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Payment Gateways for the UAE
I’ve been working with a new client in Dubai. We’re adding functionality to their website to accept credit card payments. Due to the many components involved, getting started for this can sometimes feel overwhelming. I’m publicly posting my research on payment gateways for the UAE to hopefully save someone else the headache of doing the same.
So here we go.
What’s a payment gateway and what’s it got to do with accepting credit cards on my UAE website?
A payment gateway is the eCommerce equivalent to the credit card processing setup a merchant would use in a physical shop, mall, etc. Rather than physically swiping the credit card, your eCommerce customers enter their credit card details into a very secure page on your website.
When your customer clicks that important checkout button, the details of their order including the amount of money, the currency being used and their credit card details are all passed to a payment gateway via a secure connection over the internet. From the payment gateway, that information is sent to the credit card holder’s bank to check their available credit balance. The bank either approves or declines the credit card transaction. That status is returned through to the payment gateway who then let’s the customer know whether or not their charge has gone through.
Once the transaction has been approved, you (the merchant) are then notified. The cardholder’s bank is also notified. The bank needs to know the transaction is complete. The bank then sends the money for that transaction through the payment gateway. The payment gateway will take their fees. (See breakdown of the fees below.) Finally, the money is deposited into your merchant bank account.
Payment Gateways for the UAE
I’ve pulled information from several payment gateways for the UAE. Today is 1 August 2017, and this information is fresh as of today. I only pulled data from these companies’ websites. I’m of the opinion if you’re selling eCommerce services, such as payment gateways for the UAE, you should operate with best practices in eCommerce. Offering complete and up-to-date information on your website is important (including pricing!) Payment Gateways missing payment information on their website have been left off my list, PayTabs, CyberSource and Network International.
Monthly Volume Examples (AED) | ||||||||
Fees | Setup | Monthly | % per Transaction | Processing per transaction | 5,000 | 10,000 | 20,000 | 50,000 |
Telr | – | AED 349 | 0% | – | 349 | 349 | 349 | 349 |
CCAvenue | AED 200 | 3.0% | AED 1 | 350 | 500 | 800 | 1,700 | |
PayFort | – | – | 2.99% | AED 1 | 150 | 299 | 598 | 1,495 |
Checkout.com | 2.9% | AED 1 | 145 | 290 | 580 | 1,450 |
For more information about eCommerce websites, please visit our services page or contact us with specific questions.