What It Is
FreePay（فری پی） is a local Iranian online payment gateway operated by Poupek E-Commerce Development Company. It mainly provides online collection, fund collection/disbursement, and settlement services for websites, mobile apps, and social media sellers within Iran, using the Central Bank of Iran’s Shaparak network to enable secure transactions.
Core Dimension Analysis
- Service Types and Payment Methods: Offers web payment gateways, in-app mobile payments, social platform payments, and personal payment pages. It supports payments with local Iranian bank cards, works with all PSP companies in Iran, and provides both direct and intermediary gateway options.
- Rates and Fees: Pricing is highly attractive: intermediary gateways are completely fee-free; direct and in-app gateways charge 1%; dedicated gateways charge 1.5%. New merchants get a 45-day free trial period, after which the standard rate is 1%. High-volume merchants with average daily transactions above 2 million tomans can apply for a reduced rate of 0.5%. Note that the 0% rate only takes effect after signing a notarized contract.
- Settlement Timeframe: Settlement is very fast, with 15 instant settlement windows available daily from 9:00 to 21:00. Settlement via the PAYA system is free and processed once per day, while instant crediting via card-to-card transfer requires a 500-toman bank fee.
- Compliance and Licensing: Regulated by the Central Bank of Iran and the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, with strict compliance requirements. KYC identity verification is rigorous, and the bank account must belong to the registered person. The list of prohibited items is very long, including cryptocurrencies, VPNs, alcohol, gambling, and other goods that violate Iranian law and Islamic regulations.
- Risk Control Capabilities: Includes anti-money laundering monitoring mechanisms, with the right to freeze funds and request supporting evidence for suspicious transactions. The system periodically conducts “test transactions” to verify merchant authenticity and strictly cracks down on attempts to bypass gateway routing. Violators may have their accounts banned and be reported to judicial authorities.
- API and Integration: Provides developers with more than 30 ready-made CMS plugins, supports deep API integration, and includes a payment form generator, making onboarding relatively easy.
Pros, Cons, and Pricing
Pros: The 45-day free period for new users and 0% fee for intermediary gateways significantly reduce costs; 15 daily settlement windows greatly improve cash flow; the wide range of plugins makes integration easy.
Cons: Only usable within Iran; compliance restrictions are extremely strict; the 0% fee requires a notarized contract, adding administrative overhead.
Who It’s For
Best suited to local Iranian small and medium-sized e-commerce websites, mobile app developers, and individual merchants selling through social platforms.
Access from China
Network connectivity is unknown, but the service only supports local Iranian banks and rial settlement. Chinese merchants without a local Iranian legal entity and bank account cannot use it. Chinese companies expanding into the Middle East, especially Iran, will need to find a local partner or an alternative payment solution.
⚠ This review is compiled from public sources and does not constitute a purchase recommendation. Verify all facts on the vendor's official site. Verify on freepay.ir official site.