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| <a class="brand" href="calculator.html" title="The Dollar Client Kit - free fee leakage calculator"><span class="mark"></span> THE DOLLAR CLIENT KIT</a> |
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| <span class="pill hide-s">GH · NG · KE</span> |
| <span class="pill live" title="Last fee verification date">FEES CHECKED — OCT 2026</span> |
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| <div class="kicker mono"><span class="num">02G</span> <span>PAYSTACK · NG · GH · FEES</span></div> |
| <h1>Paystack fees, <em>plainly.</em></h1> |
| <p class="sub">Paystack is the default card processor for Nigerian and Ghanaian digital merchants. Published rates: <b>1.5% on local cards (capped)</b>, <b>3.9% on international cards</b>. The question for freelancers is not the rate — it is whether you need card checkout at all.</p> |
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| <h2>Paystack published rates.</h2> |
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| <div class="brow"><div class="bl"><b>Local cards (NG)</b><small>1.5%, capped per transaction</small></div><div class="bv">1.5% (capped)</div></div> |
| <div class="brow"><div class="bl"><b>International cards</b><small>uncapped percentage</small></div><div class="bv">3.9%</div></div> |
| <div class="brow"><div class="bl"><b>Bank transfer collection</b><small>NG — published transfer rate</small></div><div class="bv">1.5% band</div></div> |
| <div class="brow"><div class="bl"><b>USSD collection</b><small>NG</small></div><div class="bv">1.5% band</div></div> |
| <div class="brow good"><div class="bl"><b>USD invoice via Wise (comparison)</b><small>ACH receiving, no processor</small></div><div class="bv">0.90-1.5%</div></div> |
| <div class="brow"><div class="bl"><b>Fiverr route (for scale)</b><small>marketplace + payout legs</small></div><div class="bv">22-28%</div></div> |
| </div> |
| <div class="note"><b>The 3.9% international card rate is the one that surprises freelancers.</b> A US client paying a $500 invoice by international card costs $19.50 in processor fees — versus $4.50-7.50 on the same invoice via Wise ACH. If your client will pay by transfer (they usually will, if you give instructions), give them transfer instructions. Cards are for checkout, not invoices. <b><a href="invoice-template.html">Invoice template with ACH block.</a></b></div> |
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| <h2>Paystack for products, rails for services.</h2> |
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| <p>Paystack solves a real problem: <b>one-click card checkout for NG/GH customers</b>. If you sell a course, a template or a membership to a local audience, 1.5% local (capped) is a fair price for the conversion lift. The published international rate (3.9%) matters when your buyer is offshore — and it is exactly the case where a USD bank rail is cheaper.</p> |
| <p><b>For US-client service invoices, skip the processor.</b> The invoice math: $500 by international card = $19.50 fee. $500 by Wise ACH = $4.50-7.50 all-in. $500 by Paystack local rail is irrelevant — the payer is not local. The Kit's invoice template ships the ACH instruction block so the client's AP pays like a domestic bill.</p> |
| <p><b>If you already run Paystack for products</b>, keep it — do not conflate the two funnels. Product checkout (Paystack, 1.5%/3.9%) and service invoicing (USD rails, 0.90-2.00%) are separate ledgers with separate rates. The calculator models the service side; the Paystack side is on their pricing page.</p> |
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| <h2>Two funnels, two rates.</h2> |
| <p>Products get Paystack. Services get USD rails. The Kit covers both — the Rails Pack for invoices, the full Kit for the off-platform system that makes the invoice necessary.</p> |
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| <h2>Questions.</h2> |
| <div class="q"><h3>What are Paystack's current fees in Nigeria?</h3><p>Published rates: 1.5% on local cards (capped per transaction), 3.9% on international cards, 1.5% on bank transfer collections, 1.5% on USSD. Verify on Paystack's pricing page — caps and rails change.</p></div> |
| <div class="q"><h3>Does Paystack work in Ghana?</h3><p>Yes — Paystack serves Ghanaian merchants alongside Nigeria. Local rate structure is similar (1.5% local cards, 3.9% international). Check their Ghana pricing page for currency-specific caps.</p></div> |
| <div class="q"><h3>Should I ask US clients to pay via Paystack?</h3><p>No — international card payments cost 3.9% uncapped, and US businesses pay freelancers by ACH/wire, not card checkout. Give USD bank instructions (Wise/Grey virtual account) for 0.90-2.00% all-in.</p></div> |
| <div class="q"><h3>Is Paystack cheaper than Stripe for African merchants?</h3><p>For NG/GH local collection, Paystack is the available option (Stripe does not onboard NG/GH accounts). Stripe's US 2.9% + $0.30 is irrelevant if you cannot open an account. Compare Paystack against bank rails, not against unavailable processors.</p></div> |
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| <span>THE DOLLAR CLIENT KIT · PAYSTACK FEES · NG · GH · PUBLISHED RATES</span> |
| <span>FEES CHECKED — OCT 2026 · NEXT — NOV 2026</span> |
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| <p class="disc">ESTIMATES ONLY — ranges, not quotes. Fee schedules, FX spreads and provider terms change without notice; verify with your provider before moving large amounts. Not affiliated with Payoneer, Wise, Fiverr, Upwork, Grey, Raenest, Cleva or any provider named. Nothing here is tax, legal or financial advice.</p> |
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