Market guide · Middle East
Selling in Egypt
Egypt is a large, young market where cash still plays a major role, often through Fawry payment references. Card use and the InstaPay app are growing quickly.
| Currency | Egyptian pound (EGP) |
|---|---|
| Languages | Arabic |
| Region | Middle East |
| Local acquiring | Cross-border for now |
| Settlement | T+3 |
| Payout rail | InstaPay Egypt · Seconds |
| Import consumption tax | VAT · 14% |
Popular payment methods
Share of online payments by method. Illustrative figures.
| Visa, Mastercard, Amex | 40% (40% of online payments) |
|---|---|
| Fawry | 30% (30% of online payments) |
| Apple Pay | 5% (5% of online payments) |
How to launch in Egypt
- 1Open a sandbox accountTest every flow for Egypt with test cards and methods before you sign anything.
- 2Turn on local methodsStart with Fawry, Apple Pay.
- 3Process cross-borderWe process Egypt cross-border today. Smart routing still retries soft declines.
- 4Settle in your home currencyPayments convert at a published margin before settlement.
- 5Check import rulesConfirm how VAT is collected on your goods before your first shipment.
- 6Go liveVerify your business, switch your keys and watch the first orders arrive.
Duties and import tax
VAT at 14% applies to most imported goods.
Thresholds: Most imports are dutiable regardless of value
Regulatory notes
- Foreign currency availability and exchange rules affect how quickly funds can be repatriated.
- The Central Bank of Egypt licenses payment and e-wallet providers.
Placeholder notes for the prototype, not legal advice.
Customer story nearby
Kestrel Air
Travel & Hospitality
−38%
FX cost on supplier payments · Illustrative
Virtual cards in the supplier's currency removed a whole reconciliation step for our finance team.
Omar Haddad, VP Finance Read the story: Kestrel Air
Other markets in Middle East
Launch in Egypt
Try the Egypt flow in the sandbox, or talk to us about your rollout.