Zai
$273/mo est.
- In-person rate
- —
- Online rate
- —
- Monthly fee
- No monthly fee
- Terminal cost
- —
- Contract length
- Contact provider
- Settlement time
- —
- Est. monthly cost
- $273/mo
Zai
Australian-native, API-first payments platform built for marketplaces and platforms needing split payments and local payment rails.
- In-person rate
- —
- Online rate
- —
- Monthly fee
- No monthly fee
- Contract
- Contact provider
Best for
Australian marketplaces needing real-time payouts via NPP and local payment rails
Pricing breakdown
All prices in AUDLast verified 11 June 2026Every fee we track, grouped by where it applies.
In-person payments
EFTPOS terminal and tap-to-pay transactions.
- Monthly fee
- No monthly fee
Online payments
Online checkout and keyed-in card transactions.
- Monthly fee
- No monthly fee
Contract terms
- Contract length
- Contact provider
Accepted payment methods
Cards, wallets, and other methods supported by Zai for Australian merchants.
Cards
- Visa
- Mastercard
- AMEX
Digital wallets
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
Other
- Direct Debit
Strengths and trade-offs
Pros
- Australian-native with local rails (PayTo, BPAY, NPP, Direct Debit)
- Automatic split payments with virtual accounts
- Real-time payouts via NPP
- PCI DSS compliant with built-in fraud checks
Cons
- Custom quote-based pricing, no public rates
- Limited multi-currency versus global platforms
- Smaller payment-method range than international providers
About Zai
Zai (formerly Assembly Payments) is an Australian payments platform that gives marketplaces and platforms programmable payment infrastructure. It handles fund collection, automatic splitting between the platform and its sellers, and disbursement across local rails including PayTo, BPAY, Direct Debit and the New Payments Platform (NPP) for real-time payouts. Zai holds full PCI DSS compliance and targets proptech, fintech and earned wage access platforms that need wallet-style fund management with Australian regulatory coverage.
Zai was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.
How Zai compares
Side-by-side with the closest alternatives by estimated cost.
Assumes $15,000/mo volume, $50 average transaction, 70% in-person and 30% online.
Airwallex
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- In-person rate
- —
- Online rate
- —
- Monthly fee
- $0 (Explore plan)
- Terminal cost
- —
- Contract length
- No lock-in on entry plans
- Settlement time
- —
- Est. monthly cost
- $338/mo
Stripe
$345/mo est.
- In-person rate
- —
- Online rate
- —
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- —
- Contract length
- No lock-in, pay as you go
- Settlement time
- —
- Est. monthly cost
- $345/mo
PayPal
$525/mo est.
- In-person rate
- —
- Online rate
- —
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- —
- Contract length
- No lock-in
- Settlement time
- —
- Est. monthly cost
- $525/mo
Common questions about Zai
The same questions Australian merchants ask before signing up.
Zai is built specifically for the Australian market and provides native access to Australian payment rails that international providers do not offer: NPP real-time transfers, PayTo (account-to-account bank authorisation), PayID, BPAY, and BECS direct debit. For platforms whose buyers and sellers are primarily in Australia, this domestic depth means faster settlement and lower reliance on card networks.
On the Standard plan, Zai charges 1.5% + $0.16 plus a $0.16 fixed fee per transaction. This is among the lower transaction rates in the marketplace payments category for Australian providers.
No. The monthly fee on Zai's Standard plan is No monthly fee. Custom enterprise pricing is available for higher volumes.
Zai uses virtual wallet accounts for each participant. When a buyer pays, the platform instructs Zai via API to split the incoming funds: routing the platform commission to the platform wallet and the seller share to the seller wallet. From the seller wallet, funds can be released in real time via NPP, the next business day via BPAY, or over two to three business days via BECS direct credit.
Yes. Funds collected into a wallet can be held until the platform releases them, making Zai suitable for platforms that need to withhold payment until order completion, dispute resolution, or a milestone is reached. The platform controls the release trigger via the API.
Yes. Zai holds an Australian Financial Services Licence and is regulated by ASIC. As an Australian-native provider, Zai is built to satisfy local AML/CTF requirements, and its KYC onboarding flows are designed for Australian identity documents and business structures.
Zai is best suited to Australian-focused marketplaces and platforms that prioritise real-time domestic payouts, local payment rail support, and a locally regulated partner over global reach or multi-currency depth. Property platforms, trade services marketplaces, and B2B payment platforms with Australian sellers are common use cases. Platforms with significant international seller bases would need to supplement Zai with a global payout provider.
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