The verdict in three sentences
For a service company billing several hundred businesses every month, whether in Libreville or Toronto, the real cost is not the software but the payment delay: at 62 days, tens of millions of FCFA sit idle in receivables. A customer portal with downloadable invoices, automatic reminders and payment by card, mobile money (Airtel Money in Gabon) or referenced bank transfer commonly brings that delay down to 35 to 45 days. The project costs between 4,000,000 and 8,000,000 FCFA on the 2026 market and pays for itself first through freed cash, then through reminder time saved.
What a billing customer portal must include
A good customer portal replaces reminder calls with three simple reflexes on the client side: view, download, pay. The features below reflect a realistic scope for a B2B maintenance or service company.
| Feature | Value for the client | Effect on your cash | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice and credit note history in PDF | No more duplicate requests | 2 to 4 calls avoided per client per year | Essential |
| Visa or Mastercard payment | Immediate settlement by the accountant | Cash in within 24 to 72 h | Essential |
| Mobile money payment (Airtel Money, Moov Money) | Small firms without a company card | Cash in the same day | Essential |
| Bank transfer with unique reference | Large accounts paying by bank | Automatic matching, fewer errors | Recommended |
| Automatic reminders D-3, D+7, D+15 | Polite reminder without a call | 10 to 20 days of delay gained | Essential |
| Contracts, tickets and service reports | Proof of service in one click | Fewer invoice disputes | Recommended |
| Accounting sync | Sage export or accounting file | 1 to 2 days of data entry saved per month | Depends on existing tool |
Mobile payment is not a gimmick in Libreville: a significant share of client SMEs pay suppliers from a business Airtel Money account. Without that option, they postpone payment until their next bank visit.
Project cost and gateway fees in 2026
The estimates below cover a custom web application built for 400 to 1,000 client accounts, with an aggregated gateway (cards and mobile money) opened in the CEMAC zone.
| Item (2026 estimate) | Market range | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Simple portal (invoices, card payment) | 4,000,000 to 5,500,000 FCFA | 8 to 10 weeks |
| With mobile money, reminders and service reports | 5,500,000 to 8,000,000 FCFA | 10 to 14 weeks |
| Card gateway fees | 2.5 to 3.5% per transaction | Depends on volume and aggregator |
| Merchant mobile money fees | 1.5 to 2.5% per transaction | Negotiable above a monthly volume |
| Referenced bank transfer | Usual bank charges | No gateway commission |
| Hosting and monitoring | 25,000 to 75,000 FCFA per month | Depends on traffic and backups |
| Application maintenance | 75,000 FCFA per month | Kolonell Standard plan |
The classic trap is to calculate gateway fees on total revenue. In practice, large accounts keep paying by transfer, and only part of the invoices, often 20 to 35%, goes through card or mobile money.
How to calculate the cash freed
The formula is simple: receivables = monthly revenue multiplied by average payment delay divided by 30. Each day gained therefore frees one thirtieth of your monthly billing. That cash avoids a bank overdraft charged around 10 to 14% per year in Gabon, or funds your spare parts stock and hiring without borrowing.
Add reminder time: a person who spends the day on the phone chasing payments costs 400,000 to 600,000 FCFA per month fully loaded in Libreville. The portal does not remove that role, but refocuses it on the 10% of genuinely disputed cases.
Mini case study
Patrick, CFO of an IT maintenance company in Libreville, bills 450 businesses for an average of 280,000 FCFA, i.e. 126,000,000 FCFA per month. With a 62-day average delay, his receivables reach 126 multiplied by 62 divided by 30, i.e. 260,400,000 FCFA.
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Target after launching the portal: 38 days. New receivables: 126 multiplied by 38 divided by 30, i.e. 159,600,000 FCFA. Cash freed: 100,800,000 FCFA, avoiding about 12,000,000 FCFA of overdraft interest per year at 12%. Reminder time saved represents 6,000,000 FCFA per year.
On the cost side: 25% of invoices paid online at 2% average fees, i.e. 126,000,000 times 12, times 25%, times 2%, so 7,560,000 FCFA per year. A 6,000,000 FCFA project amortised over three years (2,000,000 FCFA per year) and maintenance of 900,000 FCFA per year. Net annual gain: 18,000,000 minus 10,460,000, i.e. about 7,500,000 FCFA, on top of the 100 million put back into circulation.
FAQ
How long does it take to launch a billing customer portal?
Count 8 to 14 weeks depending on scope. Opening the merchant account with the payment aggregator often takes 2 to 4 weeks, so start it at signature.
Should gateway fees be passed on to clients?
It is possible but not advisable in B2B, as it slows adoption. Better to offer fee-free referenced transfers and accept 1.5 to 3.5% on instant payments that speed up collection.
Can the portal connect to our current invoicing software?
Yes, through automatic export or API depending on the tool. Plan 5 to 10 days of development for reliable invoice and payment sync.
Won't automatic reminders annoy clients?
A rhythm of three messages (D-3, D+7, D+15) with a direct payment link is well accepted. Companies that adopt it usually gain 10 to 20 days of delay without damaging the relationship.
What is Kolonell's budget for this kind of application?
Our medium-complexity custom applications range from 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (about EUR 6,100 to 10,670), with maintenance at 75,000 FCFA per month. The exact quote depends on the number of integrations.
Let's scope your project. Send us your invoice volume, payment methods and accounting tool: we will cost the scope, budget and timeline of your customer portal. 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.
