The verdict in three sentences
On a marketplace, every payment must be split between your commission (10 to 15 %) and the seller's share, then paid out in batches. Split at checkout paired with automated weekly payouts removes manual treasury work and cuts accounting errors by 90 %. The result: sellers are paid at T+1, with a minimum payout threshold of 5,000 FCFA and Wave transfer fees of around 1 %.
Anatomy of a payment split
The moment the buyer pays, the amount is broken down: the platform keeps its commission, the balance is credited to the seller account, awaiting the next payout. Nothing is done by hand.
| Item | Amount | Beneficiary |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer payment | 10,000 FCFA | — |
| Seller share (85 %) | 8,500 FCFA | Seller |
| Platform commission (15 %) | 1,500 FCFA | Marketplace |
| Wave transfer fee (≈ 1 %) | ≈ 85 FCFA | Provider |
| Net paid to seller | ≈ 8,415 FCFA | Seller (T+1) |
2026 order of magnitude. Commission is set per vertical: it can drop to 10 % on high tickets and rise to 15 % on volume. The 5,000 FCFA minimum payout threshold avoids multiplying costly micro-transfers.
Weekly payout: the parameters that matter
The batch payout groups all seller balances above the threshold and triggers transfers in a single scheduled operation. Fees vary by corridor and provider.
| Parameter | Wave | Flutterwave (Kigali) |
|---|---|---|
| Outbound transfer fee | ≈ 1 % | 10 to 25 NGN / transfer |
| Payout frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Seller credit delay | T+1 | T+1 |
| Minimum threshold | 5,000 FCFA | Configurable |
| Accounting error reduction | -90 % | -90 % |
The gain isn't only financial: by removing manual transfers you eliminate typos on numbers and duplicate payments, which cause most seller disputes.
Mini case study
Fatou launches a crafts marketplace in Dakar with 35 active sellers and 1,200 orders/month at a 12,000 FCFA average basket, i.e. 14.4M FCFA GMV. At 12 % commission, the platform earns 1,728,000 FCFA/month. Manually, she spent a full day each week doing transfers, with 2 to 3 monthly errors to refund. With split-at-checkout and automated weekly payouts, that time drops to a few minutes of validation and errors to near zero (-90 %). She recovers the equivalent of 4 working days per month to grow her catalog.
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 know entrepreneurs who want to launch a marketplace or an online store? The Kolonell referral (apporteur d'affaires) program pays you for every project signed thanks to you.
| Project type | Referral commission |
|---|---|
| Showcase site | 15 % + 5 % recurring |
| E-commerce | 12 % |
| Marketplace | 10 % |
| Institutional | 8 % |
On a marketplace billed at 5,000,000 FCFA, your referral commission reaches 500,000 FCFA. You introduce, we build, you get paid.
FAQ
Does the split really happen at payment time?
Yes: as soon as the payment is confirmed, the amount is split server-side between platform commission and seller balance. The seller sees their balance rise in real time, even before the weekly payout.
Why a 5,000 FCFA minimum payout threshold?
Because each transfer has a cost (≈ 1 % with Wave). Below 5,000 FCFA, fees eat too much of the seller's margin. A balance below the threshold simply rolls over to the next payout.
What happens with a refund after a payout was already sent?
The system creates a clawback entry on the seller's next payout. The balance is adjusted automatically, without having to reclaim a reverse transfer from the seller.
Can you mix Wave, Orange Money and Flutterwave?
Yes, the payout module routes each transfer to the provider suited to the seller's country. An Ivorian seller receives via Wave/OM, a Kigali seller via Flutterwave, with no manual step.
Let's talk about your project. We build your payment split and automated seller payouts across Wave, OM and Flutterwave. 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.
