Paystack vs Flutterwave for a Nigerian business website
An honest comparison of Nigeria's two main payment gateways for a small business website, with the actual numbers and where each genuinely fits.
Quick answer
Paystack charges 1.5% + ₦100 on local cards, capped at ₦2,000, and waives the fee entirely on local card transactions of ₦2,500 or less. Flutterwave charges 1.4% + ₦100 with the same ₦2,000 cap. On a ₦50,000 payment that's ₦850 versus ₦800 — a difference small enough that settlement speed, reliability and developer experience should decide it, not the rate.
Paystack vs Flutterwave, 2026
| Paystack | Flutterwave | |
|---|---|---|
| Local card rate | 1.5% + ₦100 | 1.4% + ₦100 |
| Fee cap | ₦2,000 | ₦2,000 |
| Micro-transactions | Free under ₦2,500 | Standard rate |
| International cards | 3.9% + ₦100, no cap | 3.8% |
| Fee on ₦50,000 | ₦850 | ₦800 |
| Strongest for | Local NGN, ease of use, Shopify | Subscriptions, pan-African reach |
Step-by-step
- 1
Stop optimising for the fee difference
On a ₦50,000 local payment the gap is ₦50. Across a hundred such payments that's ₦5,000 — real, but far smaller than the cost of a gateway that settles slowly or goes down during your busiest week. Choose on reliability and settlement, then check the rate.
- 2
Check the micro-transaction rule if you sell cheap
Paystack waives the processing fee entirely on local card transactions of ₦2,500 or less. If you sell low-value digital products, tickets, or small items, that's a genuinely material advantage and probably decides it on its own.
- 3
Pick Flutterwave for subscriptions and pan-African reach
Flutterwave has stronger support for recurring billing and broader coverage across African markets. If you're billing monthly or selling beyond Nigeria, that's the more natural fit regardless of the small rate advantage.
- 4
Pick Paystack for straightforward local selling
Paystack is generally regarded as easier to set up and use for businesses focused on the Nigerian market, with smooth Shopify integration and good mobile optimisation. For a local service business taking Naira payments from a website, it's the lower-friction choice.
- 5
Put the payment link where customers are
Either gateway gives you hosted checkout links you can put behind a button on your website, send by WhatsApp, or share on social. On Adviita, ask the AI editor to add a payment button with your checkout link. For most Nigerian small businesses the link matters more than the integration.
Tips & best practices
- ▸Fees are capped at ₦2,000 on both, so large transactions cost proportionally less than they first appear.
- ▸Paystack's free tier under ₦2,500 is decisive if your average order is small.
- ▸Test settlement speed with a real transaction before committing your whole business to one.
- ▸International card rates differ from local ones — check both if you sell abroad.
Common questions
Is Paystack or Flutterwave cheaper?
+−
Flutterwave is marginally cheaper on local cards at 1.4% + ₦100 against Paystack's 1.5% + ₦100, with both capped at ₦2,000. On a ₦50,000 payment that's ₦800 versus ₦850. But Paystack waives the fee entirely on local card payments of ₦2,500 or less, which reverses the answer if your average order is small.
Which is better for a Nigerian small business website?
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Paystack for straightforward local Naira selling — it's generally easier to set up and integrates smoothly with Shopify. Flutterwave if you bill on subscription or sell across multiple African markets, where its recurring billing and wider coverage matter more than the rate.
What do they charge for international cards?
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Paystack charges 3.9% + ₦100 with no cap on international transactions; Flutterwave charges 3.8%. If a meaningful share of your customers pay with foreign cards, check the current terms directly, as international rates change more often than local ones.
Do I need a developer to use either?
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No. Both offer hosted checkout links you can put behind a button on any website or send directly to a customer. A developer is only needed for a custom checkout embedded in your own pages.