Salon, clinic, and gym owners keep asking us the same question: "Paymob or Stripe?" The short answer — if your business serves clients inside Egypt, Paymob is the practical choice. If you serve clients outside Egypt in foreign currency, Stripe deserves a look. But the full decision needs a clear picture of fees, settlement, supported methods, and support quality
This article compares both gateways from the perspective of an Egyptian service-business owner, drawing on the experience of dozens of businesses that use Orcaa with one or both providers
Paymob: the Egyptian-licensed gateway
Paymob is the largest electronic payment gateway in Egypt, licensed by the Central Bank of Egypt. Founded in Cairo in 2015, it now supports more than 50,000 merchants across the Middle East
What Paymob supports
Credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Meeza), Vodafone Cash wallet, Orange Money wallet, We Pay wallet, Etisalat Cash wallet, CIB Smart Wallet, Sohola installments, valU installments, cash on delivery, and direct bank transfer
Fees
Paymob charges between 2.7% and 2.9% per transaction plus a fixed EGP amount. There's no monthly subscription fee for typical small businesses. Bank settlement takes two to three business days
The biggest advantage
Vodafone Cash support alone is reason enough to pick Paymob in Egypt. More than 40% of consumer payments now flow through e-wallets, and Vodafone Cash is the most widely used. Paymob is the only major gateway that supports these wallets reliably
Stripe: the global gateway
Stripe is the world's most popular payment gateway, available in over 40 countries. But in Egypt it operates with severe limitations — there's no local infrastructure, and the business must register outside Egypt for full functionality
What Stripe supports in Egypt
International credit cards only (Visa, Mastercard, American Express). It doesn't support local Egyptian cards, Egyptian e-wallets, or any other local payment method
Fees
Stripe charges 2.9% + 30 cents for international transactions. Settlement is in USD or EUR, which you then need to convert to EGP (and you'll lose another margin on the exchange rate)
The core problem in Egypt
Stripe doesn't accept Egyptian bank accounts directly. The business needs a bank account in the US, UAE, or Europe. That's a major obstacle for most small and mid-sized businesses
Quick comparison table
| Feature | Paymob | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Local Egyptian cards | Yes | No |
| Vodafone Cash & Orange Money | Yes | No |
| Installments (Sohola / valU) | Yes | No |
| International cards | Yes | Yes |
| Settlement in EGP | Yes | No |
| Egyptian bank account | Sufficient | Not sufficient |
| Fees | 2.7–2.9% + fixed EGP | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Arabic support | Yes | No |
When to choose Paymob
Choose Paymob if
(1) your business serves clients primarily inside Egypt, (2) you want to accept Vodafone Cash and other Egyptian wallets (a real necessity in this market), (3) you want direct EGP settlement to your Egyptian bank account, (4) you need Arabic-language support during Egyptian business hours, (5) you may need installments for your clients (Sohola, valU)
When to choose Stripe
Choose Stripe if
(1) your business serves international clients primarily (for example: online consultations for clients outside Egypt), (2) you have a bank account outside Egypt, (3) you transact regularly in foreign currency, (4) you don't need local Egyptian wallet support
The smartest path: use both
Some sophisticated businesses run both gateways — Paymob for local clients, Stripe for international ones. This lets you collect with the lowest fees from each market. Orcaa supports both gateways in a single account, automatically routing to the appropriate one based on the card's country of origin
The bottom line
For most service businesses in Egypt, Paymob is the clear answer. If you're uncertain, start with Paymob today and consider adding Stripe later if your international client base grows