If you sell online in Nepal, you will eventually have to decide which payment methods to accept. The three that matter most are eSewa, Khalti, and Fonepay. This guide compares them head to head so you can choose what fits your business, and shows how to accept all three through one integration.
The quick answer
For most Nepali businesses, the honest answer is to accept all three. Each one reaches a different slice of customers, and a shopper who cannot use their preferred method often just leaves. But if you have to start with one or two, the rest of this guide helps you choose.
Side by side
| eSewa | Khalti | Fonepay | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Digital wallet | Digital wallet | Payment network (QR) |
| Reach | Widest consumer base | Strong, urban-leaning | Widest bank-app reach |
| Typical fee | About 1.5% | About 2% | Negotiated with Fonepay |
| Payment flow | Redirect and verify | Redirect and verify | Dynamic QR, instant |
| Refunds | Manual | Automated via API | Manual |
| Developer API | Yes, docs can lag | Cleaner, well-maintained | QR-focused |
| Best for | Almost everyone | Developer products, urban | QR and bank-app checkouts |
eSewa: the widest reach
eSewa launched in 2009 and is the most widely used digital wallet in Nepal. It has the broadest recognition across every age group and region, including tier 2 and tier 3 cities. If you can only add one method, eSewa reaches the most customers. Its refunds are manual and its API documentation can lag, but for pure coverage it is hard to beat. Read more about accepting eSewa.
Khalti: the developer favourite
Khalti launched in 2017 and is now part of IME Khalti. Customers pay from a wallet balance, a linked bank account, or a card. Khalti built its reputation on a clean developer experience, and it is the one provider that supports automated refunds through its API. It skews younger and more urban. If you are building a developer-facing product or selling to a Kathmandu Valley audience, Khalti is a strong pick. Read more about accepting Khalti.
Fonepay: the QR network
Fonepay is not a single wallet. It is Nepal's largest payment network, licensed by Nepal Rastra Bank as a Payment System Operator, and its Dynamic QR can be scanned by almost any Nepali bank or wallet app. That gives it the widest bank-app reach, and confirmation is instant with no redirect. Fees are negotiated directly with Fonepay. If your checkout is QR-first or you want to reach customers who bank more than they wallet, add Fonepay. Read more about accepting Fonepay.
Which should you accept?
A simple way to decide:
- Just starting, one method: eSewa, for the widest reach.
- Developer product or urban audience: eSewa and Khalti.
- QR-first or in-person checkout: add Fonepay.
- Maximum coverage: all three.
The reality is that a meaningful share of your customers use one method but not another. Offering only eSewa loses the Khalti-only shoppers, and the other way around. That is why most serious Nepali businesses end up wanting all three.
Why most businesses accept all three
Accepting each provider directly means separate merchant applications, separate credentials, separate code, separate webhooks, and separate dashboards to reconcile. That is weeks of work, plus ongoing maintenance for every provider you add.
PayBridgeNP removes that. You integrate once and accept eSewa, Khalti, and Fonepay through a single API, one hosted checkout, and one dashboard. Adding or swapping a provider is a dashboard setting, not a code change. Every payment settles straight to your own provider merchant accounts, PayBridgeNP never holds your funds, and there is a 0% platform fee on top of the providers' own rates. Compare them all on the providers page.
Frequently asked questions
Should I accept eSewa or Khalti first?
Start with eSewa if you want the single widest reach, since it has the largest user base in Nepal. Add Khalti quickly after, because a real share of customers use Khalti but not eSewa. Most businesses end up offering both.
Is Fonepay better than eSewa and Khalti?
It is not better or worse, it is different. Fonepay is a QR network with the widest bank-app reach and instant confirmation, while eSewa and Khalti are wallets with their own large user bases. Many businesses accept all three to cover everyone.
Can I accept all three with one integration?
Yes. PayBridgeNP lets you accept eSewa, Khalti, and Fonepay through a single API, checkout, and dashboard, without building each provider separately.
What are the fees for each?
eSewa is around 1.5% and Khalti around 2% per transaction, both varying by your merchant agreement. Fonepay fees are negotiated directly with Fonepay. PayBridgeNP adds a 0% platform fee on top.
Ready to accept all three? Create a free PayBridgeNP account and go live through one integration.