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Getting paid in the UAE used to be quite straightforward: a customer either handed over cash or simply paid by card. But today, businesses can take payments through websites, payment links, QR codes, smartphones, social media, and more.
That’s where different payment solutions come in. By offering one or several payment solutions, you can give your customers more flexibility when they pay.
But the right setup can look very different from one business to another. You might want to:
- Accept payments directly through social media DMs
- Offer popular payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Sell across several payment channels at once
- Keep costs predictable with transparent pricing and no subscription fees
With plenty of payment solutions available in the UAE, the challenge is figuring out which type – and which provider – fits the way you sell.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- What types of payment solutions are there?
- How to choose a payment solution for your business
- 6 popular payment solution providers in the UAE
Ziina is a payments app built for UAE businesses. When you sign up with Ziina, you can use our online or in-person payment solutions to start accepting payments quickly.
What types of payment solutions are there?
| Payment solution | What is it, and when could you use it? |
|---|---|
Tap to Pay | Tap to Pay turns an NFC-enabled phone into a payment terminal. It's ideal for businesses accepting payments across multiple locations. With Ziina, you can also let staff members accept payments directly on their phones. |
Payment links | Payment links are URLs you can share via social media, email, or SMS. Customers simply click the link to open a ready-made checkout page, enter their payment details, and pay. |
QR codes | Customers scan a QR code with their phone camera to open a payment page and enter their details. You can display QR codes almost anywhere, from restaurant tables and shop counters to pop-up events. |
Payment gateways (online checkout) | A payment gateway lets customers pay through your website or app. You can integrate one with Shopify or WooCommerce using a plugin, or use an API to add a hosted checkout page or embedded payment form to a custom website. |
POS machines | Point-of-sale (POS) terminals let customers pay in person by tapping or inserting their cards. They're useful for physical stores, but you'll need to buy or rent the devices, keep them charged, and maintain them. |
How to choose the right payment solution for your business
Let’s be clear: you don’t need five different tools to start accepting payments. Some UAE businesses will set up one method and stick with it for years, while others will want to add new payment methods as they grow.
To figure out which solution fits your needs, ask:
- Where do your customers pay most often? For instance, if most of your transactions come through social media, then you’d likely be better off choosing payment links over traditional invoices.
- How automated do you need sales to be? Or, in other words: how involved do you want to be in the checkout process? For example, payment links can feel more personal, but you might need to send them to customers manually, which can quickly become tedious if you get tens or hundreds of messages a day. On the other hand, if you add a payment gateway to your website, customers can check out without you having to step in each time.
Once you’ve figured out which payment solution you want to use, you’ll need to look for a provider… a process which comes with its own set of questions:
- Which payment methods do your customers expect? In the UAE, that usually means debit and credit cards, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay. Different providers will offer a different set of payment acceptance methods.
- What are the costs of using each solution? To get the most accurate idea of costs, we’d recommend looking past transaction fees and at the total cost. For example, some providers might charge monthly subscription fees, varying currency conversion fees, or have minimum balance requirements.
- What are the onboarding and payout timelines? If you want to start accepting payments as quickly as possible, it’s important that the onboarding and verification process is quick and simple. Plus, quick cashouts will make it easier to manage your cash flow more effectively.
- Are you planning on scaling your business? If you want to move from offline sales to a payment gateway, for instance, all-in-one providers let you offer several solutions without the extra hassle of stitching together multiple gateways and apps: instead, if you sell through a new channel, your payments will be processed by your current provider and your funds will land right in your existing payment account.
6 popular payment solution providers in the UAE
Ziina: An all-in-one payment solution
We’ll start by introducing Ziina before moving on to some alternatives in the UAE market.
Ziina* is a payments app that helps freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small-to-medium-sized businesses in the UAE easily accept payments.
Here’s what you can do when you sign up with Ziina:
Accept payments through several channels with Ziina’s all-in-one app
With Ziina, you can mix and match different payment acceptance methods as you see fit:
- Tap to Pay: Turn your phone into a POS machine and accept contactless payments wherever you are. Just have customers tap their phone to yours, and that’s it – payment completed. With Ziina, your staff can even collect payments on your behalf with their own phones.
- Payment links: Create payment links and share them through social media, email, or invoices. You can customize your links by toggling fields like VAT, delivery addresses, tipping, or order notes on/off.
- QR code payments: Collect payments in-person, even when you’re away from a physical storefront. All customers have to do is scan the code with their phone camera, then pay with Google Pay, Apple Pay, or by entering their card details.
- Payment gateway: Add Ziina’s secure, branded checkout to your Shopify, WooCommerce, or custom website with a no-code plugin or an API.
No matter which channels you sell through, all of your funds will land straight into your Ziina account as soon as you make a sale.
Cash out your earnings quickly to keep your stock moving
Signing up for a Ziina Business account is quick, and you can start accepting payments soon after. That’s how our customer Stretch It Out was able to launch payments in just 48 hours:
“Ziina enabled me to launch my business in record time. It’s fast, user-friendly, and local—a perfect solution for small businesses like mine.” – Dina Zoa, CEO & Founder of Stretch It Out.
Your customers can pay using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or card (including Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX). Once they make a payment, those funds will be quickly credited to your Ziina account and ready to cash out to your bank.
Please note you currently can’t accept Apple Pay on Shopify with Ziina.
Ziina is based in the UAE and was built specifically for UAE businesses, which is why we offer local support in both English and Arabic. If you ever need help, our responsive team will help you solve any issues and get up and running again fast. As Stretch It Out says:
“Ziina’s chat support is phenomenal. It feels like their entire team is on your side. I’ve already been recommending Ziina to friends and family because I see so much value in it.” – Dina Zoa, CEO & Founder of Stretch It Out
Grow your business across the UAE and abroad with transparent pricing
Ziina is a scalable payment solution, which means you can stick with us regardless of if you process 10 or 10,000 transactions every month.
Ziina's pricing is 2.6% + 1 AED per transaction plus applicable VAT. An additional 1.5% applies to non-AED currency payments and/ or international cards. are no subscription fees, sign-up fees, or minimum balance requirements. Please read our pricing page for more information.
You can accept payments in up to 10 currencies, which means your customers across the GCC can pay in their local currency, whether that’s OMR, SAR, KWD, or even USD if they prefer. Regardless of the currency you get paid in, all funds will settle into your Ziina account as AED.
Read more: Multi-currency payment gateway: A guide for UAE businesses
Instead of cashing out your funds, you could spend them straight away using the Ziina Card. It’s a virtual card that only takes a few steps to set up, which you can then add to Apple Pay or Google Pay to use across all devices.
And here are some alternative providers*** to compare:
Stripe
Stripe1 is a multinational payment processor that targets businesses of all sizes.
Key features:
- Sell overseas to a large number of countries and get English-speaking customer support
- Accept payments via multiple channels (such as through a payment gateway, POS terminals, or payment links) and offer your customers a variety of payment methods
- If you process a payment successfully, the funds from that payment will be paid out five business days later (on a T+5 business day schedule)1b
Pricing: On Stripe’s Standard Plan, you’d typically be charged 2.9% + 1 AED per transaction for domestic cards, with an extra 1% for international cards and another 1% if currency conversion is involved. However, Stripe also offers custom pricing plans for businesses with high transaction volumes or unique business models.1a
Tap Payments
In the UAE, Tap Payments2 offers payment solutions such as a payment gateway, as well as payment links and more.
Key features:
- It typically takes around five days from when you request a payout for the funds to reach your account, on a T+5 day schedule.2a
- Support cards, digital wallets, BNPL, and local payment methods across the UAE
- Automate recurring payments for subscriptions, memberships, retainers, and repeat services
Pricing: Tap Payments typically charges 2.75% + 1 AED for local cards, 3.50% + 1 AED for regional cards, and 3.75% + 1 AED for global cards.2a
Telr
Like Ziina, Telr3 is a Dubai-based all-in-one payment provider that helps businesses accept digital payments across the Middle East and beyond. The main payment solutions they offer include a payment gateway, payment links, QR codes, and more.
Key features:
- Take payments with lots of payment methods, including Mastercard, Visa, AMEX, Mada, Apple Pay, and BNPL
- Take international payments and offer localized prices in several currencies to your customers3b
- Telr’s fraud detection and prevention system includes preset rules for specific industries and geographies, though you can also customize these rules as you need3c
Pricing: Pricing is subject to the plan you choose, but a Small Plan (for businesses earning 20,001-50,000 AED) costs you 2.69% + 1 AED per transaction, plus a 149 AED monthly fee. Fees and charges are subject to VAT at 5%.3a
Mamo4 (also known as Mamo Pay) is a Dubai-based provider serving small and medium-sized businesses across the MENA region. Its payment solutions include payment gateways, invoices, QR codes, and payment links, to name a few.
Key features:
- Offers multiple payment methods, such as credit and debit cards, digital wallets, and buy now pay later (BNPL)4
- Some Mamo payment solutions are available in non-AED currencies4c
- The payout schedule is customizable, and Mamo offers a choice between 5 business days (standard and free), 3 business days (charges an early access fee), or on the same business day (also charges an early access fee)4b
Pricing: 2.9% + 1 AED for UAE cards on the Growth plan, and 2.7% + 0.8 AED on the Premium plan. Please check Mamo’s website for more detailed pricing information.4a
Network International
Network International5 is the largest digital payments platform and payment service provider in the MEA region. They target the entire spectrum of businesses, from micro-SMBs to enterprises, and the main payment solutions they offer include payment gateways (for web and mobile), POS terminals, and payment links.
Key features:
- Accept multiple payments using a single payment link
- Integrate with a range of plugins for WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, OpenCart, and Shopify5a
- Access 24/7 support from a team that’s based locally across the Middle East and Africa5a
- Let customers pay in their preferred currency, with prices updating locally5b
Pricing: Please contact Network International to find out more detailed pricing information.
Sign up with Ziina and start accepting payments quickly
When you’re running a business in the UAE, the last thing you need is a complicated payment setup. You want customers to be able to pay wherever they find you, with a smooth, convenient checkout experience that keeps them coming back.
Ziina is a UAE-based payment app that lets you offer online and in-person payment solutions all from the same dashboard.
*Disclaimer: With Ziina, some users may be able to get started with basic verification, such as Emirates ID verification, but requirements may vary depending on the user’s business activity, transaction volume, account type, and applicable legal or licensing obligations. Customers remain responsible for ensuring they hold any trade license, permit, tax registration, or other approval required for their business activities. 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.
**Disclaimer: Fees shown reflect publicly available standard pricing and may vary depending on card type, transaction volume, currency, settlement arrangement, additional services, and VAT. For the most up-to-date information, consult individual providers.
***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.
The information in this article was sourced in September 2026. This article was published in November 2026.
Sources:
- 1.Stripe: https://stripe.com/ae
- a.https://stripe.com/ae/pricing
- b.https://support.stripe.com/questions/payouts-for-uae-accounts
- a.
- 2.Tap Payments: https://www.tap.company/en-ae
- a.https://www.tap.company/en-ae/terms-and-conditions
- a.
- 3.Telr: https://telr.com/
- a.https://telr.com/pricing
- b.https://telr.com/growth
- c.https://telr.com/secure
- a.
- 4.Mamo: https://www.mamopay.com/business/payment-collection
- a.https://www.mamopay.com/pricing
- b.https://help.mamopay.com/en/articles/7201976-settlements
- c.https://help.mamopay.com/en/articles/8225989-supported-currencies
- a.
- 5.Network International: https://www.network.ae/en
- a.https://www.network.ae/en/merchant-solutions/ecommerce-payments/n-genius-online
- b.https://www.network.ae/en/value-added-services/merchant/multicurrency-online
- a.