Payment options differ a lot by country, and the right gateway decides how many customers can actually pay. This guide covers common choices for marketplaces in Pakistan and the UAE. Availability, fees and onboarding rules change, so confirm everything with each provider before you commit. Also check which gateways your marketplace script supports or can integrate.
What a marketplace needs from a gateway
- Local payment methods your customers actually use
- Reliable settlement to your business account
- Support for refunds
- A way to pay vendors, either through the gateway's split features or from your own balance (see how marketplaces pay vendors)
- Reasonable onboarding requirements for your company type
Pakistan
Card payments are used, but mobile wallets, bank transfers and cash on delivery are very common. Gateways often mentioned for Pakistani businesses:
- PayFast: described by providers as licensed by the State Bank of Pakistan, and often used to offer wallets, bank transfers and cards at checkout.
- Safepay: a developer-friendly gateway that describes itself as regulated in Pakistan.
- JazzCash and Easypaisa: mobile wallets that many customers prefer. Offer them alongside cards.
- XPay and similar aggregators: unify several payment methods in one checkout.
- Bank transfers and Raast: useful for instant bank-to-bank payments.
- Cash on delivery: still important for delivery marketplaces. It needs rider cash tracking, as in the delivery rider app.
Whether international gateways such as Stripe accept a Pakistani business account has changed over time, so check the provider's current supported-countries list before you plan around it.
United Arab Emirates
- Stripe: available in the UAE, and often used for international cards.
- Telr: a long-standing regional gateway for online stores and payment links.
- PayTabs: a regional gateway popular in the Gulf.
- Network International: one of the largest processors in the UAE, usually aimed at larger merchants, and approval can take longer.
- Tap and Amazon Payment Services: other options regional guides mention.
Onboarding speed varies: some providers approve small businesses within days, while others take weeks and expect trading history or minimum volumes.
How to choose
- List the payment methods your customers use most.
- Check which gateways accept your company type and country.
- Compare fees, settlement times and refund handling.
- Confirm integration with your marketplace script, and test on a sandbox.
- Start with two methods, such as cards plus a local wallet or cash on delivery, then add more.
Gateway setup in VendMart
Payment gateway setup is part of the Basic plan of the installation service, and you can see how checkout works in the live demo. For a full launch plan, read how to start a multi-vendor marketplace in Pakistan or the UAE and the complete buyer's guide.
