Iran’s card payment network: the architecture of Shetab and Shaparak

1Introduction

Iran’s card system rests on Shetab, which routes interbank card transactions, and Shaparak, which manages and supervises acceptance channels such as POS terminals and online gateways.

2Discussion

Payment service providers (PSPs) sit between merchants and Shaparak, and merchant settlement runs under Shaparak supervision in defined cycles for transparency.

QR payments, tokenisation and digital wallets are making the infrastructure more flexible, while card-data standards and one-time passwords raise transaction security.

3Conclusion

For businesses, this knowledge means choosing PSPs wisely, estimating settlement accurately and designing trustworthy user experiences.