Dodo Payments

What is Dodo Payments?

Dodo Payments is an India-based fintech platform founded in 2023 by Rishabh Goel and Ayush Agarwal. The platform functions as a Merchant of Record (MoR) that handles payment processing, billing, tax compliance, and fraud protection for businesses selling digital products globally. Designed specifically for SaaS companies, AI products, and digital goods sellers, Dodo Payments enables businesses to accept payments from 190+ countries without building complex payment infrastructure. The platform is trusted by over 15,000 businesses and has received backing from investors including Antler, 9Unicorns, and Venture Catalysts.

Merchant of Record Model

As a Merchant of Record, Dodo Payments becomes the legal seller for your transactions, taking responsibility for tax compliance, fraud protection, chargebacks, and regulatory requirements across all markets. This model is particularly valuable for small teams and indie developers who want to sell globally without setting up foreign entities or managing international tax registrations. The platform handles VAT, GST, and sales tax calculation, collection, filing, and remittance in every jurisdiction where you sell.

Billing and Payment Models

Dodo Payments supports multiple billing models including usage-based pricing with metering, subscription billing with add-ons, and one-time payments. The platform automates the entire billing lifecycle from invoicing to renewal management. For AI products with variable usage patterns, the metered billing functionality tracks consumption and charges accordingly. Subscription management includes automated billing, renewal processing, and churn prevention tools.

Global Payment Coverage

The platform processes payments from over 220 countries and territories, supporting 50+ currencies and 30+ payment methods. Available payment options include major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay, UPI, iDEAL, Bancontact, EPS, and various regional methods. Buy Now Pay Later options through Klarna and Afterpay are available for US customers. The Adaptive Currency feature displays prices in customers' local currencies based on location detection, improving conversion rates.

Developer-First Integration

Dodo Payments emphasizes rapid integration with SDKs available for TypeScript, Python, Go, PHP, Java, Kotlin, C#, and Ruby. Framework adapters are provided for Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Astro, Remix, TanStack, Hono, Express, and Fastify. The platform claims integration is possible in under 10 lines of code. Additional integrations include plugins for Framer, Raycast, Discord, Slack, Zapier, HubSpot, and Microsoft Teams.

Sentra AI Assistant

Sentra is Dodo Payments' agentic AI assistant designed for IDE-first workflows. Available for VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf, it helps developers integrate billing and payments, provides insights, and executes actions directly within the development environment. The platform also offers an MCP Server to connect AI models directly to Dodo Payments for automated workflows.

Digital Product Distribution

Beyond payments, Dodo Payments includes features for digital product distribution including customizable storefronts, digital product delivery with license key management, and an affiliate program for partner sales. This makes it a complete monetization solution rather than just a payment processor.

Pricing Structure

Dodo Payments uses transparent, pay-as-you-go pricing. For domestic US transactions, the rate is 4% + $0.40 per transaction. For cards and alternative payment methods outside the US (excluding India), the standard rate is 4% + $0.15. Indian domestic payments via UPI, debit cards, or credit cards cost 4% + ₹4. Additional fees apply for specific features: international payments add 1.5%, BNPL transactions add 3%, and subscriptions add 0.5%. Refunds cost $1 (or ₹10 for INR), and chargebacks cost $30 ($1,000 for INR transactions). Enterprise pricing with custom rates is available for higher-volume businesses.

Checkout Experience

Multiple checkout options are available including payment links, embedded checkout overlays, and full-page checkout flows. The checkout supports 14+ languages and automatically adapts to customer location. Customizable branding options let businesses maintain their visual identity throughout the payment flow. React Native SDKs are available for building native mobile payment experiences on iOS and Android.

Pre-Built UI Components

Dodo Payments offers open-source, production-ready billing UI components for React and ShadCN. These include pricing cards, subscription dashboards, and plan upgrade interfaces that developers can implement quickly rather than building from scratch.

Tax and Compliance

The platform automatically calculates, collects, and remits global taxes including VAT, GST, and sales tax. For Indian merchants receiving foreign payments, Dodo Payments structures transactions as export services compliant with RBI and FEMA regulations, allowing Indian SaaS founders to receive international payments without establishing foreign entities.

Fraud Prevention

Real-time fraud monitoring blocks suspicious activity while maintaining smooth checkout for legitimate customers. The platform handles dispute management and chargeback protection as part of its MoR services, reducing the operational burden on merchants.

Who Should Use Dodo Payments?

Dodo Payments is ideal for SaaS companies, AI product developers, indie hackers, micro-SaaS founders, digital product sellers, and online course creators who need global payment acceptance without complex infrastructure. It's particularly well-suited for Indian founders selling to international customers and developers who want rapid integration with modern frameworks. The platform is not designed for freelancers, service-based businesses, agencies, or offline consulting.

Security and Compliance

Dodo Payments is PCI DSS compliant for secure payment processing. The platform handles all aspects of regulatory compliance across different markets, including data protection requirements. Account reviews are conducted before first payout and on ongoing triggers per payment network and regulatory requirements.