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If you’re considering an alternative to Stripe, it helps to start by identifying what's most important for your business.
Are you looking to reduce payment processing costs? Need fast settlement times? Want support for additional payment methods or local integrations?
The right payment gateway will depend on factors such as your business size, where your customers are based, the markets you operate in, and the features you need. For example, some providers are designed primarily for local businesses, while others are better suited to companies with international operations or enterprise requirements.
This guide compares six alternatives to Stripe and highlights their pricing, features, and ideal use cases to help you find the best fit for your business.
Comparison table of payment gateways for UAE businesses*
| Provider | Could be suitable for | Payout speed | Transaction fees |
|---|---|---|---|
Ziina | Local UAE e-commerce businesses, SMEs, freelancers, pop-up markets | 1 - 2 days for amounts under 25K AED (instantly for eligible users) | 2.6% + 1 AED |
Mamo | Local UAE e-commerce businesses | Up to 5 days, with same-day settlement available (to be confirmed with provider) | 2.9% + 1 AED on the Growth plan |
Shopify Payments | Shopify store owners (limited access in the UAE) | Up to 5 days (to be confirmed with provider) | 2.9% + 1 AED |
Telr | Local UAE e-commerce businesses | 1 - 5 days (to be confirmed with provider) | 2.69% + 1 AED |
Adyen | Global enterprises | 1 - 2 days (to be confirmed with provider) | Variable interchange++ pricing, depending on the type of card used |
Amazon Payment Services | High-volume enterprise businesses | Up to 7 days (to be confirmed with provider) | 2.80% + 1 AED |
Fees shown reflect publicly available standard pricing and may vary depending on card type, transaction volume, currency, settlement arrangement, additional services and VAT. Onboarding and payout timelines are indicative and may depend on successful verification, banking arrangements, and other eligibility requirements.
How to find a suitable payment gateway for your business
Finding the right payment gateway for your business depends on a few factors:
- What type of business are you running? Is it a marketplace? An e-commerce store? A pop-up shop? Enterprise businesses will have very different payment needs than a physical retail shop.
- What features do you need? You might need specialized subscription handling, automatic invoicing tools, or multi-channel payment options. Bear in mind that not all payment gateways will provide all of these services.
- What is your payment volume like? Some providers offer tiered discounts when you process a high volume of payments, while others will be more affordable for businesses with lower volumes.
Alternative payment gateways to Stripe in the UAE
Ziina
Since we’re the ones writing this article, it makes sense to start with our own payment gateway.**
Ziina is a payments platform built specifically for SMEs, freelancers, and pop-up vendors in the UAE who need to bridge the gap between in-person and online sales. Our payment gateway plugin and API are designed for fast implementation with Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, or custom websites.
As a homegrown business, we’re able to offer localized human support in both English and Arabic during UAE business hours.
With Ziina’s payment gateway, you can also:
- Add an online checkout to your website in around 5-10 minutes (including embedded checkout for custom websites and WooCommerce)
- Improve your customer experience with an average checkout time of 4 seconds
- Track all your sales in one mobile app, including sales from your pop-up stores, websites, QR codes, invoices, and payment links
- Transfer funds to your bank in just 1 - 2 days for amounts under 25K AED (subject to bank processing times), with instant cashout options available for eligible users
- Pay only 2.6% + 1 AED per transaction (plus 1.5% for international cards) without any subscription charges or setup fees (for the latest terms, consult Ziina’s pricing page)
Mamo
Mamo is another choice for UAE businesses that sell both in-person and online. It’s a UAE-based payment gateway that also offers tools like payment links, QR codes, and digital invoices that allow your customers to pay in one click.
As a no-code solution, it allows for brand customization to make the checkout experience feel consistent for your customers.
With Mamo, you can also:
- Use corporate cards to earn up to 8% cashback on business spending
- Manage subscriptions, chargebacks, and refunds from one dashboard
- Use automated payment tracking
Shopify Payments
If your store runs on Shopify and you already have access to Shopify Payments, it's a convenient built-in option. You can:
- Manage your entire order and payment system within the Shopify admin
- Increase conversion with accelerated checkout options like Shop Pay
- Protect data with built-in fraud detection and 3D Secure encryption
- Fees are waived for third-party transaction costs on Shopify Plus plans
However, Shopify Payments is currently in early access in the UAE, so it isn't available to every merchant yet.
If you're running a Shopify store in the UAE and don't have access, Ziina integrates with Shopify in around 5–10 minutes, giving you a local payment gateway with payouts in 1–2 business days, support in English and Arabic, and transaction fees starting at 2.6% + 1 AED.
Telr
Telr is designed to help e-commerce businesses (that already have a heavy MENA presence) scale globally. The platform provides multiple ways to integrate, whether you are using a mobile app, a shopping cart, or a standard website.
Telr also lets you:
- Offer Buy Now Pay Later options through a partnership with Tabby
- Access fast-track business finance through the Telr Finance module
- Create Quicklinks for instant messaging and social media sales
Adyen
Adyen is an enterprise-level payments platform that’s used by some of the world's largest companies.
Unlike providers that tend to sit on top of legacy infrastructure, Adyen handles merchant acquiring, the gateway, and processing all in-house. This more centralized structure often results in lower transaction fees and higher authorization rates for high-volume or international sellers. It also allows Adyen to offer deep data insights into customer behavior.
With Adyen, you can also:
- Integrate one API to support multiple use cases and global payment channels
- Optimize costs and reduce fraud with built-in platform fraud monitoring
- Accept over 200 local payment methods and 150 currencies
- Access smarter liquidity control and automated financial reporting
Amazon Payment Services
Formerly known as PayFort, Amazon Payment Services is an enterprise payment provider that operates across nine countries in the MENA region.
Enterprises benefit from flexible integration and the ability to offer localized payment methods like Mada and Meeza.
Amazon Payment Services also lets you:
- Localize the experience with regional methods like installments and local wallets
- Manage multi-country operations from a single integration point
- Make use of flexible dashboards and real-time transaction monitoring
Read more: Top 9 payment gateways in the UAE: A guide to choosing the right solution
So, which payment gateway could be a good alternative to Stripe?
The best Stripe alternative for your business depends on your use case. For many UAE-based businesses, using local payment gateways like Ziina is a great choice if you’re looking for low fees, English and Arabic-speaking human support, and easy multi-channel payment options.
*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 June 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.
**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.
Sources:
https://www.mamopay.com/pricing
https://www.mamopay.com/
https://www.shopify.com/ae/payments
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/payments/shopify-payments/supported-countries/united-arab-emirates/payouts
https://telr.com/pricing
https://telr.com/terms-and-condition
https://telr.com/
https://help.adyen.com/knowledge/finance/payouts/how-do-payouts-work
https://www.adyen.com/en_AE/pricing
https://www.adyen.com/en_AE
https://paymentservices.amazon.com/support-center/faq
https://paymentservices.amazon.com/pricing
https://paymentservices.amazon.com/