6 Best APIs for Multi-Currency Payout in Nigeria

Payoneer is a global financial services company headquartered in New York that specializes in cross-border payments and mass payouts. Founded in 2005, Payoneer serves 5 million+ businesses and freelancers in 190+ countries, and is particularly popular in emerging markets including Nigeria, where it is widely used by freelancers, remote workers, and digital service providers to receive international payments from global clients on platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and direct business clients. Payoneer is fully operational in Nigeria. Nigerian users can create Payoneer accounts, receive payments in USD, EUR, GBP, and other currencies, and withdraw directly to a Nigerian bank account in NGN. This makes Payoneer one of the most accessible international payment receipt platforms for Nigerian professionals. The Mass Payout API extends this capability to platforms — enabling businesses to disburse earnings to thousands of Payoneer account holders globally, including Nigeria, through a programmatic API. The Payoneer Mass Payout API v4 is RESTful with JSON payloads. Authentication uses OAuth 2.0 with Client ID and Client Secret, following the standard Client Credentials grant. API documentation is at developer.payoneer.com. The API enables platforms to: register new payees programmatically (white-label onboarding), check payee status and approval, initiate mass payouts to multiple payees in a single batch call, query payment status, and retrieve transaction history. The white-label registration flow is powerful for marketplace operators. Rather than requiring payees (freelancers, sellers, service providers) to manually create Payoneer accounts on Payoneer's website, the platform can embed a customized registration flow within their own UI — Payoneer handles the KYC verification in the background. This creates a seamless onboarding experience where users feel they're interacting with the platform's native payment system. Mass Payout batches allow platforms to submit hundreds or thousands of payment instructions simultaneously, specifying the Payoneer account ID and amount for each recipient. Payoneer processes these in batch and notifies the platform via webhooks on each payment's status (pending, processing, completed, failed). Pricing for Payoneer Mass Payout API is transaction-based. The fee structure depends on the payment type (Payoneer-to-Payoneer vs. Payoneer-to-bank), currency, and payout corridor. Payoneer-to-Payoneer transfers are typically free or very low cost. Bank withdrawals to Nigerian accounts incur conversion fees from the original currency (usually USD) to NGN. Exact rates are provided during the platform onboarding process and are negotiable for high-volume partners. From a compliance standpoint, Payoneer is registered with the US FinCEN as a Money Services Business and holds e-money licenses in the EU, UK, Japan, Australia, and other jurisdictions. For Nigeria, Payoneer operates under the CBN's guidelines for international remittance. The company went public on NASDAQ in 2021. Frequently Asked Questions: Can Nigerian individuals receive money on Payoneer? Yes — individual Nigerian professionals can create a free Payoneer account and receive USD, EUR, or GBP payments from international clients, then withdraw to a Nigerian bank. Can I build a platform that pays Nigerian sellers via Payoneer? Yes — use the Payoneer Mass Payout API with the white-label payee registration flow to onboard Nigerian sellers and disburse earnings to their Payoneer accounts (which they can then withdraw locally). Does Payoneer support NGN collections (receiving payments from Nigerian customers)? Primarily no — Payoneer is focused on paying OUT to recipients globally. For collecting NGN from Nigerian customers, use a local Nigerian gateway like Paystack or Monnify.

Thunes is a global B2B cross-border payments company headquartered in Singapore, operating a proprietary real-time payment network that connects over 12 billion bank accounts, mobile wallets, and stablecoin wallets across 140 countries — accessible through a single API integration. Unlike traditional correspondent banking, Thunes routes payments through direct partnerships with local payment providers, mobile network operators, and bank networks in each country, enabling real-time 24/7 fund disbursement without SWIFT delays. Thunes primarily serves enterprise clients: global marketplaces, gig economy platforms, remittance operators, global banks, and B2B payment networks. The company's API documentation is available at docs.thunes.com, and the platform is designed for high-volume institutional integrations rather than self-service individual developers. The Thunes API enables two core operations: payouts (sending money to recipients globally) and, more recently, collection (receiving payments). Payouts can be delivered to bank accounts, mobile wallets (MTN Mobile Money, M-Pesa, Orange Money, etc.), and stablecoin wallets (USDT, USDC) across 140 countries. Nigeria is accessible via bank account payouts and stablecoin disbursements. A significant 2026 product launch is Thunes' Instant Cross-Border Payout for Gig and Remote Workers — a direct-to-workforce solution that enables platforms to instantly pay remote workers and freelancers across 140 countries, 24/7, with funds delivered to bank accounts, mobile wallets, or stablecoin wallets in real time. For Nigerian gig workers receiving international payments, this means immediate access to earnings rather than 2–5 business day SWIFT settlement windows. Thunes differentiates on pricing transparency — the platform provides complete visibility on transfer fees, FX rates, and all associated costs before transaction authorization. This is in contrast to traditional remittance operators that often bundle fees into hidden FX spreads. For businesses sending high volumes of payments to Africa, the transparent fee model enables accurate cost forecasting. Authentication for the Thunes API uses an API Key provided after enterprise onboarding. All requests must be made over HTTPS. Webhooks are available for real-time transaction status updates. From a compliance standpoint, Thunes is regulated as a payment service provider in Singapore (MAS), the EU, and other jurisdictions. For Nigeria, Thunes routes payments through CBN-licensed local partners, ensuring regulatory compliance for inbound transfers. Thunes has strict AML/KYB requirements during onboarding — all partner businesses must complete full compliance verification before API access is granted. Frequently Asked Questions: Can I disburse to Nigerian bank accounts via Thunes? Yes — Nigeria is accessible via bank account payouts. The exact Nigerian bank coverage should be confirmed during Thunes enterprise onboarding. Does Thunes support USDT payouts to Nigeria? Yes — Thunes supports stablecoin payouts in USDT, which is particularly useful for serving Nigerian workers who prefer to hold USD-pegged stablecoins as a hedge against NGN devaluation. How does Thunes compare to Payoneer for Nigerian worker payouts? Payoneer requires workers to hold Payoneer accounts and withdraw manually. Thunes delivers directly to bank accounts or mobile wallets — no recipient account required on a Thunes platform. Thunes's stablecoin (USDT) payout rail to Nigeria represents an emerging payment corridor that bypasses traditional banking infrastructure for recipients who prefer or require cryptocurrency-based receipt. For Nigerian diaspora recipients, freelancers receiving international payments, and businesses with cryptocurrency treasury strategies, USDT payouts provide a settlement mechanism that is independent of CBN-regulated banking channels and traditional correspondent banking limitations. The 140+ country network coverage of Thunes means that Nigerian-focused platforms built on Thunes can serve Nigerian recipients specifically while the same integration handles payouts to recipients across Latin America, Southeast Asia, and other emerging market regions. For global platforms that include Nigeria among many operational markets, a single Thunes integration covers all markets simultaneously rather than requiring country-by-country payment provider relationships. Real-time payment tracking and delivery confirmation through the Thunes API allows platforms to verify that payouts have been received by recipient bank accounts or wallets, not just that the sending instruction was accepted. For platforms with customer service obligations around payment delivery — remittance services guaranteeing delivery within specific timeframes, gig platforms assuring workers that earnings are accessible — confirmed delivery status is operationally critical data.

Rapyd is a global Fintech-as-a-Service (FaaS) platform that provides businesses with a single API to collect payments, disburse payouts, and manage financial operations across 100+ countries and 900+ local payment methods. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, Rapyd is backed by Stripe and other major investors, and has a community of 50,000+ developers. The Rapyd API covers the complete payment lifecycle: online checkout, virtual accounts, hosted payment pages, multi-currency wallets, card issuing, FX conversion, and bulk disbursements. The Rapyd API is RESTful with JSON payloads. Documentation is at docs.rapyd.net. Authentication uses HMAC SHA-256 signing — a security scheme where every API request is signed using the access key and secret key provided during onboarding. This is more complex than Bearer Token auth and requires developers to implement the signing algorithm correctly. The signature is computed from the HTTP method, endpoint path, salt, timestamp, access key, and request body, then base64-encoded and included in the request header. Rapyd provides code samples in multiple languages to simplify implementation. Rapyd's core product for global payments is the Collect API, which enables businesses to accept local payment methods in 100+ countries. Rather than integrating with dozens of country-specific payment processors, businesses integrate Rapyd once and get access to payment methods including bank transfers, cash payment networks, direct debit, mobile wallets, and card networks in each country. For Nigeria and Africa, Rapyd's local payment method coverage includes relevant African payment rails — exact Nigerian payment methods available can be queried via the Rapyd Payment Methods API (GET /v1/payment_methods/country?country=NG). The Payout API enables mass disbursements to bank accounts and e-wallets globally. Businesses can send payments to employees, contractors, vendors, and customers in 100+ countries. Rapyd automatically handles FX conversion when the payout currency differs from the source currency. Rapyd also offers multi-currency wallets — virtual accounts that can hold balances in multiple currencies. This is useful for platforms managing funds on behalf of multiple currencies and wanting to minimize FX conversion costs by holding funds in the appropriate currency. Card issuing is another major feature — businesses can use the Rapyd API to issue virtual and physical Visa/Mastercard cards to their users in supported markets. This powers expense management tools, corporate card programs, and employee benefit cards. The Rapyd sandbox environment is fully featured and allows testing of all payment methods, disbursements, and card operations using test credentials. The developer community at community.rapyd.net provides support and knowledge sharing. From a compliance standpoint, Rapyd is an authorized Electronic Money Institution in the UK (FCA), an authorized Payment Institution in the EU (Lituanian FSA), and holds licenses in other jurisdictions. For Africa and Nigeria specifically, Rapyd works with local regulated partners to ensure compliance with CBN requirements. Frequently Asked Questions: Does Rapyd support Nigeria directly? Nigeria is accessible through Rapyd's Africa local payment method network. Use the Payment Methods API with country=NG to see currently available Nigerian payment methods. Why does Rapyd use HMAC SHA-256 instead of Bearer tokens? HMAC signing provides additional security for high-value enterprise transactions — each request is individually signed, preventing replay attacks and request forgery. Can Nigerian businesses sign up for Rapyd directly? Businesses need to have a legal entity in a Rapyd-supported country. Nigerian companies should contact Rapyd to confirm current onboarding eligibility.

Nium is a Singapore-headquartered global payments infrastructure company that provides businesses with a unified API to send payments to 190+ countries, collect payments in 35+ markets, and issue physical and virtual cards in 30+ countries. Nium is a licensed financial institution in multiple jurisdictions including the US, UK, EU, Singapore, and Australia, and serves financial institutions, fintech companies, banks, and enterprises that need to build or scale cross-border payment capabilities. The Nium API is RESTful with JSON payloads. Documentation is at docs.nium.com. Authentication uses API Key credentials passed in request headers (client-id and x-api-key). Nium operates a payout platform (mpdocs.nium.com) that provides the most detailed technical integration guidance for developers building payment products. For payouts, Nium supports 190+ destination countries with 65 of those available in real-time. The supported corridors span the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Oceania, and Asia-Pacific. Nigeria falls within Nium's Africa coverage — however, the exact payment methods, corridors, and processing times for Nigeria should be confirmed via the Nium Playbook at playbook.nium.com before integration. Payout fees are calculated in real-time at transaction execution and are corridor-specific. For collections, Nium supports receiving payments in 35+ markets using local payment methods. This covers bank transfers, card payments, and local e-wallets depending on the market. Nigeria-specific collection support should be confirmed separately. Nium also offers card issuance APIs in 30+ countries — enabling fintechs and banks to issue virtual and physical Visa/Mastercard cards to their customers. Cards can be issued in multiple currencies and managed programmatically (freeze, unfreeze, set spending limits, retrieve transactions). Webhooks are available for all major events: payout processing, payout completion, payout failure, and card transaction alerts. Developers can configure webhook endpoints during Nium account setup. The sandbox environment provides full testing capability for all Nium products. Moving to live requires completing Nium's enterprise onboarding, including business verification and compliance review by a Nium account manager. From a compliance standpoint, Nium is regulated in multiple jurisdictions globally. The company holds money transmitter licenses in all US states, FCA authorization in the UK, Payments Institution license in the EU, and MAS Major Payment Institution license in Singapore. For transactions to/from Nigeria, Nium routes through local correspondent partners that are CBN-licensed. Nium raised $200 million at a $2.1 billion valuation in 2022, making it one of the most well-capitalized global payment infrastructure companies. Clients include large banks, digital banks, travel companies, and enterprise platforms globally. Frequently Asked Questions: Is Nigeria a supported payout destination on Nium? Nium covers 190+ countries including African markets. Nigeria is likely included, but specific corridor availability and payment methods should be confirmed via the Nium Playbook at playbook.nium.com or by contacting your Nium account manager. Does Nium support NGN as a settlement currency? This should be confirmed during Nium onboarding. Nium typically settles in the destination country's local currency. Is Nium self-service or enterprise? Nium is primarily enterprise — access requires working with a Nium account manager. It is not a self-service sign-up API like Paystack or Stripe. Nium's card issuance capability in 30+ countries allows platforms to issue Visa or Mastercard branded cards to their customers in multiple markets from a single API integration. For Nigerian fintechs building pan-African or global financial products, Nium's card issuance infrastructure provides the card product layer alongside payout and collection capabilities, enabling a more complete financial product stack without multiple card program relationships. Nium's treasury management features allow platforms to hold multi-currency balances, execute FX conversions between 35+ currencies at competitive rates, and manage currency exposure across the markets they operate in. For Nigerian platforms managing collections in multiple currencies and disbursements in NGN or other African currencies, centralized multi-currency treasury management through Nium reduces FX conversion costs and the operational complexity of managing multiple currency accounts across different banking relationships.

AZA Finance is a pan-African payments and foreign exchange infrastructure company that enables businesses and fintechs to send, receive, and convert money across Africa and globally through a single API. Originally founded as BitPesa in Nairobi in 2013, AZA Finance has evolved into one of Africa's most established cross-border payment platforms, holding regulatory licenses from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Bank of Uganda — a rare multi-jurisdictional licensing achievement in African fintech. What the API Does The AZA Finance API, documented at docs.azafinance.com and accessed via the developer portal at developers.transferzero.com, enables developers to programmatically initiate and manage cross-border payments across 30+ currencies and 115+ markets. Core capabilities include: sending payouts to bank accounts, mobile money wallets (M-Pesa, MTN Mobile Money, Airtel), and cash pickup points; real-time FX conversion between African and major global currencies; bulk payment processing for high-volume disbursements; account validation before sending; and webhook callbacks for real-time transaction status updates. How Developers Use It Developers integrate by creating an account at developers.transferzero.com. Authentication is via API Key and Secret issued from the portal. AZA Finance provides official SDKs for .NET, Java, JavaScript, PHP, and Ruby, significantly reducing integration time. The typical flow involves: creating a sender (KYC-verified entity), creating recipients (beneficiaries with bank or wallet details), initiating a transaction specifying corridors and currencies, and listening for webhook callbacks for status updates (pending, processing, paid, cancelled). The API supports test transactions in sandbox mode before going live. Supported Currencies and Countries AZA Finance supports 30+ currencies including NGN (Nigeria), GHS (Ghana), KES (Kenya), UGX (Uganda), TZS (Tanzania), ZAR (South Africa), XOF/XAF (CFA franc zones), MZN (Mozambique), USD, EUR, GBP, AED, CNY, and more. Nigeria is fully supported with CBN licensing in place. Pricing AZA Finance does not publish a public fee schedule. Pricing is determined by enterprise contract and depends on volume, corridor, and currency pair. The FX spread is embedded in the exchange rate offered. There is no self-serve free tier — you must contact their sales team to negotiate a contract. A sandbox environment is available for technical integration and testing at no cost. Authentication API authentication uses a Key + Secret pair obtained from the developer portal at developers.transferzero.com. Requests are signed with the secret to create an authorization header. The portal also supports role-based access controls for team members. Rate Limits AZA Finance operates on enterprise SLAs. Specific rate limit figures are not published publicly — they are determined by agreement. The platform maintains a 99.5% uptime guarantee. Compliance and Regulations AZA Finance is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, making it one of the few Africa-focused payment APIs with direct CBN authorization. It also holds FCA authorization in the UK and Bank of Uganda licensing. The platform is PCI-DSS compliant and certified to ISO27001:2022 for information security management. All transactions undergo AML screening and compliance monitoring 24/7. Challenges and Gotchas Key limitations for Nigerian developers: (1) AZA Finance is B2B only — it is not designed for consumer checkout flows. (2) Pricing is opaque — you cannot estimate costs without contacting sales. (3) KYC onboarding can be lengthy for enterprise clients. (4) The developer portal still uses "TransferZero" branding from the previous product name — this can confuse developers unfamiliar with the company history. (5) No USSD or card payment support — AZA Finance is purely for push-payment corridors. Company Background AZA Finance was founded in 2013 as BitPesa, a Bitcoin-based remittance platform for Kenya. It later pivoted away from crypto, rebranded as TransferZero, and finally as AZA Finance in 2020. The company is headquartered in Nairobi with offices in Lagos, London, Madrid, Luxembourg, and Dakar. It has processed over $3 billion in transactions and serves major clients including global remittance firms and banks. FAQs Q: Can a Nigerian startup use AZA Finance without CBN licensing? A: Yes. AZA Finance holds the CBN license on your behalf — you access their infrastructure without needing your own license. However, you must sign a partner agreement and pass their KYC checks. Q: Is there a sandbox for testing? A: Yes. Developers can test at developers.transferzero.com in sandbox mode before production. Q: Does AZA Finance support NGN? A: Yes. Nigerian Naira (NGN) is a core supported currency with payouts to all major Nigerian banks. Q: Is AZA Finance suitable for consumer apps? A: No. AZA Finance is built for B2B use — enterprises, fintechs, and money transfer operators. It does not offer a consumer-facing checkout widget or SDK.

Airwallex is a global financial technology platform founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2015, now operating in 60+ countries including Nigeria. The platform provides businesses with multi-currency accounts, international payment infrastructure, FX conversion, and a full-featured API for automating cross-border financial operations. Airwallex is used by over 100,000 businesses globally, ranging from startups to large enterprises, and has raised over $900 million in funding from investors including Tencent, DST Global, and Salesforce Ventures. **What Airwallex Does for Nigerian Businesses** Airwallex entered the Nigerian market as part of its broader Africa expansion strategy. For Nigerian CAC-registered businesses, Airwallex solves one of the most persistent pain points in Nigerian commerce: the difficulty and cost of holding, receiving, and sending international currencies. Through the Airwallex platform and API, Nigerian businesses can open multi-currency accounts that hold USD, GBP, EUR, and 20+ other currencies simultaneously — receiving payments from international clients without forced immediate conversion to NGN. **Core API Products** The Airwallex API is RESTful and organized around four main product areas: 1. **Global Accounts (Multi-currency Wallets)** — Create and manage accounts in multiple currencies. Each currency account comes with local payment details (e.g., a USD account with US routing and account numbers, or a GBP account with UK sort code and account number) enabling international clients to make local transfers to your business. 2. **Payouts API** — Send money to beneficiaries in 150+ countries. For Nigeria specifically, Airwallex supports NGN payout to Nigerian bank accounts via bank transfer. The payout API handles beneficiary management, payment status tracking, and webhook notifications for payment lifecycle events. 3. **FX Conversion API** — Convert between currencies at rates 0.5–1.0% above the interbank mid-market rate — dramatically cheaper than traditional Nigerian commercial bank FX spreads (often 3–5%). The API allows businesses to convert on-demand or set conversion rules programmatically. 4. **Payment Acceptance API** — Accept card payments (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) and local bank transfers from customers in 40+ markets. Card payment fees follow either blended pricing (2.8% + $0.30 per transaction) or interchange++ for high-volume merchants seeking cost transparency. Payment links, hosted payment pages, and direct API integrations are all available. **Authentication** Airwallex uses API Key authentication for server-side API calls. API keys are created through the Airwallex Dashboard and passed as Bearer tokens in the Authorization header. OAuth 2.0 is used for connected account workflows where your platform needs to manage payments on behalf of sub-merchant accounts. All API communication is over HTTPS. **Sandbox Environment** Airwallex provides a full sandbox environment for testing all API features without moving real money. Developers can test FX conversions, simulate payouts, create test beneficiaries, and trigger webhook events. The sandbox environment mirrors production behavior, making it suitable for end-to-end integration testing before going live. **Rate Limits** Specific rate limits are not publicly documented in Airwallex's developer documentation. Rate limits vary by endpoint and plan tier. Contact Airwallex support or your account manager for production rate limit policies. **Pricing for Nigerian Users** - Account opening: Free - Monthly account fee: Free - FX conversion: 0.5–1.0% above mid-market rate - International transfers: $0–$3 per transaction depending on corridor - Card payment collection: 2.8% + $0.30 (blended) or interchange++ (high volume) - Bank transfer collection: Free - NGN payout: Conversion fees apply at standard FX rates **Nigeria-Specific Requirements** To open an Airwallex account as a Nigerian business, you need: a CAC-registered company (Certificate of Incorporation or Business Name Registration), director/owner government ID (international passport or NIN), proof of business address (utility bill or bank statement not older than 3 months), 3–6 months of company bank statements, and a business description. Individual freelancers without formal business registration typically cannot qualify for all platform features. Approval takes 1–3 business days after document submission. **Compliance & Regulation** Airwallex holds licenses in multiple jurisdictions including the UK (FCA), EU, Australia (ASIC), Hong Kong, Singapore, and the US. In Nigeria, Airwallex operates as an international payment service provider serving registered Nigerian businesses. It is not a CBN-licensed Nigerian institution but interfaces with Nigerian banking rails for NGN settlements. **Challenges for Nigerian Developers** The key limitation is that Airwallex does not currently support accepting NGN-denominated payments from local Nigerian customers — it is designed for outbound international payments and inbound foreign currency collection, not domestic Nigerian payment acceptance. For local NGN payment acceptance, Nigerian businesses still need Paystack, Flutterwave, or similar local gateways. Additionally, individual freelancers without a registered company face barriers to access, as Airwallex prioritizes formal business entities. **Frequently Asked Questions** Q: Can Nigerian individuals (non-business) use Airwallex? A: Airwallex primarily serves registered businesses. Individual freelancers without a CAC-registered company may not qualify for all features. Q: Can I accept NGN payments from Nigerian customers through Airwallex? A: No. Airwallex is designed for foreign currency collection and cross-border payouts. Use Paystack or Flutterwave for local NGN payment acceptance. Q: How long does it take to get approved? A: Typically 1–3 business days after submitting all required documents. Q: What currencies can I hold? A: USD, GBP, EUR, AUD, SGD, HKD, CAD, JPY, and 15+ additional currencies depending on your account configuration. Q: Is Airwallex safe for Nigerian businesses? A: Yes — Airwallex is a regulated fintech holding licenses in the UK, EU, Australia, and other jurisdictions, and is backed by major institutional investors.