The verdict in three sentences
The price of an online store in Lagos depends first on catalog size and the payment methods you integrate, not on how the design looks. Expect a 2026 ballpark of 1,000,000 FCFA for a 50-product Starter with mobile money, 2,000,000 FCFA for an unlimited Growth with Stripe/Paystack, and 4,000,000 FCFA for a Premium PWA. The real trap isn't the upfront quote: it's the recurring costs (hosting, maintenance, transaction fees) that 8 out of 10 merchants forget to budget.
What actually drives the bill up
A polished design costs a few hundred thousand FCFA once. What weighs on the long-run budget is the number of product references (each variant, size and color bloats the catalog and stock management) and the number of payment gateways to integrate and maintain. In Lagos in 2026, Paystack and mobile money rails are essential; Stripe adds diaspora and international card reach. Every gateway has its own webhooks, tests and fees.
| Tier | Price FCFA | Price EUR | Products | Payments | Timeline | Recurring/month | Hosting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1,000,000 | 1,525 € | 50 | Paystack + mobile money | 2-3 wks | 50,000 FCFA | 1st year included |
| Growth | 2,000,000 | 3,050 € | Unlimited | Paystack + Stripe | 3-5 wks | 100,000 FCFA | 35,000 FCFA/mo |
| Premium | 4,000,000 | 6,100 € | Unlimited + AI | Paystack + Stripe + more | 5-8 wks | 175,000 FCFA | 60,000 FCFA/mo |
Transaction fees, the invisible cost
Beyond the build, every sale via mobile money or card carries a commission. On an average basket of 15,000 FCFA, these fees eat into margin and must be priced in.
| Payment method | Estimated 2026 fee | On 15,000 FCFA | Payout delay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile money | ~1.0% | ~150 FCFA | 24-48 h |
| Paystack (card) | ~1.5% | ~225 FCFA | 48-72 h |
| Stripe (card) | ~2.9% + 100 FCFA | ~535 FCFA | 3-7 d |
| Bank transfer | ~1.5% | ~225 FCFA | 48-72 h |
Mini case study
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Aminata runs a ready-to-wear shop in Lekki, Lagos. She sells about 120 orders per month at an average basket of 18,000 FCFA, i.e. 2,160,000 FCFA in monthly revenue. She picks a Growth tier at 2,000,000 FCFA, amortized over 12 months at 166,000 FCFA/month, plus 100,000 FCFA maintenance and 35,000 FCFA hosting. Total monthly cost: 301,000 FCFA, or 14% of revenue. With average payment fees of 1.3%, she still loses ~28,000 FCFA/month. By shifting 30% of her manual WhatsApp sales to an automated checkout, she saves roughly 8 hours a week and halves order errors: the store pays for itself by month 5.
FAQ
Can you start below 1,000,000 FCFA? Yes, with a very small catalog (under 20 products) and a single payment method you can drop to around 700,000 FCFA. But you hit the ceiling fast, and later migration costs more than sizing up from the start.
Are Paystack and mobile money fees negotiable? For high volume (several million FCFA/month), business tiers exist. Below that, expect ~1.0 to 1.5%: build them into your selling price rather than hoping to negotiate them down.
How much is annual maintenance? Between 50,000 and 200,000 FCFA/month depending on tier, i.e. 600,000 to 2,400,000 FCFA/year, covering security, backups, updates and small changes.
Do I need Stripe if I only sell in Lagos? Not essential at first: local rails cover most of the market. Stripe becomes useful once diaspora or international cards exceed 10% of sales.
How fast does the store become profitable? With an average basket of 15,000-18,000 FCFA and 100+ orders/month, most Starter and Growth builds pay off between month 4 and month 8.
Let's talk about your project. We price your Lagos store around your real catalog and payments, not a random flat rate. 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.