Hi Nick
I was going by advice by shopify that we had to use one is 3. Over 10
agents have said this and I read it in eligibility here
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/subscriptions/setup#eligibility-requirements
Confused!
Tasha
Topic summary
A UAE-based merchant is struggling to implement subscription payments on their Shopify store launching soon. The core issue: Shopify’s subscription feature requires one of three payment gateways (Shopify Payments, Authorize.net, or PayPal Express), but none work for UAE businesses.
Key constraints:
- Shopify Payments and Authorize.net are unavailable in the UAE
- PayPal Express doesn’t support AED (UAE dirham), the store’s only currency
- Store only ships to UAE addresses, making AED support essential
Current status:
- Multiple Shopify support agents confirmed the three-gateway limitation per official documentation
- A feature request has been submitted to Shopify’s development team
- At least one other merchant reported the identical problem
Potential workaround:
- One user suggested Easy Pie Checkout, a third-party Stripe-powered solution that may support subscriptions with broader payment method compatibility
- Another user confirmed this alternative “works better”
The discussion remains open as merchants await either Shopify’s official solution or validation of third-party alternatives.