Shopify Payments is now available in the UAE — but it's not the whole answer
Shopify Payments now supports UAE merchants — but only on the Advanced and Plus plans (last checked: October 2026). On those plans it's the simplest way to take cards and Apple Pay with no Shopify third-party transaction fee. On Basic and Grow you still need a third-party gateway, and Shopify adds its own fee (2% on Basic, 1% on Grow) on top of the gateway's rate — see Shopify pricing in the UAE for the break-even maths.
It's still not the whole answer. UAE buyers expect BNPL (Tabby, Tamara) and often Cash on Delivery — neither comes from Shopify Payments alone. And depending on your volume, settlement preferences, and acquiring relationships, a local gateway can still beat it on fees or payout speed. The right UAE setup is usually a stack, not a single switch.
Quick comparison — UAE Shopify payment options
| Provider | Type | Indicative merchant cost* | Apple Pay | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Payments | Native card processing (Advanced & Plus only in UAE) | Plan-based card rate, no extra Shopify fee | Yes | Stores on Advanced / Plus |
| Telr | Local gateway | ~2.69% + AED 1 | Yes | Established local merchants |
| PayTabs | Regional gateway | ~2.85% | Yes | SMEs, MENA currencies |
| Network International | Acquirer (N-Genius) | Negotiated | Yes | Enterprise, POS + online |
| Checkout.com | Global PSP | Negotiated | Yes | Scale-stage, international |
| Tabby | BNPL | ~6% | — | AOV lift in fashion/beauty/electronics |
| Tamara | BNPL | ~4–6% | — | UAE + KSA recognition |
| Mamo Pay | Local gateway | 2.5% + AED 1 | Yes | Small merchants, services |
| Cash on Delivery | Offline | Courier + return-rate cost | — | First-time buyer trust |
*Rates change and are often negotiable — confirm with each provider. On Basic and Grow, Shopify adds 2% / 1% to every third-party gateway transaction. Last checked: October 2026.
The main Shopify payment gateways in the UAE
Telr
Best for: Established UAE merchants with steady volume. Fees: ~2.69% + AED 1 per transaction. Strengths: Strong local support, Arabic checkout, reliable settlements. Drawbacks: Setup can be bureaucratic if your business documents aren't in order.
PayTabs
Best for: SMEs launching in the UAE. Fees: ~2.85% per transaction. Strengths: Fast onboarding, good Shopify app, supports multiple MENA currencies. Drawbacks: Some report checkout redirect friction on older themes.
Network International (N-Genius)
Best for: Larger UAE merchants already using Network for POS. Fees: Negotiated. Strengths: Enterprise reliability, full acquiring bank, direct bank settlement. Drawbacks: Slower setup; less ideal for early-stage stores.
Checkout.com
Best for: Scale-stage merchants with international customers. Fees: Negotiated, often competitive at volume. Strengths: Clean Shopify integration, modern dashboard, strong fraud tools.
Tabby — Buy Now Pay Later
Best for: Fashion, beauty, electronics, home goods. Merchant fee: ~6%. Strengths: Proven to lift average order value by 20–40%. Shopify app is excellent.
Tamara — Buy Now Pay Later
Best for: Same verticals as Tabby — and it's worth offering both. Merchant fee: ~4–6%. Strengths: Strong brand recognition in the UAE and KSA.
Mamo Pay
Best for: Smaller UAE merchants and service businesses. Fees: 2.5% + AED 1. Strengths: Quick onboarding, Apple Pay, clean UX.
Cash on Delivery (COD)
Still essential in the UAE — especially for first-time buyers. We configure COD with postcode restrictions, order verification calls, and courier integrations (Aramex, SMSA, Quiqup, Jeebly) to minimise the COD return rate.
Our Shopify payment gateway integration service
We don't just "turn on" a gateway and walk away. A proper UAE payment setup includes:
- Gateway selection consultation based on your vertical, volume, and margin structure
- Merchant account application support — documentation, compliance, and underwriting walk-through
- Shopify integration and testing — live and sandbox transactions, 3D Secure, Apple Pay
- Checkout optimisation — reducing friction at the final step where most abandonment happens
- BNPL integration — Tabby and Tamara added properly with product page messaging
- COD configuration with anti-fraud filters and courier API hookups
- Ongoing monitoring — settlement reconciliation and failure rate tracking
Common UAE payment integration mistakes we see
- Only offering one gateway — no fallback if it goes down
- Not enabling Apple Pay, which converts 20%+ better on iOS
- BNPL banners missing from product pages (they need to be visible pre-checkout)
- COD enabled everywhere — leading to high return rates in low-confidence postcodes
- No Arabic checkout language option