# Payment gateways in Ethiopia (2026)

Chapa, ArifPay, Telebirr, LakiPay, FenanPay, YagoutPay, and more: published fees, settlement times, and licence status in one table. Updated October 2026.

Page: https://checkout.verify.et/guides/payment-gateways-ethiopia
Figures checked: 2026-10-08

| Provider | Transaction fee | Subscription | Monthly cost on 200,000 ETB | Settlement |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Telebirr | In-store free. Online rate not published. An agreement copy says 0.5%. | Not published | 1,150 ETB | Not published by Ethio telecom. |
| Telebirr 0.8% | Reported 0.8%, minimum 1 ETB, maximum 100 ETB. | Not published | 1,840 ETB | T+1, from the same third-party report. |
| YagoutPay | 1% up to 1,000 ETB, 0.85% to 10,000, and 0.75% above that. | None | 2,300 ETB | Not published |
| Chapa | 2.5% per successful local payment. 1% international. | None | 5,750 ETB | Advertises instant payouts. A third party reports T+1 to T+2, with a 500 ETB minimum. |
| FenanPay | 2.5% plus 15% VAT, so 2.875% on the calculator. | Not published | 5,750 ETB | Not published |
| LakiPay | 2.75% customer-to-platform. 1% for B2B card payments. | None | 6,325 ETB | Advertises instant settlement. |
| ArifPay | About 2.8% per domestic payment. | None | 6,440 ETB | 1 to 2 business days, from a third-party listing. |
| Verify Checkout | None. Customers pay your own account. | Plus, 500 ETB | 500 ETB | In your account when the customer sends it. |

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the cheapest payment gateway in Ethiopia?

Among published prices, YagoutPay is the lowest aggregator rate at 0.75% to 1%. Telebirr's online merchant rate is reported at 0.5% or 0.8%, and Ethio telecom does not publish it. Chapa, LakiPay, FenanPay, and ArifPay publish 2.5% to 2.875%. If most payments are local transfers, a flat verification plan can cost less than a percentage fee once monthly sales pass roughly 17,000 to 20,000 ETB.

### How much does Chapa charge in 2026?

2.5% per successful local transaction and 1% on international payments, with no setup or monthly fee, from the Ethiopia tab of chapa.co/pricing on 8 October 2026. The merchant agreement says fees exclude tax. Other figures in circulation are 2%, 1.5%, and about 3.5%, so check the rate in your Chapa dashboard.

### Can I use Stripe or PayPal in Ethiopia?

Not directly. Ethiopia is not a Stripe-supported country. PayPal's Ethiopia site offers personal send and shop services only. Some local gateways accept international cards. Chapa lists 1% for international payments, and ArifPay lists Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal.

### Do I need a licence to accept online payments?

The gateway itself must be licensed by the National Bank of Ethiopia. As a merchant you need ordinary business KYC to open an account: a trade licence, TIN, memorandum of association, and ID. Telebirr also asks for a VAT certificate and a business proposal.

### Is VAT charged on gateway fees?

FenanPay adds 15% VAT on its fee. Chapa's agreement says fees exclude tax. ArifPay, LakiPay, and YagoutPay do not say. Budget for 15% on top unless the contract says the price includes it.

### Who pays the transfer fee when customers pay my account directly?

The customer pays their bank or wallet's normal sending fee. Receiving is free for you. At about 667 ETB, Telebirr wallet-to-wallet is 4 ETB, CBE to CBE on mobile is about 0.58 ETB including VAT, a transfer to another bank is about 8.8 ETB, and M-PESA wallet-to-wallet up to 3,000 ETB is free. A gateway percentage is paid by you, and Chapa's agreement says you may not add it as a surcharge.

### How fast do gateways settle?

Chapa advertises instant payouts, and a third party reports T+1 to T+2 with a 500 ETB minimum. ArifPay is reported at 1 to 2 business days. BirrLink lists T+1, daily, and instant tiers. M-PESA merchant pays out within one business day of a payout request. A direct transfer verified by Checkout is in your account when the customer sends it.