The verdict in three sentences
No mainstream tool natively handles recurring billing in mobile money with Senegalese VAT: you'll assemble a stack. Three paths — in-house building blocks (max control, dev to carry), Stripe Billing (excellent but card/diaspora-centric), local aggregator (native mobile money, variable proration support) — with cost from 0 to over 150,000 FCFA/month. For 100 to 1,000 subscribers, the winning combination is often a mobile money aggregator for collection + an in-house layer for proration, MRR and VAT.
Recurring billing tools compared
The deciding criterion in the FCFA zone isn't proration finesse but mobile money support. 2026 order of magnitude.
| Tool | Monthly cost | Mobile money support | Proration/upgrade | MRR/churn reporting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-house building blocks | 0 + dev | Full (per aggregator) | To code | To code |
| Stripe Billing | 0.5–0.8 % of volume | No (card) | Excellent | Excellent |
| Local aggregator | 1.0–2.0 % + sub | Native Wave/OM | Variable | Basic |
| Third-party billing SaaS | 30,000–150,000 FCFA | Rare | Good | Good |
| Spreadsheet + manual reminders | ~0 | Manual | None | Manual |
Stripe Billing remains unbeatable on proration and reporting, but only serves the card-paying diaspora. To collect in Wave/Orange Money, the local aggregator is unavoidable — even if you recode the analytics layer on top.
Recommended stack by SaaS size
The right tooling evolves with subscriber count and MRR. 2026 estimates.
| Size | Subscribers | Recommended stack | Monthly tool cost | 18 % VAT handling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | <100 | Aggregator + spreadsheet | <20,000 FCFA | Manual |
| Growth | 100–500 | Aggregator + in-house layer | 30,000–80,000 FCFA | Semi-auto |
| Scale | 500–1,000 | Aggregator + in-house + Stripe (diaspora) | 80,000–150,000 FCFA | Automated |
| Multi-country | >1,000 | Multi-aggregators + in-house billing | >150,000 FCFA | Automated per country |
The 18 % VAT (Senegal DGID) must appear on every recurring invoice: automate its calculation from 100 subscribers, or quarter-end tax reconciliation becomes a time sink.
Mini case study
Ibrahim launches inventory SaaS in Dakar, target 300 subscribers at 14,900 FCFA/month (target MRR 4,470,000 FCFA). At launch he uses a Wave/OM aggregator (1.5 % fee) + a spreadsheet. At 300 subscribers the spreadsheet breaks: he adds an in-house proration and MRR reporting layer (one-off dev ~600,000 FCFA). Monthly tooling cost: ~67,000 FCFA, i.e. 1.5 % of MRR — a healthy ratio to automate VAT, reminders and upgrades.
Become a Kolonell referral partner
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Do you advise SaaS builders, SMEs or entrepreneurs who need a recurring billing engine, a store or a website? The Kolonell referral partner program pays you for every project you bring, with no development on your part.
| Pole | Sale commission | Recurring commission |
|---|---|---|
| Showcase site | 15 % | 5 % |
| E-commerce | 12 % | 5 % |
| Marketplace | 10 % | — |
| Institutional | 8 % | — |
On a 2,000,000 FCFA e-commerce project that is 240,000 FCFA upfront, plus 5 % on recurring maintenance. Just introduce the qualified contact; we handle the sale, production and follow-up.
FAQ
Is there a Stripe Billing for mobile money?
No full equivalent in 2026. Local aggregators collect in Wave/Orange Money but offer basic reporting; you usually add an in-house layer for proration and MRR.
How do I handle 18 % VAT on a subscription?
DGID VAT must appear on every recurring invoice. Automate its calculation from 100 subscribers to avoid a costly manual quarterly reconciliation.
What tooling budget for 500 subscribers?
Expect 80,000 to 150,000 FCFA/month combining a mobile money aggregator, an in-house layer and possibly Stripe for the diaspora — roughly 1.5 to 2 % of MRR.
How much does the Kolonell referral program pay?
From 8 % (institutional) to 15 % (showcase site) on the sale, plus 5 % recurring on showcase and e-commerce. A single e-commerce project can exceed 240,000 FCFA in commission.
Let's talk about your project. We design your mobile money recurring billing stack, or support you as a referral partner. 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.
