Transfers are the most popular way to pay in Nigeria, and the hardest to match. Here's how to make every one arrive with a name on it.
Every merchant knows the routine. A customer says they've paid, sends a screenshot, and you scroll through your bank alerts trying to find a matching amount. Two people paid ₦25,000 this morning. Which one was this?
Screenshots are easy to fake and slow to check. The fix is to stop relying on them altogether.
Give every customer their own account number
A virtual account number is a real bank account number linked to one customer, order or invoice. When money lands on it, you know exactly who paid and what for. No guesswork, no screenshot.
Regular customers can keep the same number forever. For one-off orders, create a number that's used once and then expires.
Send a link instead of your account details
Payment links let your customer pay by card or transfer from a page with your name and the amount already filled in. The payment is matched to the link automatically.
Let your alerts do the checking
- Turn on instant alerts for every credit, so you hear about payments before the customer does.
- Release goods only when the payment shows in your dashboard, not when a screenshot arrives.
- Give staff view-only access so they can confirm payments without seeing your balance.
