Payment Gateway in Sri Lanka: Fees, Documents, Approval
Lists of every payment gateway in Sri Lanka are easy to find. What they rarely say is what a gateway will cost your business in a real month, what you must have ready before you apply, and why applications are turned down.
This guide answers those three questions, with the fees the gateways publish themselves, read on 19 October 2026. It is written for a business that has, or is planning, an online shop or a booking website and wants to take card payments on it.
What a payment gateway does
A payment gateway is the secure page where your customer types a card number, or chooses a mobile wallet or a bank account, to pay you. The gateway checks the payment with the customer's bank in a few seconds, keeps its fee, and pays the rest into your bank account.
In Sri Lanka a gateway that collects payments for many businesses works under the Central Bank's rules, through licensed banks. That is why, at PayHere for one, each application is reviewed by a partner bank before you can take a single payment.
What a payment gateway costs in Sri Lanka
Gateways charge in up to three ways:
- A share of each payment, between about 2.5% and 4% for a local card.
- A monthly or yearly fee, on some plans and not on others.
- Extra percentages for some cards and for foreign currencies.
PayHere
PayHere publishes its plans with no set-up fee on any of them:
| Plan | Monthly fee | Fee on each payment |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | None | 3.30% |
| Plus | LKR 3,990 | 2.99% |
| Premium | LKR 9,990 | 2.69% |
- Each plan has limits. Lite takes payments of up to LKR 50,000 each and LKR 200,000 a month. Plus takes up to LKR 250,000 a payment and LKR 3,000,000 a month. Premium takes up to LKR 1,000,000 a payment, with no monthly limit.
- American Express, Discover and Diners Club cost 0.5% more than your plan's fee.
- A payment in a foreign currency costs 1.0% more, and is converted to rupees at the bank's rate.
WebXPay
WebXPay charges a subscription instead of a monthly fee. Its Starter package, which asks for no minimum business volume, is Rs.10,000 for 12 months, and its fee is 3.80% on a local Visa or Mastercard payment and 4.85% on a foreign one. Its larger packages cost more a year and charge less on each payment, for businesses that process more than Rs.10 million a month.
Onepay
Onepay charges Rs.1,500 once your documents are approved, 1% on a LankaQR payment, and 1.5% more on a payment from abroad.
One order, worked out
A customer buys LKR 5,000 of goods with a local card:
| Gateway and plan | Fee on this order | You receive |
|---|---|---|
| PayHere Lite | LKR 165 | LKR 4,835 |
| PayHere Plus | LKR 149.50 | LKR 4,850.50 |
| WebXPay Starter | LKR 190 | LKR 4,810 |
The order's fee is only part of the picture. Plus also costs LKR 3,990 a month, and WebXPay's Starter Rs.10,000 a year. For a shop selling LKR 150,000 a month, Lite costs LKR 4,950 in fees; Plus costs LKR 4,485 in fees plus its LKR 3,990 monthly fee, LKR 8,475 in all. A shop that sells within Lite's limits pays less on Lite than on Plus, whatever its sales: the monthly fee is more than the lower percentage saves.
What you need before you apply
PayHere sets out what it asks for from each kind of business. In short:
| Your business | Proof of the business | Bank account |
|---|---|---|
| Private limited company | Business Registration | A business account |
| Sole proprietor or partnership | Business Registration | A business account |
| Home-based business | An active social media page or online shop | A personal account is accepted |
| Freelancer | A profile on a freelancing site, with a certificate | A personal account is accepted |
Every applicant also sends proof of the bank account, such as a statement that shows the account number (or, for a new account, a letter of confirmation from the bank), and a signed agreement. A company's agreement is signed by its directors and secretary.
What your website must show
This is where applications fail. PayHere's guidance lists what it checks on the website, and an incomplete website is rejected:
- The website is finished, and sells real products or services. A website under construction, or one with sample products, is turned down.
- It shows your terms, your return policy and your privacy policy.
- It shows your business's contact details: the registered business name, a phone number, an email address and a postal address.
Build those pages into the website from the start. If you are having a shop built, ask for them in the quote, so that the gateway can approve it the week it is finished.
How long approval takes
PayHere says approval takes 1 to 3 days, because a partner bank reviews each business under the Central Bank's rules. Applications are quicker when every detail is typed without mistakes and every document is scanned clearly.
Other gateways give their own times. Whichever you choose, apply as soon as the website is finished, not on the day you plan to open.
Taking payments from abroad
A guesthouse, an exporter or a shop with buyers overseas needs to take foreign cards:
- PayHere accepts payments in rupees and US dollars on Lite, and also in euros, pounds and Australian dollars on Plus and Premium. They are paid to you in rupees, at 1.0% more than the plan's fee. A registered business on Plus or Premium can choose to be paid in dollars instead, into a dollar account.
- WebXPay charges 4.85% on a foreign Visa or Mastercard payment on its Starter package.
- Stripe does not list Sri Lanka among the countries where a business can open an account, and WooPayments, WooCommerce's own payments, does not either. A Sri Lankan shop on WooCommerce or Shopify uses a local gateway's plugin instead; PayHere has plugins for both.
- PayPal says that to receive money in Sri Lanka you link your PayPal account to a local partner bank.
The gateways we set up
Payment gateway integration is part of our E-Commerce package. If you already have an account with a gateway, tell us which when you ask for a quote.
Cash on delivery and bank transfer: still worth offering?
Card payments are not the only way to be paid, and many shops offer more than one:
- Cash on delivery costs no gateway fee. The courier collects the money and pays it to you later, and an order can be refused at the door. Ask your courier what it charges to collect cash.
- A bank transfer costs you nothing beyond your bank's own charges, but someone has to check each payment before the order is sent.
- A payment link lets you take a card payment without a shop: PayHere's links can be sent by WhatsApp, Messenger or email, on any of its plans.
Questions about payment gateways in Sri Lanka
How do I accept card payments on my website in Sri Lanka?
Open an account with a payment gateway such as PayHere or WebXPay, have it approved, and connect it to your website. A shop on WooCommerce or Shopify connects through the gateway's plugin.
What does a payment gateway in Sri Lanka charge?
PayHere charges 3.30% of each payment on its free Lite plan, and less on plans with a monthly fee of LKR 3,990 or LKR 9,990. WebXPay's Starter package is Rs.10,000 a year and 3.80% on a local card. These are the figures each showed on 19 October 2026.
Can an unregistered business get a payment gateway?
PayHere accepts a home-based business with an active social media page or online shop, and a freelancer with a profile on a freelancing site, each with a personal bank account. A company or a registered business needs its Business Registration and a business account.
How long does it take to get a payment gateway approved?
PayHere says 1 to 3 days, because a partner bank reviews each business. Your website must be finished, with its policies and contact details, before you apply.
Can I take payments from customers abroad?
Yes. PayHere and WebXPay both accept foreign cards, at a higher fee than local ones. PayHere's larger plans also accept euros, pounds and Australian dollars.
Is Stripe available in Sri Lanka?
Stripe does not list Sri Lanka among the countries where a business can open an account. Sri Lankan websites use a local gateway instead.
Need a shop that takes payments?
See what our E-Commerce package includes, read what an online shop costs in its first year and after, or tell us what you sell.
