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Taking online payments in Trinidad and Tobago: WiPay and PayPal

By the 868POS team · 3 October 2026

If you want customers to pay before they collect, or pay for delivery, you need an online payment gateway. For most businesses in Trinidad and Tobago that means WiPay, PayPal, or both. Here is how they differ in practice.

What a payment gateway does

A gateway takes a customer's card details on a secure payment page, checks the payment, and sends the money to your merchant account. You never handle card numbers yourself, which keeps you and your customers safer. You sign up with the gateway directly, then connect that account to your website or POS.

WiPay

WiPay is a Trinidad and Tobago payment company. For a local business, its main advantages are:

• Payments in TT dollars. Customers see and pay the price you set, in TT$.
• Familiar to local customers paying with local cards.
• Local onboarding, so setup paperwork matches how businesses here are registered.

PayPal

PayPal is used worldwide, and its checkout also accepts cards without a PayPal account. Things to know:

• PayPal doesn't charge in TT dollars. Payments are taken in another currency, usually US dollars, so a TT$ price must be converted. Make sure your system converts correctly so customers aren't over- or under-charged.
• Useful for customers abroad, such as family overseas paying for something here, and customers who prefer to pay through their PayPal balance.
• Getting money out of PayPal works differently in different countries. Check how you would withdraw your balance before you rely on it.

Which should you offer?

For most local customers buying in TT$, WiPay is the simpler fit. PayPal is worth adding if you sell to people outside Trinidad and Tobago or your customers ask for it. Offering both gives customers a choice, and some will finish a purchase they would otherwise abandon.

Fees and refunds

Both gateways charge processing fees, and both change their pricing over time, so check each provider's current fees before you set your prices. Decide your refund policy in advance and show it at checkout. Clear policies prevent disputes, and disputes cost more than refunds.

Keep the money in your own account

Whatever you choose, connect a gateway account in your business's name. Avoid setups where customer payments land in someone else's account first and are passed on to you later.