Payments are one of the first questions Pakistani Shopify merchants run into. The important distinction is between Shopify Payments, third-party payment providers and manual payment methods.
Is Shopify Payments available in Pakistan?
As of September 2026, Pakistan is not listed on Shopify's supported-country page for Shopify Payments. If your business is based in Pakistan, you should not build your payment plan around Shopify Payments unless Shopify later adds Pakistan and your business meets its eligibility requirements.
Option 1: Cash on delivery
COD is a manual payment method supported by Shopify. The customer places the order online and payment is collected separately on delivery. Shopify says manual payment methods don't incur third-party transaction fees.
COD is easy to understand for local customers, but the business still needs a process for order confirmation, courier handling, failed deliveries and return-to-origin costs. See how to set up COD on Shopify.
Option 2: Bank transfer
Bank transfer can also be configured as a manual payment method. You can show payment instructions after checkout, then mark the order paid after confirming receipt. This can work for higher-value orders or customers who prefer direct transfer.
Option 3: Third-party payment providers
Shopify supports third-party payment providers, but the exact providers available to your store depend on location, provider eligibility and current integrations. Check Shopify Admin → Settings → Payments and then verify onboarding, settlement, currency support and fees directly with the provider before committing.
Understand the two layers of fees
With a third-party provider, you may have the provider's own processing fee and a Shopify third-party transaction fee. Shopify's Pakistan pricing page currently lists third-party provider rates of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced. Manual methods such as COD and bank transfer are treated differently and Shopify states they are not charged third-party transaction fees.
What should a new store use?
There is no single payment setup that is best for every Pakistani business. A local COD-heavy brand has different needs from a business selling digital services or shipping internationally. Compare customer preference, average order value, fraud/return risk, settlement time and total fees.
Payment checklist before launch
- Confirm the provider is actually available for your business and country.
- Read onboarding and verification requirements.
- Check processing fees, Shopify transaction fees and settlement times.
- Test successful and failed checkout flows.
- Write clear COD or bank-transfer instructions.
- Check refund and cancellation handling.
- Place a real or test order on mobile.
For the full setup sequence, read How to Start a Shopify Store in Pakistan.
Need help with your Shopify store? Explore my Shopify development services or send your store through the free Shopify store audit. For a visual checklist, see the Visual Shopify Keybook.
