Ceviant Payments
Ceviant Payments is a dual-regulated payment infrastructure company holding both a CBN Payment Solution Service Provider (PSSP) licence in Nigeria and FCA registration (FRN: 712297) in the United Kingdom. The company also operates under HMRC Anti-Money Laundering regulations and complies with the Payment Services Regulations 2017. This dual regulatory framework makes Ceviant one of the few payment providers that can serve enterprise clients operating across both Nigerian and UK financial systems under a single infrastructure partnership. Ceviant is also PCI-DSS certified for card data security.
What the API Does
The Ceviant Pay API enables businesses to automate payment processing across multiple channels — domestic bank transfers, card payments, and enterprise disbursements. A key differentiator is Ceviant's direct API connectivity to banks in emerging markets, allowing clients to connect with banking services outside of traditional banking channels without multiple bilateral integrations. The API is designed for enterprise trust, security, and scale.
How Developers Use It
API developer access is not self-serve — developers must contact Ceviant directly through their developers page at ceviant.co/developers. Once onboarded, API credentials are issued for integration. The platform is REST-based with enterprise-grade security controls. A sandbox environment is available for testing.
Pricing
Enterprise pricing only — not publicly listed. Ceviant targets institutional and enterprise clients with custom contracts based on transaction volume and corridors. Contact Ceviant through their website for pricing.
Compliance
CBN PSSP-licensed for Nigeria, FCA-registered in the UK, HMRC AML-registered, and PCI-DSS certified. Ceviant's dual licensing is a significant advantage for businesses with cross-border Nigeria-UK operations.
Challenges and Gotchas
(1) Not self-serve — requires direct sales engagement before any API access. (2) No consumer-facing checkout widget or self-service integration. (3) Pricing is entirely opaque. (4) No crypto or USSD support — purely traditional payment rails. (5) Best suited for enterprise; not designed for small startup self-integration.
Company Background
Ceviant is registered in the UK and Nigeria (RC: 1904697 as Ceviant Payments Nigeria Limited). The company is backed by Launch Africa Ventures and targets enterprise financial institutions, banks, and large fintechs needing compliant cross-border payment infrastructure between Africa and Europe.
FAQs
Q: Is Ceviant regulated in Nigeria?
A: Yes. Ceviant holds a CBN PSSP licence in Nigeria.
Q: Can Ceviant process UK and Nigerian payments?
A: Yes. Ceviant is dual-regulated in the UK (FCA) and Nigeria (CBN), making it suitable for cross-border GBP-NGN operations.
Q: Is there a sandbox?
A: Yes. A developer sandbox is available after onboarding.
Q: Can a startup integrate Ceviant independently?
A: Ceviant is primarily enterprise-focused. Self-service API access is not available — contact their team directly.
Ceviant's dual regulatory positioning — CBN PSSP licensed in Nigeria and FCA registered in the United Kingdom — makes it particularly relevant for Nigerian businesses with UK operations or serving UK-based customers, and for Nigerian fintechs seeking regulatory credibility with international partners and investors. The combination of Nigerian and UK regulatory recognition provides a foundation for cross-border payment operations that many purely Nigerian-licensed providers cannot offer.
Direct bank API connectivity in emerging markets, as provided by Ceviant, enables more reliable and lower-latency payment processing than gateway intermediaries by establishing direct relationships with correspondent banks in target markets. For enterprise clients processing high-volume transactions in African markets where indirect routing can add settlement delays and introduce additional failure points, direct bank connectivity improves both reliability and settlement predictability.
For Nigerian fintechs and financial institutions seeking to establish correspondent banking relationships for cross-border payment services, Ceviant's enterprise infrastructure and dual regulatory standing provide a compliant pathway to international payment rails that individual Nigerian fintechs would find difficult to establish independently through direct bank relationship development.