Thinkific payments not available in my country: how do I sell my course?
The problem“My course is ready on Thinkific. Thinkific Payments is not offered in my country, Stripe does not accept sellers here, and Podia wants Stripe or PayPal too.”
If Thinkific Payments is not available in your country, Thinkific points you to Stripe, then PayPal, Stripe Atlas or an external payment solution, and on Podia you can only connect Stripe and/or PayPal. If Stripe will not take you, the route that works for most sellers in N. Macedonia, Serbia, Pakistan or Nigeria is to take payment outside, through a merchant of record that pays out to your country, and enrol each buyer on Thinkific or Podia yourself. Both platforms document how to do that.
Why is Thinkific Payments not available in my country?
Thinkific Payments runs on Stripe and covers 36 countries. Thinkific says: "Thinkific Payments is the default payment processor for creators located in USA, Canada, UK, EU, Switzerland, Norway, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand" (Thinkific, edited 16 October 2026). N. Macedonia, Serbia, Pakistan and every African country are not on it.
Outside that list, Thinkific says: "we recommend using Stripe as your payment processor" (Thinkific, edited 19 October 2026). Stripe on Thinkific needs the Grow plan or higher. The dead end: N. Macedonia, Serbia and Pakistan are not on Stripe's country list, and Nigeria and Kenya appear there only as "Extended network".
What does Thinkific suggest when neither works?
Thinkific's Stripe article says: "If Stripe and Thinkific Payments are not available in your country, check out Stripe Supported Countries and Alternate Payment Options." That article lists four options (Thinkific, edited 1 September 2026):
- PayPal, "on the Grow plan and higher", with two limits: "PayPal supports one-time payment only" and "PayPal integration supports USD only". If PayPal is your only processor, Thinkific's currency article adds: "the default currency is USD and cannot be customized" (Thinkific).
- Stripe Atlas, to "incorporate a US entity so that they can accept payments through Stripe".
- Preferred External Payment Gateway: "you can set up your own solution!"
- CheckoutJoy, an app in the Thinkific App Store that connects other payment providers.
PayPal only helps if it can receive money where you live. Pakistan is not on PayPal's country list; elsewhere, check on PayPal's own site.
What does Thinkific say about an external checkout?
It names your situation directly. Among the reasons to use an external payment solution, Thinkific lists "Thinkific Payments is not supported in your country" and "Stripe is not supported in your country" (Thinkific, External Payment Solution: What to Consider).
The catch is enrolment: "you will need to enroll them into your Thinkific course after accepting payment." Thinkific's options are Zapier, manual enrolment, bulk enrolment, 100%-off coupon codes (which still need a built-in payment integration) and its Public API (Thinkific, Managing Enrollments). It also recommends setting the course to Private, which "will completely block the Thinkific checkout", and turning on the Site Welcome Email so new students get a sign-in link (Thinkific, Recommended Setup). Zapier actions, including "Enroll User", are "available on our Grow plan and higher" (Thinkific, Working with Zapier).
What about Podia without Stripe?
Podia's help says: "At this time, only Stripe and/or PayPal are supported." Cards depend on Stripe: "The credit and debit card option only appears when Stripe is connected to your account." And "PayPal is only supported on our Shaker and Earthquaker plans" (Podia, accepting payments).
Podia's "Grant access" is "a great way to provide product access to those who have purchased externally"; the buyer gets an email to set a password (Podia, add someone to a product for free). Automatic sign-up through Zapier is on the Shaker and Earthquaker plans (Podia, Zapier).
Which route fits me?
| Route | Who takes payment | Works if Stripe is not in your country? | Catch | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thinkific Payments | Thinkific, on Stripe | No, only in the 36 listed countries | None if you are eligible | Thinkific |
| Your own Stripe on Thinkific or Podia | Stripe | No | Needs Stripe in your country; Grow plan or higher on Thinkific | Thinkific · Podia |
| PayPal on Thinkific or Podia | PayPal | Only where PayPal can receive money | Thinkific: Grow plan+, one-time, USD only. Podia: Shaker or Earthquaker plan, no card option without Stripe | Thinkific · Podia |
| Stripe Atlas (US company) | Stripe | Yes, through a US company | A company to run and file for | Thinkific |
| Merchant of record (AgentaOS) + enrol on the platform | AgentaOS, as the legal seller | Yes, individuals and companies, paid to your own bank in EUR or USD in 86 countries | You enrol each buyer, by hand or with Zapier | Facts · Thinkific |
All checked 6 November 2026. Lists change; check yours on each platform's page.
AgentaOS charges 4.5% + €0.50 per card sale, or 6.0% + €0.50 for cards issued outside the EEA, with no monthly fee (facts). AgentaOS is the official seller, so it handles VAT and sales tax and the invoice on each sale.
How do I sell my Thinkific or Podia course, step by step?
- Check your own eligibility. On Thinkific, open Settings > Payments. If Thinkific Payments or Stripe is offered, use it and stop here.
- Check PayPal for receiving. If PayPal can receive money in your country and USD-only, one-time sales are fine, connect it (Grow plan on Thinkific, Shaker on Podia).
- Create the course as a product on a merchant of record. In AgentaOS, open Products > New product, enter the course name, price and description, and copy the buyer link (payment links docs). Buyers pay by card.
- Close the free door. On Thinkific, set the course to Private. On Podia, keep the product published, since Grant access needs that.
- Point your sales page at the checkout. Link your Thinkific banner button or Podia buy button to the AgentaOS buyer link.
- Enrol each buyer. On Thinkific: Users > + New User, enter the buyer's details, tick "Send site welcome email", pick the course and click Enroll (Thinkific). On Podia: Products > "..." > Grant access. To automate, a developer can send the AgentaOS payment webhook to Zapier and use Thinkific's "Enroll User" or Podia's sign-up action.
- Get paid and declare it. AgentaOS pays out to your own bank in EUR or USD (N. Macedonia, Serbia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya). Declare the income at home; ask a local accountant.
There is no direct AgentaOS integration with Thinkific or Podia today. The Zapier step is yours to set up.
Checklist: before you sell your course outside Thinkific or Podia
- ✓Your country checked in Thinkific or Podia payment settings
- ✓A EUR or USD account at your bank
- ✓Course created as a product with a clear name and price
- ✓Thinkific course set to Private, or Podia buy button pointed at your checkout
- ✓Site Welcome Email on (Thinkific)
- ✓Enrolment plan: by hand, or webhook plus Zapier (Grow plan on Thinkific, Shaker on Podia)
- ✓Your accountant told about income from abroad
When is AgentaOS the wrong choice?
If you are eligible for Thinkific Payments, use it: it enrols students for you. If you sell hundreds of seats a week, manual enrolment will not keep up. New accounts start with up to 15% of each sale set aside for 120 days; a course paid now that starts later can have up to 100% held until delivery plus 120 days (Terms, section 9.2).
On Teachable or Kajabi instead? Read Teachable payments not available in my country.
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Related questions
Is Thinkific Payments available in N. Macedonia, Serbia or Pakistan?
No. Thinkific Payments covers 36 countries: the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. Thinkific suggests Stripe, then PayPal, Stripe Atlas or an external payment solution.
Can I use PayPal on Thinkific without Stripe?
Yes, on the Grow plan or higher. Thinkific's PayPal integration is one-time payments only, and if PayPal is your only processor the currency is USD and cannot be changed. It only works if PayPal can receive money in your country.
Can I use Podia without Stripe?
Only with PayPal, on the Shaker or Earthquaker plan, and buyers see no card option. Podia supports only Stripe and PayPal. The other way is an external checkout, then Grant access to each buyer.
Can I keep my course on Thinkific and take payment elsewhere?
Yes. Thinkific documents external payment solutions. Set the course to Private, take payment through a checkout like AgentaOS, then enrol each buyer by hand, in bulk, or with Zapier on the Grow plan.
Do I need a company to sell a course from N. Macedonia?
Not with a merchant of record. AgentaOS accepts individuals and companies and pays out to your own bank in EUR or USD. Your own Stripe would need a company in a country Stripe supports, such as a US company through Stripe Atlas.
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Related
Sources: Thinkific, Payments supported countries (edited 16 Oct 2026) · Thinkific, Stripe supported countries and alternate options · Thinkific, Thinkific Payments vs Stripe vs PayPal · Thinkific, accept payments with Stripe · Thinkific, change your currency · Thinkific, External Payment Solution: What to Consider · Thinkific, Managing Enrollments · Thinkific, Recommended Setup · Thinkific, manually enroll students · Thinkific, Working with Zapier · Podia, accepting payments · Podia, grant access · Podia, Zapier sign-up · Stripe, global availability · PayPal, countries · AgentaOS facts · AgentaOS payment links · AgentaOS webhooks · AgentaOS Terms