The verdict in three sentences
For a single-market West African merchant, CinetPay and PayDunya best cover Wave, mobile money and local wallets at 2 to 3.5 %. To target Nigeria, Ghana and international, Paystack and Flutterwave offer low local fees (1.4-1.5 %) but rise to 3.8-3.9 % on international cards. The real criterion isn't just the headline rate: it's the pair operator coverage × payout timing.
Fees and coverage, head to head
Each aggregator has a favoured geography. The headline rate often hides a fixed per-transaction fee and a separate international tariff.
| Aggregator | Local fee | International fee | Countries covered | Key operators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CinetPay | 2.5-3.5 % | 3.5 % | UEMOA + CEMAC | Wave, OM, MTN, Moov |
| PayDunya | 2-3.5 % | 3.5 % | SN, CI, BJ | Wave, OM, MTN |
| Paystack | 1.5 % | 3.9 % | NG, GH, ZA | Cards, MoMo, bank |
| Flutterwave | 1.4-3.8 % | 3.8 % | 30+ countries | Cards, MoMo, M-Pesa |
Some aggregators add a fixed fee of around 100 (local units) per transaction on top of the percentage: trivial on a big basket, heavy on small tickets.
Payout and integration
Beyond fees, cash flow depends on settlement timing, and time-to-launch depends on API quality.
| Aggregator | Payout timing | Fixed fee/transaction | API quality | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CinetPay | T+1 to T+3 | ~100 units | Good, FR docs | UEMOA/CEMAC merchant |
| PayDunya | T+1 to T+2 | Variable | Good, FR docs | SN/CI merchant |
| Paystack | T+1 | Included | Excellent | NG/GH merchant |
| Flutterwave | T+1 to T+3 | Variable | Excellent | Multi-country/international |
A T+1 payout frees your cash faster than T+3: at high volume, the two-day gap can mean hundreds of thousands in local units permanently tied up.
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Mini case study
Ngozi runs an online store in Lagos, collecting NGN 3,000,000/month, 80 % in local mobile money and cards, 20 % in international cards (diaspora). With a 3 % local and 3.9 % international blend, she pays roughly NGN 72,000 (local) + NGN 23,400 (intl) = NGN 95,400 in fees. By moving the local share to an optimized 1.5 % rail, she drops to NGN 36,000 + NGN 23,400 = NGN 59,400, saving NGN 36,000 a month, or NGN 432,000 a year — without changing her volume. The aggregator choice is never neutral.
FAQ
Which aggregator for a purely West African merchant? CinetPay or PayDunya, which natively cover Wave, mobile money and local wallets at 2-3.5 %, with French documentation and T+1 to T+3 payout. Paystack and Flutterwave are better positioned once you target Nigeria or Ghana.
Are international fees always higher? Yes, almost everywhere: expect 3.5 to 3.9 % on international cards versus 1.4 to 3.5 % locally. That's the cost of card networks and cross-border fraud risk.
Does the fixed 100-unit fee really matter? On a 50,000-unit basket, 100 is negligible. But on a 2,000-unit ticket it adds 5 % of real cost. For micro-baskets, favour an aggregator with no fixed fee.
Can I use several aggregators at once? Yes, and it's often smart: one for local rails (low fees, good mobile money coverage) and one for international/cards. It means slightly heavier integration but optimizes each flow.
Become a Kolonell referral partner
A merchant overpaying fees because they picked the wrong aggregator is an ideal project. By introducing them to Kolonell through our referral programme, you earn 12 % on e-commerce, 15 % + 5 % recurring on a showcase site, 10 % on a marketplace, 8 % on institutional.
Let's talk about your project. We pick and integrate the right aggregator to minimize your fees and speed up your payouts. 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.
