Flutterwave API

eCommerce · Banking & Fintech · Payments · Currency Exchange · Events · AI & ML · Data Validation

Flutterwave is one of Africa's most widely used payment infrastructure companies, providing a comprehensive API that enables businesses to accept payments locally across Africa and internationally in 150+ countries. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco with major operations in Lagos, Flutterwave powers payments for over 1.3 million businesses across Africa. The platform is CBN-licensed, PCI DSS Level 1 certified, and handles billions of dollars in transactions annually.

commission

Bearer Token (Secret Key from Flutterwave Dashboard)

Rate limited — HTTP 429 returned when exceeded. Exact limits in official docs.

✓ Available

Best For

Nigerian and pan-African businesses, fintechs, e-commerce platforms, and marketplaces that need a battle-tested payment gateway with the widest payment method coverage — cards, bank transfer, USSD, mobile money, M-Pesa — across Africa and 150+ countries.

Pricing

Flutterwave is CBN-licensed and PCI DSS certified. 2% flat on local transactions (capped behavior not published — verify on pricing page). International cards at 4.8%. Transfer fees are flat per transaction range. 7.5% VAT applies to all fees. Test keys only work in test mode.

Not Supported

Crypto PaymentsBNPL (Buy Now Pay Later)

Key Highlights

  • Local transactions: 2% flat (1.4% + 0.6% platform fee)
  • International cards: 4.8% — 150+ countries supported
  • Transfers: ₦10/₦25/₦50 by amount range
  • No monthly fee — only pay per transaction
  • Cards, bank transfer, USSD, M-Pesa, mobile money in one API
  • Covers Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and 30+ more countries
  • SDKs for JavaScript, React, Flutter, React Native, Python, Node.js

Required Access Documents

  • CAC Registration CertificateRequired
    Certificate of Incorporation or Business Name Registration from the Corporate Affairs Commission for Nigerian merchant accounts.
  • Director BVN and Government IDRequired
    BVN and valid government-issued ID (International Passport, Driver's Licence, or NIN) for directors — required to activate live mode.
  • Business Bank AccountRequired
    Active Nigerian bank account in the business name for settlement of NGN transactions.
  • Business DescriptionRequired
    Clear description of your business model, products/services, and expected transaction volumes — reviewed as part of compliance onboarding.

Use Cases

  • E-commerce Checkout for Nigerian Shoppers:Embed Flutterwave inline checkout or redirect into any Nigerian e-commerce store to accept card, USSD, and bank transfer payments from Nigerian shoppers — settling in NGN with real-time webhook confirmation.
  • Pan-African Marketplace Payouts:Use Flutterwave Transfers API to pay vendors, freelancers, or gig workers across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa in their local currencies from a single API call.
  • Subscription Billing Platform:Nigerian SaaS companies can use Flutterwave recurring billing to charge customers on weekly, monthly, or annual cycles with automatic card debit — managing the full subscription lifecycle via API.
  • Mobile Money Integration in East Africa:Apps expanding from Nigeria to Kenya or Uganda can use Flutterwave to accept M-Pesa and MTN Mobile Money payments using the same integration — covering both card and mobile money markets.
  • Bulk Salary Disbursement:Nigerian businesses can use Flutterwave Bulk Transfers API to disburse salaries, commissions, or refunds to thousands of Nigerian bank accounts simultaneously at flat per-transfer fees of ₦10–₦50.

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