Payment gateway in Bangladesh: how to accept bKash and Nagad payments on your website

Bangladesh is a mobile-money country. Long before most people had a bank account or a card, they had bKash or Nagad on their phone. Today these wallets are used for almost everything: sending money to family, paying bills, buying mobile data and shopping online.

If your website sells to customers in Bangladesh and only accepts cards, you are closed to most of the market. This guide explains how people in Bangladesh pay online, how a payment gateway handles bKash, Nagad and Bangla QR from payment to webhook, which risks and rules matter, and how to choose a provider.

How buyers in Bangladesh pay online

bKash and Nagad: the two giants

bKash, a subsidiary of BRAC Bank, has tens of millions of active users and is the best-known payment brand in the country. Nagad, backed by the Bangladesh Post Office, grew very quickly and is the second big wallet. Many customers have both.

Paying is simple:

1. The customer selects bKash or Nagad at checkout.
2. They enter their wallet number.
3. They receive a one-time code (OTP) by SMS and enter it.
4. They confirm with their PIN.

The money moves at once, and the merchant gets the confirmation.

Bangla QR

Bangla QR is the national QR standard introduced by Bangladesh Bank. One QR code can be paid from different wallets and bank apps, which makes it useful for shops that want to accept every app with a single code.

The problem with "send money" payments

Many small online sellers ask customers to use "Send Money" to a personal bKash or Nagad number and then send a screenshot or the transaction ID. That causes:

1. Hard reconciliation: many payments of similar amounts, no clear link to the order.
2. Fake screenshots and fake transaction IDs.
3. Slow delivery: someone has to check every payment by hand.
4. Account limits and risk: personal wallets are not meant for business; limits are reached quickly and accounts can be restricted.

A merchant payment through a gateway solves all of this.

How a payment gateway handles bKash and Nagad

Risks and how to handle them

Fake screenshots and transaction IDs. Never deliver on a screenshot or a transaction ID typed by the customer. Deliver only when the webhook confirms.

OTP not received. SMS can be slow. Let the customer retry with a new charge instead of paying "outside" the checkout.

Abandoned payments. If the customer closes the wallet page, the payment expires. Show a clear "try again" button.

Missed webhooks. Choose a gateway with webhook retries and a status API, and process webhooks idempotently so you never deliver twice.

Rules you should know

• Online gambling is illegal in Bangladesh, and wallets block such payments.
• Bangladesh Bank regulates mobile financial services, payment systems and foreign exchange. Money leaving the country is closely controlled, so ask your provider how you will be settled.
• Merchant KYC is required before going live.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Who benefits most

• Digital goods and education: courses, e-books, software and subscriptions.
• Game top-ups (non-gambling) and mobile data: credited in seconds.
• Freelance and SaaS tools: monthly plans paid with the wallet customers already use.
• E-commerce: fewer cash-on-delivery orders and fewer returns.

Checklist for choosing a gateway in Bangladesh

1. bKash and Nagad merchant checkout (not "send money").
2. Bangla QR for one-code payments.
3. A unique reference for every order.
4. Signed webhooks with retries and a status API.
5. A sandbox for paid, failed and expired payments.
6. Clear pricing, nothing for failed payments.
7. Settlement that suits you: local account, foreign account or stablecoins.
8. Reports with gross, fee and net.
9. One API for several countries.

Step-by-step integration

1. Create a merchant account and add your website.
2. Create a sandbox API key and keep it on your server only.
3. Set your webhook URL and store the secret.
4. At checkout, create a charge in BDT with your order reference.
5. Show bKash, Nagad or Bangla QR and send the customer to the wallet checkout.
6. Verify each webhook's signature and mark the order paid only once.
7. Test in the sandbox, then switch to a live key.

Designing a checkout that converts in Bangladesh

• bKash first, Nagad second. Put the two wallet buttons at the top, with their logos; most customers look for them immediately.
• Explain the three steps in one line: "Enter your wallet number, the code sent by SMS and your PIN."
• Bangla and English. A short Bangla explanation next to the button builds trust, especially outside Dhaka.
• Show the final price in BDT, including any fee, before the customer is sent to the wallet.
• Mobile first. Most buyers pay on a phone, often on a slow connection. Keep the page light and the buttons large.
• A clear "paid" screen. After payment, show the order number and what happens next, so the customer does not send a screenshot "just in case".

Settlement and payouts

1. Settlement schedule: daily or on request.
2. Currency: BDT to a local account, or converted for a foreign company — ask about the rate and the timing.
3. Payouts to wallets: refunds, rewards and seller payouts to bKash or Nagad numbers remove manual "send money" work.
4. Reports: each settlement should list its payments with gross, fee and net, ready for your accountant.

How PAYWISE handles Bangladesh

PAYWISE is an API-first payment platform. Indonesia (QRIS) and crypto payments are live today, and Bangladesh (bKash, Nagad) opens on request: merchants who ask first are prepared first. When Bangladesh opens for your account, you keep the same API, signed webhooks and dashboard as in every other PAYWISE market.

See the Bangladesh page and send a request in two minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Do customers need a bank account to pay with bKash or Nagad? No. A mobile wallet registered with their national ID is enough.

Why not just ask for "Send Money" to my number? Personal wallets are not for business: they have limits, need manual checks and invite fake screenshots. A merchant checkout confirms every payment automatically.

What is Bangla QR? The national QR standard of Bangladesh Bank. One code can be paid from different wallets and bank apps.

Can a customer reverse a bKash payment? Not like a card chargeback. Refunds are made by the merchant.

Can a foreign company accept payments from Bangladesh? Yes, through a provider that collects locally and settles to you. Ask about the settlement currency and timing.

How long does a bKash or Nagad payment take? Usually a few seconds after the customer enters their PIN. The webhook follows right away.

Do I need both bKash and Nagad? It is strongly recommended. Many customers prefer one or the other, and offering both covers most of the market.

Can I accept payments from Bangladeshi customers living abroad? Wallet payments are made from local accounts. Customers abroad usually pay with cards or international methods, so offer those as a second option.

Can I charge customers every month for a subscription? Wallet payments are usually approved one by one with a PIN. For subscriptions, send a new payment link each month with the amount and reference.

Sources: Bangladesh Bank, bKash, Nagad. This article is general information, not legal or financial advice.