ZarinPal
ZarinPal is Iran's first Shaparak-licensed online payment gateway, connecting merchants simultaneously to 6 bank PSPs via smart routing, GraphQL API, and SDKs/plugins, serving 1M+ e-commerce, gaming, crypto, and SaaS businesses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersTehran, Iran
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What ZarinPal does
ZarinPal (زرینپال) is Iran's pioneering online payment gateway, established in 2010 as the country's first Shaparak-licensed payment service provider (پرداختیار). The platform connects online merchants simultaneously to six Iranian bank payment service providers — Mellat, Pasargad, Sepehr, Iran Kish, Asan Pardakht, and Saman — via a proprietary smart-routing layer that directs each transaction to the gateway with the highest success rate. Core technology is a GraphQL API with OAuth 2.0 authentication, supplemented by REST endpoints, official SDKs for PHP, Node.js, Python, and Android, and an extensive plugin marketplace spanning WordPress/WooCommerce, Joomla, LearnDash, Paid Memberships Pro, SocialEngine, Ubercart 3, and multiple form builders. Around the core IPG the company has assembled complementary modules: Direct Settlement (same-day fund disbursement in the first Paya cycle, including weekends), Open Banking (unified account management across 14 Iranian banks via RTP, Paya, Satna, and Pol rails), Pay-Row (QR-code payments), ZarinLink (payment URLs), IBAN/Sheba issuance, and the ZarinPal Man mobile app for merchant management. The company is headquartered in Tehran and operates exclusively in the Iranian domestic market.
ZarinPal serves a horizontal mix of online business segments — e-commerce stores, digital content platforms, cryptocurrency service providers, multi-vendor marketplaces, game developers, and SaaS providers — and claims a merchant community of over one million. Revenue is primarily transaction-based: a standard commission of 0.5% per successful payment (capped at 16,000 Tomans) plus a fixed 500 Toman fee, with a free first month for new users and custom rates for merchants exceeding 100 daily transactions. Ancillary revenue comes from the Direct Settlement service (0.5% per withdrawal, capped at 16,000 Tomans) and E-namad electronic trust-mark issuance at 600,000 Tomans per issuance. Distribution is self-serve across web panel, mobile app, API, and plugin marketplace, supplemented by an affiliate program, a bug bounty program, and a content-marketing blog. Beyond the core gateway, the company operates five wholly-owned sub-brands: NeoZarin (payment services), ZarinExpress (express payments), ZarinPlus (premium tier), ZarinCrowd (crowdfunding), and ZarinDax (data/analytics).
The firm is privately held with 51-100 employees and has one disclosed funding event — a small 2019 round from Karafarin Bank. The business is exposed to Iran-specific macro and regulatory dynamics (currency redenomination, sanctions, Shaparak oversight) but holds a durable first-mover position in the domestic online payments rail, evidenced by its 15+ years of continuous operation, multi-PSP integration architecture, and broad merchant footprint.
ZarinPal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ZarinPal
- Legal name
- ZarinPal (زرینپال)
- Website
- https://zarinpal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- ZarinPal is Iran's first Shaparak-licensed online payment gateway, connecting merchants simultaneously to 6 bank PSPs via smart routing, GraphQL API, and SDKs/plugins, serving 1M+ e-commerce, gaming, crypto, and SaaS businesses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ZarinPal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Payment Gateway
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Payment Processors (PSP/Acquirer) (FSAMABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Omnichannel Gateway Enablement (Online + In-store) (FSAMACAH), POS-to-Online Unified Payments (Omnichannel Payments) (CRAFALAL)
Keywords
Where ZarinPal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tehran
- HQ country
- Iran
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices1 record
Markets served
ZarinPal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Payment Gateway Transaction Fees: Transaction-based commission on each successful payment. Standard rate is 0.5% per transaction with a cap of 16,000 Toman plus 500 Toman fixed fee. First month is free for new users (only Shaparak commission applies).
- Direct Settlement Service Fee: Additional fee for accelerated settlement service at 0.5% of transaction amount up to 16,000 Toman per withdrawal
- E-namad Issuance: Electronic trust mark (E-namad) issuance service for merchants at 600,000 Toman per issuance
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | First month free for new users |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard commission: 0.5% + 500 Toman per transaction |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Direct settlement service: 0.5% per withdrawal |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | E-namad (trust mark) issuance: 600,000 Toman |
| Hybrid | Monthly | Enterprise pricing for businesses with 100+ daily transactions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
ZarinPal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ZarinPal operates as Iran's first licensed payment service provider (پرداختیار), offering an Internet Payment Gateway (IPG) that connects online merchants simultaneously to 6 Iranian bank payment service providers (Mellat, Pasargad, Sepehr, Iran Kish, Asan Pardakht, Saman) with smart routing to maximize successful transactions. Around the IPG core, ZarinPal sells add-on services including Direct Reconcile (same-day settlement), Open Banking (unified 14-bank account management), Pay-Row (QR code payments), ZarinLink (payment links), IBAN/Sheba registration, and e-Namad electronic trust badge issuance.
Product overview
ZarinPal operates as a payment aggregator (Paymarg-Yar) in Iran, offering a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on its core Internet Payment Gateway (IPG). The core IPG connects merchants simultaneously to 6 bank payment gateways (Mellat, Pasargad, Sepehr, Iran Kish, Asan Pardakht, Saman) with smart routing to optimize transaction success rates. Around this core, ZarinPal provides multiple add-on modules: Direct Reconcile for accelerated daily settlement, Open Banking for unified multi-bank account management, Pay-Row for QR code payments, ZarinLink for payment links, and IBAN/Sheba services. Additional services include a mobile app (ZarinPal Man), e-Namad issuance, and a content blog. Developer access is enabled through official SDKs (PHP, Node.js, Python, Android) and a GraphQL/REST API, plus official and community-built plugins for major platforms including WooCommerce, WordPress, Joomla, and various form builders. ZarinPal also offers related sub-brands: NeoZarin (cryptocurrency services), ZarinExpress, ZarinPlus, ZarinCrowd, and ZarinDax.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ZarinPal Man (زرینپال من): Mobile application for payment gateway management, transaction management, reconciliation, and customer support.
- NeoZarin (نئوزرین)
- ZarinExpress (زرین اکسپرس)
- ZarinPlus (زرین پلاس)
- ZarinCrowd (زرین کراد)
- ZarinDax (زرین دکس)
- Pay-Row (پیرو)
- ZarinLink (زرینلینک)
Products and services
- Internet Payment Gateway (IPG) Core internet payment gateway enabling online businesses in Iran to accept card payments via simultaneous connections to 6 bank PSPs (Mellat, Pasargad, Sepehr, Iran Kish, Asan Pardakht, Saman) with smart routing to maximize successful transaction rates. Targeted at online merchants, e-commerce sites, and digital service providers.
- Direct Reconcile (تسویه مستقیم)
Quantifiable outcome
- 6 simultaneous payment gateway connections increase transaction success rate
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ZarinPal
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ZarinPal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration17 records
Feature7 records
ZarinPal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Mellat Bank (بانک ملت)coreZarinPal connects to Mellat Bank's payment gateway as one of its 6 PSP partners, enabling merchants to process payments through Mellat's bank infrastructure
- Pasargad Bank (بانک پاسارگاد)coreZarinPal connects to Pasargad Bank's payment gateway as one of its 6 PSP partners, providing redundant processing capability for merchants
- Sepehr Electronic Payment (پرداخت الکترونیک سپهر)coreZarinPal integrates with Sepehr payment gateway for transaction processing
- Iran Kish (ایران کیش)coreZarinPal connects to Iran Kish payment gateway network
- Asan Pardakht (آسان پرداخت)coreZarinPal integrates with Asan Pardakht for additional payment processing capacity
- Saman Bank (بانک سامان)coreZarinPal connects to Saman Bank payment gateway for processing transactions
- Shaparak (شاپرک)coreShaparak is the national switch for electronic payments in Iran. ZarinPal operates as a payment aggregator licensed by Shaparak, with all transactions ultimately routed through this national network
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ZarinPal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Checkout.com: Global modern payment processor with developer-first GraphQL-style APIs, multi-acquirer routing, and high reliability focus. A relevant international analog to ZarinPal's smart-routing technology stack.
- Flutterwave: Pan-African payment infrastructure provider with API-first design, multi-currency support, and gateway aggregation across local providers. Functionally analogous to ZarinPal's role as a domestic payment aggregator.
- Stripe: Global API-first payment processor serving online businesses with developer-friendly integrations, multi-method support, and smart routing. Comparable to ZarinPal in product philosophy though operating globally.
- Razorpay: India's leading API-first payment gateway offering developer integrations, multiple bank routing, and a full-stack fintech product suite. Mirrors ZarinPal's developer-first approach in a large emerging market.
- PayU: Global payment gateway provider with strong presence in emerging markets, offering online checkout, smart routing, and merchant tools. Comparable operating model to ZarinPal's aggregator approach.
- Behpardakht (Mellat): Bank Mellat's proprietary payment gateway, one of the underlying PSPs that ZarinPal routes through. Represents both a key partner and a competitive threat as a direct bank-offered gateway.
- Saman Bank Electronic Payment: Saman Bank's electronic payment service is one of the PSPs connected to ZarinPal and a comparable bank-led payment offering in Iran.
Direct peers
- Pay.ir: Iranian payment gateway service provider targeting online businesses with similar PSP aggregation capabilities. Competes with ZarinPal for Iranian e-commerce merchants.
- NextPay: One of Iran's leading payment gateway providers, offering internet payment gateway services and competing directly with ZarinPal for the same online merchant base in Iran.
- IDPay: Iranian online payment gateway provider offering card-to-card and IPG services. Directly competes with ZarinPal in the Iranian e-commerce and online services market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ZarinPal social profiles
Digital presenceZarinPal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ZarinPal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ZarinPal subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
ZarinPal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ZarinPal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ZarinPal
What does ZarinPal do?
ZarinPal operates as Iran's first licensed payment service provider (پرداختیار), offering an Internet Payment Gateway (IPG) that connects online merchants simultaneously to 6 Iranian bank payment service providers (Mellat, Pasargad, Sepehr, Iran Kish, Asan Pardakht, Saman) with smart routing to maximize successful transactions. Around the IPG core, ZarinPal sells add-on services including Direct Reconcile (same-day settlement), Open Banking (unified 14-bank account management), Pay-Row (QR code payments), ZarinLink (payment links), IBAN/Sheba registration, and e-Namad electronic trust badge issuance.
Is ZarinPal a public or private company?
ZarinPal is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ZarinPal founded?
ZarinPal was founded in 2010. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is ZarinPal based?
ZarinPal is headquartered in Tehran, Iran, in the Middle East region.
How does ZarinPal make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Payment Gateway Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are direct Settlement Service Fee and E-namad Issuance.
Who are ZarinPal's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Checkout.com, Flutterwave, Stripe, Razorpay, PayU, Behpardakht (Mellat) and Saman Bank Electronic Payment. Direct peers are Pay.ir, NextPay and IDPay.
Does ZarinPal have an API?
Yes. ZarinPal offers a public API accessible via GraphQL at https://next.zarinpal.com/api/v4/graphql/ with OAuth 2.0 authentication. The API enables developers to manage user accounts, create tickets, verify documents, create payment gateways, and execute queries and mutations. A REST-based payment API is also available at https://payment.zarinpal.com/pg/v4/payment/request.json with JSON content type. Official SDKs are provided for PHP, Node.js, Python, and Android. A sandbox/test environment (sandbox) is available for testing integrations. Developer documentation is at www.zarinpal.com/docs.
What industry is ZarinPal in?
ZarinPal's product category is Online Payment Gateway. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMABAA, Integrated Payment Processors (PSP/Acquirer), with a secondary code of FSAMACAH, Omnichannel Gateway Enablement (Online + In-store). Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 6199.