The verdict in three sentences
For a UK SaaS billing clients in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire or Mali, the right payment setup depends less on the headline card fee than on acceptance rates, currency conversion into GBP and the exposure to chargebacks on African-issued cards. Most UK companies combine their existing card processor with a local mobile money aggregator covering Wave and Orange Money, because cards cover only a minority of West African business buyers. Integration typically costs GBP 2,000 to 8,000 depending on whether you need subscriptions, invoices and webhooks back into your billing system.
Fees and settlement times in 2026
Figures below are market benchmarks observed in 2026, to be confirmed with each provider as they are negotiated on volume.
| Option (2026 market benchmark) | Indicative fee | Payment methods | Settlement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe UK, international cards | 3.25% + 20p, plus 2% currency conversion | Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay | 2 to 7 days |
| Paddle or other merchant of record | 5% + 50 cents, tax handled | Cards, PayPal | Monthly or bi-weekly |
| Local aggregator (PayDunya, CinetPay, etc.) with offshore payout | 2 to 3.5% plus FX and transfer fees | Wave, Orange Money, local cards | 7 to 15 days to UK |
| Wave Business via a local entity | 1% | Wave | 24 h locally |
| SWIFT bank transfer | GBP 15 to 40 per transfer, FX 0.5 to 1% | Bank transfer | 2 to 5 days |
| Cross-border payment platform (Wise Business, etc.) | 0.4 to 1.5% FX | Local transfer in XOF | 1 to 3 days |
The CFA franc (XOF) is pegged to the euro at 655.957 XOF per EUR, so currency risk is mainly EUR to GBP. The real problem is acceptance: card authorisation rates for West African-issued cards on UK merchants often sit at 60 to 80%, versus 90%+ for UK cards, because of fraud filters and 3D Secure friction.
What integration costs depending on your model
A SaaS does not have the needs of an online shop. It bills monthly or annual subscriptions, sometimes seat-based, plus one-off onboarding fees. Each payment must link back to an invoice and update the subscription status automatically.
| Need | Integration range (market order of magnitude, GBP) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Payment links on invoices (cards plus mobile money) | 800 to 1,800 | 1 week |
| Checkout on your pricing page with webhooks | 1,800 to 3,500 | 2 weeks |
| Customer portal with invoice history and payment | 3,000 to 5,500 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Recurring billing across 2 gateways (GBP or EUR and XOF) | 4,500 to 8,000 | 4 to 5 weeks |
| Automatic accounting export (Xero, QuickBooks) | 900 to 2,200 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Dunning by email, SMS and WhatsApp | 600 to 1,500 | 1 week |
Wave and Orange Money do not yet offer card-on-file style automatic debits. For a monthly XOF subscription, you send a payment link at each renewal with automatic reminders. In practice, on-time payment reaches 70 to 85%, versus 90 to 95% for a stored card.
Chargebacks and reconciliation
Mobile money payments are push payments authorised by the payer on their phone, so card-style chargebacks do not exist. That makes them attractive for higher-value B2B invoices. On cards, budget a dispute fee of around GBP 20 per chargeback and keep proof of service delivery (login logs, signed order form). For reconciliation, insist on a unique invoice reference returned in each webhook and a daily CSV with gross amount, fee and net, plus a clearing account per gateway in your ledger.
Mini case study
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Hannah, COO of a London HR SaaS (illustrative example), bills 120 West African clients at GBP 90 a month, GBP 10,800 in total. On cards only, with 3.25% plus 2% FX and a 72% success rate, she collects about GBP 7,776 and pays roughly GBP 410 in fees. Adding a mobile money aggregator at 3% plus 1% FX for 70% of clients lifts collection to about GBP 9,500 a month (assuming 95% on-time mobile money payment). The extra GBP 1,700 of monthly revenue pays back a GBP 6,000 integration in under 4 months.
FAQ
Can a UK company collect Wave or Orange Money payments?
Yes, through a regional aggregator that pays out offshore, or by setting up a local subsidiary or partner. Expect 7 to 15 days settlement to a UK account via an aggregator, versus 24 hours locally with Wave Business at 1%.
Should we price in GBP, EUR or XOF?
Pricing in XOF removes FX surprises for the buyer and usually improves conversion. Since XOF is pegged at 655.957 per EUR, many UK SaaS companies price in EUR or XOF and absorb EUR to GBP risk of 1 to 3% a year.
How do we handle VAT?
B2B services to business customers outside the UK are generally outside the scope of UK VAT, but local rules apply: Senegal applies 18% VAT on certain digital services from foreign suppliers. Get local tax advice before scaling.
How many gateways should we integrate?
Two are enough in 90% of cases: your existing card processor for international cards and one regional aggregator covering Wave, Orange Money and local cards.
What about refunds?
Mobile money refunds are typically handled from the merchant dashboard within 48 hours. Set a written policy and an approval threshold, for example GBP 500.
Let's scope your project. Share your billing volumes, the split of African and other clients and your billing stack, and we will recommend the right gateway pair and price the integration. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
