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Selling on Facebook and WhatsApp works until it doesn’t. Orders get lost in chats, customers ask the same questions all day, and you cannot take card payments properly. An online store fixes that, but in Egypt it has to handle a few local realities: many customers still prefer to pay cash, cards and wallets need a local payment gateway, and delivery is done by courier companies rather than the post office.
This guide walks through the decisions in the order you will meet them.
1. Choose your platform
You have two main options. A hosted platform such as Shopify is quick to start, but you pay a monthly subscription, and some Egyptian payment and shipping options depend on apps. WooCommerce runs on WordPress on your own hosting: you own the store and its data, there is no platform fee per sale, and it connects well with Egyptian gateways and couriers.
For most small and medium Egyptian businesses that want control over cost and data, WooCommerce is a sensible default. A hosted platform makes sense when you need to launch within days and are comfortable with the monthly fee.
2. Accept cards and wallets
To take card and mobile wallet payments you need an Egyptian payment gateway. Paymob, Fawry, Kashier, Geidea and Fawaterak are the common choices. Publicly stated standard card fees in mid-2026 were around 2.75% plus 3 EGP per transaction for Paymob and Kashier, while Fawry and Geidea quote per merchant.
Paymob’s standard rate as shown on its official pricing page in October 2026: 2.75% + 3 EGP per transaction, no monthly fee, weekly settlement. Larger merchants can ask for custom pricing, so confirm your own rate in writing. paymob.com
Most gateways ask for business documents before activating your account, so start the application early. It often takes longer than building the store itself.
- Compare the fee per transaction and any fixed amount per order.
- Check how often money is transferred to your bank account.
- Check which methods are included: cards, mobile wallets, Fawry reference codes, instalments.
- Make sure there is a ready WooCommerce plugin, so you are not paying for custom development.
3. Plan for cash on delivery
Cash on delivery is still a big part of Egyptian e-commerce. One market report estimates that cash on delivery and bank transfers made up about 34% of e-commerce payment value in 2025. Offering it usually increases orders, but it also brings refused deliveries and delayed cash.
Source: Mordor Intelligence, Egypt E-commerce Market report. mordorintelligence.com
- Confirm cash orders by phone or WhatsApp before shipping.
- Consider a small fee for cash on delivery, or a discount for paying online.
- Set a maximum order value for cash orders.
- Track refusal rates by area and adjust where you offer cash.
4. Set up shipping
Courier companies such as Bosta collect parcels from you, deliver across governorates, collect cash on delivery and transfer it to you. Connecting the courier to your store means orders are sent automatically and customers can receive tracking updates.
- Set shipping fees by zone, for example Cairo and Giza, Delta, Upper Egypt.
- Decide whether to offer free shipping above a certain order value.
- Write a clear returns and exchange policy before launch.
5. Launch checklist
- Product photos on a clean background, with sizes and prices in EGP.
- Arabic product names and descriptions, since most Egyptian shoppers search in Arabic.
- Payment gateway activated and tested with a real small order.
- Shipping zones, fees and the courier connection tested.
- Privacy policy, terms, and returns policy published.
- Order notifications by email and WhatsApp working.
- A backup schedule and someone responsible for updates.
How Cairo Cloud can help
We build WooCommerce stores for Egyptian businesses, connect payment gateways such as Paymob and Fawry, and set up shipping with couriers such as Bosta. Our store packages start from 25,000 EGP one-time for up to 150 products, and we host and look after the store after launch if you want.
Ready to sell online?
See what each store package includes, or tell us what you sell and we will reply with a written quote.
See CAN Store, a WooCommerce store we built that sells in EGP.
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