Payment Gateway Selection Guide in Jordan & GCC: Requirements, Fees, and Integration Steps

Payment Gateway Selection Guide in Jordan & GCC: Requirements, Fees, and Integration Steps is a practical guide to help businesses in Jordan and the GCC compare payment gateways, understand key requirements, estimate real costs, and plan a smooth integration—without relying on marketing claims.

What this guide covers

• What a payment gateway does (in simple terms)

• A comparison checklist: fees, security, settlement, coverage, support

• Typical onboarding requirements in Jordan & GCC

• General integration steps (API-based and platform-based)

• Common mistakes to avoid

• FAQs businesses ask before choosing

What is a payment gateway?

A payment gateway is a service that enables a business to accept online payments securely. It connects the customer’s payment method (card, wallet, bank transfer) to the merchant and the bank, then returns a success/failure result to complete the order or payment.

Payment methods commonly supported in Jordan & GCC

• Credit/debit cards (commonly Visa/Mastercard)

• Bank transfers (availability depends on provider/bank setup)

• Local bill payment services (vary by country)

• E-wallets (vary by provider and country approvals)

• International payments (depends on compliance and merchant verification)

Note: the exact list varies by country (Jordan vs GCC), provider policy, business category, and verification level.

Checklist: How to choose the right payment gateway

Fees and real cost (beyond the headline rate)

What to compare

• Setup fee (one-time) vs. no setup fee

• Transaction fee (percentage) + fixed fee per transaction

• Monthly minimums or subscription fees

• Refund and chargeback fees

• Currency conversion fees (if you accept non-local currency)

• Payout/settlement fees (sometimes separate)

Simple cost question to ask

“What will it cost per 1,000 transactions at my average order value (AOV) in Jordan and in GCC markets?”

Security and compliance

Must-have security standards

• PCI DSS compliance (for card payments)

For complex systems (ERP/marketplaces), planning payments early with a clear delivery process reduces rework—see Geel Tech’s project methodology.

• Strong encryption in transit (TLS)

• Tokenization (so sensitive card data is not stored on your servers)

• Fraud controls (risk scoring, rules, velocity checks)

Operational security you should look for

• 3D Secure support (where applicable)

• Webhook signing / request verification

• Role-based access for dashboards (admin vs finance)

Settlement and cash flow

Settlement checklist

• Settlement schedule (daily/weekly) and country differences (Jordan vs GCC)

• Payout method (bank transfer, wallet—depending on provider)

• Reserve/hold policies (some providers hold a % temporarily)

• Partial capture and delayed capture (if your business needs it)

Payment experience and conversion

Checkout experience factors

• Hosted payment page vs. embedded checkout

• Mobile performance and UX (critical in Jordan & GCC)

• Multi-language (Arabic/English)

• Saved cards / recurring payments (if relevant)

Coverage and business eligibility

What to confirm

• Your business category is accepted (some categories require extra review)

• Ability to accept international cards

• Subscription billing support (recurring payments)

• Wallet support by country (Jordan vs each GCC country)

Jordan & GCC-specific considerations (important)

• Multi-currency: JOD + GCC currencies (and FX fees)

• Cross-border settlement: where money settles and in which currency

• Local compliance and KYC: requirements can differ by country

• Customer preference by market: some GCC markets lean heavily toward specific local methods/wallets

Integration options and technical fit

Integration models

• Platform plugins (fastest for e-commerce platforms)

• API integration (most flexible for custom web/apps)

If you’re building a custom web/app, the gateway choice should match your architecture—our custom software development team can help you integrate securely and scale.

• Payment links / invoices (useful for services and quick start)

Technical questions for your team

• Do we need split payments (marketplace use-cases)?

• Do we need partial refunds?

• Do we need multi-currency?

• Do we need subscriptions (recurring billing)?

• Do we need webhooks for automated order status updates?

Typical onboarding requirements in Jordan & GCC (general)

Requirements vary by provider, but many request:

• Company registration documents

• Authorized signatory details

• Bank account details for settlements

• Website/app details (or sales channel proof)

• Description of products/services + refund policy

• KYC verification for owners/directors (as required)

Tip: prepare a “payments folder” with documents and policies to speed up approvals across Jordan and GCC providers.

General integration steps (platform or API)

Option A: E-commerce platform integration (plugin)

1. Create a merchant account + complete verification

2. Configure payout bank account and settlement settings

3. Install the plugin/app on your platform

4. Add API keys / credentials in platform settings

5. Test in sandbox/test mode

6. Enable production mode

7. Verify order status updates (success/failure/refund)

8. Run reconciliation checks (daily/weekly)

Option B: API integration (custom website/app)

1. Create merchant account + verification

2. Choose the payment flow (hosted vs embedded)

3. Implement payment initiation (create session/intent)

4. Handle checkout and confirmation response

5. Implement webhooks to confirm payment status server-to-server

6. Store transaction references