in the UAE, so a physical shop still needs its own card terminal.
- Rollout: it has been switched on gradually. If you’re on Advanced and don’t see the option under Settings → Payments, contact Shopify Support before you build a plan around it.
Cards supported: Visa, Mastercard and Maestro, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Shop Pay, all switched on automatically once Shopify Payments is active. The UAE Help Center page doesn’t list Amex or Mada, so check your admin if those matter to you.
Last checked: October 2026, against the Shopify Help Center.
Shopify Payments UAE plans and card rates
| Plan | Shopify Payments in the UAE | Online card rate (domestic) | International / Amex | Shopify fee on third-party gateways |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | No | — | — | 2% |
| Grow | No | — | — | 1% |
| Advanced | Yes | 2.7% + AED 1 | 3.7% + AED 1 | 0.6% |
| Plus | Yes | 2.5% + AED 1 | 3.5% + AED 1 | 0.2% |
Rates from Shopify’s UAE pricing page. Last checked: October 2026. Confirm the rate shown in your own admin before you switch; Plus rates can be negotiated at volume.
Subscription prices for each plan, in AED, are in Shopify pricing in the UAE.
Shopify Payments fees vs a UAE gateway
Shopify Payments isn’t cheaper per card transaction than a local gateway. Advanced’s 2.7% + AED 1 is roughly what Telr charges (about 2.69% + AED 1), a bit more than Mamo Pay (2.5% + AED 1) and a bit less than PayTabs (about 2.85%). The saving is somewhere else: Shopify drops its own third-party transaction fee on every order paid through Shopify Payments.
Two details most guides miss:
- BNPL still pays the fee. Shopify’s Help Center says third-party transaction fees apply to all transactions through third-party and alternative gateways, even with Shopify Payments active. Tabby and Tamara orders on Advanced still cost you 0.6% on top of the BNPL provider’s own fee.
- COD doesn’t. Manual payment methods such as cash on delivery aren’t charged the third-party fee on any plan.
When upgrading to Advanced for Shopify Payments pays off
The plan gap between Grow and Advanced is about AED 1,100 a month on monthly billing (about AED 800–850 a month billed annually). Here’s what a store on Grow with a local gateway pays in Shopify fees, against the same store on Advanced with Shopify Payments. Sales mix: 65% card, 25% BNPL, 10% COD. Card processing is left out because the rates are close to equal.
| Monthly sales | Grow + gateway: Shopify fees | Advanced + Shopify Payments: Shopify fees | Fee saving | Worth it on monthly billing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AED 60,000 | AED 540 | AED 90 | AED 450 | No: the plan costs ~AED 1,100 more |
| AED 150,000 | AED 1,350 | AED 225 | AED 1,125 | Break-even |
| AED 250,000 | AED 2,250 | AED 375 | AED 1,875 | Yes: ~AED 775 a month ahead |
Rule of thumb: with a typical UAE mix, upgrading for Shopify Payments pays for itself from about AED 150,000 a month in sales on monthly billing, or about AED 110,000 on annual billing. A store that is mostly COD needs more; a store that is mostly card needs less (about AED 110,000 monthly-billed if almost everything is card).
The fees aren’t the only reason to switch. With Shopify Payments, cards, Apple Pay and Shop Pay run inside Shopify’s own checkout instead of redirecting to a gateway page, disputes and payouts live in the Shopify admin, and selling in other currencies through Shopify Markets becomes possible. If you plan to sell into Saudi Arabia or the wider GCC, that last point can matter more than the fee maths.
Shopify Payments requirements in the UAE
From Shopify’s UAE requirements page:
- Business type: LLC, Free Zone LLC, Sole Establishment or Free Zone Sole Establishment, with a company registration number. Non-profits aren’t eligible, and prohibited business types are excluded under the UAE payments terms.
- Bank account: a checking account at a UAE bank, in AED, with an IBAN starting “AE”, able to take domestic and international transfers. LLCs need a business account in the company’s name; sole establishments use a personal account in the owner’s legal name. Savings accounts, multi-currency accounts and fintech wallets that mimic bank accounts aren’t accepted.
- Identity: passport and Emirates ID for UAE and GCC nationals; passport, Emirates ID and residence visa for other residents; passport only for anyone living outside the UAE. This covers the account representative, executives and owners.
- Business documents: trade licence or freelancer permit for sole establishments. LLCs add the memorandum of association and proof of bank account dated within the last six months.
- Power of attorney on company letterhead if the person setting it up isn’t a named manager on the licence or an owner on the memorandum.
Where applications stall: Shopify wants photos of the original documents, all four edges visible. Scans, screenshots and photocopies are rejected. And every detail has to match the licence exactly, including the business name spelling.
If you’re on a Dubai eTrader licence, ask Shopify Support before upgrading. The Help Center names trade licences and freelancer permits for sole establishments but doesn’t mention eTrader specifically. My ecommerce licence guide compares eTrader, mainland and free zone options.
Last checked: October 2026.
How to set up Shopify Payments in the UAE
- Move to Advanced or Plus under Settings → Plan. Do the fee maths above first.
- Open Settings → Payments and choose to activate Shopify Payments. If it isn’t offered, contact Support and ask whether your store is enabled yet.
- Enter business details exactly as they appear on your trade licence.
- Add your AED bank account. Payouts arrive in AED; USD payouts need separate eligibility for Multi-Currency Payouts.
- Upload the documents as photos of originals.
- Check wallets: confirm Apple Pay, Google Pay and Shop Pay show at checkout on a real iPhone and Android phone.
- Run a live test order with a real card, then refund it. Check that the refund lands.
- Retire your old card gateway for new orders once payouts are flowing, but keep that account open for a couple of months. Refunds on orders it took still go back through it.
- Leave Tabby, Tamara and COD switched on, and check their product page widgets still render.
On Basic or Grow? What UAE stores use instead
Below about AED 150,000 a month, staying on Basic or Grow is usually the right call. Pair a local gateway with BNPL and COD:
| Gateway | Indicative rate | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Telr | ~2.69% + AED 1 | Established local merchants |
| PayTabs | ~2.85% | SMEs, MENA currencies |
| Mamo Pay | 2.5% + AED 1 | Small merchants and service businesses |
| Network International (N-Genius) | Negotiated | Merchants already on Network for POS |
| Checkout.com | Negotiated | Scale-stage, international customers |
Rates change and are often negotiable; confirm with each provider. Shopify adds 2% (Basic) or 1% (Grow) on top. Last checked: October 2026.
What I’d pick by monthly sales:
- Under AED 25,000: Basic, a local gateway, Tabby or Tamara, and COD.
- AED 25,000–150,000: Grow with the same stack.
- Above AED 150,000, or selling into the GCC: Advanced with Shopify Payments, keeping BNPL and COD alongside.
Where NKM fits
I set up UAE payment stacks as a standalone job: gateway or Shopify Payments, Tabby and Tamara with product page messaging, and COD rules that keep return-to-origin orders down. If you want the fee maths run on your own sales mix before you change plan, send me your numbers.