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Merchant guide

Egypt Fawry, Paymob and wallet payments

Egypt's checkout mixes bank cards, a national instants bank rail (InstaPay), a huge agent network (Fawry), and mobile wallets such as Vodafone Cash. Paymob is the leading aggregator that bundles all of these into one integration for merchants.

The Egyptian payment landscape

Egypt is a mixed market. Urban, card-holding buyers pay with Visa, Mastercard, or the local Meeza debit scheme. But a very large part of the population pays through other rails. Fawry is a nationwide network where customers pay bills and merchant references at more than 200,000 agent points such as pharmacies, supermarkets, and kiosks, and also online through Fawry Plus. InstaPay is the Central Bank of Egypt's instant bank-transfer rail that lets customers pay straight from their bank app. Mobile wallets like Vodafone Cash, Orange Cash, Etisalat Cash, and WE Pay are widely used for phone-based payments. For a merchant, the job is to offer the mix your buyers actually use, not just cards.

  • Cards and Meeza cover urban, banked buyers.
  • Fawry reaches customers at 200,000+ agent points and online.
  • InstaPay is the instant bank-transfer rail from the central bank.
  • Vodafone Cash and other wallets are common phone-based payments.

Fawry as a collection channel

Fawry works in two main ways for merchants. The first is a reference code: you generate a Fawry bill reference per order or invoice, and the customer pays it at any Fawry agent or online. This is powerful for customers without cards or bank accounts, because they can pay cash at a neighbourhood shop. The second is Fawry as a payment gateway for online checkout alongside cards and wallets. Fawry is described as Egypt's leading digital payments platform with a very large daily transaction volume across its agent and digital channels. For merchants selling to families, schools, or services, the reference-at-agent model opens payment to people who would otherwise be unreachable.

  • Fawry reference: pay at any agent or online, cash-friendly.
  • Fawry gateway: cards, wallets, and Fawry at online checkout.
  • Strong for customers without cards or bank accounts.
  • Useful for schools, utilities, and service billing.

Paymob as the all-in-one aggregator

Paymob is an Egyptian payment infrastructure provider that lets a merchant accept many methods through one integration: cards, Meeza, Fawry references, mobile wallets, InstaPay, and installments. Instead of signing with each rail separately, you connect to Paymob's API or dashboard and turn on the methods you want in your dashboard. Paymob is FRA-licensed and serves a large base of merchants, including ecommerce, SaaS, travel, and government fee collection. For a cross-border or small merchant, an aggregator like Paymob removes the work of contracting Fawry, each wallet, and the card schemes one by one. The trade-off is that the aggregator adds its own fee on top of each underlying method's cost.

  • One integration covers cards, Meeza, Fawry, wallets, InstaPay.
  • FRA-licensed Egyptian payment facilitator.
  • Turn methods on or off in the dashboard.
  • Adds one fee layer above each rail's cost.

Mobile wallets in Egypt

Vodafone Cash is the most recognised mobile wallet, with Orange Cash, Etisalat Cash, and WE Pay also in the market. Customers pay by entering their wallet number and confirming, and merchants receive the funds through their gateway or aggregator. Wallets are useful for smaller amounts and for buyers who do not hold a card. When you use an aggregator, wallets appear as just another checkout option, so you do not need a separate contract with each telco. If you go direct with a wallet, expect KYC and a per-wallet onboarding, which is why most merchants prefer the aggregator route in Egypt.

  • Vodafone Cash leads; Orange, Etisalat, and WE also exist.
  • Wallets suit small amounts and card-free buyers.
  • Through an aggregator, wallets are one checkout option.
  • Direct wallet contracts add separate KYC per telco.

Fees, settlement and currency

Egyptian payment costs are method-specific. Card and gateway acquiring commonly run a few percent of transaction value plus a small fixed fee, with monthly gateway fees on some plans. Fawry, wallets, and InstaPay each carry their own rates. Settlement is usually in Egyptian pounds (EGP), often T+1 or with a same-day option for a fee. Public pricing is only a first filter. Actual pricing changes with country, industry, volume, settlement currency, integration method and contract terms. Confirm against the provider's official pricing page or a written quote before you go live.If you are a foreign seller, also check whether you can settle in EGP or need a different structure, and confirm cross-border or FX handling in writing. Always ask for a full schedule covering cards, Fawry, wallets, InstaPay, refunds, and chargebacks before you sign.

  • Card acquiring is often a few percent plus a small fixed fee.
  • Each rail (Fawry, wallet, InstaPay) has its own rate.
  • Settlement is usually EGP, T+1 or same-day for a fee.
  • Foreign sellers must confirm settlement currency and FX in writing.

How to start as a merchant

If you are a local Egyptian business, decide whether to contract Fawry and wallets directly or use one aggregator. For most small and cross-border merchants, one aggregator that bundles cards, Fawry, wallets, and InstaPay is the faster path. Prepare your commercial register, tax card, and bank account details for KYC. Test each payment flow in the sandbox, especially Fawry reference payment and STK-style wallet approval. Reconcile your first settlements by hand, and track your true all-in cost per method, because the mix of cards versus Fawry versus wallets changes your effective rate.

  • Most merchants start with one aggregator for speed.
  • Prepare commercial register, tax card, bank details.
  • Test Fawry reference and wallet flows in sandbox.
  • Track true per-method cost after launch.

Questions merchants ask

What is the difference between Fawry and Paymob?

Fawry is a payment network and gateway, famous for its agent points where customers pay references in cash or online. Paymob is an aggregator that bundles Fawry, cards, wallets, and InstaPay into one integration for merchants.

Do I need a local company to accept payments in Egypt?

A direct local merchant account generally expects an Egyptian business with a commercial register and tax card. Cross-border sellers usually work through an aggregator or PSP that already holds the licensing and can collect locally.

Which mobile wallet should I add first?

Vodafone Cash has the widest recognition, but through an aggregator you can switch on multiple wallets at once. Add wallets based on where your buyers are, not on brand alone.

How is settlement handled in Egypt?

Settlement is usually in EGP, often T+1, with same-day options sometimes available for a fee. Confirm the exact timing and any cross-border or FX handling in your written terms.

Public sources