Middle East Payment Gateway API Access Guide

1. Overview of the Middle East payments market

The payments ecology in the Middle East (including the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC countries) is characterised by the following:

• Credit card penetration is high, but cash is still important
• Popularity of local payment methods such as Mada Card (Saudi Arabia), Fawry (Egypt) and Benefit Pay (Bahrain)
• Stringent compliance requirements for Islamic finance
• VAT rates are generally 5%-15%

2. Mainstream payment gateway providers

a. PayTabs (headquarters: Saudi Arabia)

specificities::

• GCC Region's Leading Omni-Channel Solution
• Support Mada, Apple Pay, Visa/Mastercard, etc.
• Well-documented API and sandboxed environment

b. Telr (Headquarters: UAE)

specificities::

• Shopify's Official Recommended Payment Options for the Middle East
• One-page checkout solutions

3. PayTabs API Access Detailed Guide

a. Registration and certification process

1. Merchant Registration::

   • Visit the PayTabs website to submit business registration documents (English or Arabic required)
   • A copy of the CR (Commercial Registration) is required for GCC countries.
   • VAT tax code registration (if applicable)

2. Account verification::

   • Corporate bank account verification (local Middle East accounts are easier to pass)
   • AML/KYC compliance review (usually takes 3-5 working days)

b. API base configuration

# Python Sample Code - PayTabs Initialisation

import requests



PAYTABS_MERCHANT_EMAIL = "[email protected]"

PAYTABS_SECRET_KEY = "sk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

PAYTABS_BASE_URL = "https://secure.paytabs.com/"



headers = {

    "Authorization": PAYTABS_SECRET_KEY,

    "Content-Type": "application/json"

}

c. Core API endpoints

4. Telr integration key steps

a. SDK Integration Approach

// JavaScript Frontend Integration Example (Telr Embedded Payment)

TelrGateway.init({

    key: 'MERCHANT_KEY',

    complete: function(response) {

        if (response.status === 'approved') { 

            // Payment success logic 

        }

    }

});

b. Webhook configuration requirements

The following notification URL must be implemented:

• https://yourdomain.com/telr/callback (HTTP POST)
• Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

Security recommendations::
1) Verificationauthkeyparameters
2) IP whitelist setting: 54.77..

5. Mada card special handling programme

Additional parameters are required for Mada card payments in Saudi Arabia:

{

    "payment_method": "mada",

    "customer_details": { 

        "id_number": "{Saudi ID number/Iqama number}".

        "bank_code": "{issuing bank code}"

     }

}

take note ofMada transaction fees are usually 0.5%-1% lower than international credit cards.

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions Solutions

Q1: What are the common causes of API call failures in GCC regions?
A1.
✅ IP not whitelisted (contact gateway tech support to add)
✅ VAT calculation error (make sure the pass parameter contains the tax_amount field)

Q2: Local banks such as Arab Bank refusing transactions?
A2.
- Header to add "Accept-Language": "ar"
- Billing address must contain Arabic character versions