If you sell in Saudi Arabia, start with mada and Apple Pay, then add Tabby or Tamara for installments. In Kuwait you need KNET, in Bahrain Benefit, and in Egypt Fawry alongside cards. Each method has a different flow (redirect, wallet, buy now pay later, cash with a reference code), so design your checkout and order states for those differences, and confirm payments with server webhooks rather than the success page alone.
- payment methods in saudi arabia and uae
- how to accept mada payments
- tabby and tamara integration
- knet payment gateway
Why local payment methods matter more than you think
Many founders build a store or booking app, add "pay by card," and call it done. But a customer in Riyadh, Kuwait City or Cairo has very different payment habits: mada cards in Saudi Arabia, KNET in Kuwait, Benefit in Bahrain, cash through Fawry in Egypt, and interest-free installments through Tabby and Tamara across much of the Gulf.
When customers don't see the method they trust, they rarely hunt for an alternative. They leave. That makes payment methods a decision that directly affects your conversion rate, not a technical detail to hand to a developer on launch day.
There is a trust angle too. A customer who sees mada, KNET or Tabby logos at checkout feels the store is local, credible and knows the market. A store that only shows a generic card form can feel foreign or temporary, even with excellent products. That is why payment methods are part of your brand experience, just like correct Arabic and proper right-to-left layout.
The best checkout is the one where customers see their favorite way to pay at first glance.
This guide walks through each major local method: what it is, where it's used, how its checkout flow differs, how refunds and settlement work, and how to add it to your app with Fanann in clear steps.
Meet the payment methods, one by one
mada
Saudi Arabia's national debit network, with cards issued by local banks. Many mada cards are co-branded with Visa or Mastercard, but routing domestic transactions through mada is what local customers and banks expect. If you sell to Saudi customers, mada is the starting point, not an add-on. See the short mada glossary entry.
Apple Pay
A digital wallet where customers add their card to a phone or watch and pay with Face ID or Touch ID. In Saudi Arabia, mada cards can be added to Apple Pay, which makes it one of the fastest mobile payment options. Enabling it requires domain verification through your gateway, and the button generally appears only on Apple devices.
STC Pay
A Saudi digital wallet from the stc group. Customers pay from their balance or linked cards using their phone number and an in-app confirmation. The wallet has been evolving toward digital banking services, so confirm the current name and integration your gateway supports.
Tabby and Tamara (buy now, pay later)
Installment providers operating in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf markets. Customers split the amount into installments (often four in the most common plan), while the provider pays the merchant under the terms of their agreement and handles collection from the customer. This model is known as BNPL.
KNET
Kuwait's national debit network and the most familiar way for Kuwaiti customers to pay online. Typically the customer is redirected to a KNET page, picks their bank, enters card details and PIN, and returns to your site.
Benefit
Bahrain's national payments network, along with the widely used BenefitPay wallet for mobile payments and transfers. If you sell in Bahrain, you need it the way a Kuwaiti seller needs KNET.
Fawry
An Egyptian payments platform known for cash payments: the customer gets a reference number and pays at one of Fawry's many retail outlets, or through other electronic channels the platform offers. That matters in a market where part of the customer base still prefers cash or doesn't have a card.
A country-by-method map
The table below is qualitative and meant to help you prioritize. Actual availability depends on the gateway you contract with and on issuing banks, so always check your provider's current list.
| Country | Core methods | Common additions | Practical note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | mada, Apple Pay | Visa/Mastercard, STC Pay, Tabby, Tamara | Start with mada and Apple Pay, then add BNPL |
| UAE | Visa/Mastercard, Apple Pay | Tabby, Tamara, other wallets | International cards are the norm |
| Kuwait | KNET | Visa/Mastercard, Apple Pay, BNPL depending on provider | Skipping KNET loses a large share of buyers |
| Bahrain | Benefit / BenefitPay | Visa/Mastercard, Apple Pay | Confirm your gateway supports Benefit |
| Egypt | Cards, Fawry | Mobile wallets, Apple Pay depending on bank | Design for a cash "awaiting payment" state |
How to choose the right payment gateway
A payment gateway is the technical middleman between your site and the card networks and banks. You'll rarely find one gateway that covers every method in every country equally well, so ask these questions before signing:
- Does it support the core methods in my markets (mada, KNET, Benefit or Fawry) directly, not through workarounds?
- Does it offer a full sandbox with test cards for each method, and clear API documentation?
- Does it send signed webhooks and allow full and partial refunds via the API?
- What are the settlement terms and supported currencies, and what documents are needed to open an account?
- Is there support that speaks Arabic and understands the local market when something breaks?
How the checkout flow differs by method
A common mistake is assuming every method behaves like a card: the customer taps "Pay" and success arrives instantly. In reality there are a few distinct patterns, and each one affects your checkout design and the order states in your database.
| Pattern | Examples | What happens | Suggested order state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card with verification | mada, Visa, Mastercard | Card entry, then bank verification (often an OTP) | pending, then paid or failed within minutes |
| Redirect to network page | KNET, Benefit | Customer leaves to an external page and returns | pending until the server confirmation arrives |
| Wallet | Apple Pay, STC Pay | Biometric or in-app confirmation | Usually a fast result |
| Installments | Tabby, Tamara | Provider approves the customer and creates a plan | authorized, then captured on shipping, depending on setup |
| Deferred cash with reference | Fawry cash | Customer pays later at an outlet | awaiting_payment with an expiry time |
For Fawry cash payments in particular, reserve stock only for a limited window, send the customer a reminder with the reference number, and cancel the order automatically when it expires. That way pending orders don't pile up and lock your inventory.
3-D secure: the security layer you need to understand
3-D Secure is an extra authentication step where the issuing bank asks the customer to prove who they are, usually with a code sent to their phone or a confirmation in the bank's app. mada and many cards in the region rely on it for online payments.
- It protects merchants: in many cases, liability for fraud disputes shifts to the issuing bank after successful authentication, under the network's rules.
- It adds a step for customers: make the verification screen clear and mobile-friendly, and avoid pop-up windows that browsers may block.
- It needs failure handling: if the customer abandons verification, show a clear message in Arabic and English and suggest an alternative such as Apple Pay.
- Wallets differ: Apple Pay relies on device authentication (face or fingerprint) instead of a text code, which is why it feels faster.
Refunds and settlement: what happens after "pay"
Settlement is the movement of transaction funds from the gateway to your bank account. The gateway collects payments and transfers them after a period defined in your contract, minus its fees. With BNPL, settlement comes from the installment provider on its own schedule, not directly from the customer's card.
- Issued through the gateway dashboard or API
- Money returns to the same card or wallet
- It may take several days to appear, depending on the bank
- Partial refunds are usually supported, but check each network
- You notify the provider via its API or dashboard
- The provider adjusts the installment plan or returns what the customer paid
- The amount is deducted from your payouts with the provider
- Tie it to your returns status so records don't conflict
Cash payments with a reference code are different again: there's no card to refund to, so you'll need a clear policy, such as a bank transfer or store credit, depending on what the platform allows. Publish your refund policy on a clear page before your first customer asks.
How to add local payments with Fanann
With Fanann you don't write the integration code yourself. You describe what you want, and the agent builds the checkout, order tables and webhook endpoints, then tests them with you. Here are the practical steps:
- 1Define your markets
List the countries and currencies you'll sell in. That decides the methods you need: mada for Saudi Arabia, KNET for Kuwait, and so on.
- 2Pick a gateway and a BNPL provider
Open a merchant account with a gateway that supports your methods, and apply to Tabby or Tamara if you want installments. You'll usually need a commercial registration and a business bank account.
- 3Describe checkout to the agent
Ask for a checkout that shows methods by country, with order states and webhooks. The agent writes the code and wires it to your database.
- 4Test in sandbox mode
Use test keys and test cards: success, failure, abandoned verification, partial refund, and an expired Fawry reference.
- 5Go live and monitor
Swap in production keys, deploy on hosting, and watch the first real transactions, reconciling them against settlement reports.
Add a checkout to my store that shows payment methods based on the customer's country: in Saudi Arabia mada, Apple Pay, Tabby and Tamara; in Kuwait KNET and Apple Pay. Save every order as pending and only change it to paid after a verified webhook from the gateway. Add an admin page for full or partial refunds, and send the customer an Arabic confirmation message after payment.
Try it in FanannPre-launch checklist
- Every payment method tested for success, failure and cancellation on a real phone.
- Order confirmation relies on a signature-verified webhook, protected against duplicate deliveries.
- Error messages are clear in Arabic and English and suggest an alternative method.
- A written, visible refund policy, with the refund path tested for each method.
- Pending orders auto-cancel after a timeout and stock is released.
- Card numbers are never stored in your database; the gateway holds them.
- A daily report reconciles paid orders against the gateway's settlement reports.
If you're building a full store, also read how to build an online store with AI, and if customer data is on your mind, see the guide to data residency and data-protection laws.
Key takeaways
- Local payment methods aren't a nice-to-have; without them, a large share of your customers may simply be unable to pay.
- Each method has a different flow: card plus 3-D Secure, wallet, installments, or deferred cash payment with a reference code.
- Confirm payments through a server webhook. Never trust the "payment successful" page by itself.
- Refunds and settlement differ by method, so read your gateway's and BNPL provider's terms before launch.
- With Fanann you describe the payment methods you want, and the agent builds the checkout, order states and webhooks.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need mada if I already accept Visa and Mastercard?
Who carries the risk of unpaid installments with Tabby and Tamara?
Can I store card details for repeat purchases?
How long does settlement to my bank account take?
Does Fanann build the gateway integration automatically?
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