If you want to take payments online in Nepal, Stripe and PayPal are not going to help you. Nepal is not supported for merchant payouts by either platform, and the workarounds people use create tax headaches and account risk. The practical answer is eSewa, Khalti, and Fonepay. This guide explains how each one works for businesses and how to add them to your website.
| Platform | User base | Merchant fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| eSewa | Largest in Nepal, 10M+ users | 1.5–2% per transaction | Most businesses; widest customer reach |
| Khalti | Fast growing, strong with younger users | ~2% per transaction | Online stores, tech-forward businesses |
| Fonepay | Bank QR network, all major NRB banks | 0–0.5% (bank QR rates) | In-person payments, hospitality, retail |
There is no rule that says you can only pick one. Most businesses that take payments online in Nepal accept all three. The registration is separate for each, but the integration effort for a developer is roughly the same.
eSewa has the largest user base in Nepal, so it is usually the first one to set up. The merchant registration is done through their website (esewa.com.np) under the merchant section. What you will need:
Once approved, eSewa provides you with a merchant code and access to their developer documentation. Settlement of payments into your bank account typically happens on a T+1 basis (the next working day after the transaction).
Khalti's merchant process is similar. They are particularly strong for e-commerce businesses and have a developer-friendly API that works well for custom-built websites and mobile apps. Registration goes through khalti.com under the merchant or business section.
One practical advantage of Khalti: their support team tends to be responsive via email and phone, which matters when you are integrating payments into a new website and need a quick answer. eSewa's support is larger but can be slower to respond to technical questions.
Fonepay is the QR payment network that most Nepali banks use. When a customer scans a QR code with their bank's mobile app, they are likely using the Fonepay network. This makes Fonepay particularly useful for physical locations: restaurants, shops, hotels, and any business where customers pay in person.
For website payments, Fonepay also has an API, but it is less commonly used for e-commerce than eSewa or Khalti. The main advantage is the very low transaction fee: bank QR payments through Fonepay typically have fees set by NRB regulation, which are much lower than the 1.5 to 2 percent charged by eSewa and Khalti.
Each platform provides developer documentation and a test environment (sandbox) for building and testing the integration before going live. If you have a developer building your site, they can handle this. The general flow is:
This last step, verifying with the API server-side, is the part that is sometimes skipped on cheap website builds. If you skip it, a technically savvy user can fake a payment confirmation. Any serious web development work should include proper payment verification.
What if you have international customers who want to pay in USD, EUR, or GBP? This is a genuine gap in Nepal's payment infrastructure. Stripe and PayPal do not pay out to Nepal. Wise (formerly TransferWise) does allow you to receive international transfers in USD or EUR to a Wise account, but it has limits and does not integrate directly with websites as a payment gateway.
Some Nepal businesses use Payoneer for international settlements, which connects to a Nepali bank account. Others invoice international clients through platforms like Upwork (which handles its own currency conversion) or use direct wire transfer for large amounts. There is no clean, seamless international payment solution for Nepal-based businesses in 2026. The options all have some friction.
A small thing that makes a real difference: when you add payment options to your website, show the logos of the payment methods you accept prominently on your pricing or checkout page. Many Nepali customers look for the eSewa or Khalti logo before they start filling in a form. If they do not see it, they assume you only take cash or bank transfer and may leave.
We build and integrate payment systems for Nepali businesses. Message us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what the integration would involve for your specific site.
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