Payment Gateways in Lebanon for Websites & Apps

27 Sep

Payment Gateways in Lebanon for Websites & Apps

Accepting online payments is one of the hardest parts of launching a website or app in Lebanon. International tools that “just work” elsewhere are often not available to Lebanese-registered businesses, customers still rely heavily on cash, and every local gateway has its own onboarding process.

This guide explains the main payment options for Lebanese businesses in 2026: card gateways, wallets, cash on delivery and international providers. It also covers how each fits WordPress, Shopify, custom web apps and mobile apps. We checked provider claims against their own public pages in September 2026. Payment products, fees and eligibility change often, so always confirm current terms directly with the provider before you build around them.

Payment options in Lebanon at a glance

How online payments work (in plain terms)

A few terms are worth separating before you choose:

• Payment gateway: the technology that securely collects payment details on your site or app and passes them for authorization.
• Acquirer or processor: the bank or processor that settles card payments into your account. In Lebanon you usually need an approved merchant account before a card gateway goes live.
• Wallet: a stored balance, such as Whish, that customers pay from without a card.
• Offline methods: cash on delivery, bank transfer or money-transfer payments that are confirmed manually or through a reference number.

Most Lebanese stores and apps end up combining two or three of these rather than relying on one.

Card payment gateways in Lebanon

areeba

areeba describes itself as a regional processor covering the Levant, North Africa and the Gulf, and lists Lebanon among its markets. Its acceptance solutions page lists online and in-app payments for all major card brands, plus pay-by-link, QR code payments and SoftPOS. Onboarding requirements, pricing and eligibility are agreed commercially, so ask areeba or your bank for current merchant terms.

NetCommerce

According to its website, NetCommerce was founded in 1999 by Credit Libanais, Fransabank and Teleinvest, and provides online payment solutions for merchants to accept card payments in real time. It is one of the longest-running gateway options for Lebanese websites.

Tap Payments

Tap has a Lebanon page promoting online payments and branded payment links that can be shared over WhatsApp, SMS, Instagram and email. A 2026 Lebanese payments guide from Voxire notes that Tap supports regional methods such as KNET, Mada and Benefit, so it is worth evaluating if you sell in both Lebanon and the GCC. Confirm onboarding requirements for your company type directly with Tap.

One practical point from a published Lebanese e-commerce guide: card processor approval can take longer than building the website itself. Start the merchant-account paperwork early.

Wallets, transfers and cash

Whish Pay

On its official site, Whish describes Whish Pay as a wallet payment gateway that lets merchants accept payments directly from a customer’s Whish balance, and says it works with Shopify, WordPress and custom websites. Whish states it is licensed by Banque du Liban under Resolution No. 19/21/22 dated 10 August 2022. In June 2025, The961 reported the launch of Whish Pay on Shopify as a cardless checkout option for stores. For customers who already hold a Whish balance, it can remove the need for a card entirely.

OMT and money-transfer payments

Some businesses, especially for B2B or high-value orders, accept payment through money-transfer networks such as OMT and confirm with a reference number. Local guides describe this as manual but trusted by many buyers. If you use it, design the order flow so payments are matched to orders reliably, rather than handled through screenshots in a chat.

Cash on delivery

Cash on delivery remains central to Lebanese e-commerce. One local 2026 guide estimates it still accounts for around 60–70% of transactions. Treat that as an estimate, but the direction is clear: removing COD usually loses orders rather than moving customers to cards. Keep it available, show delivery fees before checkout, and track failed deliveries.

What about Stripe, PayPal and Shopify Payments?

• Stripe: Lebanon does not appear on Stripe’s global availability page. Some businesses use Stripe through a company registered in a supported country, such as the UAE. That is a legal and tax decision, not a technical shortcut.
• PayPal: published Lebanese guides disagree on whether PayPal is practical for Lebanese-registered businesses to receive payments. Check eligibility, withdrawal options and fees for your specific account directly with PayPal before relying on it.
• Shopify Payments: Lebanon is not on Shopify’s supported-countries list, so Lebanon-based stores use third-party providers. Shopify’s help center explains that it charges plan-based third-party transaction fees on these orders, on top of the provider’s own fees. Check how your plan treats each payment method, and factor this into your platform choice.

If you also operate a company in the Gulf, GCC-focused gateways open up. MyFatoorah, for example, lists Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt and Jordan.

Integrating payments by platform

WordPress and WooCommerce

WooCommerce has no platform transaction fee, and many gateways offer plugins or hosted payment pages. Check that the plugin is maintained, supports refunds and sends reliable payment confirmations to update order status automatically. If a gateway has no plugin, a developer can integrate it through its API.

Shopify

Shopify is fast to launch, and some Lebanese options, including Whish Pay, have announced Shopify integrations. Remember the third-party transaction fee, and test the full checkout on mobile, including failed and cancelled payments.

Custom websites and web apps

Custom builds give full control over checkout, but the payment logic must be done carefully:

• Use the provider’s hosted payment page or secure fields, so card data never touches your servers.
• Confirm payments on the server through webhooks or status checks, never only through the browser redirect.
• Store transaction references for reconciliation, refunds and support.
• Handle currency clearly, especially USD vs LBP pricing.

Our API integration guide covers reconciliation and connecting payments to ERP and CRM systems. You can also see our API integration service.

Mobile apps

Apps have an extra rule set. Apple’s App Review Guidelines (3.1.3(e)) say apps selling physical goods or services consumed outside the app must use payment methods other than in-app purchase, such as Apple Pay or card entry. Google Play’s payments policy likewise says its billing system must not be used for physical goods and services such as food delivery or transport. Digital content and subscriptions, on the other hand, generally have to use the stores’ own billing. Ecommerce, delivery and booking apps in Lebanon therefore usually integrate a card gateway, a wallet and COD, the same as a website.

Choosing a payment stack: common scenarios

These are starting points to evaluate, not recommendations for every business. The right mix depends on your customers, average order value, company registration and bank relationships. For stores specifically, see our e-commerce website development guide for Lebanon and the GCC.

Checkout checklist before launch

• Merchant account approved and gateway credentials issued for live mode
• Test payments completed for success, failure, cancellation and refund
• Order status updates automatically from server-side payment confirmation
• Prices, currency and delivery fees visible before the customer pays
• COD and wallet options shown clearly, not hidden behind extra steps
• Confirmation emails or WhatsApp messages sent after payment
• Daily reconciliation between gateway reports and orders

Payment setup also affects your build budget. We cover this in our guide to website cost in Lebanon.

How Step To Media can help

Step To Media is a software development agency in Mkalles that builds websites, mobile apps, custom software and TV apps for businesses in Lebanon and the GCC. We help clients choose a payment stack that matches their customers, integrate gateways into WordPress, Shopify, custom web apps and native or cross-platform apps, and test the full payment flow before launch.

See our website development and mobile app development services, visit our software development agency in Lebanon hub, or contact us to plan your checkout.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best payment gateway in Lebanon?

There is no single best option. Most Lebanese businesses combine a card gateway (such as areeba, NetCommerce or Tap), a wallet like Whish Pay, and cash on delivery. The right choice depends on your customers, order value, bank relationships and platform. Confirm current terms with each provider.

Is Stripe available in Lebanon?

As of September 2026, Lebanon does not appear on Stripe’s global availability page. Businesses that use Stripe generally do so through a company registered in a supported country, which has legal and tax implications.

Is PayPal available for businesses in Lebanon?

Guidance is inconsistent. Published Lebanese guides disagree on whether PayPal is practical for receiving payments as a Lebanese-registered business. Check eligibility, withdrawals and fees directly with PayPal before building your checkout around it.

Can I use Shopify Payments in Lebanon?

No. Lebanon is not on Shopify’s supported-countries list for Shopify Payments, so Lebanon-based stores use third-party providers. Shopify charges a plan-based transaction fee on orders processed through third-party gateways.

Does Whish Pay work with websites and Shopify?

Whish says Whish Pay integrates with Shopify, WordPress and custom websites, and its Shopify launch was reported in June 2025. Check the current integration steps and merchant requirements with Whish.

Can a mobile app in Lebanon accept card payments?

Yes, for physical goods and real-world services. Apple and Google require apps selling physical goods or services consumed outside the app to use payment methods other than their in-app purchase systems, so delivery, retail and booking apps typically integrate a card gateway, wallet or COD.