Choosing a payment gateway is one of the first technical decisions for any app or online store in the UAE, and one of the hardest to change later. Fees, settlement time, supported payment methods and the approval process all differ, and the cheapest headline rate is rarely the cheapest option once your real order mix is counted.
This guide compares the gateways UAE businesses ask us about most, Telr, Network International, Stripe and Tabby, plus a few others worth knowing. It explains what each is best for, what you need to get approved, and the app store rules that decide whether you can use a gateway at all.
The short answer
| Gateway | What it is | Best for | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Global card gateway with strong developer tools | Apps, SaaS, subscriptions, businesses selling abroad | Published: 2.9% + AED 1 per domestic card payment, more for international cards |
| Telr | UAE-based gateway built for regional merchants | Small and mid-size UAE stores, quick local setup | Monthly plan plus a per-transaction fee, depending on volume |
| Network International (N-Genius) | The largest card acquirer in the region | Larger merchants, high volume, retail plus online | Quoted per merchant |
| Tabby | Buy now, pay later (split into 4 payments) | Fashion, electronics, furniture, higher-value orders | Merchant commission agreed by contract |
Most UAE businesses end up with two: one card gateway (Stripe, Telr or Network International) and one buy now, pay later option (Tabby or Tamara). Always confirm current fees with the provider before you sign, because rates and plans change.
What changes the real cost
The percentage on the pricing page is only part of the bill. Before comparing quotes, check:
- **Domestic vs international cards.** Many gateways add a surcharge for cards issued outside the UAE. If a lot of your buyers are tourists or overseas customers, this matters more than the base rate.
- **Currency conversion.** Charging in USD or another currency usually adds a conversion fee. Charge in AED where you can.
- **Fixed fee per transaction.** A fixed AED 1 hurts most on small orders. On a AED 20 coffee order it is 5 percent on its own.
- **Monthly or setup fees.** Plan-based gateways can be cheaper at volume and more expensive when you are just starting.
- **Settlement time.** How many days until money reaches your UAE bank account affects cash flow more than a 0.2 percent rate difference.
- **Refunds and chargebacks.** Ask whether fees are returned on refunds and what each chargeback costs.
- **Payment methods.** Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and buy now, pay later can lift conversion noticeably on mobile.
The gateways compared
Stripe
Stripe is available to UAE businesses and is the default choice for many app and SaaS teams. Its published UAE rate is 2.9% + AED 1 for domestic cards, with an extra 1% for international cards and another 1% if currency conversion is needed. See Stripe’s UAE pricing page for the current numbers.
- **Strengths:** excellent APIs and SDKs for Flutter, React Native, iOS and Android; subscriptions and invoicing built in; Apple Pay and Google Pay; good dashboard and reporting.
- **Watch out for:** the international and conversion add-ons if many buyers pay with foreign cards, and the fixed AED 1 on small orders.
- **Best for:** apps with subscriptions, SaaS, marketplaces and businesses selling outside the UAE.
Telr
Telr is a UAE-headquartered gateway that many local stores use because onboarding is designed around UAE trade licences and banks. Pricing is usually a monthly plan plus a transaction fee that drops as volume grows.
- **Strengths:** local support, AED settlement, plugins for common store platforms, payment links and invoicing.
- **Watch out for:** monthly fees while volume is still low, so compare your expected first-year volume against each plan.
- **Best for:** small and mid-size UAE ecommerce stores and service businesses.
Network International (N-Genius)
Network International is the region’s largest card acquirer and runs the N-Genius online gateway. Pricing is quoted per merchant based on volume, sector and risk.
- **Strengths:** scale, bank relationships, in-store terminals and online payments under one provider, strong for larger merchants.
- **Watch out for:** a longer onboarding process and less self-serve documentation than developer-first gateways.
- **Best for:** established businesses with meaningful volume, or retailers who want online and in-store payments together.
Tabby (and Tamara)
Tabby lets customers split a purchase into interest-free instalments while the merchant is paid upfront. Tamara offers a similar service. The merchant pays a commission per order, agreed in the contract, and it is usually higher than a card fee.
- **Strengths:** higher conversion and larger basket sizes on higher-value items, strong recognition among UAE shoppers.
- **Watch out for:** the commission, and category restrictions. Run the numbers on your margins.
- **Best for:** fashion, beauty, electronics, furniture and education fees, alongside a normal card gateway.
Others worth a look
- **Checkout.com:** strong for larger and international merchants with high volume.
- **PayTabs:** regional gateway with payment links and plugins, popular with SMEs.
- **Ziina:** payment links and simple online payments for small UAE businesses and freelancers.
App store rules: when you cannot use a gateway
This is where many app projects go wrong. Apple and Google have rules about what can be paid for through your own gateway.
- **Physical goods and real-world services** (food delivery, rides, salon bookings, clinic appointments, event tickets, products) can and should use your payment gateway.
- **Digital content and features used inside the app** (premium subscriptions, unlocking features, in-game items, digital courses consumed in the app) generally must use Apple’s In-App Purchase and Google Play Billing, which take a commission.
Read Apple’s App Review Guidelines on payments before you plan your pricing. Getting this wrong is one of the most common reasons apps are rejected. Our app launch checklist covers the other review traps.
What you need to get approved
Every gateway in the UAE runs checks on the business before it can take live payments. Prepare:
- A valid UAE trade licence that covers the activity you sell
- A UAE business bank account in the company’s name
- Owner and signatory ID (Emirates ID and passport)
- A live website or app listing showing your products or services and prices
- Published terms and conditions, a refund and cancellation policy, a privacy policy, delivery terms and contact details
Missing policy pages are the most common reason applications are held up. Build them into the website before you apply.
Building payments into your app or website
- **Use the gateway’s hosted checkout or official SDK.** Do not collect card numbers on your own servers. Hosted pages and SDKs keep you out of most card security (PCI DSS) scope.
- **Support 3-D Secure.** UAE banks expect card authentication on online payments.
- **Confirm payments on the server with webhooks,** not only from the app. Apps lose connection; webhooks do not.
- **Show the price in AED with VAT clear.** UAE VAT is 5 percent for VAT-registered businesses.
- **Add Apple Pay and Google Pay** on mobile. One tap beats typing a card on a phone.
- **Plan refunds and partial refunds** in your admin panel from day one.
- **Test every path in sandbox:** success, failure, 3-D Secure challenge, refund, webhook retry.
Building for Arabic-speaking users as well? Our guide to Arabic and RTL mobile apps in the UAE covers checkout screens in right-to-left layouts.
Which should you choose?
| Your situation | Sensible starting point |
|---|---|
| New app with subscriptions or customers abroad | Stripe |
| Small UAE online store, mostly local customers | Telr or Stripe; compare on your expected volume |
| Established retailer with high volume | Network International or Checkout.com, quoted |
| Average order above AED 300 | Add Tabby or Tamara alongside your card gateway |
| Selling digital features inside an iOS or Android app | Apple In-App Purchase and Google Play Billing |
Where OwnTechnologies fits
We are an India-based team that builds mobile apps, ecommerce websites and booking platforms for UAE businesses, with AED pricing and work hours that overlap with the UAE. We are not UAE-registered, and we say so on the first call. We integrate gateways like Stripe, Telr and Tabby, set up webhooks and refunds in the admin panel, and keep the gateway account in your company’s name.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no single best one. Stripe suits apps, subscriptions and international sales, Telr suits small and mid-size local stores, Network International suits high-volume merchants, and Tabby or Tamara add buy now, pay later on higher-value orders.
Stripe publishes 2.9% + AED 1 per domestic card payment, with extra fees for international cards and currency conversion. Telr uses monthly plans with a transaction fee, and Network International and Tabby quote rates per merchant.
Yes. Stripe accepts UAE businesses with a valid trade licence and a UAE bank account, and settles in AED.
Yes. Gateways require a valid UAE trade licence that covers your activity, a UAE business bank account and published website policies before they approve live payments.
For physical goods and real-world services, yes. For digital content and features used inside the app, Apple and Google generally require their own in-app billing.
Developer-first gateways can approve complete applications within days. Bank-led acquirers usually take longer. Missing documents or policy pages are the most common cause of delay.
Final Thoughts
Pick a payment gateway on your real order mix, not the headline rate: where your customers’ cards come from, your average order value, how fast you need settlement, and whether app store rules apply. Start with one reliable card gateway, add buy now, pay later when your order values justify it, and keep the account in your own company’s name.
Building an app or online store for the UAE? Our app development team and website team integrate the gateway, checkout and admin panel as one project. Book a free consultation to plan yours.
