On this page
- What kinds of payment gateway can a Pakistani website use?
- Which payment companies does the State Bank license?
- How do the main gateways compare?
- What do gateway fees look like on a real order?
- Can a Pakistani website accept payments from abroad?
- Which gateway fits your business?
- What will a gateway ask for before it approves your website?
- Do payment gateways deduct tax from online sales?
- Summary
- References
A website in Pakistan can take online payments through three kinds of payment gateway: a gateway company licensed by the State Bank of Pakistan, such as PayFast, Safepay or NIFT ePay; a bank’s own gateway, such as Bank Alfalah’s Alfa Payment Gateway; or a wallet gateway from JazzCash or Easypaisa. Stripe, PayPal and Shopify Payments are not available to Pakistani businesses as of October 2026, so local gateways also handle card payments, and some accept foreign cards. Below is what each provider says on its own pages, with published fees where they exist and a worked example on a Rs 5,000 order.
We build WooCommerce and custom online stores for businesses in Pakistan and connect their payment gateways, so merchant forms, plugin settings and test payments are routine work for us. For this comparison we read each provider’s own website and the State Bank’s list of licensed payment companies on 24 and 25 October 2026. It is a comparison, not a ranking: the right gateway depends on how your customers pay.
What kinds of payment gateway can a Pakistani website use?
| Type | Examples | What customers can pay with | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed gateway company | PayFast, Safepay, NIFT ePay | Cards, bank accounts and wallets through one checkout, depending on the provider | Stores that want most methods in one integration |
| Bank gateway | Bank Alfalah Alfa Payment Gateway | Cards plus what the bank adds, such as Raast QR or wallets | Businesses that already bank there |
| Wallet gateway | JazzCash, Easypaisa | That wallet, plus vouchers or over-the-counter payment | Stores whose buyers mostly use one wallet |
| International | Payoneer, Paddle | Foreign clients and buyers | Services and software sold abroad |
| Not available in Pakistan | Stripe, PayPal, Shopify Payments | Nothing, for a Pakistani business | See the section on foreign payments below |
Which payment companies does the State Bank license?
The State Bank of Pakistan publishes a list of authorized payment system operators and payment service providers. The version updated on 2 September 2026 shows these gateway and payment services:
| Company | Approved service | Stage | Approved on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Payfast | E-commerce payment gateway | Commercial operations | 21 May 2021 |
| NIFT | E-commerce payment gateway | Commercial operations | 7 September 2021 |
| Safepay | E-commerce payment gateway | Commercial operations | 17 April 2025 |
| Virtual Remittance Gateway | Electronic payment gateway | Commercial operations | 17 April 2017 |
| ForeePay | Payment aggregation services | Pilot operations | 10 August 2020 |
| Accept Technologies (Paymob) | E-commerce payment gateway and POS acquiring | In-principle approval | 4 November 2024 |
| Infotech | E-payment gateway | In-principle approval | 8 August 2016 |
The list has three stages: in-principle approval, pilot operations and commercial operations. A company in an earlier stage is not yet in full commercial operation. SBP adds that the list is not an endorsement of any company’s business model or financial position. Banks do not appear on it, so for a bank gateway you deal with the bank itself. Before you sign with any gateway company or aggregator, look for its name here.
How do the main gateways compare?
Each row uses the provider’s own page. “Not listed” means we found no per-order rate on the pages we opened, so ask for a written quote.
| Provider | Payment methods it lists | How you connect | Published fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| PayFast | Visa and Mastercard (with 3-D Secure), bank accounts and wallets | Checkout, payment links, billing and an API, with self sign-up | Not listed |
| Safepay | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, wallets and Raast | Hosted or embedded checkout, WooCommerce plugin, Shopify apps, SDKs, payment links and subscriptions | Domestic cards 2.9% + Rs 30, international cards 0.3% more, wallets and Raast 1.5%, no setup or monthly fee |
| NIFT ePay | Debit and credit cards, bank accounts and mobile wallets | APIs, mobile SDK, hosted checkout or page redirection | Not listed |
| Bank Alfalah Alfa Payment Gateway | Cards, JazzCash, Raast dynamic QR, buy now pay later, request to pay and pay by link | API, redirection or custom code; plugins for WooCommerce, Magento, OpenCart, PrestaShop and Shopify | Depends on volume and settlement mode, excludes FED; no setup or annual fee; settlement on the next working day |
| JazzCash | JazzCash mobile account, approved with your MPIN, and vouchers paid later in the app, by USSD or at a retailer | Request through the business team on its payment gateway page | Not listed |
| Easypaisa | Easypaisa app and over-the-counter payment | Merchant portal, sandbox, staging test, then live credentials | Not listed |
JazzCash and Easypaisa run their own merchant onboarding. If you only want wallets on WooCommerce, our guide to JazzCash and Easypaisa on WooCommerce walks through the merchant review, sandbox testing and the switch to live keys, so we do not repeat it here.
What do gateway fees look like on a real order?
Of the six providers above, only Safepay published per-order rates on its pricing page when we checked. Here is what those rates mean for one Rs 5,000 order:
| Paid with | Safepay’s rate | Fee | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistani debit or credit card | 2.9% + Rs 30 | Rs 175 | Rs 4,825 |
| Foreign card | 3.2% + Rs 30 | Rs 190 | Rs 4,810 |
| Wallet | 1.5% | Rs 75 | Rs 4,925 |
| Raast | 1.5% | Rs 75 | Rs 4,925 |
At 100 card orders of Rs 5,000 a month, that is Rs 17,500 in fees; the same orders paid by wallet cost Rs 7,500. The foreign card row assumes the extra 0.3% is added to the percentage and the Rs 30 still applies. Safepay’s page does not say whether tax is added on top, and Bank Alfalah says its charges exclude FED, so ask every provider for the total per order including tax before you compare. These fees are separate from the tax a gateway withholds on your sales, covered below.
Can a Pakistani website accept payments from abroad?
Yes, but not through the best-known international names. As of October 2026, Stripe’s country list, PayPal’s country list and the Shopify Payments country list all leave out Pakistan. Our post on whether Stripe is available in Pakistan covers the details and the Stripe Atlas route. What works instead:
- Foreign cards through a local gateway. Safepay charges 0.3% more for international cards and lists 7 major currencies. Ask other gateways whether they accept foreign-issued cards and in which currency they settle.
- Payoneer for clients and marketplaces. Payoneer says funds can be withdrawn to local Pakistani bank accounts in PKR.
- A merchant of record for software. Paddle works with software businesses anywhere except a list of unsupported countries, and Pakistan is not on that list.
On Shopify, a third-party gateway also changes what the platform charges you. Our Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison for Pakistan works through that cost with real numbers.
Which gateway fits your business?
| Your business | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New WooCommerce store selling across Pakistan | One licensed gateway that covers cards and wallets, plus cash on delivery | One integration and one settlement report |
| Buyers mostly pay by JazzCash or Easypaisa | That wallet’s own gateway, or a gateway that includes it | Fewer steps for the buyer at checkout |
| Selling on Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp without a website | Payment links, such as Bank Alfalah’s Pay by Link or Safepay’s payment links | No integration needed |
| Subscriptions, courses or SaaS | A gateway with recurring billing, such as Safepay subscriptions | Charges repeat without a new checkout each month |
| You already bank with one bank | Ask that bank about its gateway first | Bank Alfalah, for one, says its charges depend on the settlement mode you choose |
| Clients or buyers abroad | International cards on a local gateway, Payoneer, or Paddle for software | Stripe and PayPal are not options |
For the rest of the store, from product pages to courier booking, see our page on websites for e-commerce and retail businesses.
What will a gateway ask for before it approves your website?
Every provider sets its own list, but the pattern is the same: an application, document review, sandbox credentials, testing on a staging site, then live credentials. Easypaisa’s published process, for example, runs: register on the merchant portal, fix the points the team raises, receive sandbox details by email, integrate and test every payment method on staging, receive live credentials, go live, then complete biometric verification against your seller code at an Easypaisa franchise. Bank Alfalah offers an instant merchant account for individuals and sole proprietors, and a corporate merchant account for registered entities that it says takes a few weeks.
Before you apply, have these ready:
- a live website on your own domain with HTTPS;
- refund, delivery, privacy and terms pages, and full contact details;
- prices in PKR and a checkout that works end to end;
- a bank account in the business name, and your CNIC or company documents;
- your NTN, because gateways now withhold and report tax on your sales.
Do payment gateways deduct tax from online sales?
Yes, for goods ordered online. FBR’s Circular 02 of 2025-26 explains that since the Finance Act, 2025, banks and payment gateways that move money between buyer and seller count as “payment intermediaries” for digitally ordered goods. When an e-store is paid online, the acquiring bank withholds the tax; for cash on delivery, the courier does. Payment intermediaries also file monthly statements showing the amount paid to each supplier. Our guide to starting an online business in Pakistan sets out the rates with a worked example, so register with FBR before your first sale.
Summary
A payment gateway in Pakistan for a website comes from one of three places: an SBP-licensed gateway company such as PayFast, Safepay or NIFT ePay, a bank gateway such as Bank Alfalah’s, or the JazzCash and Easypaisa wallet gateways. Check the company on the State Bank’s list, compare payment methods and the total fee per order including tax, and keep cash on delivery alongside. For foreign buyers, use international cards on a local gateway, Payoneer or a merchant of record, since Stripe and PayPal are not available here. Our e-commerce and retail team builds stores with these gateways connected and tested, and our website development service covers the rest of the site.
References
- List of authorized PSOs and PSPs, State Bank of Pakistan
- PayFast, Premier Payfast
- Pricing, Safepay
- NIFT ePay, NIFT
- Alfa Payment Gateway, Bank Alfalah
- Payment gateway, JazzCash
- Business solutions, Easypaisa
- Circular 02 of 2025-26 (Sales Tax and Federal Excise), Federal Board of Revenue
- Global availability, Stripe
- PayPal worldwide, PayPal
- Shopify Payments supported countries, Shopify Help Center
- Payoneer and Meezan Bank partnership, Payoneer
- Which countries are supported by Paddle?, Paddle
