Choosing how to accept online payments in Nepal comes down to a few real questions: which methods do your customers actually use, what are the fees, how fast do you get settled, and how much work is the integration. This guide compares the main options for 2026, with honest pros and cons, so you can pick what fits your business.
What to look for in a Nepali payment gateway
Before comparing providers, know the criteria that matter:
- Customer reach: the method has to be one your customers already use. In Nepal, that usually means supporting more than one wallet.
- Fees: most providers charge a merchant discount rate (MDR) of around 1.5% to 2% per transaction, though rates vary by your merchant agreement (Fonepay QR is free for merchants).
- Settlement: how soon the money reaches your bank account, and whether the provider holds your funds in between.
- Developer experience: clean APIs, SDKs, sandbox testing, and plugins for your platform.
- Coverage: ideally, one integration that accepts several methods instead of building each separately.
The main payment methods in Nepal
eSewa
eSewa is Nepal's oldest and most widely used digital wallet, launched in 2009. It has the broadest consumer reach of any Nepali payment method, across every age group and region.
- Pros: largest user base, strong recognition, works well in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
- Cons: its own API documentation can lag, and refunds are manual.
- Fee: around 1.5% MDR, which varies by your agreement.
Best for almost every business, because eSewa is the wallet most Nepali customers already have. Accept eSewa payments.
Khalti
Khalti, launched in 2017 and now part of IME Khalti, is the developer-friendly wallet. Customers pay from a wallet balance, a linked bank account, or a card.
- Pros: clean API, a good sandbox, and it is the one provider with automated refunds through its API.
- Cons: slightly smaller reach than eSewa, and stronger in urban areas.
- Fee: around 2% MDR, which varies by your agreement.
Best for developer-facing products and younger, urban audiences. Accept Khalti payments.
Fonepay
Fonepay is Nepal's largest payment network, licensed by Nepal Rastra Bank as a Payment System Operator. Its Dynamic QR can be scanned by almost any Nepali bank or wallet app.
- Pros: the widest bank-app reach of any single method, instant confirmation, and no redirect.
- Cons: fees are negotiated directly with Fonepay, and the direct API is more involved.
- Fee: negotiated with Fonepay.
Best for QR-first checkouts and reaching customers who bank more than they wallet. Accept Fonepay payments.
ConnectIPS
ConnectIPS, operated by Nepal Clearing House (NCHL), is direct bank-to-bank transfer. It suits high-value and business-to-business payments where customers prefer to pay straight from a bank account.
- Pros: high transaction limits, trusted bank rails, and a flat per-transaction fee.
- Cons: more onboarding steps, and settlement takes a day or two.
- Fee: a flat per-transaction fee.
Best for large-ticket and B2B payments. ConnectIPS is on the PayBridgeNP roadmap; follow the public roadmap for progress.
Bank transfer and cards
Direct bank transfer works but is manual: customers send a screenshot and you reconcile by hand. International card gateways mostly do not process Nepali rupees, so local card coverage is limited.
Quick comparison
| Method | Best for | Fee | Settlement | Refunds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eSewa | Widest consumer reach | About 1.5% | To your merchant account | Manual |
| Khalti | Developer experience | About 2% | To your merchant account | Automated |
| Fonepay | QR and bank-app reach | Negotiated | To your merchant account | Manual |
| ConnectIPS | High-value, B2B | Flat per-transaction fee | 1 to 2 days | Manual |
The catch: you usually need more than one
Here is the real problem. A meaningful share of your customers use one wallet but not another. If you only accept eSewa, you lose the Khalti-only customers, and the other way around. So most serious Nepali businesses want eSewa and Khalti at a minimum, plus Fonepay for wider reach.
Accepting each one directly means separate merchant applications, separate credentials, separate code, separate webhooks, and separate dashboards to reconcile. That is weeks of work, and ongoing maintenance for every provider you add.
The simplest option: one integration for all of them
PayBridgeNP is built exactly for this. You integrate once and accept eSewa, Khalti, and Fonepay through a single API, a single hosted checkout, and a single dashboard. Adding or swapping a provider is a dashboard setting, not a code change.
- No fund holding: every payment settles straight to your own provider merchant accounts. PayBridgeNP never takes custody of your money.
- 0% platform fee: you pay a flat monthly plan, not a percentage of every sale. You still pay each provider's own MDR, and nothing extra to us.
- No-code options: plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, and WHMCS, plus hosted payment links and buttons.
- Built for developers: TypeScript, PHP, and Python SDKs, signed webhooks, sandbox testing, and MCP tools for AI agents.
Compare the providers side by side to see which fits your customers.
Frequently asked questions
Which payment gateway is best in Nepal?
There is no single best gateway, because your customers use different methods. eSewa has the widest reach, Khalti is the most developer-friendly, and Fonepay has the broadest bank-app coverage. For most businesses the best approach is to accept all three, which PayBridgeNP lets you do through one integration.
How much do payment gateways cost in Nepal?
Most providers charge a merchant discount rate of around 1.5% to 2% per transaction, and rates vary by your merchant agreement (Fonepay QR is free for merchants). PayBridgeNP adds a 0% platform fee on top, so you pay the provider's own rate plus a flat monthly plan, and nothing extra to us.
Can I accept eSewa and Khalti with one integration?
Yes. PayBridgeNP lets you accept eSewa, Khalti, and Fonepay through a single API, checkout, and dashboard, without building each provider separately.
Do I need a developer to accept online payments in Nepal?
No. You can use a no-code plugin for WooCommerce, Shopify, or WHMCS, or send a hosted payment link, with no code at all. Developers get SDKs and an API for custom integrations.
Ready to start? Create a free PayBridgeNP account and accept eSewa, Khalti, and Fonepay through one integration.