When should you enable Mada, Apple Pay, and STC Pay?
This guide helps you set payment priorities for Saudi checkout: start with high-impact methods first, then expand based on customer behavior and order patterns.
1) Quick answer: what should you enable first?
| Payment method | Priority | When to start |
|---|---|---|
| Mada | Very high | Day one for Saudi-focused checkout |
| Apple Pay | High | After gateway-level support is confirmed |
| STC Pay Merchant | Medium | When your audience strongly prefers STC Pay or social-commerce flow |
2) Mada: usually a core local requirement
Mada is often a baseline requirement in Saudi checkout. If missing, cart abandonment can increase at payment stage.
- Confirm your active gateway supports Mada officially.
- Run one real payment flow from cart to order confirmation.
- Validate visibility and behavior on mobile checkout.
3) Apple Pay: usually gateway-dependent
In most store stacks, Apple Pay is exposed through your payment gateway rather than as a fully separate standalone processor.
Button visibility is not enough. Validate Apple Pay with a real Apple-device checkout test before launch.
4) STC Pay Merchant: when should you enable it?
If a large part of your audience already uses STC Pay, or your sales are social-driven, STC Pay Merchant can be a useful addition.
- Use the official merchant onboarding flow (not only a personal wallet setup).
- Review settlement and contract terms before publishing payment promises.
- Run a real test order and reconcile store status with payment dashboard.
Fees and settlement behavior can vary by merchant profile and agreement terms. Confirm current values from official sources before publishing hard numbers.
5) Pre-launch checklist
- Confirm Mada is enabled and visible.
- Run Apple Pay test on real Apple hardware.
- If STC Pay is enabled, complete one real-like test and verify settlement mapping.
- Review payment-method order in checkout to reduce friction.