Yes, Shopify works in Saudi Arabia, but Shopify Payments does not: Saudi Arabia is not on Shopify’s list of Shopify Payments countries (checked Nov 2026). Saudi stores take mada, cards and Apple Pay through a third-party gateway such as Tap Payments or HyperPay, add Tabby or Tamara for instalments, offer cash on delivery as a manual payment method, ship with SMSA, Aramex or a shipping platform such as OTO or Torod, and price in SAR with the 15% VAT included in displayed prices.
Does Shopify work in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. You can open a Shopify store, sell to Saudi customers, price in riyals and run the storefront in Arabic. What you cannot use is Shopify Payments: Shopify publishes the countries where it is available, and Saudi Arabia is not one of them (Shopify Help Center, checked Nov 2026). The only Gulf country on that list is the UAE, which is why our UAE guide reads differently.
Shopify’s instruction for merchants outside the list is to use a third-party payment provider. So a Saudi Shopify store has three pieces to put together itself: a gateway for mada and cards, cash on delivery for customers who still pay at the door, and a courier.
Payment gateways for mada, cards and Apple Pay
| Provider | How it connects to Shopify | What the provider lists |
|---|---|---|
| Tap Payments | Two free apps by Tap: Native Checkout and Checkout Page. Tap recommends installing both | Native Checkout: Apple Pay, mada, Visa, Mastercard and Amex on Shopify’s own checkout. Checkout Page: a hosted page with Apple Pay, Google Pay, KNET, Benefit and Tabby |
| HyperPay | Free HyperPay app, published by HyperPay in Riyadh | The listing does not name its payment methods. Ask HyperPay which ones it enables on Shopify for your account |
| Moyasar | We could not find a Moyasar app on the Shopify App Store (checked Nov 2026) | Mada, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, STC Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, under Saudi Central Bank supervision (Moyasar). Ask Moyasar how it connects to Shopify before you plan around it |
mada is the Saudi debit card network, so check two things with any gateway before you sign: that mada works on your Shopify checkout, and that it works inside Apple Pay. Then pay for a real order with a real mada card in test and live mode.
Checked on each provider’s own page and App Store listing in November 2026. The Tap and HyperPay apps had few reviews, mostly negative, when we checked, so read them and ask about settlement times before you launch. Fees are set by each provider, so we do not quote them.
Buy now, pay later: Tabby and Tamara
| Provider | What it adds | How it connects to Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Tabby | Instalments for customers with a billing address in Saudi Arabia or the UAE, in SAR or AED. Your store currency does not have to be SAR if multi-currency processing is on | Tabby Payment app, with live keys and Shopify webhooks (Tabby docs) |
| Tamara | Pay later over up to 24 months, with the merchant paid upfront. The app is free. Tamara Finance Company is licensed by the Saudi Central Bank | Tamara’s payment app for Shopify (Tamara Saudi Arabia) |
Both ask for webhooks so order numbers match in their dashboards. Set them up before your first live order.
Cash on delivery, confirmed on WhatsApp
- Turn on cash on deliveryIn the Shopify admin go to Settings > Payments and activate the manual payment method for cash on delivery. “Cash on Delivery (COD)” is a reserved name, so you pick it from Shopify’s list rather than creating it (Shopify Help Center).
- Write the payment instructionsShopify shows them on the order confirmation page. Say what the customer pays at the door, in SAR with VAT included, and whether the courier takes mada on delivery.
- Confirm every COD order before you pack itSend a WhatsApp message with Confirm, Edit and Cancel buttons about an hour after the order, and only pack the orders that come back confirmed. The full setup is in COD order confirmation on WhatsApp.
- Mark the order paid when the cash arrivesManual-payment orders stay Pending in Shopify until you mark them paid. Reconcile against your courier’s COD transfers.
Where COD loses money and how to cut it is in our cash on delivery guide and reducing fake COD orders.
Couriers and shipping apps in Saudi Arabia
| Courier or platform | Shopify app | What the listing says it does |
|---|---|---|
| SMSA Express | SMSA Shipping App, official | Creates SMSA labels for domestic and international orders, fulfils the order and tracks the shipment. Existing SMSA customers connect their account; new ones use a prepaid plan |
| Aramex | Aramex shipping app, by Aramex International | Shipment creation, pickups, labels, tracking and shipping rates at checkout |
| OTO | OTO Shipping Gateway, from Riyadh | One dashboard for several carriers: SPL and SMSA locally, Aramex, DHL, UPS and J&T Express among the international ones. COD with transfers up to twice a week |
| Torod | Torod Shipping Management, from Riyadh | Several Saudi couriers from one screen, COD management, labels from SAR 17 |
We did not find a Shopify app published by SPL (Saudi Post) or by J&T Express for Saudi Arabia (checked Nov 2026). OTO lists both as carriers, so a shipping platform is the usual route to them. Whichever you pick, ask how often COD cash is transferred, what a refused parcel costs, and whether tracking comes back into Shopify, since that is what lets your shipping messages carry the right link.
VAT at 15%, prices in SAR and ZATCA e-invoicing
Most supplies in Saudi Arabia are taxed at the standard VAT rate of 15%, and ZATCA’s guidance for retailers says displayed prices must include VAT (ZATCA retail guideline, checked Nov 2026). If you are VAT-registered, set the 15% rate in Shopify’s tax settings and show prices with tax included.
Set the store currency to SAR in Settings > General, under Store defaults, after checking that your gateway supports it (Shopify Help Center).
E-invoicing (Fatoora) applies too. ZATCA enforced Phase One, issuing invoices from a compliant electronic solution, on 4 December 2021 for resident taxpayers, and has rolled out Phase Two, integrating that solution with ZATCA’s systems, in waves since 1 January 2023 (ZATCA). Ask your accountant or e-invoicing provider how invoices for your Shopify orders will meet it. This guide is not tax advice.
An Arabic, right-to-left storefront
Shopify lets you sell in up to 20 languages on the Basic, Grow, Shopify and Advanced plans, and 30 on Plus. Arabic is one of the languages with ready translations for checkout and default theme content. The layout is a theme question: Shopify says the latest Horizon themes support right-to-left languages such as Arabic, and that with any other theme you should confirm it does (Shopify Help Center, checked Nov 2026).
Check the mirrored layout on a phone before launch: menus, prices, the cart drawer and product galleries are where a theme without proper RTL support breaks. Then write your order messages in Arabic too, so the customer reads the same language from product page to delivery.
WhatsApp for Saudi Shopify stores
Shopify sends its own notifications by email, and some by SMS. WhatsApp is where many Saudi customers, in Arabic and English, expect to hear about an order. The flows most stores switch on first:
| Shopify event | Message | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Order created | WhatsApp confirmation with Confirm, Edit and Cancel | Stops refused COD parcels before they are packed |
| Checkout abandoned | A reminder linking back to the same cart | Reaches the customer on the app they open. See the abandoned cart flow |
| Product restocked | A back-in-stock alert to everyone who asked for that variant | Turns a sold-out page into a list of buyers. See the back-in-stock flow |
| No order for a while | A win-back message with a reason to reorder | Brings lapsed customers back before they forget you. See customer churn |
| Order fulfilled | Shipping update with the courier and tracking link | Customers who know when the courier is coming are home and ready to pay |
Meta bills WhatsApp messages to Saudi numbers in riyals: see our WhatsApp pricing for Saudi Arabia. For a side-by-side of the WhatsApp tools Saudi Shopify stores use, see the best WhatsApp marketing platforms for Shopify in Saudi Arabia. If you also want SMS to Saudi numbers, ask us first: sender IDs have to be registered before anything is sent.
What Nonito does for Shopify stores in Saudi Arabia
Nonito connects to a Shopify store and turns its events into WhatsApp and email flows in Arabic and English: cash-on-delivery confirmation with Confirm and Cancel buttons, abandoned cart reminders, back-in-stock alerts and win-back messages, with every order attributed to the message that brought it. Shopify stores install it from the Shopify App Store. Plans are Free, Spark at $49 a month and Growth at $129 a month, billed in US dollars and excluding VAT; Meta’s WhatsApp fees are on top. See the Shopify integration and pricing.
Shopify, Salla or Zid?
Salla and Zid are Saudi ecommerce platforms built for the local market, with payments and shipping built in: Salla says it connects to more than 300 shipping companies, and Zid offers integrated shipping management. Shopify suits brands that want its themes and app ecosystem, or that sell beyond Saudi Arabia from one store, and accept wiring up the gateway and courier themselves.
Nonito works with all three. Shopify connects from the App Store; Salla and Zid stores connect through a custom integration we set up with you, included in your plan, using your orders, customers, carts and stock. Book a demo to plan it.
A setup order that works
- Set the store currency to SAR and the 15% VAT rate, with prices shown tax included.
- Sign with a gateway, and test mada, Apple Pay and a card in test mode and with one real order.
- Add Tabby or Tamara and set up their webhooks.
- Turn on cash on delivery only if you will confirm COD orders before shipping them.
- Check your theme in Arabic on a phone, then connect your courier.
- Connect WhatsApp: order confirmation first, then abandoned cart, back in stock and win-back.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shopify work in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. You can run a Shopify store in Saudi Arabia, price in SAR and sell in Arabic. Shopify Payments is not available there (checked November 2026), so cards, mada and Apple Pay go through a third-party gateway such as Tap Payments or HyperPay.
Is Shopify Payments available in Saudi Arabia?
No. Saudi Arabia is not on Shopify’s list of Shopify Payments countries (checked November 2026). In the Gulf, only the UAE is.
How do I accept mada on Shopify?
Through a third-party gateway. Tap Payments’ Native Checkout app lists mada, Apple Pay, Visa, Mastercard and Amex on Shopify’s checkout. Ask any gateway whether mada works on your checkout and inside Apple Pay, and test it with a real mada card before launch.
Can I offer Tabby and Tamara on Shopify in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Tabby’s Shopify app takes orders with Saudi or UAE billing addresses, in SAR or AED. Tamara has a free Shopify app for Saudi merchants. Both need webhooks set up in Shopify.
Do I charge VAT on my Shopify store in Saudi Arabia?
The standard VAT rate is 15%, and ZATCA’s retail guidance says displayed prices must include VAT. E-invoicing (Fatoora) also applies. Ask your accountant about registration and how your invoices will comply.
How do I send Shopify order updates on WhatsApp in Saudi Arabia?
Shopify needs an app for WhatsApp. Nonito connects to your store from the Shopify App Store and sends COD confirmations, abandoned cart reminders, back-in-stock alerts and win-back messages on WhatsApp in Arabic or English. Plans are billed in US dollars, excluding VAT.
Should I use Salla or Zid instead of Shopify?
Salla and Zid are Saudi platforms with payments and shipping built in for the local market; Shopify suits brands that want its themes and apps or sell beyond Saudi Arabia. Nonito works with Shopify through its app, and with Salla and Zid through a custom integration set up with our team.
Sources
- Shopify Help Center: Shopify Payments supported countries, Saudi Arabia not listed (checked Nov 2026)
- Shopify App Store: Tap Payments Native Checkout (checked Nov 2026)
- Shopify App Store: Tap Payments Checkout Page (checked Nov 2026)
- Shopify App Store: HyperPay (checked Nov 2026)
- Moyasar: payments for e-commerce stores (checked Nov 2026)
- Tabby docs: Shopify integration, KSA and UAE billing addresses (checked Nov 2026)
- Tamara Saudi Arabia: Shopify extension (checked Nov 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Manual payment methods, including cash on delivery (checked Nov 2026)
- Shopify App Store: SMSA Shipping App, official (checked Nov 2026)
- Shopify App Store: Aramex shipping app (checked Nov 2026)
- Shopify App Store: OTO Shipping Gateway (checked Nov 2026)
- Shopify App Store: Torod Shipping Management (checked Nov 2026)
- ZATCA: Guideline for the Retail Sector under VAT Provisions, 15% rate and VAT-inclusive displayed prices (checked Nov 2026)
- ZATCA: What is e-invoicing, Phase One and Phase Two (checked Nov 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Changing your store currency (checked Nov 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Requirements for selling in multiple languages, including right-to-left (checked Nov 2026)
- Salla (checked Nov 2026)
- Zid (checked Nov 2026)