Shopify Payments is listed for the UAE but not for Saudi Arabia. See which providers Gulf stores connect instead, how checkout and Shopify's transaction fee work, and which local payment methods are possible.
A Shopify payment gateway in Saudi Arabia is, in practice, a third-party payment provider that you connect to your store, because Shopify's own service, Shopify Payments, is not listed as available there. As of October 2026 Shopify's list of supported countries includes the United Arab Emirates but not Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain or Oman. This guide covers the providers Gulf stores connect, Shopify's extra fee, the local payment methods that are possible and how to choose.
In short
Shopify Payments is Shopify's built-in payment service, and Shopify's help centre says it removes the need for a separate provider or merchant account. It is available only in certain countries. The supported countries page lists the United Arab Emirates and, as of October 2026, not Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain or Oman. If your country is not listed, you need a third-party provider.
Shopify Payments in the UAE. The requirements page for the UAE says you need a company registration number, that sole establishments, LLCs and their free zone versions can sign up, and that payouts go to a checking account at a UAE bank in AED. Non-profit organisations are not currently eligible.
Shopify's third-party providers page says you can choose from over 100 providers. You add one under Settings, then Payments, and the list follows your store address in Settings, then General, so set the country first. Only one credit card provider can be active. Buy now pay later and regional methods go under additional payment methods.
Shopify's payment gateways page has a country filter that in October 2026 listed apps for all six Gulf countries. The table shows six providers as they describe themselves. It is not a ranking, and we have not tested them.
| Provider | What it says about the Gulf | What it says about Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Tap Payments | Its support page lists all six Gulf countries for Apple Pay | A native checkout plugin and a checkout page plugin for methods such as Knet and Benefit |
| Amazon Payment Services | Its methods page lists mada and STC Pay for Saudi Arabia, and KNET, Benefit, OmanNet and NAPS elsewhere | A hosted checkout plugin: shoppers pay on its page |
| Checkout.com | Its mada documentation says you first need a merchant ID from a Saudi card acquirer | An onsite app listing mada, Apple Pay and Google Pay |
| MyFatoorah | Its FAQ lists all six Gulf countries | An app that needs an activated MyFatoorah account first |
| Tabby | Says it is active in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait | Its Shopify page says the app accepts only billing addresses in Saudi Arabia and the UAE |
| Tamara | Its docs say Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain | Its docs describe a Shopify plugin |
The sources do not fully agree: Tabby's Shopify page is narrower than its own country statement, so ask each provider about your country. A provider known from WooCommerce guides may have no Shopify app: Moyasar's e-commerce documentation lists Magento 2, WooCommerce, OpenCart, NopCommerce and PrestaShop, not Shopify, as we read it in October 2026. See payment gateways in Saudi Arabia for the wider market.
Shopify describes direct providers, where customers pay on your store, and external ones, where they finish on a page hosted elsewhere. Many Gulf providers install as payment apps: under Additional payment methods choose Add payment methods, pick the provider, choose Install app, then Manage to connect your account, and then Activate. Tap's native plugin runs inside Shopify's built-in checkout, while Amazon Payment Services and Tabby send the shopper to a hosted page, so test that journey on a phone, in Arabic too: see building an Arabic Shopify store.
When customers pay through a provider other than Shopify Payments, Shopify's help centre says it charges a third-party transaction fee. It comes on top of the provider's own fees and depends on your Shopify plan. It does not apply to Shopify Payments, Shop Pay or manual methods such as cash on delivery and bank deposits. Check the rate on Shopify's pricing page.
Country therefore affects your budget. A UAE business on Shopify Payments avoids the fee on those orders, while a Saudi store taking cards through a provider pays it on each one. Refunds are unclear: the fee page says the fee is not returned, but the refund page says that where Shopify Payments is unavailable it is credited in proportion when you refund from the Shopify admin, not from the provider's dashboard. Check your own bill.
| Method | On Shopify? | How, and what to check |
|---|---|---|
| mada | Yes, through a provider that supports it | Tap, Checkout.com and Amazon Payment Services list mada for Shopify. Checkout.com says mada must be captured in full. Test with a real mada card. |
| Apple Pay | Yes, through a provider that supports it | Shopify's Apple Pay page says you need a card provider that supports it, and customers need Safari on a compatible device. A merchant on Shopify's community forum reported in December 2025 that native checkout did not pass mada verification data for Apple Pay to some external gateways. We found no Shopify statement, so test. |
| STC Pay | Only where a provider lists it | Amazon Payment Services lists it for Shopify. Ask the others. |
| Buy now pay later | Yes, as an additional method | Tabby and Tamara have Shopify apps. Check country, currency and refund rules. |
| Cash on delivery | Yes, as a manual method | Under Settings, Payments, Manual payment methods. Orders stay pending until you mark them paid. |
Shopify's manual payments page says customers see your instructions at checkout and that no transaction fee applies, but the translation app cannot translate those instructions. Showing cash on delivery only for some cities or order values needs a payment customisation, and the help centre says its Checkout Blocks route is for Shopify Plus, so check an app's plan rules first. For the courier side, see shipping and cash on delivery in Saudi Arabia.
Shopify Markets sets currency, language and domains by country. The local currencies page says paying in multiple currencies needs Shopify Payments or Adyen, and that with another provider customers in all markets pay in your store's default currency. A Saudi store on a third-party provider should therefore pick the currency it is paid in, usually SAR, and confirm that the provider settles in it.
Payouts differ by route. With Shopify Payments in the UAE, the payouts page lists AED payouts and a minimum settlement time. With a third-party provider, its contract sets the settlement time, currency and bank account. Refund from the Shopify admin: Tabby's Shopify page says refunds are issued there, and Checkout.com says not to refund onsite-app orders from its dashboard. Shopify's chargebacks page does not describe third-party disputes, so ask your provider for its process, deadlines and fees.
| Topic | UAE | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Payments | Listed, for eligible businesses with a UAE bank account in AED | Not listed, so you use a third-party provider |
| Shopify's transaction fee | Avoided on orders paid through Shopify Payments | Applies to provider orders, not to manual methods |
| Local cards | Depends on the provider | mada is the national debit network, so mada support matters most |
| Invoices and tax | Confirm with your accountant and the UAE tax authority | See VAT and invoices for online stores in Saudi Arabia |
No. As of October 2026 Shopify's supported countries page does not list it, so Saudi stores connect a third-party provider and pay Shopify's transaction fee on those orders.
Yes, if your provider supports both mada and Shopify. Check its Shopify page and test a real mada card.
Yes, if your business qualifies: Shopify asks for a company registration number and a UAE bank account in AED.
No. Shopify says manual methods such as cash on delivery carry no transaction fee.
There is no single answer. The right one supports your methods on Shopify, accepts your business and has fair terms, which the checklist tests.
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