Tuition payment remains the #1 bottleneck for Senegalese private schools. 30 to 45% of families pay late, the secretary spends 4 hours daily chasing payments. Wave + a well-configured installment system drop this rate below 10%.
TL;DR
- Wave Business API: 1% fee, capped at 5,000 FCFA/transaction.
- Configurable installment plan: 3, 6, 9, or 10 monthly payments.
- Automatic collection: SMS D-3, D-1, D-day + WhatsApp if late.
- Director dashboard: receivables, collection rate, ARTP-compliant.
- Secretary time savings: 70% (Kolonell data, 5 schools).
Why Wave dominates tuition in Senegal
In 2026, Wave represents about 80% of mobile money in Senegal. For a school collecting 250 million FCFA/year:
- 1% fees vs 3-5% competitors = 5-10M FCFA/year saved.
- Near-universal parent adoption (zero resistance vs Orange Money).
- Automatic accounting reconciliation via webhook.
Integration architecture
Step 1 - Wave Business KYB account
The school creates a Wave Business account with:
- NINEA + Trade Register
- School bylaws
- Headmaster ID
- Last month bank statement
Activation timeline: 5 to 10 business days.
Step 2 - API Bearer Token
Wave provides a unique Bearer Token. Store in .env:
WAVE_API_KEY=wave_***WAVE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_***
Step 3 - Checkout creation
For each installment, create a Wave checkout:
- POST
/v1/checkout/sessionswith amount + student reference - Retrieve
wave_launch_url - Redirect parent (WhatsApp deep-link or QR code SMS)
- Wave webhook confirms payment -> mark installment as paid
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Typical installment plan Dakar school
| Month | Installment | Type | Notification |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | 200,000 FCFA + registration | Wave checkout | SMS + Email |
| October | 100,000 FCFA | Wave checkout | SMS D-3 + D-1 |
| November | 100,000 FCFA | Wave checkout | WhatsApp if late |
| December | 100,000 FCFA | Wave checkout | Director notified at D+5 |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
| June | 100,000 FCFA | Wave checkout | Annual recap |
Multi-channel automatic collection
- D-3 before due date: automatic SMS "Hello, tuition due 10/15 in 3 days. Pay here: [Wave link]".
- D-day: SMS reminder + email.
- D+1: WhatsApp utility template (~5 FCFA, Meta-approved) with Wave link.
- D+5: escalation to director + phone call.
- D+15: parent summons.
Kolonell data on 5 schools: collection rate went from 62% to 91% in 4 months.
FAQ
Q: Does Wave accept school accounts without minimum deposit?
A: Yes. No initial deposit required, unlike some bank gateways (1 to 3M FCFA at some banks).
Q: What happens if Wave is down?
A: Orange Money fallback configured automatically. Combined downtime probability < 0.5%.
Q: ARTP/CDP compliance for tuition collection?
A: Wave is licensed as an electronic money institution. ARTP supervises. CDP requires privacy notices that Kolonell embeds.
Q: How much does integration cost?
A: 750,000 FCFA setup + 45,000 FCFA/month maintenance for a 500-student school. Included in "Digital School" pack at 850,000 FCFA if combined with LMS.
Conclusion
Wave turns tuition from a monthly chore into an automatic flow. Kolonell integrates the API in 2 weeks with multi-channel collection. Free quote on kolonell.com/devis-gratuit or 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.
