Freedom251 › Marketplace Payment Platforms
Zai
What Zai is
Zai is an API-powered platform for collecting, sending, and orchestrating business payments. It supports cards, PayTo through the NPP, BECS Direct Debit, BPAY, and bank transfers. Payment workflows can split, hold, route, and disburse funds among multiple parties. Virtual accounts and PayIDs can match incoming payments in real time. Integration options include RESTful APIs, hosted forms, iframe-based hosted fields, and CMS plugins, including WooCommerce. The WooCommerce plugin requires WordPress 6.x, WooCommerce 7.x to 9.x, PHP 7.4 or higher, and a valid SSL certificate. Zai documents Live production and Pre-live sandbox API environments. Its card collection page describes tokenisation, fraud monitoring, and optional 3DS2 step-up authentication. The company says it is a PCI DSS compliant Level 1 Service Provider and offers a dedicated account manager and access to in-house developers for payment support. It serves sectors including fintech, marketplaces, healthtech, payroll, SaaS, proptech, and retail. UK credit-card and direct-debit transactions are not yet available.
Who it suits
Zai may suit businesses in sectors such as fintech, marketplaces, SaaS, payroll, or retail that need payment collection and multi-party payment workflows.
What it does well
- Supports cards, PayTo, direct debit, BPAY, and bank transfers.
- Can split, hold, route, and disburse funds.
- Virtual accounts and PayIDs support real-time matching.
- Offers API, hosted form, and plugin integration options.
- Includes a sandbox API environment.
What to know first
- UK credit-card and direct-debit transactions are unavailable.
- WooCommerce use requires specified software versions and a valid SSL certificate.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Customised | Custom package; contact sales. · Volume discounts · Multi-product discounts · Country-specific rates · Interchange pricing | On request |
| Standard | Per card transaction; fees exclude GST. · Australia pricing shown · Domestic card rate includes American Express, Mastercard and Visa · Custom pricing available for large payment volumes, high-value transactions, or unique business models | On request |
As hellozai.com lists them, read 2 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Zai offers varied collection methods and workflows for payments involving multiple parties. Businesses should check market availability, integration requirements, and custom pricing with the company.
Facts from Zai's own pages
- API environments
- The API reference documents separate Live production and Pre-live sandbox environments. · developer.hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Availability limit
- The API reference says UK credit-card and direct-debit transactions are not yet available. · developer.hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2021 · hellozai.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Fraud controls
- The payment collection page describes cardholder-data tokenisation, fraud monitoring, and optional 3DS2 step-up authentication for card payments. · hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Melbourne, Victoria, Australia · hellozai.com, 28 Sept 2026
- Integrations
- Integration options include RESTful APIs, hosted forms, iframe-based hosted fields, and CMS plugins; the site names WooCommerce as a plugin. · hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Markets and users
- Zai describes itself as an Australian fintech payments provider and lists fintech, marketplaces, healthtech, payroll, SaaS, proptech, and retail among the business sectors it serves. · hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Payment methods
- Its collection page lists cards, PayTo through the NPP, BECS Direct Debit, BPAY, and bank transfers as supported payment methods. · hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Payment workflows
- The platform supports workflows for splitting, holding, routing, and disbursing funds to multiple parties. · hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Product
- Zai provides an API-powered platform for collecting, sending, and orchestrating business payments. · hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Reconciliation
- Virtual accounts and PayIDs can be used to match incoming payments in real time. · hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Security
- Zai says it is a PCI DSS compliant Level 1 Service Provider and undergoes regular audits and reviews by card schemes and partner banks. · hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
- Support
- Zai says customers receive a dedicated account manager and access to in-house developers for payment support. · hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
- WooCommerce requirements
- The WooCommerce plugin page specifies WordPress 6.x, WooCommerce 7.x to 9.x, PHP 7.4 or higher, and a valid SSL certificate. · hellozai.com, 2 Oct 2026
Where Zai stands on Freedom251
- Marketplace Payment Platforms#26 of 28