Hala vs lite
Hala
Good for freelancers and stores that need mada
lite
Good for stores that need mada and social sellers
| HalaGood for freelancers and stores that need mada | liteGood for stores that need mada and social sellers | |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | ||
| Setup fee | Free | Not published |
| Monthly fee | Free | Not published |
| Local card fee (%) | 2.5% | On request |
| Local card fixed fee per transaction | SAR 1 | Not published |
| International card fee (%) | 2.5% | Not published |
| International card fixed fee | SAR 1 | Not published |
| mada fee (%) | 1% | On request |
| Getting paid | ||
| Settlement time – cards | Same day | 1–2 days |
| Settlement time – mada | Same day | Not published |
| Payout frequency | On request | Not published |
| Payment methods | ||
| Payment methods | mada, Visa / Mastercard, Apple Pay, STC Pay, Amex, Google Pay | mada, Visa / Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Requirements | ||
| Commercial register required | No | Not published |
| Freelancers accepted | Yes | Not published |
| Bank account requirements | Hala IBAN business account is opened as part of onboarding; settlements go to it | No traditional bank account needed; funds can stay in the lite account or be transferred out |
| Typical approval time | Not published | 1–2 days |
| Product | ||
| Payment links | Not published | Yes |
| Recurring billing | Yes | Not published |
| Card tokenization | Yes | Not published |
| POS terminals | Yes | Yes |
| SoftPOS (tap on phone) | Yes | Not published |
| Developers | ||
| REST API | Yes | Yes |
| Sandbox / test mode | Not published | Yes |
| iOS SDK | Yes | Not published |
| Android SDK | Yes | Not published |
| Web SDK / hosted checkout | Yes | Not published |
| Flutter SDK | Yes | Not published |
| React Native SDK | Yes | Not published |
| Licences and compliance | ||
| Regulator license | SAMA - Electronic Money Institution (EMI) | SAMA - Electronic Money Institution (EMI) |
| PCI DSS level | PCI-DSS compliant (level not stated); built with partner gateways | Level 1 |
| 3-D Secure | Yes | Not published |
| Support | ||
| Arabic support | Yes | Yes |
| Support channels | Phone, Email | Phone |
| Support hours | 24/7 | Not published |
| Request a quote | Request quote | Request quote |
Grey values were last checked more than 90 days ago. Not published means the provider does not publish it.
We don't pick an overall winner: the right choice depends on your business.