An online shop in Sri Lanka can be paid in four ways: by card or mobile wallet through a payment gateway, by cash on delivery, by bank transfer, and, for customers abroad, through an international provider. Most shops offer the first three together, because Sri Lankan shoppers are split between them. This guide explains what each one needs and how to set them up so that no order is marked paid by mistake.
The four ways to get paid
| Method | What the customer does | What you need | When you have the money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card or mobile wallet | Pays on a secure page at checkout | A merchant account with a payment gateway | After the gateway settles to your bank |
| Cash on delivery | Pays the courier or rider | A courier that collects cash, or your own rider | After delivery, when the courier pays you |
| Bank transfer | Sends the money and uploads the slip | A bank account | When you see it in your account |
| International provider | Pays by card or wallet from abroad | An account with that provider | After the provider pays out |
Card and mobile wallet payments
A payment gateway is the service between your shop and the banks. The customer types their card details on the gateway's page, not on yours, so you never see or store a card number. A Sri Lankan gateway such as PayHere takes Visa and Mastercard and local wallets such as eZ Cash, mCash and Genie.
To get a merchant account you usually need:
- A bank account in the business's or owner's name
- Your national identity card, and the business registration if you have one
- A live website on your own domain, with your products and prices on it
- A returns policy, a privacy policy and contact details on the site
Ask the gateway for its current fees, its payment limit for a single order, and how often it settles to your bank, before you apply. These change, and they differ between providers. If you sell expensive items, ask for the limit to be raised before your first big order, not after it fails.
Cash on delivery
Cash on delivery is still the most trusted way to pay for many shoppers, because they pay only when the parcel is in their hands. It costs you in two ways: some parcels are refused at the door, and your money arrives days later.
To keep refusals down:
- Confirm every cash order by phone or message before you pack it.
- Show the delivery fee before checkout, so the total is no surprise.
- Set a highest order value for cash on delivery.
- Keep a note of customers who refused before.
Bank transfer
A bank transfer has no gateway fee, which suits large orders and wholesale buyers. Its weakness is the checking: someone has to match each slip to an order. Give every order a reference number, ask the customer to write it on the transfer, and mark the order paid only after you have seen the money in your own account. A photo of a slip is not proof.
Selling to customers abroad
A local gateway is built for rupees. For buyers overseas, add an international provider such as Stripe or PayPal and show prices in a currency they know. Check first that the provider pays out to a Sri Lankan account, or to one you hold elsewhere.
Which methods should you offer?
| Your shop | Offer |
|---|---|
| Just starting | Cash on delivery and bank transfer, then cards once your gateway is approved |
| Everyday items under a few thousand rupees | Cards and wallets, and cash on delivery |
| Expensive items | Cards and bank transfer; limit or drop cash on delivery |
| Wholesale | Bank transfer, and cards for smaller orders |
| Buyers abroad | An international provider |
Stop orders being marked paid by mistake
- An order should turn "paid" only when the gateway tells your shop directly, not when the customer returns to your site.
- An unpaid card order should be cancelled by itself after a set time, so the stock goes back on sale.
- Refunds should go back the way the payment came.
How Ceylumen Commerce handles payments
Ceylumen Commerce has 11 payment methods built in, including PayHere, cash on delivery, bank transfer, Stripe and PayPal. An order is marked paid only when the payment provider confirms it, and you switch each method on or off in the admin panel. It costs from LKR 2,990 a month hosted for you, or LKR 69,999 once to own it.
The short version
Offer cards, cash on delivery and bank transfer together. Apply for the gateway early, because approval needs a live website. Confirm cash orders before you pack them, and never mark an order paid from a slip alone.