Comparison · Updated October 13, 2026
Tap Payments vs PayTabs for Saudi and Gulf businesses
Tap Payments
B-
Tap Payments is a payment gateway and payment facilitator for businesses in the Gulf and wider Middle East. It started in Kuwait, says it was founded in 2014 by Ali Abulhasan (other sources give 2012 or 2013), and is now licensed by the central bank or its equivalent in all six GCC states and in Egypt. Merchants sign a contract with Tap's local company and accept local debit schemes (KNET in Kuwait, mada in Saudi Arabia, Benefit in Bahrain), Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay and regional wallets and buy-now-pay-later options through one integration, plus payment links, invoicing and card terminals in Kuwait. Tap publishes maximum prices in its country terms and conditions. As of October 2026 the Kuwait terms list KNET at 1% + 100 fils and local Visa and Mastercard at 2.75% + 100 fils, with up to 25 KD a month or a setup fee of up to 500 KD. The Saudi terms list mada at 1% and local cards at 2.5%, each plus a 1 SAR service fee. The UAE terms list local cards at 2.75% + 1 AED, with payouts five days after the transaction. Contracts run for a year and renew automatically, with 30 days' notice to leave. Tap says it serves more than 100,000 businesses, including large regional brands, but its Trustpilot profile scores 1.7 from 155 reviews (44% one-star, 42% five-star), with complaints about closed accounts and funds held for long periods.
PayTabs
B-
PayTabs is a Riyadh-based payments company founded in Saudi Arabia in 2014 by Abdulaziz Al Jouf. It sells a payment gateway to online merchants across the Gulf and North Africa, a payment orchestration and switching platform to banks and large enterprises, and the Paymes Super App for small Saudi businesses. We review it from the point of view of a merchant in Saudi Arabia, where PayTabs publishes the most. There, PayTabs is a technology layer rather than your acquirer: its gateway terms say you sign a separate processing and settlement agreement with a partner bank or payment service provider, which sets your card rates, handles chargebacks and pays you out. PayTabs charges on top of that. As of October 2026 its Saudi gateway agreement lists a one-time SAR 999 setup fee, SAR 199 a month and SAR 1 per transaction, before VAT. The Paymes app is priced separately at SAR 49 a month, with mada cards at 1% and credit cards at 2.25% + SAR 1, which PayTabs labels a testing-phase price. Outside Saudi Arabia the only published prices we found are per-transaction plans on its Egypt page; other markets are quoted by sales. The contract has no fixed term, and either side can end it on 60 days' notice, but fees already paid, including the setup fee, are not refunded. Trustpilot rates it 2.6 out of 5, and recent reviews describe slow payouts, frozen funds and support that is hard to reach.
VS
Overview
We compare the two for a business in Saudi Arabia, the one market where both publish prices, using their terms as of October 2026. They are built differently. Tap Payments signs you up itself, under its own Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) licence as a Major Payment Institution. Its Saudi terms list mada at 1%, local Visa and Mastercard at 2.5% and international cards at 3.75%, each plus SAR 1 per transaction, and say pricing may be customised by volume. On top of that you pay up to SAR 600 a month or a setup fee of up to SAR 5,000. PayTabs's main gateway is a technology layer. In Saudi Arabia you sign a separate agreement with one of its partner banks or payment providers, which sets your card rates and pays you out. PayTabs then adds its own fees: SAR 999 to set up, SAR 199 a month and SAR 1 per transaction. It publishes no gateway card rates for Saudi Arabia. For small Saudi businesses PayTabs also sells the Paymes app at SAR 49 a month, with mada at 1% and credit cards at 2.25% + SAR 1, prices it labelled a testing phase as of 13 October 2026. Tap ties you to a one-year contract that renews automatically, though either side can end it on 30 days' notice. PayTabs has no fixed term and needs 60 days' notice, and it refunds no fees. Tap covers all six Gulf states and Egypt, including Bahrain's BENEFIT. PayTabs lists no Bahrain market, but it does list Iraq, Jordan and Türkiye. In September 2026 PayTabs agreed to buy Amazon Payment Services' Middle East and North Africa business. Neither company had announced completion by 13 October 2026, so for now it changes nothing for merchants. Payment Review grades both B-.
Key Takeaways
- ✓It depends on how you want to contract. Tap Payments is a licensed provider with published Saudi list prices (mada 1% + SAR 1, local cards 2.5% + SAR 1), which it says may be customised by volume. PayTabs's gateway sits on top of a partner bank's processing agreement, whose card rates are not published.
- ✓PayTabs's own Saudi gateway fees are SAR 999 to set up (non-refundable), SAR 199 a month and SAR 1 per transaction, plus SAR 200 a month for Apple Pay on Shopify. Tap's Saudi ceilings are up to SAR 600 a month or a setup fee of up to SAR 5,000. Both exclude 15% VAT.
- ✓For very small Saudi businesses, PayTabs's Paymes app has the lower published transaction rates: mada at 1% and credit cards at 2.25% + SAR 1, against 1% + SAR 1 and 2.5% + SAR 1 on Tap's list. It costs SAR 49 a month; Tap's fee is up to SAR 600 a month or a setup fee instead, with no published floor. PayTabs labelled the Paymes prices a testing phase as of 13 October 2026, and the app is not open to sole traders.
- ✓Tap holds a licence or central bank permission in all six GCC states and Egypt and accepts KNET, mada and BENEFIT. PayTabs runs portals in nine markets, including Iraq, Jordan and Türkiye, but lists no Bahrain market or BENEFIT.
- ✓Tap's contract runs a year and renews automatically, though either side can end it on 30 days' notice. PayTabs has no fixed term but needs 60 days' notice and refunds no fees. Both have weak Trustpilot scores (Tap 1.7, PayTabs 2.6), each drawn from few recent reviews.
Tap Payments
Tap Payments suits a Saudi or Gulf online business that wants one licensed provider to contract with, published list prices, and local debit schemes in several GCC countries (mada, KNET, BENEFIT) through one integration, including on Salla or Zid.
PayTabs
PayTabs suits a Saudi merchant that already has, or wants, a processing agreement with a partner bank and needs a mada-certified gateway on top, a business selling in Iraq, Jordan, Egypt or Türkiye, or a very small registered Saudi company that wants the low-cost Paymes app.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
Neither is better across the board, and Payment Review grades both B-. Tap Payments is the simpler choice for a Saudi or Gulf online business that wants to deal with one company. It holds a SAMA licence, publishes Saudi list prices (mada 1% + SAR 1), covers KNET, mada and BENEFIT in all six GCC states, and works with Salla and Zid. The cost is a one-year auto-renewing contract and a weak Trustpilot score (1.7). PayTabs suits a merchant that wants its processing agreement with a bank and a gateway on top. Its fees are clearer to budget (SAR 999 setup, SAR 199 a month, SAR 1 per transaction), but the card rate comes separately from the partner. It has no fixed term and reaches Iraq, Jordan and Türkiye. For a very small registered Saudi business, its Paymes app has the lower published transaction rates, at 1% on mada and SAR 49 a month, though PayTabs labelled them testing-phase prices as of 13 October 2026. PayTabs's agreed purchase of Amazon Payment Services' regional business may change its model once completed. It had not been announced as completed by 13 October 2026.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Online pricing in Saudi Arabia (as of October 2026, excl. VAT)
| Feature | Tap Payments | PayTabs |
|---|---|---|
| mada, online | 1% + SAR 1 | Not disclosed |
| Tap's Saudi terms list mada at 1% plus a SAR 1 service fee per transaction, and note that pricing may be customised based on merchant volume. Only the monthly and setup fees carry 'up to'. On PayTabs's main gateway the card rate is set by the partner bank or payment provider you sign with, and PayTabs adds its own SAR 1 per transaction. PayTabs's separate Paymes app charges 1% on mada (see below). | ||
| Local Visa and Mastercard, online | 2.5% + SAR 1 | Not disclosed |
| Tap's terms list local Visa and Mastercard at 2.5% plus SAR 1, customisable by volume. PayTabs publishes no gateway card rate for Saudi Arabia; the partner bank or provider quotes it per account. | ||
| International cards, online | 3.75% + SAR 1 | Not disclosed |
| Tap lists regional and global Visa and Mastercard at 3.75% plus SAR 1, and adds an FX premium of 2% to 5% when the transaction currency differs from your payout currency. PayTabs publishes no cross-border or currency conversion rate for Saudi Arabia. | ||
| Per-transaction fee | SAR 1 | SAR 1 |
| Both charge SAR 1 on every transaction. At Tap it sits on top of its percentage rate. At PayTabs it is a platform fee on top of whatever your partner bank charges. On a SAR 20 basket, SAR 1 alone is 5% of the sale. | ||
| Monthly fee | Up to SAR 600 (or a setup fee instead) | SAR 199 |
| Tap's Saudi terms say 'up to 600 SAR monthly or set up fees up to 5000 SAR' for its Acceptance and Billing packages, so you pay one or the other, at up to those amounts. PayTabs charges SAR 199 a month and a one-time setup fee. Tap's figure is a ceiling, so no winner is given. | ||
| Setup fee | Up to SAR 5,000 (or a monthly fee instead) | SAR 999, non-refundable |
| PayTabs's SAR 999 must be paid before the account is activated and is not refunded, even on termination. Tap's terms give new merchants at least ten working days to withdraw and get back prepaid fees not tied to a service already delivered. | ||
| Apple Pay on Shopify | Not disclosed | +SAR 200 a month |
| PayTabs's Saudi gateway agreement adds an Apple Pay usage fee of SAR 200 a month for merchants who take Apple Pay through Shopify. Tap's Saudi fee table has no Apple Pay line, so we cannot say whether Tap charges anything beyond its card rates. PayTabs also charges SAR 10,000 a year for ZATCA Phase 2 e-invoices, and extra, unpublished fees for split payouts, tokenisation and pre-authorisation. | ||
mada, online
Tap Payments
1% + SAR 1
PayTabs
Not disclosed
Tap's Saudi terms list mada at 1% plus a SAR 1 service fee per transaction, and note that pricing may be customised based on merchant volume. Only the monthly and setup fees carry 'up to'. On PayTabs's main gateway the card rate is set by the partner bank or payment provider you sign with, and PayTabs adds its own SAR 1 per transaction. PayTabs's separate Paymes app charges 1% on mada (see below).
Local Visa and Mastercard, online
Tap Payments
2.5% + SAR 1
PayTabs
Not disclosed
Tap's terms list local Visa and Mastercard at 2.5% plus SAR 1, customisable by volume. PayTabs publishes no gateway card rate for Saudi Arabia; the partner bank or provider quotes it per account.
International cards, online
Tap Payments
3.75% + SAR 1
PayTabs
Not disclosed
Tap lists regional and global Visa and Mastercard at 3.75% plus SAR 1, and adds an FX premium of 2% to 5% when the transaction currency differs from your payout currency. PayTabs publishes no cross-border or currency conversion rate for Saudi Arabia.
Per-transaction fee
Tap Payments
SAR 1
PayTabs
SAR 1
Both charge SAR 1 on every transaction. At Tap it sits on top of its percentage rate. At PayTabs it is a platform fee on top of whatever your partner bank charges. On a SAR 20 basket, SAR 1 alone is 5% of the sale.
Monthly fee
Tap Payments
Up to SAR 600 (or a setup fee instead)
PayTabs
SAR 199
Tap's Saudi terms say 'up to 600 SAR monthly or set up fees up to 5000 SAR' for its Acceptance and Billing packages, so you pay one or the other, at up to those amounts. PayTabs charges SAR 199 a month and a one-time setup fee. Tap's figure is a ceiling, so no winner is given.
Setup fee
Tap Payments
Up to SAR 5,000 (or a monthly fee instead)
PayTabs
SAR 999, non-refundable
PayTabs's SAR 999 must be paid before the account is activated and is not refunded, even on termination. Tap's terms give new merchants at least ten working days to withdraw and get back prepaid fees not tied to a service already delivered.
Apple Pay on Shopify
Tap Payments
Not disclosed
PayTabs
+SAR 200 a month
PayTabs's Saudi gateway agreement adds an Apple Pay usage fee of SAR 200 a month for merchants who take Apple Pay through Shopify. Tap's Saudi fee table has no Apple Pay line, so we cannot say whether Tap charges anything beyond its card rates. PayTabs also charges SAR 10,000 a year for ZATCA Phase 2 e-invoices, and extra, unpublished fees for split payouts, tokenisation and pre-authorisation.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Saudi online store that wants one contract and a published price
Recommended
Tap Payments
Tap contracts with you directly under its SAMA licence and publishes Saudi list prices: mada 1% + SAR 1, local cards 2.5% + SAR 1, and up to SAR 600 a month or a setup fee of up to SAR 5,000, which it says may be customised by volume. PayTabs's gateway card rates come from a separate partner agreement and are not published.
Small registered Saudi business selling through social media, links or a phone
Recommended
PayTabs
PayTabs's Paymes app charges 1% on mada and 2.25% + SAR 1 on credit cards, below Tap's published 1% + SAR 1 and 2.5% + SAR 1, for SAR 49 a month (plus SAR 20 for SoftPOS). Tap's goCollect app costs up to SAR 600 a month or a setup fee instead. PayTabs labelled the Paymes prices a testing phase as of 13 October 2026, and sole traders are not eligible.
Business selling across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain
Recommended
Tap Payments
Tap holds a licence or central bank permission in all six GCC states and accepts mada, KNET and BENEFIT. PayTabs lists no Bahrain market or BENEFIT.
Merchant with an existing acquiring relationship with a Saudi bank
Recommended
PayTabs
PayTabs's Saudi gateway is designed to sit on top of a partner bank or payment provider's processing agreement, adding SAR 199 a month and SAR 1 per transaction for the platform, payment links, invoicing and plugins.
Business selling in Iraq or Türkiye
Recommended
PayTabs
PayTabs runs merchant portals for Iraq and Türkiye. Tap's licences cover the six GCC states and Egypt. PayTabs publishes no prices for either market, so get a quote.
Shopify store in Saudi Arabia that wants Apple Pay
Recommended
Tap Payments
Tap has two Shopify apps, one for Shopify's native checkout and one for its own checkout page with local methods, and its Saudi fee table lists no Apple Pay surcharge. PayTabs's Saudi agreement charges SAR 200 a month on top of its other fees for Apple Pay through Shopify. Confirm Tap's Apple Pay pricing in your contract.
Tap Payments: Best for 3 use cases
PayTabs: Best for 3 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
It depends on the product. Tap's Saudi terms list 1% + SAR 1 on mada and 2.5% + SAR 1 on local cards, which it says may be customised by volume, plus up to SAR 600 a month or a setup fee of up to SAR 5,000. PayTabs's gateway charges SAR 999 to set up, SAR 199 a month and SAR 1 per transaction, on top of card rates set by a partner bank that are not published, so the two cannot be compared directly. For small businesses, PayTabs's Paymes app has lower published transaction rates than Tap: 1% on mada and 2.25% + SAR 1 on credit cards, for SAR 49 a month, though PayTabs labelled these testing-phase prices as of 13 October 2026. Tap's and PayTabs's gateway fees exclude VAT; the Paymes page does not say.
Both accept mada in Saudi Arabia and KNET in Kuwait, along with Apple Pay. Tap also accepts BENEFIT in Bahrain. PayTabs's payment-methods page lists no Bahrain market and no BENEFIT.
Tap says it is licensed by the Saudi Central Bank as a Major Payment Institution, and SAMA first licensed it as a payment service provider in June 2020. PayTabs publishes no licence list. In Saudi Arabia it works as a gateway: your processing agreement is with a licensed partner bank or payment provider, and PayTabs says Saudi Payments certified it as a mada gateway in March 2023.
PayTabs agreed on 7 September 2026 to buy Amazon Payment Services' Middle East and North Africa business, which serves more than 3,500 businesses in nine markets. The companies' joint announcement valued the deal at more than $100 million. Both companies approved it, but no completion date was given, and neither had announced completion as of 13 October 2026. Until it completes, existing Amazon Payment Services and PayTabs merchants keep their current agreements.
Tap lists Salla, Zid, Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, OpenCart, CS-Cart and PrestaShop among the platforms it supports. PayTabs has plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, OpenCart, CS-Cart, PrestaShop, WHMCS, Drupal and Xero, and partnered with Zid in 2020. We could not confirm a PayTabs Salla integration on either company's own pages. PayTabs charges SAR 200 a month extra for Apple Pay on Shopify in Saudi Arabia.
Tap's contract runs for a year and renews automatically, but its terms let either side end it on 30 days' written notice, unless your signed contract sets a termination fee. PayTabs's Saudi agreement has no fixed term and needs at least 60 days' notice. It charges no termination fee, but fees already paid, including the SAR 999 setup fee, are not refunded.