How to Add Buy Now Pay Later to Your Saudi Online Store in 2026

Saudi Arabia's BNPL Market Hits $5.29 Billion: What It Means for Your Online Store

Buy Now Pay Later has moved well beyond electronics stores and phone plans. Today, over half of Saudi online shoppers expect to see an installment option at checkout — and the data backs the trend. Saudi Arabia's BNPL market reached $5.29 billion in 2026, on a trajectory to hit $7.31 billion by 2031 at a 6.66% annual growth rate. The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has now licensed seven BNPL companies, including Tamara and Tabby, meaning the infrastructure is already in place — the only missing piece is your store's connection to it.

If you run a Saudi online store without a BNPL option, you are likely losing orders to competitors that offer one. This article walks through the real requirements, the step-by-step activation process, and the actual fees — with no estimates.

What Is BNPL and How Does It Affect Conversion Rates?

BNPL lets customers complete a purchase immediately and repay in equal installments — typically four monthly payments with zero interest charged to the buyer. The merchant receives the full purchase amount on the day of sale; the BNPL provider takes on the credit risk.

In practice: a customer considering a SAR 600 purchase who hesitates at the full price may convert immediately when their first payment is only SAR 150. Research across Middle Eastern e-commerce markets shows that adding a BNPL option increases average order value by 20–30% and meaningfully reduces cart abandonment, particularly for orders above SAR 300 where the full price creates a psychological barrier.

• Customer pays in 4 equal interest-free installments
• Merchant receives the full purchase amount immediately upon checkout
• Merchant fee: 2–3% of order value, plus a small fixed fee on some plans
• No changes to the customer-facing checkout UI — BNPL buttons appear automatically after integration

Requirements to Activate BNPL on a Saudi Online Store

Before applying to Tamara or Tabby, confirm you have all four of the following in place:

• A valid commercial registration (CR) or a freelance work document issued by the Ministry of Human Resources — all SAMA-licensed BNPL providers require this with no exceptions
• A Saudi business bank account in your company's name to receive settlements from the BNPL provider
• A live store URL with clear product pages, displayed prices, and a written return and refund policy
• Proof of sales activity — most providers require evidence of completed orders before approving the account; brand-new stores with zero sales may face a brief waiting period

If you are still setting up your store, read our guide on how to launch an online store in Saudi Arabia first, then return to activate BNPL once you have your first sales.

Step-by-Step: How to Add Tamara or Tabby to Your Store

Both Tamara and Tabby follow roughly the same onboarding process for Saudi merchants:

• Step 1 — Merchant registration: Open a merchant account on the Tamara or Tabby merchant portal and upload your commercial registration and any company formation documents that apply
• Step 2 — Connect your store: Select your e-commerce platform (Salla, Zid, or a custom-built store) and paste your store URL into the merchant dashboard — both providers offer ready-made plugins for Saudi Arabia's major platforms
• Step 3 — Review period: Approval typically takes 3–7 business days; the provider may request additional sales data or a recent bank statement during the review
• Step 4 — Test the integration: After approval, run a test purchase to confirm the BNPL button appears correctly at checkout before going live with real customers

To get the most out of BNPL, your store should already support the full range of Saudi payment methods. For a complete walkthrough of connecting Mada, STC Pay, and card processors, see our guide on payment methods for Saudi online stores.

How Watily Solves This

Supporting BNPL requires a solid technical foundation: fast-loading product pages, a frictionless mobile checkout flow, and clean integration points for payment providers and installment companies. Watily's online store builder provides all of this out of the box for Saudi merchants — you can launch your store, connect local payment gateways, and activate BNPL providers without hiring a developer or writing a single line of code. Because over 80% of Saudi online purchases happen on mobile devices, every Watily store is mobile-optimized by default, ensuring the BNPL checkout experience is smooth on a phone just as much as on a desktop.

As SAMA continues to license new BNPL providers, the number of installment options available to Saudi merchants will keep growing. The constants remain the same regardless of which provider you choose: a live store, a valid commercial registration, and a Saudi business bank account. Set those foundations right and activating any BNPL company — now or in the future — becomes a straightforward process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fees does a Saudi online store merchant pay for BNPL?

SAMA-licensed BNPL providers in Saudi Arabia, including Tamara and Tabby, charge merchants between 2% and 3% of each order value, plus a small fixed fee on some pricing plans. Customers pay zero interest. On a SAR 400 order, your total BNPL merchant fee would be between SAR 8 and SAR 12.

Does my store need a commercial registration to activate BNPL?

Yes. All SAMA-licensed BNPL companies require either a valid Saudi commercial registration or an active freelance work document issued by the Ministry of Human Resources. Individual sellers operating under a freelance document are eligible to apply, provided the document is current and covers the store's business category.

How long does it take to get BNPL approved for an online store in Saudi Arabia?

The review and activation process typically takes 3 to 7 business days after submitting the required documents. Once approved, the BNPL button appears at checkout automatically within hours, with no additional coding required — as long as your store platform supports a direct integration plugin for the chosen BNPL provider.

How many BNPL companies are licensed in Saudi Arabia?

As of 2026, SAMA has licensed seven companies to offer BNPL services in Saudi Arabia. The two most widely integrated with Saudi e-commerce platforms are Tamara and Tabby, both of which allow customers to split purchases into four equal monthly payments with zero interest and offer plugins for Salla, Zid, and other major Saudi platforms.

Ready to build a store that supports installment payments from day one? Start with Watily for free and launch your Saudi online store — no code, no developer, no technical complexity required.