A payment gateway is the piece that lets a customer pay you online and tells your store the money arrived. In Nepal the choice is genuinely different from most markets, because wallets — not cards — carry the majority of online consumer payments.
The main options
- eSewa — the most widely held wallet, and for many stores the single highest-volume method.
- Khalti — wallet plus bank and card options, strong with younger buyers.
- FonePay — the interbank QR network; the customer pays from their own bank app, which is why QR is everywhere.
- ConnectIPS — direct bank transfer, common for higher-value payments.
- Card gateways — needed for international buyers, but a minority of domestic consumer payments.
- Cash on delivery — not a gateway, but still a large share of orders and impossible to ignore.
How the money actually moves
The customer authorises payment in their wallet or bank app. The gateway confirms the transaction to your store, which marks the order paid. The gateway then settles into your bank account — usually not instantly. Settlement time and fee are the two commercial terms that matter; ask about both before you sign.
What it costs
Expect a percentage per transaction, sometimes with a fixed component, varying by provider, method and volume. Two practical points:
- Fees differ by method. Wallet, QR and card are not priced the same, so your product margin can vary by how the customer chose to pay.
- Negotiate at volume. Published rates are a starting point once you are processing meaningful amounts.
What you need to get approved
Providers generally want a registered business, PAN or VAT registration, a bank account in the business name, and a live website with visible pricing, contact details and a return policy. Preparing those before applying saves a fortnight of correspondence.
Built-in versus manual integration
Integrating each provider yourself means developer time, testing, and maintenance every time an API changes. A Nepal-ready platform ships these methods and you enable them in settings. Unless you have a specific reason to control the integration, built-in is the pragmatic choice.
Do not switch off cash on delivery
COD remains a large share of Nepali orders, particularly for first-time buyers who have not yet decided to trust you. Offer it, but manage it — verify phone numbers, confirm high-value orders before dispatch, and give a small incentive for paying in advance.
Which to enable
For most stores selling domestically: eSewa, Khalti and FonePay QR, plus COD. Add card processing when you genuinely have international customers, not before — it adds compliance work for a small share of orders.
The short version
Nepal is a wallet-and-QR market. Enable eSewa, Khalti and FonePay alongside COD, check settlement times as carefully as fees, prepare your registration documents in advance, and prefer built-in integrations over maintaining your own.
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