Payment gateways that support scaling e-commerce businesses processing high transaction volumes
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As an e-commerce business owner, you know that when your transaction volume grows, so does the pressure on your payment infrastructure.
You may need faster access to your funds to keep inventory moving and maintain healthy cash flow, but you might struggle if your current payment gateway takes a long time to pay out your funds. Or perhaps you’re ready to expand into a new sales channel, only to discover that you’d need to sign up with (and pay for) another payments platform to do so.
What you’re looking for is a platform that handles a high volume of traffic across multiple sales channels. But with so many options out there, which should you choose?
To help you find a solution that suits your business, this article will introduce you to some popular payment gateways for fast-growing e-commerce businesses in the UAE. We’ll compare Ziina, Shopify Payments, Adyen, and Checkout.com based on their fees, features, and ability to support you as you scale.
Let’s start with…
Ziina: For scaling e-commerce businesses that want to expand across channels
If you're looking for a payment gateway that can support your business as it grows, Ziina is designed to scale alongside you. The gateway integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, and custom-built websites, making it easy to accept online payments today while giving you the flexibility to support higher transaction volumes and more complex checkout experiences as your business expands.
That ease of integration is one of the reasons OLAH Haircare chose Ziina. After implementing the payment gateway, the business saw a 35% reduction in cart abandonment and 30% month-on-month revenue growth (individual results may vary).
As CEO Alia Almarzooqi explains:
“What set Ziina apart was that it came highly recommended by a friend and it was a trusted, UAE-based company. The payment gateway integration was easy, and Ziina supported multi-currency payments for our GCC customer base. Ziina's features are perfectly aligned with all our payment channels – website, Instagram, and WhatsApp.”
With Ziina's payment gateway, you can:
- Integrate a secure checkout with Shopify, WooCommerce, or a custom-built website
- Build more customized and embedded checkout experiences using Ziina's API – this means customers can pay directly on your website, with no redirects and fewer drop-offs. It’s a secure, seamless payment form that lives inside your page, so your brand stays front and center.
- Accept local, regional, and international payments through a single integration
- Benefit from transparent, pay-as-you-go pricing of 2.6% + AED 1 per transaction, with no monthly subscription fees or minimum balance requirements (for the latest terms, consult Ziina’s pricing page)
- Manage multiple users with admin-controlled access across your team
- Receive funds into your Ziina account quickly, with bank cash-outs typically completed within 1–2 business days for amounts under AED 25,000 (subject to bank processing times). 24h payouts are available for eligible users
- Access UAE-based customer support in both English and Arabic
To learn more about Ziina’s capabilities and choosing the right payment gateway, read our article on multi-currency payment gateways or the top payment gateways in the UAE.
Scale beyond your website
As your business grows, you may start selling through more than just your online store.
Alongside its payment gateway, Ziina also offers payment links, Tap to Pay, QR payments, and invoicing. That means you can accept payments through your website, social media, messaging apps, and in-person events while managing every sale in one place.
As Alia AlHaj, Senior Product Manager at Ziina, explains: "Ziina is unique because it's an all-inclusive ecosystem. You can do pop-ups with Tap to Pay but also sell online with the gateway. It's all being received in one wallet.”
And here are some other payment gateways to consider:
Shopify Payments
If your online store is built on Shopify, Shopify Payments is integrated directly into the platform. Instead of connecting a separate payment processor, eligible merchants can activate Shopify Payments from their Shopify admin and manage payments alongside orders, products, and customer information.
Please note: At the time of writing July 2026, Shopify Payments is available to selected merchants in the UAE through an early access program, so availability may vary.
Shopify Payments supports major credit and debit cards, accelerated checkout options such as Shop Pay, and built-in fraud prevention features, including 3D Secure where applicable.
Merchants using Shopify Payments can also avoid Shopify's third-party transaction fees on eligible orders processed through the service. Pricing depends on your Shopify subscription plan and the payment methods your customers use.
Adyen
Adyen is a payment platform designed for larger businesses that process high transaction volumes across multiple markets. Rather than focusing solely on payment processing, it combines payments, financial products, and reporting into one platform.
With Adyen, businesses can accept, process, and settle payments in more than 150 currencies while offering customers a wide range of payment methods, including major card networks, digital wallets, Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options, and local payment methods.
Checkout.com
This is another global payment platform that supports businesses with international payment operations.
Some of Checkout.com's key features include:
- Support major card networks, digital wallets, bank transfers, and local payment methods
- Choose from multiple integration options, including hosted payment pages and direct API integrations
- Access transaction-level reporting and analytics to better understand approvals, declines, and customer payment behavior
- Receive dedicated account management and implementation support for enterprise customers
How to choose between payment gateways
Deciding between gateways can be tricky, and the best option likely depends on where your customers are and how you run your operations.
Here are a few things to look out for when choosing a payment gateway:
- Transparent, volume-friendly pricing: As your transaction volume grows, even a small difference in processing fees can have an impact on your margins. Look for clear pricing with no unexpected monthly costs or hidden fees. If you process a high volume of transactions, it’s also worth asking whether the provider offers volume-based pricing.
- International and foreign-currency payments: If you sell to customers outside the UAE, check which countries and currencies the gateway supports. Look at whether customers can pay in their preferred currency, which international payment methods are available, and whether currency conversion or cross-border fees apply.
- Multi-channel growth options: As your business grows, you may want to start selling across more channels. Some payment gateways let you manage multiple sales channels through one platform or API, making it easier to start accepting payments through social media (or even in-person) without signing up for another provider.
- Reliable support: If a payment fails to go through, you’ll want to quickly reach someone who can help. Look for providers that offer responsive customer support, ideally in your language and during your local business hours.
- Efficient refund and dispute handling: At higher transaction volumes, manually handling refunds, chargebacks, and disputes can quickly become a drain on your team’s time. Look for a provider with streamlined tools and automation that make it easy to manage these processes at scale.
- Fast payouts: Check how quickly you’ll receive your funds and if payout schedules change as your transaction volumes increase.
In summary
Payment gateways for a high-volume ecommerce business depends on how and where you sell. Some businesses prioritize a built-in checkout that works seamlessly with their ecommerce platform, while others need global payment coverage, enterprise pricing models, or greater flexibility through APIs and custom integrations.
As your business grows, it's also worth considering factors beyond transaction fees, such as payout speed, payment methods, scalability, reporting, and the quality of customer support.
For UAE businesses looking to scale across multiple sales channels, Ziina combines a payment gateway with tools for selling online, through social media, via invoices, and in person—all managed from a single platform.
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 July 2026. 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. 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.