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Saudi Arabia

Global Payment Gateway Leaders at a Glance

Peyments gatewayRateCountriesPayment MethodsFiat currencies, unitsWebsite
icon Stripe
4.6
464135Open
icon PayPal
4.6
203725Open

Top Payment Gateways in Saudi Arabia

Before we dive into deep reviews, the table below ranks the leading payment gateway in Saudi Arabia by local coverage, fees and integration ease. The complete picture is shown in the table below.

What Is a Payment Gateway in Saudi Arabia and How to Choose One

  • In Saudi Arabia payment gateway is the safe tunnel that transports the information of a customer who has shopped to banks, the Saudi Central Bank licensed switches and other networks like STC or Sarie and sends the response of the authorisation within milliseconds. When selecting the best saudi payment gateway, look closely at the criteria below:
  • Mada compliance — Since the system is used in more than 90% of all transactions in the country, the gateway you use must also be certified to route through a local acquirer. It must also handle tokenisation and 3 2 D Secure on debit cards so that you pass checks by issuers and maintain high approval levels.
  • Local alternative payment method (APMs) coverage — Approximately 60 percent of KSA online payments today flow through e-wallets such as STC Pay and Apple Pay (linked to the local debit network) and instant bank transfers via Sarie, and exploding BNPL apps such as Tamara and Tabby. A gateway which is packaged with such options and cards can increase checkout conversion by a set of double-digits.
  • Mobile SDK and one tap experience — Approximately 40 percent of all e an internet-based orders are initiated in a phone. 
  • Compliance with the national payment system and PCI-DSS regulation — SA, the central bank of Saudi, demands a direct licence, or an acceptable local partner. Mix it with PCI-DSS Level 1 hosting and Saudi-hosted data-residency solutions to pass audits with flying colors to prevent abrupt interruptions of the service you provide.
  • Settlement velocity and SAR banking — T+1 settlements to Saudi-riyal accounts and facultative USD payouts secure cash-flow and avoid the superfluous FX expenses. The most clears are usually delivered via gateways that are attached to large Saudi banks.
  • Transparent fee structure — Aim for clear MDR on the local debit network (commonly 0.8 – 1.5%), upfront BNPL surcharges, and capped cross‑border mark‑ups. Watch out for hidden monthly minimums or “maintenance” charges that can erode thin e‑commerce margins.
  • Robust risk‑management stack — AI‑driven fraud scoring, strong customer authentication orchestration, and the local debit network‑specific rule engines are vital as card‑not‑present fraud keeps pace with the Kingdom’s volume growth.
  • Pre-built platform connectors — There are ready-made Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce and other cart connectors, which accelerate launching. For custom builds, a clean REST or GraphQL API ensures your online payment gateway Saudi Arabia scales painlessly as volumes rise.
  • Arabic‑first support and localisation — 24/7 live chat on local time, Arabic dashboards, and local account managers make day‑to‑day operations smoother and help you react quickly when regulations or shopper preferences change.

Best Payment Gateway Solutions in Saudi Arabia

PayPal

PayPal

4.6

Stripe

Stripe

4.6

PayTabs

PayTabs is a Gulf‑constructed gateway based in Saudi, PayTabs is a Saudi-based gateway that allows merchants to accept mada, cross-border cards, e-wallets, instant transfer, and BNPL all with next-day settlement in SAR with one contract.
 

FeatureDescription
Setup feeNone
RequirementsSaudi CR, VAT number, SAMA KYC
Accepted payment methodsSaudi debit network, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, ApplePay, STC Pay, Sarie, Tabby, Tamara
Countries availableGCC + 50
Supported currenciesSAR, USD, AED and 160+ others
Setup feeNone
RequirementsSaudi CR, VAT number, SAMA KYC
Accepted payment methodsSaudi debit network, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, ApplePay, STC Pay, Sarie, Tabby, Tamara
Countries availableGCC + 50
Supported currenciesSAR, USD, AED and 160+ others

Pros

  • Integrated national payment scheme and SAMA licence
  • Fast SAR settlements via local banks
  • Arabic dashboards and 24/7 support

Cons

  • Custom pricing; quote required
  • Onboarding heavier for very small sellers
  • Limited built‑in analytics on entry plan

HyperPay

HyperPay specialises in high‑risk protection and omni‑channel processing across MENA, combining local acquiring with AI fraud controls and BI dashboards.
 

FeatureDescription
Setup fee799 SAR (waived on annual contract)
RequirementsCR, MoC licence, bank letter
Accepted payment methodsSaudi debit network, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, ApplePay, STC, Tabby, Tamara
Countries availableGCC, Egypt, Jordan
Supported currencies150+
Setup fee799 SAR (waived on annual contract)
RequirementsCR, MoC licence, bank letter
Accepted payment methodsSaudi debit network, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, ApplePay, STC, Tabby, Tamara
Countries availableGCC, Egypt, Jordan
Supported currencies150+

Pros

  • Exceptional fraud tools tuned for MENA
  • Arabic‑first customer success team
  • Flexible payouts to 30+ Saudi banks

Cons

  • Startup prices that are not favorable to micro merchants
  • One time set up fee, except annual plan
  • Fragmented feature set by dozen tiers

Moyasar

Moyasar is a SAMA‑licensed, Saudi–built gateway having ultrafast latency and complete support of Saudi debit network, ApplePay, and STC Pay.
 

FeatureDescription
Setup feeNone
RequirementsSaudi CR, SAMA e‑commerce form
Accepted payment methodsSaudi debit network, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, STC, Sadad, Sarie
Countries availableSaudi Arabia
Supported currenciesSAR, USD
Setup feeNone
RequirementsSaudi CR, SAMA e‑commerce form
Accepted payment methodsSaudi debit network, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, STC, Sadad, Sarie
Countries availableSaudi Arabia
Supported currenciesSAR, USD

Pros

  • Built‑for‑KSA architecture, blazing fast auths
  • Arabic developer docs & support
  • Transparent pricing on website

Cons

  • Limited settlement currencies (SAR, USD)
  • Fewer international APMs than global PSPs
  • No direct POS offering yet

Amazon Payment Services

Backed by Amazon, APS combines global reach with local acquiring for media and offers instalment plans through 15+ Saudi banks.
 

FeatureDescription
Setup feeFree
RequirementsCR, VAT, local bank account
Accepted payment methodsmada, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, ApplePay, Tabby
Countries available9 MENA markets
Supported currencies18+
Setup feeFree
RequirementsCR, VAT, local bank account
Accepted payment methodsmada, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, ApplePay, Tabby
Countries available9 MENA markets
Supported currencies18+

Pros

  • Amazon reliability and uptime
  • Deep bank instalment partnerships
  • Multi‑currency processing

Cons

  • Longer compliance review for start‑ups
  • Limited wallet options beyond Apple Pay
  • Volume‑based discounts only at scale

Adyen

Adyen combines visions of in-store and online acceptance on behalf of international brands, providing strong risk management tools and direct access to prerogative across more than forty markets.
 

FeatureDescription
Setup feeNone
RequirementsBusiness licence, Adyen approval
Accepted payment methodsVisa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay, mada (via partner), 60+ APMs
Countries available30+
Supported currencies150+
Setup feeNone
RequirementsBusiness licence, Adyen approval
Accepted payment methodsVisa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay, mada (via partner), 60+ APMs
Countries available30+
Supported currencies150+

Pros

  • Trusted by Tier‑1 global merchants
  • High resilience & redundancy
  • Advanced fraud prevention

Cons

  • Custom pricing and monthly minimums
  • Setup complex for small sellers
  • Limited local wallet support without partner
4.6

On-shore merchants in KSA have no access to Stripe yet, however, Saudi start-ups perform with Stripe Atlas entities to sell globally and accept 100+ payment methods.
 

FeatureDescription
Setup feeNone
RequirementsOverseas corporation (Atlas or own)
Accepted payment methods100+ cards, wallets, BNPL
Countries available48 live markets
Supported currencies135+
Setup feeNone
RequirementsOverseas corporation (Atlas or own)
Accepted payment methods100+ cards, wallets, BNPL
Countries available48 live markets
Supported currencies135+

Pros

  • Tooling and docs developer first
  • Fast tempo of rollout of products
  • Large extension ecosystem

Cons

  • Requires foreign entity or PSP partner for KSA cards
  • Support queues can lengthen at peak times
  • No direct mada acquiring until local launch
4.6

PayPal remains the world’s most recognised digital wallet and a key cross‑border payment option for Saudi shoppers.
 

FeatureDescription
Setup feeNone
RequirementsEmail account, linked bank card or IBAN
Accepted payment methodsPayPal wallet balance, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, PayPal Pay Later
Countries available200+
Supported currencies25+
Setup feeNone
RequirementsEmail account, linked bank card or IBAN
Accepted payment methodsPayPal wallet balance, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, PayPal Pay Later
Countries available200+
Supported currencies25+

Pros

  • Global brand trust and high consumer uptake
  • Instant onboarding with just an email
  • Supports 200 markets for export sales

Cons

  • Higher per‑transaction fees
  • Occasional rolling reserves or fund holds
  • No direct mada support (processed as Visa/MC rails)

FAQ

Which payment gateway is best in KSA?

In pure local reach, PayTabs and Moyasar are first because of direct mada card connectivity and SAMA licences, and Checkout.com and Adyen start first when it comes to large multinationals. For a local payment gateway, these players are also in the top 5 payment gateways for the Saudi Arabian market.

Which payment app works in Saudi Arabia?

STC, ApplePay (through the local debit network), and mada Pay are used to cover most regular purchases in the retail sector, and BNPL apps Tabby and Tamara are emerging rapidly with strong digital payment adoption in online shopping and social media channels.

What is the most popular payment method in Saudi Arabia?

More than 95 percent of the card volume is in domestic debit cards, but the non-card share of wallet or instant bank transfers stands at 60 percent. This mix of local payment methods, cash payments, and important electronic payment types illustrates the evergreen adoption of e-payments in economies in the middle east.

What is the No. 1 payment gateway?

Internationally Stripe is the leader in developer adoption; locally PayTabs card volume is the biggest. Stripe is also the payment gateway provider most developers mention when they choose the best for international payment. Locally, PayTabs is often cited as an online payment gateway in Saudi Arabia with strong payment gateway integration.

Which is the safest payment gateway Saudi Arabia?

Adyen, Amazon Payment Services and Checkout.com maintain the PCI DSS Lv 1, adding a secure layer with sophisticated payment technology and AI fraud tools to securely handle payment information and provide seamless transactions for online business.

Which money transfer is best in Saudi Arabia?

Among the consumer-to-consumer remittances, STC and Western Union digital are highest ranked. PayTabs Payout and HyperPay Alias Pay are best when it comes to B2B settlement services, while BayanPay shows growth in B2G payments. For business needs, these payment solutions act as an intermediary to process payments across a variety of payment flows.

What are the payment options in Saudi Arabia?

A mada debit, Visa/Mastercard credit, ApplePay, STC, Sarie instant transfer, BNPL (Tamara/Tabby), and cash through Sadad kiosks. This diverse payment mix supports several payment flows and meets payment requirements for both business-to-consumer and business-to-government use cases.

Which bank is best for payment gateways?

Saudi National Bank (SNB) and Al Rajhi Bank provide instant merchant settlements and partner with providers like Moyasar, Tap and HyperPay. Through such partnerships, merchants get a payment gateway that offers seamless access to online channels and processing system reliability. In the UAE, 2Checkout plays a similar role as an independent payment gateway provider.