How to Set Up eSewa and Khalti on Your Nepal Online Store — Step by Step

Accepting digital payments is no longer optional for Nepal's online sellers. Customers expect to pay via eSewa or Khalti — and stores that only offer cash-on-delivery lose sales, especially during peak seasons like Dashain and Tihar when online orders surge. This guide walks you through registering as a merchant on both platforms, integrating them into your store, and verifying everything works before your first real transaction.

Documents You Need Before You Start

Both eSewa and Khalti require similar paperwork. Gather these before you begin so you are not hunting for files mid-application:

• PAN card — mandatory for both gateways. If you are operating as a registered business, you need a business PAN, not a personal one.
• Citizenship certificate — of the primary account holder or business owner.
• Bank account details — account number, bank name, branch, and a voided cheque or a bank statement header showing your name and account.
• Business registration certificate — required if you are registered as a company or partnership. Sole traders operating under their personal name may not need this, but having it speeds up approval.
• Business address proof — a utility bill or lease agreement matching your registered business address.

Scan everything at 300 DPI or higher. Blurry uploads are the most common reason applications get delayed or rejected outright.

Registering as an eSewa Merchant

eSewa's merchant program lets you accept payments from any eSewa wallet and process bank card transactions through their gateway. Here is the registration flow:

1. Visit the eSewa Business portal at merchant.esewa.com.np and click "Register as Merchant."
2. Choose your business type — individual/sole trader or registered company. Pick the one that matches how your PAN is registered.
3. Fill the application form — enter your business name exactly as it appears on your PAN, your contact details, store URL, and an estimate of your monthly transaction volume.
4. Upload your documents — PAN scan, citizenship copy, and bank details. Registered companies additionally upload their business registration certificate.
5. Submit and wait for verification — eSewa's team typically reviews applications within 3 to 7 business days. You will receive an email when your merchant account is approved.
6. Collect your credentials — log in to the merchant dashboard and navigate to API Settings. Your Merchant Code and Secret Key will be listed there. Store these securely — they are what authenticate your store to eSewa.

If your application comes back with a rejection note, it is almost always a name mismatch between your store and your PAN, or an unclear document scan. Fix the specific issue flagged and resubmit.

Registering as a Khalti Merchant

Khalti's merchant onboarding is handled through their merchant admin portal. The process is similar to eSewa but with a few differences in flow.

1. Go to admin.khalti.com and select "Create a Merchant Account."
2. Enter your business details — business name, category (Retail, E-commerce, Services, Food, etc.), phone number, and email.
3. Verify your phone number via the OTP Khalti sends to your registered mobile.
4. Submit KYC documents — upload your PAN, citizenship, and bank account information. Registered businesses attach their company registration certificate as well.
5. Wait for KYC approval — Khalti's verification team generally takes 2 to 5 business days.
6. Retrieve your API keys — under Settings > API Keys in your dashboard, you will find both a Live Secret Key and a Test Secret Key. You need both for integration and testing.

If your business category does not fit neatly into Khalti's dropdown list — for example, a handmade goods seller or a home-based food business — write a clear description in the Business Description field. It helps the reviewer understand your use case and avoids unnecessary back-and-forth.

Integration: API or Plugin

With credentials from both gateways in hand, the next step is connecting them to your store. You have two main paths.

Direct API Integration

If you have a developer or are building a custom store, both eSewa and Khalti offer REST APIs with documentation.

• eSewa uses a form-based redirect flow. Your server generates a signed payment request, redirects the customer to eSewa's hosted payment page, and eSewa sends them back with a transaction reference. You then verify that reference server-side before marking the order paid.
• Khalti uses either a JavaScript widget or a direct server-to-server call. After the customer authorises the payment, Khalti returns a token. You verify that token against Khalti's API before confirming the order.

For both gateways, always perform the verification call from your server using your secret key — never trust only the redirect parameters. That server-side check is what prevents fraudulent orders.

Platform or Plugin Integration

For most small and growing businesses, a no-code path is faster and less error-prone. Platforms like Saauzi have eSewa and Khalti built directly into the payment settings — paste your merchant credentials, toggle each gateway on, and both appear as checkout options for your customers without writing any code. The integration handles NPR currency formatting, keeps up with API changes, and works with your existing order and inventory management out of the box.

Running Test Transactions

Before accepting real money, verify the entire payment flow end-to-end using each gateway's sandbox environment.

Testing eSewa

• Use the test credentials listed in eSewa's developer documentation (separate from your live keys). eSewa publishes sandbox account details including a test eSewa ID, password, MPIN, and OTP — check their current docs as these credentials are updated periodically.
• Complete a test checkout and confirm the order status updates to paid in your dashboard.
• Trigger a payment failure (wrong MPIN) and confirm your store handles the failure gracefully without marking the order paid.

Testing Khalti

• Switch your integration to use the Test Secret Key from your Khalti dashboard.
• Khalti's developer documentation at docs.khalti.com lists test wallet credentials you can use in the sandbox environment.
• Process a test payment and confirm your verification API call returns a success response with the correct amount.

After sandbox testing, switch back to live keys and do one small real transaction — NPR 10 is enough — to confirm the production flow works. Both gateways allow low-value transactions, and you can request a refund from your merchant dashboard.

A Few Things to Confirm Before You Go Live

• Webhook or callback URLs — configure payment notification webhooks so your store is updated even if a customer closes the browser before the redirect completes.
• Settlement schedule — eSewa and Khalti settle to your bank on different cycles, typically T+1 or T+2 business days. Know this before promising same-day dispatch.
• VAT invoicing — if your business is VAT-registered, make sure your platform generates invoices in NPR with the correct 13% VAT line. Digital payment receipts alone are not a substitute for a proper VAT bill.
• COD as fallback — digital wallets are growing fast but cash-on-delivery is still the preferred option for many buyers outside Kathmandu Valley. Keep COD active, especially if you are working with local couriers or logistics partners in districts with lower smartphone penetration.

You Are Ready to Accept Payments

Setting up eSewa and Khalti takes some paperwork upfront, but once your merchant accounts are active and integrated, you can accept payments from millions of wallet users across Nepal with no friction at checkout. During high-traffic periods like Dashain and Tihar, having both gateways live means you will not lose a sale because a customer's preferred app is not supported.

Start by collecting your documents today, submit both applications in the same sitting, and use the waiting period to set up your integration. By the time your approvals arrive, your store will be ready to go live immediately.