How we ranked these alternatives
Ranking payment gateways is contentious because no single metric defines best. We weighted the criteria most Pakistani merchants tell us they actually care about, in order of impact on day-to-day economics and checkout conversion.
- Pricing transparency — does the provider publish MDR, or quote per merchant?
- Settlement speed — how fast does money land in your local bank account?
- Method coverage — cards, Raast, JazzCash, easypaisa, bank transfer, QR.
- Integration ease — official plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, WordPress, plus a clean REST API.
- Recurring billing — tokenized cards, subscriptions, dunning, retries.
- Onboarding speed — how fast can a new merchant be live?
At a glance — six PayFast alternatives compared
MDR figures change often and most providers quote them per merchant, so confirm current pricing with each one directly. Rapid Gateway publishes its rates, which is why they appear in full below.
| Gateway | Best for | Published MDR | Settlement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Rapid Gateway | Transparent pricing & broad coverage | 2% wallet / 2.5% card | T+1 |
| 2. Safepay | Shopify / DTC brands | Quoted — verify | T+1 to T+3 |
| 3. PayPro | Invoicing & subscription billing | Quoted — verify | T+1 to T+2 |
| 4. XPay (PostEx) | On-site Shopify checkout | Quoted — verify | T+1 to T+2 |
| 5. JazzCash Merchant | Wallet acceptance (mix) | Quoted — typically 1.5 to 2.5% | T+0 to T+1 |
| 6. Easypaisa Merchant | Wallet acceptance (mix) | Quoted — typically 1.5 to 2.5% | T+0 to T+1 |
The six alternatives, in detail
1. Rapid Gateway — best overall PayFast alternative for 2026
Rapid Gateway is an SBP-licensed Pakistani payment gateway purpose-built for the gap PayFast leaves on transparency and ease. Cards, Raast, JazzCash, easypaisa, bank transfer and QR all settle through one API, with a published flat MDR of 2 percent wallet and 2.5 percent card — no per-merchant negotiation required. The plugin story is complete: official WooCommerce, Shopify and WordPress plugins, plus a REST API and webhooks for custom stacks.
What it solves for PayFast users: transparent pricing without sales calls, embedded checkout option, built-in online invoicing for freelancers and agencies, and same-day go-live for most merchants. The trade-off is smaller historical brand recognition than PayFast, though the SBP licensing footprint and merchant base are growing fast.
Best for: Pakistani merchants who want predictable economics, broad method coverage, and a faster path from sign-up to live transactions.
2. Safepay
Safepay is an SBP-regulated Pakistani fintech with a strong position in Shopify and direct-to-consumer brands. It appears on the Shopify list of officially supported gateways, which keeps setup straightforward and signals long-term plugin maintenance.
- On-site embedded checkout (no redirect drop-off)
- Developer-friendly API documentation
- Listed on Shopify supported gateways
- Strong reputation for local support and transaction success rates
Trade-offs: pricing is not publicly disclosed; merchants need to negotiate. Subscription billing is lighter than PayPro.
Best for: DTC brands on Shopify prioritising checkout experience and developer ergonomics.
3. PayPro
PayPro is a Pakistan-based digital payments platform that goes well beyond a basic card gateway. The platform combines online card and bank payments with full digital invoicing and an over-the-counter cash-collection network spanning many partner locations across Pakistan.
- Full digital invoicing built in
- Over-the-counter cash collection network
- Recurring billing in PKR — meaningfully better than PayFast for subscription models
- Reported integrations with 22 or more banks and wallets
Trade-offs: pricing is not publicly disclosed and tends to be higher for smaller merchants; some user reviews flag customer-service responsiveness as inconsistent.
Best for: B2B, education, healthcare, insurance and any subscription business that needs recurring billing in PKR.
4. XPay (by PostEx)
XPay is the payment gateway from PostEx, with Bank Alfalah infrastructure backing. It is positioned around embedded on-site checkout and conversion optimisation, and counts PriceOye, Domino Pakistan and Maria B among its case studies.
- Embedded on-site checkout (no redirect)
- Conversion-focused product positioning, with reported uplift over redirect flows
- Strong enterprise client roster
- Multi-method support including card networks and digital wallets
Trade-offs: pricing is not publicly disclosed; smaller merchants may find onboarding still enterprise-paced.
Best for: Shopify merchants prioritising checkout completion and conversion rate.
5. JazzCash Merchant
JazzCash operates one of the largest mobile wallets in Pakistan, with tens of millions of users, and offers a dedicated merchant payment gateway. For businesses where wallet-first customers are the majority, accepting JazzCash directly tends to lift conversion meaningfully.
- Massive consumer wallet base
- Typically lower MDR for wallet payments
- 3-D Secure on card payments
- Multiple plugin integrations
Trade-offs: wallet-first orientation makes it less ideal as a primary multi-method gateway for ecommerce.
Best for: adding wallet acceptance alongside a primary card-and-Raast gateway.
6. Easypaisa Merchant
Easypaisa, backed by Telenor Microfinance Bank (now part of Pakistan first digital bank), is the other dominant mobile wallet with a merchant acceptance product. Like JazzCash, it works best as a method addition alongside a primary gateway.
- Large wallet user base
- Official plugins for WooCommerce and Shopify
- Typically lower MDR for wallet payments
Trade-offs: same as JazzCash Merchant — best as a method-mix component, not a stand-alone primary gateway.
Best for: adding wallet acceptance for Easypaisa-heavy customer bases.
Which alternative fits your business?
The right PayFast alternative depends on your business model and stack. Use this as a starting shortlist.
- Running a Shopify store: shortlist Safepay or XPay for on-site checkout. Rapid Gateway also fits with its Shopify plugin.
- Running WooCommerce or WordPress: Rapid Gateway, PayPro and Safepay all have stable plugins.
- Subscription, SaaS or instalment business: PayPro for invoicing plus recurring billing, or Rapid Gateway for the unified invoicing-plus-gateway experience.
- B2B with cash-collection needs: PayPro for the over-the-counter network.
- Wallet-heavy customer base: add JazzCash and Easypaisa direct alongside your primary gateway. Rapid Gateway bundles both in one account if you prefer a single contract.
- Want pricing certainty up front: Rapid Gateway publishes flat MDR. No other gateway in this list currently does.
How to migrate from PayFast (the practical sequence)
Switching gateways sounds risky, but for most Pakistani merchants the migration takes a single working day end to end. Here is the sequence that works cleanly.
- Audit your current PayFast contract — note your effective MDR, settlement timing, integration method (plugin or custom), and any custom features you rely on (recurring billing tokens, custom checkout, etc.).
- Pick your replacement based on the decision matrix above. Most merchants narrow it to two candidates within an hour.
- Sign up at the new gateway, complete KYC and request sandbox access. With Rapid Gateway, sandbox credentials arrive the same day as the sales call.
- Switch in your storefront or backend. Most plugins let you keep PayFast active while you test the new gateway with a small test order. Once a real live transaction settles successfully to your bank, switch fully and deactivate PayFast.
The bottom line
PayFast remains a credible Pakistani gateway, especially for established e-commerce brands with negotiation leverage. But six alternatives now do specific things better. The right alternative depends on your business model, not on who has the bigger brand.
If you want one general-purpose recommendation, Rapid Gateway is built for Pakistani merchants who want transparent published pricing, broad method coverage and same-day go-live. If you want a deeper diagnosis of PayFast itself, our honest PayFast Pakistan review goes section by section through what works and what does not.
Whatever you pick, confirm current MDR in writing, test the checkout on a real Pakistani mobile connection, and verify that settlement lands on T+1 to your local bank before going fully live.