Is Stripe available in India? Partly. Is Stripe available in Sri Lanka? Not as a home country for a business. Both answers matter if you run tours there and want to take card payments online, so here are the details as we checked them on 2 November 2026.
Is Stripe available in India?
Stripe’s global page lists India with a “Preview” label and sends visitors to its sales team rather than to normal sign-up. Stripe’s support pages say that services in India are invite-only and that it supports a limited number of businesses. Accounts that were active when the change began in May 2024 remain supported. So a new Indian business should ask Stripe’s sales team, and shouldn’t plan on getting access.
Is Stripe available in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka doesn’t appear in the list of countries on Stripe’s global page, so a business based in Sri Lanka can’t open a standard Stripe account there. Don’t use a company or address abroad just to get an account unless a qualified adviser confirms it is right for your business: Stripe verifies who runs an account and where it is based.
What to use instead
- In India, Razorpay is a local payment gateway that businesses can apply to directly.
- In Sri Lanka, PayHere is a local payment gateway that businesses can apply to directly.
- Bank transfer remains common for deposits on larger trips. Send clear details and confirm receipt.
- Enquire-first selling: take an enquiry, send a proposal, and agree payment personally.
What to check in any tour operator payment gateway
- Does it accept the cards and currencies your guests use?
- Which fees apply to foreign cards and currency conversion?
- How long do payouts take?
- Can it take a deposit, then the balance later?
- How are refunds handled, and what happens with a chargeback?
How this works on Travuso
Travuso Payments runs on Stripe and is available in the countries shown at signup, which don’t include India or Sri Lanka today. Businesses in those two countries can connect their own Razorpay or PayHere account, or take enquiries and send proposals without online payment.
What “available” can mean
There are two separate questions. One is whether a business based in a country can open a Stripe account. The other is whether a guest from that country can pay with their card on a website run by a business elsewhere. This guide is mostly about the first question, because that decides what a tour operator based in India or Sri Lanka can do. A foreign company taking a payment from a guest in India or Sri Lanka is a different case, and depends on the card and the bank.
Questions to ask before you choose a local gateway
A local gateway can suit you well, but tourism has its own needs. Your guests may be abroad, so ask whether it accepts foreign cards, in which currencies you can charge, and which currency you receive. Ask what happens with bank approval checks on foreign cards, and how long payouts take. Check the merchant application early: gateways may ask for company documents and a live website with policies before they approve you.
Taking deposits without an online gateway
You can run a good tour business without card payments on your website. Send a proposal with the total, the deposit and the deadline, then share your bank details or a payment link from your bank or gateway. Make the steps simple, and confirm receipt in writing. For foreign guests, explain who pays any transfer fees, so that the amount that reaches you is the amount you expected.
What your website should show
- Which payment methods you accept, before the guest enquires.
- The currency of your prices, and whether conversion may apply.
- Your deposit, balance date and cancellation rules.
- Your registered company name and contact details.
- A secure page address and a clear refund policy.
Questions tour operators ask
Can you use PayPal instead? It may be an option, so check its current rules for your country, as well as its fees and how it handles travel businesses. Can a friend abroad open the account for you? That creates legal and tax risks, and the funds may be held if the account doesn’t match the real business, so we don’t recommend it. Should you wait for Stripe? Not if you need to take payments now: start with what is available to you today, and review it when the rules change.
Choosing the right option for your business
Start with where your company is registered, then look at where your guests pay from. If most guests pay large deposits by bank transfer and trust you after several emails, online card payment may not be urgent. If you sell shorter trips to foreign guests who expect to book at once, a working card checkout matters more. Compare the total cost on a typical booking, including currency conversion, and try a small real payment before you rely on any gateway for your main season.
Tip: Payment rules change. Check Stripe’s current global page and support pages before you decide. Sources: stripe.com/global and support.stripe.com/questions/stripe-accounts-are-invite-only-in-india.