Payment Gateway for a Dubai Company: Requirements, Providers and Setup

Getting customers to your website is only half the job. You also need a reliable way for them to pay. For a Dubai company, that usually means connecting your website, app or online sales channel to a payment gateway. The gateway securely processes card or digital-wallet payments and sends the approved funds for settlement to your bank account.

The timing is relevant. Dubai's Cashless Strategy aims to make 90% of transactions across the government and private sectors cashless by the end of 2026. The UAE's payment infrastructure is already handling substantial digital volumes. The Central Bank reported 560.7 million POS transactions through UAESWITCH during 2025 alone.

So, how do you get a payment gateway for a Dubai company? What documents will you need and which providers should you consider? Here is the practical process.

What Is a Payment Gateway?

A payment gateway connects your customer-facing checkout to the payment-processing network.

For example, suppose a customer buys a product from your Dubai e-commerce store for AED 500. They enter their card details or select a digital wallet. The gateway securely sends the transaction for authentication and authorisation. Once approved, the transaction is recorded and the funds are later settled to your account according to your provider's settlement schedule.

Depending on the provider, you may be able to accept:

• Visa and Mastercard

• Apple Pay

• Google Pay

• American Express

• Payment links

• Recurring payments

• International cards

• Multiple currencies

• Buy Now, Pay Later options

Your available methods depend on your gateway, merchant category, integration and agreement.

Does a Dubai Company Need a Special Payment Gateway Licence?

Usually, no. If your company is selling its own products or services and simply uses a third-party payment provider to collect customer payments, you would normally apply to the gateway as a merchant.

This is different from operating a payment business yourself.

The Central Bank of the UAE regulates activities such as merchant acquiring, payment aggregation, payment account issuance, payment initiation and certain fund-transfer services under the Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes framework. A company providing those regulated payment services may require CBUAE licensing.

For an ordinary merchant, the first concern is having the correct UAE business licence. If you are still setting up the company, Nexture's Dubai business setup guide explains the wider licensing process.

Requirements for a Payment Gateway in Dubai

Exact requirements differ between providers and industries, but most applications involve the same basic checks.

Stripe, for example, requires UAE businesses to hold a valid UAE-issued trade licence. LLC applications can also require the MOA and proof of an active bank account.

Telr lists the trade licence, owner or partner identification, company constitutional documents and bank evidence among its onboarding documents.

Amazon Payment Services asks for a business licence, legal documents, UBO information, corporate bank proof and a working e-commerce website or application. Its merchant guidance also specifically mentions clear terms, refund, cancellation, delivery and contact information.

Before applying, make sure the business described on your website actually matches your licensed activity. If it does not, read Nexture's guide to changing business activities in Dubai.

Do You Need a UAE Business Bank Account?

For most incorporated businesses, plan on having one. Gateway providers need somewhere to settle your money and they also need to confirm that the bank account belongs to the correct business.

Amazon Payment Services, for example, states that the settlement account must be a business account under the same company name.

Banking rules can vary by provider and legal structure. Stripe allows some sole proprietorships and single-member entities to use eligible personal accounts but requires multi-member LLCs to use a business bank account.

For a standard Dubai LLC, keeping your merchant settlement account under the licensed company is usually the cleaner setup.

You can review the usual documents in Nexture's UAE business bank account guide.

Payment Gateway Providers for Dubai Companies

There is no provider that suits every company. Your sales volume, customer locations, technical setup and payment methods should guide the choice.

Stripe

Stripe's current standard UAE pricing lists 2.9% + AED 1 for successful domestic card transactions, with additional charges applying to international cards and currency conversion. Its standard payments plan has no setup or monthly fee.

Stripe UAE currently supports Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Link.

Telr

Telr publishes volume-based UAE packages rather than one flat price. Its current plans vary by monthly sales volume, with different monthly and transaction charges. The company also states that a valid trade licence is mandatory and that listed charges are subject to 5% VAT.

Network International

Network International's N-Genius platform supports hosted checkout, prebuilt integrations, APIs and payment links. Merchants need an active Network International merchant account before going live.

Its documentation also states that 3-D Secure is required for most UAE online card transactions.

Amazon Payment Services

Amazon Payment Services operates in the UAE and other MENA markets. Its current documentation includes payment links, e-commerce plugins, hosted checkout and custom API integrations.

Merchant onboarding includes underwriting and business verification before the account goes live.

PayTabs

PayTabs supports UAE merchant accounts and follows a staged onboarding process involving documentation, a merchant agreement, commercial terms and account approval.

Checkout.com

Checkout.com holds a CBUAE Retail Payment Services licence for acquiring in the UAE. It generally operates through customised commercial arrangements rather than a simple SME pricing table.

How Much Does a Payment Gateway Cost in Dubai?

Do not compare providers using the headline percentage alone. Your total cost can include:

• Percentage transaction fee

• Fixed fee per transaction

• International-card surcharge

• Currency-conversion charge

• Monthly subscription

• Setup or onboarding charge

• Chargeback fee

• Refund-related costs

• Fraud-management tools

• Instant or faster payout charges

Average order value makes a difference too.

For example, using Stripe's standard published domestic-card rate, a successful AED 500 domestic card payment would carry a basic processing fee of approximately AED 15.50, before any other applicable services or charges.

If your business processes thousands of transactions each month, ask providers for a written volume-based quote instead of relying only on advertised rates.

How to Set Up a Payment Gateway for Your Dubai Company

The process usually looks like this:

Step 1: Confirm your licensed activity

Your trade licence should accurately describe the products or services you sell.

Step 2: Open the appropriate bank account

Keep the legal business name consistent across your licence, bank records and payment application.

Step 3: Prepare your website

Add genuine product or service descriptions, pricing and customer contact details.

Step 4: Publish your policies

Have clear terms and conditions, privacy, refund, cancellation and delivery policies where relevant.

Step 5: Compare providers

Check transaction fees, settlement terms, supported currencies, international-card pricing, recurring payments and wallet support.

Step 6: Submit your KYC documents

The provider will review your owners, UBOs, licence, bank details, website and business model.

Step 7: Choose the integration

You might use Shopify or WooCommerce plugins, a hosted payment page, payment links or a custom API.

Step 8: Test before going live

Run successful payments, failed payments, refunds and order-status updates in the sandbox or test environment.

Step 9: Activate the live account

Once underwriting and technical checks are complete, the provider issues or activates your production merchant credentials.

Payment Security and PCI DSS

Card security should be part of your setup from the start. PCI DSS applies to businesses that store, process or transmit cardholder data. Using a provider-hosted payment page can reduce the amount of card data handled directly by your systems and may reduce your compliance scope.

It does not mean you can ignore security completely.

PCI DSS v4.0.1 introduced additional e-commerce protections, including requirements addressing payment-page script attacks for relevant SAQ A merchants. For a small e-commerce company without a dedicated payment-security team, a hosted or provider-controlled checkout can often be simpler than handling card information directly.

Common Reasons Payment Gateway Applications Get Delayed

Many delays happen before the technical integration begins. Watch for:

• Trade licence activity does not match the website

• Expired licence or identity documents

• Company name differs from bank-account records

• Missing UBO information

• Website still says "coming soon"

• No refund or cancellation policy

• Unclear pricing

• Restricted or high-risk products

• Incomplete ownership documents

• Business model is difficult for the provider to verify

Fix these before submitting your application.

If you are still deciding between company structures, Nexture's Dubai mainland vs free-zone guide can help you understand the wider setup differences.

How Should You Choose a Payment Gateway?

Start with your actual sales model. A small UAE online store may care more about easy onboarding, payment links and local support. A SaaS business may need recurring billing and strong APIs. A high-volume international merchant may care more about acquiring performance, settlement currencies and negotiated rates.

Before signing a contract, ask:

• What is my total fee on domestic cards?

• What will international cards cost?

• When are funds settled?

• Which currencies can I accept?

• Which currencies can I settle?

• Are Apple Pay and Google Pay included?

• Is recurring billing available?

• What are the chargeback fees?

• Do you support my industry?

• Can the gateway connect to my existing website or app?

• Is technical support available in the UAE?

Get these answers in writing.

Conclusion

Setting up a payment gateway for a Dubai company is usually straightforward once the company itself is ready.

You need the correct trade licence, clean ownership documents, suitable bank details, a complete website and clear customer policies. After that, your main decision is choosing a provider that fits the way you actually sell.

Stripe, Telr, Network International, Amazon Payment Services, PayTabs and Checkout.com all serve different parts of the UAE payments market. Compare the complete commercial terms rather than choosing based on one transaction-rate figure.

If you are setting up the company at the same time as your payment system, sort out the licence activity and banking structure first. Those two points can save a lot of back-and-forth during merchant onboarding.

Frequently Asked Questions