Payment gateway for Shopify: Which one fits your store?

Your Shopify store is ready. Products uploaded. Inventory waiting. Customers might already be asking when they can order.

There’s only one fairly major detail left: how will they pay you?

You need a Shopify payment gateway, but choosing one in the UAE can get confusing.

One provider could take longer than expected to approve your account, then turn out to be so complicated to set up that you need to hire a developer. If the rest of your store is ready, that can push your launch back even further.

Another could support plenty of payment methods overall, but not the ones you actually need through its Shopify integration.

Now that Shopify Payments has reached the UAE, it might seem like the obvious answer… but availability is still limited. It’s currently in early access, so only certain merchants can use it.²

Suffice it to say, the payment gateways that come up most often in your research won’t always match exactly what your store needs.

In this guide, we’ll compare seven Shopify payment options for UAE businesses, then walk through what matters most when it comes to choosing one.

In this article:

Launching a Shopify store in the UAE? Connect Ziina to your checkout, start accepting payments, and manage all your sales through one payment platform.

Let’s start with the quick version: every provider below can support a Shopify payment setup.

But they differ in some pretty important ways. Some are built for businesses selling to different countries in multiple currencies. Some give you more ways to accept payments outside your Shopify store. Others offer more local support.

The table can help you narrow your options. We’ll cover more provider-specific details in the sections below to fill in any gaps for your final decision.

Finding a payment gateway provider in the UAE that works with Shopify isn’t too hard.

The trickier part is finding one that works for your Shopify setup and day-to-day operations.

Another thing to consider is your onboarding timeline: once your Shopify store has been set up, you probably want to get set up with a payment gateway as soon as possible.

First things first, let’s start with the #1 must-have for your UAE Shopify payment gateway provider:

When a provider says it integrates with Shopify, that can mean a few different things.

The integration might only be available in certain countries. And depending on the provider, it could appear directly in Shopify’s payment settings, require an app or plugin, or need a more technical setup.

Before you sign up, confirm:

The first transaction or processing fee you come across from a potential provider won’t always give you the full story.

Depending on your provider and Shopify plan, the total cost can include a percentage fee, a fixed amount per payment, international card or currency conversion charges, monthly account fees, setup costs, and refund or dispute fees. If you use an external provider, Shopify’s own third-party transaction fee sits on top of the provider’s processing charges.¹

Once you add everything up, the option that looked cheapest can end up costing more than you expected.

To get a fuller pricing picture, compare each provider using your usual order value:

If your customers happen to buy from outside the UAE, check which currencies are available through the provider’s Shopify integration.

You should also confirm:

This tells you what customers abroad will see at checkout and what accepting their payments will really cost you.

A completed Shopify order doesn’t always mean you can withdraw your money right away. Your provider still has to process the payment, settle it, and send the funds to you. But to maintain your stock, you ideally need fast access to that cash – especially during the early days.

Check:

Now that you know what to look for, let’s take a closer glance at what each option has to offer.

Ziina is a payment platform that helps UAE businesses accept payments through Shopify, WooCommerce, custom websites, and other sales channels.

Here’s how Ziina helps UAE businesses start strong on Shopify and keep payments simple as they expand:

Ziina offers a ready-made Shopify integration and step-by-step onboarding guidance.

The setup process has three steps:

With Ziina, there’s no need to build anything from scratch or even piece together a custom API integration.

That simplicity is exactly why LAS Club chose Ziina. The UAE-based beauty brand wanted a Shopify payment setup without high fees, a complicated integration, or hard-to-reach support.

LAS Club completed Ziina registration in two working days. For co-founder Sami Salem, the difference came down to just how easy the process felt: “The integration process was so easy. It took five clicks and no technical understanding. The website checkout experience is critical to our success, and I am grateful Ziina made it so convenient. As an entrepreneur navigating complexities all day long, the simplicity with Ziina was a huge relief!”

With that setup in place, LAS Club went on to sell more than 4,000 units of its flagship product in eight months and achieve 40% month-on-month revenue growth.

(Note: individual results may vary.)

Once Shopify orders start coming in, you need a clear handle on what each payment costs and when the money becomes available.

Ziina has no setup fees, monthly fees, or minimum balance requirements. Standard fees are 2.6% + AED 1 per transaction, plus applicable charges for international cards or non-AED currency. You can check Ziina’s latest fees for current details.

Funds land in your Ziina Account. From there, you can cash out to a linked UAE bank account. Cashouts can be very quick for eligible users. Otherwise, amounts below AED 25,000 typically take one to two business days, while larger amounts can take three to five business days, subject to bank processing times and Ziina’s terms.

You can also spend straight from your account using the Visa-powered Ziina Card wherever contactless payments are accepted.

If you sell to tourists, expats, or customers abroad, Ziina supports payments in multiple currencies. Customers can see a currency they recognize, while settlement to your Ziina Account is processed in AED at Visa’s exchange rate (subject to the latest terms and conditions).

Read more: Multi-currency payment gateway: A guide for UAE businesses

And if payment questions come up, Ziina offers local support in English and Arabic. We’re homegrown in the UAE, with a support team that works in the same market and is available 24/7.

Please note: At the time of writing this article ^{July 2026}, Ziina does not support Apple Pay and Google Pay on Shopify. However, we support major cards like Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX.

Ziina’s payment gateway for Shopify is just the beginning. Our all-in-one payment platform also lets you accept payments through other channels.

With Ziina, you can manage all of these payment options from one mobile app:

Website, social, and in-person payments feed into the same app. That means fewer providers, dashboards, and payout schedules to keep track of.

Whether you sell online, in physical stores, or both, Ziina supports you across all channels where your customers are.

Shopify Payments keeps payment setup, management, and reporting inside Shopify for eligible Shopify Plus merchants.

Because it’s Shopify’s own payment provider, you can activate and manage it through your Shopify admin, view payout reporting in the same place, and avoid Shopify’s third-party transaction fee on orders processed solely through Shopify Payments.¹

In the UAE, Shopify Payments supports major credit and debit cards, Shop Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.³ You can receive payouts in AED to an eligible local bank account, and Shopify also documents USD payouts through its multi-currency payout setup.⁴

Note: Shopify Payments is still in early access in the UAE and currently limited to eligible Shopify Plus merchants.² It’s also currently available for online selling only in the UAE, so in-person payments require an external terminal and third-party processor.³

Could be a fit if: You already use Shopify Plus, qualify for UAE early access, and want checkout, payment management, and reporting to stay closely connected to Shopify.

Stripe could make sense if Shopify is only one part of a broader online payment setup.

It’s a global payment platform used across websites, apps, subscriptions, marketplaces, and custom payment flows. Stripe is also available within Shopify’s third-party payment-provider ecosystem.⁵

Stripe’s published standard UAE pricing is 2.9% + AED 1 for domestic cards, with an additional 1% for international cards and another 1% when currency conversion is required.⁶ There’s no standard setup or monthly account fee under its published UAE pricing.

Note: You should confirm which cards and digital wallets are available through your specific Shopify setup. Shopify handles Apple Pay domain verification when Stripe is the provider, but you’ll still need to check that everything works with your store configuration.¹¹

Could be a fit if: You want a globally established payment platform and expect to use Stripe for more than a basic Shopify checkout.

Tap Payments offers two Shopify plugin routes for businesses looking for regional payment methods:

Depending on your setup, Tap says its plugins can support major cards, digital wallets, regional cards, BNPLoptions, and certain cash-based methods.⁷

Tap also offers payouts to supported bank accounts across the region and 24/7 live-chat support.⁷

Note: Pricing and account features depend on the merchant, so ask Tap to confirm which methods you can activate through Shopify, the processing and international-card rates, refund and dispute charges, your settlement schedule, and which checkout route you’ll use.

Could be a fit if: You sell to customers across the region and want a Shopify payment setup built around a broad range of regional payment methods.

noon payments offers a ready-made Shopify plugin designed to reduce the need for custom development. Beyond that plugin, its wider platform includes hosted checkout pages, APIs, mobile SDKs, and integrations for other e-commerce platforms.⁸

Depending on your agreement and integration, noon payments can also support cards, wallets, and BNPL options.⁸

Could be a fit if: You want a regional provider and expect your payment setup to grow beyond a standard Shopify plugin over time.

Paymob is a regional payment provider with a pre-built Shopify integration and an embedded checkout option.⁹

Its wider platform includes online payment tools, payment links, APIs, mobile SDKs, and plugins for other e-commerce platforms.⁹

Could be a fit if: You want a pre-built Shopify integration backed by a wider regional payment platform.

Network International is a long-established regional payment provider that offers a dedicated Shopify plugin through its N-Genius Online gateway. The plugin is free to download and designed to work without a complex custom build.¹⁰

Beyond Shopify, Network International offers hosted payment pages, Pay By Link, virtual terminal payments, web and mobile SDKs, direct APIs, and alternative payment methods.¹⁰ It also has local operations across the Middle East and Africa, with 24/7 support.

Note: Pricing and settlement terms are generally tailored to the merchant instead of presented as one standard public package. Ask for a proposal that clearly sets out how the Shopify plugin will work for your store, which payment methods and currencies you can offer, processing rates, and the support included.

Could be a fit if: You want a regional acquiring provider with a Shopify plugin and a broad set of online payment tools.

Choosing the best UAE Shopify gateway provider would be simple if it just came down to the biggest global name, the lowest fees, or the most available features.

But there’s no shortcut around the details. You still should make sure these factors all make sense for your specific business situation:

Ziina is designed for UAE Shopify brands that want to get their checkout live quickly and keep payments simple as they expand.

*Disclaimer: All information relating to third-party products and companies featured in this article has been sourced solely from their respective public websites and official publications at the time of writing. Ziina makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of this information. Product features, positioning, and company details may have changed since publication. Readers should refer to each provider's official website for the most up-to-date information before making any purchasing decisions.

**Disclaimer: Availability of Ziina products and features is subject to eligibility, successful verification, device compatibility, applicable transaction limits, Ziina’s terms and conditions, and regulatory requirements. Customers are responsible for ensuring they hold any trade license, permit, tax registration, or other approval required for their business activities. Fees, limits, payout timelines, and product features may vary and are subject to change. Please refer to Ziina’s latest terms and pricing for full details.

This article was published in August 2026.

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