Payment Gateways in Trinidad and Tobago, Every Option Compared
By Earl Rennie, Director of Digital Strategy
6 min read
Payment gateways are the services that let a Trinidad and Tobago website accept card payments. They carry the transaction securely from your checkout to the banks and settle the funds to your account. The main options here are PowerTranz, formerly First Atlantic Commerce (the regional standard, integrated with most T&T banks), WiPay, and bank-operated solutions. Stripe and PayPal do not serve T&T businesses in any practical way. This guide compares what actually works.
What a Payment Gateway Is and How It Works.
When a customer pays on your site, the gateway encrypts the card details, routes them through the card network for approval, and returns the answer in seconds. Approved payments then settle, meaning the money moves to your merchant account at your bank. Two acronyms matter when you shop for one. PCI compliance means the infrastructure meets card-industry security standards. 3DS2 is the verification step that shifts fraud liability away from you. Any gateway worth using in 2026 offers both.
Every Gateway Available in T&T, a Quick Comparison.
For most T&T businesses the choice narrows fast. PowerTranz (formerly First Atlantic Commerce) for card payments on a real online store, WiPay for lighter local payment flows, and your bank's own ecommerce product where the relationship makes it convenient. The differences that matter are settlement speed, platform support and currency coverage, compared below.
| Gateway | Best for | Platform support | Currencies | Settlement | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PowerTranz, formerly First Atlantic Commerce | Full ecommerce stores | WooCommerce via the Quoviz plugin, plus custom integrations | 14 currencies including TTD, JMD, BBD and XCD | Typically about 48 hours to your local bank | Gateway setup and monthly fee quoted at onboarding (we are PowerTranz partners and quote these with your build). Per-transaction rate negotiated with your acquiring bank. |
| WiPay | Local payments and simpler flows | Hosted pages and payment links | TTD centred | Payout on withdrawal request | Published fees as at July 2026 are 3.5% + US$0.25 per transaction on the free tier, 3.0% + US$0.25 on paid tiers (from TT$136 per month), and TT$5 per TTD withdrawal. |
| Bank ecommerce products (Republic ePay, First Citizens ecommerce) | Businesses anchored to one bank | Varies by bank | TTD | Confirm terms with your bank | Rates not published. Negotiated per merchant, confirm with your bank. |
T&T Payment Fees Calculator
Rates as at July 2026
- WiPay free tier 3.5% + US$0.25 per transaction.
- WiPay paid tier 3.0% + US$0.25 per transaction, plans from TT$136 per month.
- WiPay withdrawal fee TT$5 per TTD withdrawal.
- US dollar amounts converted at TT$6.80 to US$1 for estimates.
- PowerTranz per-transaction rate is negotiated with your acquiring bank and is not published.
- PowerTranz gateway setup and monthly fees are quoted at onboarding.
Your bank sets this rate at onboarding
Estimated monthly fees
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Effective rate
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- PowerTranz gateway setup and monthly fees are quoted at onboarding.
Estimates for planning. Your bank and gateway confirm exact rates at onboarding.
Why Stripe Does Not Work Here (and What to Use Instead).
Every founder who learned ecommerce from YouTube asks about Stripe. The answer has not changed. Stripe does not support Trinidad and Tobago businesses. PayPal is nearly as awkward, since it is not integrated with any Caribbean bank, and payouts need a US account or a registered Visa card that some local banks block. The practical route is the regional gateway that settles to your local bank. That is not a compromise. It is the system working as designed for this market.
PowerTranz and WooCommerce, the Local Standard.
If you knew this gateway as First Atlantic Commerce or FAC, nothing has moved. The company rebranded to PowerTranz, the banks and the plumbing are the same, and most local banks still answer to both names.
PowerTranz is integrated with most banks in Trinidad and Tobago, processes 3DS2-secure payments on PCI-compliant servers, and settles funds to your local account, typically within about 48 hours. On WooCommerce, our plugin does the integration work, licensed from USD $249 per year, actively maintained, and running on live stores across the region. We are official PowerTranz Technology Partners, so bank paperwork and gateway setup are things we walk clients through rather than point them at.
Choosing by Business Type.
A retail store with a catalogue belongs on WooCommerce with PowerTranz. A service business taking deposits can start with hosted payment pages or WiPay links. A platform with custom flows needs a custom PowerTranz integration. If you are not sure which you are, the deciding question is volume. The more transactions you expect, the more the full gateway pays for itself.
Payment Gateway Questions, Answered
A payment gateway is the service that securely carries a card payment from your website to the banking system and back. It encrypts the card details, gets the transaction approved or declined in seconds, and settles the funds to your merchant account. Without one, an online store can display products but cannot take payment. In Trinidad and Tobago the main gateways are PowerTranz (formerly First Atlantic Commerce), WiPay and bank-operated options.
At checkout, the gateway encrypts the customer's card details and sends them for authorisation through the card network to the issuing bank. The approval travels back in seconds and the sale completes. Settlement follows, and the funds move to your merchant account, typically within about 48 hours for PowerTranz merchants in Trinidad. Security standards like PCI compliance and 3DS2 verification protect both sides.
Expect three kinds of charges. Setup or licensing, a per-transaction percentage set by your acquiring bank and gateway, and any monthly platform fees. Exact rates vary by bank relationship and volume, so confirm them with your bank when you open the merchant account. The software layer is the most transparent piece. The PowerTranz WooCommerce plugin is licensed from USD $249 per year.
No. Stripe does not support Trinidad and Tobago businesses, and PayPal is not integrated with Caribbean banks either. That surprises founders who learned ecommerce from US tutorials. The working local route is a gateway built for the region. PowerTranz, formerly First Atlantic Commerce, settles card payments directly to T&T bank accounts, and WiPay serves local payment flows. Plan your store around what actually operates here.
