Starting an online store in Nepal? One of your first decisions is how to accept payments. This guide walks you through every option, from the simplest (payment links) to the fully integrated (API + webhooks), so you can choose what fits your stage.
Stage 1: Just Starting Out (0-10 orders/month)
If you're validating a business idea or just starting, you don't need a full checkout integration.
Use payment links. Create a PayBridgeNP account, generate a link for each order, and send it to customers via WhatsApp or Instagram DMs. No code, no website needed.
This sounds manual, but it's perfect for testing whether customers will actually buy your product before investing in a full store.
Stage 2: Small Store (10-100 orders/month)
Now you have a real business. You need a proper e-commerce store with checkout.
Option A: WooCommerce
WooCommerce powers a large share of online stores worldwide. If you're on WordPress, it's the natural choice.
Cost: Free (WordPress + WooCommerce are free; you pay a modest monthly hosting fee)
Setup:
- Install WooCommerce on your WordPress site
- Install PayBridgeNP WooCommerce plugin
- Connect your PayBridgeNP account
- Start selling
Pros: Full control, huge plugin ecosystem, SEO-friendly, low cost
Cons: Needs some technical know-how for setup and maintenance
Option B: Shopify
Shopify is the fastest way to get a professional-looking store live without touching code.
Cost: a monthly subscription (billed by Shopify in USD) for the basic plan
Setup:
- Create a Shopify account
- Install PayBridgeNP through the direct/custom install flow
- Configure your products
- Start selling
Pros: Beautiful themes, fast setup, hosted (no server to manage), mobile POS
Cons: Monthly fee, limited customization, transaction fees
Option C: Custom Site
If you have a developer (or are one), build your own checkout with PayBridgeNP's API.
Best for: Unique requirements, digital products, marketplaces, platforms
Stage 3: Scaling (100+ orders/month)
At this stage you need financial reconciliation, refund workflows, and reporting across every sales channel, on top of the order fulfillment and inventory your store platform already handles.
PayBridgeNP's dashboard covers the payment side: every transaction from every channel (WooCommerce, Shopify, API, payment links) lands in one place to reconcile, refund, and export. Fulfillment and inventory stay with your store platform.
Payment Methods: Which to Offer?
For a Nepali e-commerce store, you should offer:
Khalti: Essential. Huge user base, easy for customers.
eSewa: Essential. Nepal's most recognized wallet. Some customers have one but not the other.
ConnectIPS: (not yet available through PayBridgeNP, on our roadmap) Useful for orders above NPR 10,000, where customers with high-value purchases often prefer a direct bank transfer.
Cash on Delivery (COD): Still important in Nepal, especially outside Kathmandu. Offer it alongside digital payments.
With PayBridgeNP, Khalti + eSewa + Fonepay come through a single integration. No need to add three separate gateways. (ConnectIPS adapter is on our roadmap; if you need it today, integrate with NCHL directly alongside PayBridgeNP.)
Understanding Fees
PayBridgeNP fee: NPR 0 per transaction - you pay a flat monthly plan (Free/Growth/Pro), no per-transaction platform fee
Khalti MDR: set by your Khalti merchant agreement (charged on Khalti's end; included in the customer payment)
eSewa MDR: set by your eSewa merchant agreement
ConnectIPS: a flat fee per transaction (not yet available through PayBridgeNP, on our roadmap)
Shopify transaction fee: Shopify adds an extra fee when you use a third-party gateway (2% on Basic, less on higher plans), because Shopify Payments is not available in Nepal
Practical example for a NPR 1,000 order (assuming a 2% provider MDR):
- Customer pays NPR 1,000
- The provider's MDR, about 2% in this example, = NPR 20
- You receive about NPR 980
Always price your products with gateway fees in mind. For payment security best practices before going live, see our security guide.
Settlement: When Do You Get Your Money?
PayBridgeNP never holds your funds. Every payment settles directly to your own eSewa, Khalti, or Fonepay merchant account, on that provider's normal settlement cycle, exactly as if the customer had paid you through that provider directly.
- There is no PayBridgeNP payout to wait on and no separate bank setup on our side, because the money never passes through us
- Each provider credits you on its own schedule, using the merchant account and dashboard you already have with them
- You set settlement up once with each provider, not with PayBridgeNP
We only route the payment and track it for you, so you can reconcile everything in one place.
Checkout Conversion Tips for Nepal
A good checkout experience makes a real difference: most carts that reach checkout are abandoned, and a payment step that can't take the customer's preferred method is one avoidable reason.
Show payment options clearly. Display Khalti and eSewa logos prominently. Many customers abandon if they can't immediately see their preferred payment method.
Mind the checkout window. A PayBridgeNP checkout session expires after 30 minutes, and that window is fixed. If an order takes longer to sort out, generate a fresh payment link or session rather than reusing the old one.
Mobile-first. Most Nepali online shoppers browse and buy on mobile. Test your checkout on a mid-range Android phone on a 4G connection.
Offer COD alongside digital. Until digital payment penetration hits critical mass, COD helps capture customers who are hesitant to pay online.
Conclusion
| Stage | Platform | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10 orders/month | None needed | PayBridgeNP payment links |
| 10-100/month | WooCommerce or Shopify | PayBridgeNP plugin |
| 100+/month | Any | PayBridgeNP API + webhooks |
Start simple, scale as you grow. Create your free PayBridgeNP account and be ready to accept payments in minutes.