# Stripe in Pakistan: can you use it, and what to use instead

URL: https://which.pk/business/guides/stripe-in-pakistan/
Author: Hassam
Updated: 16 Oct 2026

## Summary

Stripe isn't available in Pakistan as of October 2026: Pakistan is not on Stripe's list of supported countries, so a Pakistan-based business can't open an account. Stripe Atlas forms a US company for USD 500 plus USD 100 a year, and that company can use Stripe, with US duties attached. US and UK businesses can pay Pakistani recipients in rupees through Stripe Global Payouts. Alternatives include Payoneer card payments (up to 3.99% + USD 0.49), Safepay (2.9% + Rs 30) and Paddle or Lemon Squeezy (5% + 50 cents).

## Key facts

- Stripe for Pakistan businesses: Not available (Oct 2026)
- Stripe Atlas (US company): USD 500, then USD 100 a year
- Safepay cards: 2.9% + Rs 30, +0.3% international
- Paddle or Lemon Squeezy: 5% + 50 cents

**Stripe isn't available in Pakistan.** As of October 2026, Pakistan is not on Stripe's list of supported countries, so a business based here can't open a Stripe account in its own name. The workarounds are a company in a supported country (for example through **Stripe Atlas**, USD 500), or a different service: Payoneer for clients abroad, a local gateway such as Safepay for Pakistani cards, or Paddle or Lemon Squeezy for software.

**Stripe for a Pakistan-based business, as of October 2026:** Not available (Stripe's global availability page lists the countries it supports. Pakistan isn't one of them; India and Indonesia are in preview.)

## Is Stripe available in Pakistan?

No: Stripe's availability page says it is "currently supported in the following countries/regions, with more to come". Pakistan isn't on that list as of October 2026. The UAE, UK, US, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are.

For businesses outside the list, the same page offers Stripe Treasury with stablecoins to hold money, and says plainly: "Payments not supported yet". So you can't take card payments through Stripe from a Pakistan account.

## Why isn't Stripe in Pakistan?

Stripe hasn't published a reason. In October 2023 the caretaker IT minister, Umar Saif, said Pakistan would hear good news about PayPal and Stripe in "four to six weeks". We found no launch, and no official update, since then.

A Profit opinion piece in April 2026 points to local limits. It says Pakistan has no locally recognised payment company that can act as a merchant of record, and that Visa and Mastercard don't let Pakistani payment companies acquire international card payments that way. That is the writer's view, not a statement from Stripe or SBP.

## Can you open a Stripe account in Pakistan with a foreign company?

Stripe accounts belong to a business in a supported country. If you own a company in the US, UK or another listed country, that company can apply, and Stripe runs its own checks.

One route is **Stripe Atlas**, which forms a US company. Incorporation-service blogs also sell UK company routes and say "Stripe is available to citizens of Pakistan". Stripe's own page doesn't say that, so we follow Stripe: it's the company's country that counts, not your passport.

**A foreign company is a real company:** It has its own taxes, filings and bank account. We couldn't check SBP's Foreign Exchange Manual (SBP's site blocks automated access) to confirm what rules apply when an individual in Pakistan owns a company abroad. Ask your bank or a tax adviser before you set one up.

## How does Stripe Atlas work from Pakistan?

Stripe says Atlas lets you "incorporate a US company from anywhere in the world". As of October 2026:

| What | Stripe Atlas |
|---|---|
| Company type | Delaware LLC or Delaware C corporation |
| Price | USD 500, including state filing fees and the company tax ID (EIN) |
| Registered agent | USD 100 a year after the first year, renews automatically |
| EIN without a US Social Security Number | 10 to 35 business days after incorporation |
| Taking payments before the EIN | US card payments only, payouts up to USD 100,000 |
| To activate Stripe payments | A US phone number |
| Delaware LLC tax | USD 300 a year, USD 200 penalty if late |

Atlas refunds its fee if it can't support your business. It also lists restricted business types, so check these before you apply.

## Can Stripe pay out to a Pakistani bank account?

Only one way, and the sender controls it. **Stripe Global Payouts** lets a US or UK business pay people who don't have a Stripe account. Stripe lists Pakistan as a recipient country, paid in rupees by wire, for both individuals and companies.

As an individual you give your email, name, address (not a PO box) and ID. Ask your client whether they use Global Payouts; you can't sign up for it from Pakistan yourself.

## What about Stripe Connect or Stripe Express?

Marketplaces use Stripe Connect, and Express accounts, to pay sellers. We found no Stripe page saying Pakistan residents can hold one. If a platform pays you through Stripe, ask it which payout route it uses for Pakistan.

Stripe's merchant-of-record service, **Managed Payments**, also doesn't accept businesses based in Pakistan. Its list covers Canada, the US, most of Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.

## What are the best Stripe alternatives in Pakistan?

It depends on who is paying you. The fees below are each provider's own published rates as of October 2026.

| You want to | Option | Published fee |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice a client abroad who pays by card | [Payoneer](/money/guides/payoneer-in-pakistan/) | Up to 3.99% + USD 0.49 |
| Invoice a US client who pays by bank debit | Payoneer (ACH) | 1% |
| Take card payments from Pakistani customers | Local gateway, e.g. Safepay | 2.9% + Rs 30 (+0.3% for international cards) |
| Sell software or digital products worldwide | Paddle | 5% + 50 cents |
| Sell software or digital products worldwide | Lemon Squeezy | 5% + 50 cents, plus small fees outside the US |

**Payoneer** then charges 1.2% to 4% to withdraw to a bank, by its pricing page updated 1 January 2026. Our [Payoneer guide](/money/guides/payoneer-in-pakistan/) covers withdrawals through HBL and Meezan.

**Paddle and Lemon Squeezy** are a "merchant of record": they sell to your customer, handle the card payment and pay you. Paddle says it works with software businesses anywhere except a list of unsupported countries, and Pakistan isn't on that list. Lemon Squeezy lists Pakistan for bank payouts; Stripe bought it in July 2024.

**Wise and PayPal aren't the answer either:** Pakistan isn't on Wise's list of countries whose residents can hold money in a Wise account. See [Wise in Pakistan](/money/guides/wise-in-pakistan/) and [PayPal in Pakistan](/business/guides/paypal-in-pakistan/) for what each one does here.

## How is money from these services taxed in Pakistan?

When foreign earnings reach your Pakistani bank as export proceeds, FBR's rate card (updated to 30 June 2026) sets withholding tax under section 154A. It is **0.25%** for software, IT or IT-enabled services by people registered with the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), for tax years 2024 to 2029, and **1%** in other cases.

We couldn't confirm how a bank treats each route, such as a Paddle payout or a transfer from your own US company. Our [freelancer tax guide](/business/guides/freelancer-tax-pakistan/) and [PSEB registration guide](/business/guides/pseb-registration/) cover filing and the lower rate.

## Can a Pakistani IT company set up a company abroad for Stripe?

SBP changed its rules in July 2024, as Profit reported. Export-oriented IT companies may take shares in foreign companies or open offices abroad, capped at 80% of equity for unlisted companies. A company with no exports, or too little in its dollar account, may send up to the higher of its three-year average net profit or USD 100,000.

This applies to companies, not to individual freelancers. Your bank reports these transactions to SBP within three working days.

More guides: [freelancer payment methods](/business/guides/freelancer-payment-methods-pakistan/), [Shopify payment gateways in Pakistan](/business/guides/shopify-pakistan-payment-gateways/), [software export from Pakistan](/business/guides/software-export-pakistan/), [E-commerce & IT Export](/business/ecommerce-it-export/).

## Questions people ask

### Is Stripe available in Pakistan?

No. As of October 2026 Pakistan is not on Stripe's list of supported countries, so a business based in Pakistan can't open a Stripe account in its own name.

### Can I use Stripe Atlas from Pakistan?

Stripe says Atlas forms US companies for founders anywhere in the world, for USD 500 plus USD 100 a year after the first year. The Stripe account then belongs to the US company, which brings US duties such as Delaware's USD 300 annual LLC tax.

### Can Stripe pay out to a Pakistani bank account?

Only through Stripe Global Payouts, where a US or UK business pays you in rupees by wire. You can't link a Pakistani bank account to a Stripe account of your own.

### What are the best Stripe alternatives in Pakistan?

For clients abroad, Payoneer lets them pay your invoice by card for up to 3.99% + USD 0.49. For Pakistani customers, local gateways such as Safepay charge 2.9% + Rs 30. For software sold worldwide, Paddle and Lemon Squeezy act as the seller for 5% + 50 cents a sale.

### When is Stripe coming to Pakistan?

There is no date. In October 2023 the caretaker IT minister said news on PayPal and Stripe would come in four to six weeks, but we found no launch or official update since.

## Sources

- [Global availability](https://stripe.com/global), Stripe (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Stripe Atlas](https://stripe.com/atlas), Stripe (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [How to incorporate your company (Atlas)](https://docs.stripe.com/atlas/signup), Stripe Docs (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Business taxes (Atlas)](https://docs.stripe.com/atlas/business-taxes), Stripe Docs (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Managed Payments eligibility](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/managed-payments/eligibility), Stripe Docs (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Global Payouts](https://docs.stripe.com/global-payouts), Stripe Docs (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Global Payouts: recipient requirements](https://docs.stripe.com/global-payouts/recipient-requirements), Stripe Docs (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Withholding Income Tax Rate Card, updated up to 30 June 2026](https://download1.fbr.gov.pk/Docs/202681113864992WithholdingTaxRatesCard2027.pdf), FBR (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Payoneer Fees (last updated 1 January 2026)](https://www.payoneer.com/about/pricing/), Payoneer (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Safepay pricing](https://getsafepay.pk/pricing), Safepay (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Which countries are supported by Paddle?](https://www.paddle.com/help/start/intro-to-paddle/which-countries-are-supported-by-paddle), Paddle (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Paddle pricing](https://www.paddle.com/pricing), Paddle (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Supported countries](https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/getting-started/supported-countries), Lemon Squeezy (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Lemon Squeezy pricing](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/pricing), Lemon Squeezy (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Stripe acquires Lemon Squeezy (26 July 2024)](https://www.lemonsqueezy.com/blog/stripe-acquires-lemon-squeezy), Lemon Squeezy (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [Where do I need to live to hold money with Wise?](https://wise.com/help/articles/2813542/where-can-i-open-a-wise-balance), Wise (accessed 15 Oct 2026)
- ['Good news' on PayPal, Stripe soon: Dr Umar Saif (25 October 2023)](https://arynews.tv/paypal-stripe-to-launch-in-pakistan-soon-dr-umar-saif), ARY News (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [We can almost solve freelancer payments in Pakistan (30 April 2026, opinion)](https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/04/30/we-can-almost-solve-freelancer-payments-in-pakistan-all-we-need-is-one-ambitious-ceo), Profit (Pakistan Today) (accessed 16 Oct 2026)
- [SBP permits export-oriented IT companies to acquire shareholding in foreign entities (12 July 2024)](https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2024/07/12/sbp-permits-export-oriented-it-companies-to-acquire-shareholding-in-foreign-entities), Profit (Pakistan Today) (accessed 16 Oct 2026)