Payment Gateways in Lebanon: A Practical Store Checklist

Start with the merchant, not the plugin

The first question is whether the provider can support the actual business entity, operating country and settlement account. Ask directly about required documents, accepted business activities, settlement currencies and any account restrictions. Do this before paying for a custom integration.

A plugin may make the technical connection possible without making the merchant eligible. Treat onboarding approval and software compatibility as separate checks. Keep written confirmation of the approved arrangement.

Compare the operating details

Decision	What to confirm	Why it matters
Eligibility	Business location, documents and business category	A technically supported gateway can still decline a merchant.
Settlement	Currency, receiving account and timing	The store must reconcile what it receives.
Checkout	Direct or externally hosted flow	The customer journey and error states differ.
Refunds	Full, partial and administrative handling	Support staff need a reliable process.
Recurring payments	Supported agreement and extension behavior	A one-time payment integration may not support subscriptions.

Ask for the complete fee schedule, including payment processing, refunds, currency conversion and any platform-related charges. Do not compare only the headline transaction percentage. This guide does not publish provider-specific eligibility or pricing claims.

Shopify and WooCommerce need different checks

For Shopify, verify that the intended provider is available for the store’s configuration and whether the customer completes payment in the store or on an external page. Review any additional platform requirements in the current documentation.

For WooCommerce, assess the gateway extension’s maintenance, supported WooCommerce versions, checkout compatibility and callback handling. If subscriptions are needed, confirm that exact feature separately. A gateway that accepts a one-time card payment does not automatically handle recurring billing.

Test a complete payment lifecycle

• Successful payment creates the correct order state.
• Failed or abandoned payments do not appear as completed orders.
• Duplicate callbacks do not duplicate processing.
• Refunds and cancellations are reflected correctly.
• Notifications reach the intended customer and staff addresses.
• The checkout remains usable on a phone.

Use the provider’s test environment where available. A sandbox test is not a substitute for a controlled live verification after approval. Never place real card details into an unsupported test form.

Plan alternative payment operations

If the business offers cash on delivery or a manual payment method, explain the process clearly and decide when stock is reserved, who confirms payment and how orders are reconciled. These are operational decisions as well as website settings.

A payment method should be selected because the business can support it reliably. Confirm the customer communication and fulfillment process before advertising it.

Make the next decision concrete

Write down the requirement, the evidence you already have and what remains uncertain. A useful project conversation starts with that context—not a list of features copied from another business.

For implementation support, explore eCommerce Development, Shopify Development, WooCommerce Development. You can also share your project with Web Synergy.

Source references

• Shopify: third-party payment providers
• WooCommerce: subscription gateway capabilities

External platform requirements can change. Check the linked primary documentation before making an implementation decision.