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Rapid Gateway vs PayFast: Honest 2026 Comparison

PayFast is one of the most established names in Pakistani payments. Rapid Gateway is a newer, more developer-first alternative. Both work — but they serve different needs. Here is a transparent breakdown so you can pick the right fit.

At a glance

  • MDR: Rapid Gateway publishes 2% on wallets / 2.5% on cards. PayFast pricing is custom by merchant.
  • Settlement: Both target T+1.
  • Built-in invoicing: Rapid Gateway includes it free. PayFast requires a separate tool.
  • Plugins: Both offer WooCommerce and Shopify; Rapid Gateway also targets freelancer / WhatsApp use cases.
  • Onboarding: Rapid Gateway aims for same-day go-live; PayFast onboarding tends to be enterprise-paced.

Pick PayFast if…

you are a large enterprise with negotiation leverage on MDR, an existing PayFast relationship, or specific bank-rail requirements that PayFast already supports.

Pick Rapid Gateway if…

you want transparent published pricing, a unified payment + invoicing experience, faster onboarding, and modern developer tooling out of the box.

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