Every enterprise company wants one thing from its payment processor: Reliability.
Yet, more than half of Nigerian businesses (52%) experienced payment delays or outright failures in the past year.
Selecting the right payment processor is the first step in building a reliable and scalable payment infrastructure for your business.
This guide provides a practical framework for evaluating payment processors in Nigeria. It also outlines the strategic advantages the right partner can deliver to your company.
Why Choose the Right Payment Processing Provider?
Payment frictions remain one of the biggest drivers of customer drop-off, cart abandonment, and declining sales for businesses across the globe.
Research from Baymard shows that 70% of users who add items to their cart never complete the purchase. Not surprisingly, many of the reasons are directly tied to payment issues.
- 21% say it’s because of the lengthy/complicated checkout process
- 17% couldn’t trust the site with their credit card details
- 6% say there weren’t enough payment methods
- 4% had their credit cards declined
If you’re in the hospitality, travel, ecommerce, or fintech sector, you must choose a payment processor that allows you to scale with market demands and suits your target audience’s needs.
Top Payment Processing Provider in Nigeria
Miden is a leading payment processing provider in Nigeria and beyond. They offer real-time fraud checks, liquidity forecasting, and automated reconciliation solutions, which allow users to safely transact money without any hassle.
Purpose-built for modern businesses and enterprises, Miden’s payment processing solution allows you to offer automated pay-ins/pay-outs services to your target audience.
With a single, API‑driven workflow, you can streamline payment operations in your business and seamlessly handle heavy cash-flow timelines.
Best Practices for Choosing a Payment Processing Provider in Nigeria
1. Access Your Business Needs
To choose the right payment processing provider, start by determining:
- Transaction Volume: The higher your transaction volume is, the higher you want to aim.
- Geography: Are you focused solely on Nigerian customers, Africa, or beyond
- Target Audience Needs: Which payment method does your customer prefer? You can choose to offer stablecoin, bank transfer, or card payment services.
- Scalability: Ensure the provider supports high-volume transactions, provides enterprise-grade features, and is capable of meeting future market demands.
2. Prioritise Reliability Over Everything Else
Reliability is the watchword. Choose a processor with:
- A proven track record of high uptime (98%+)
- Real-time transaction monitoring
- Clear, transparent customer support services
3. Check Their Fraud Prevention Measures
Reports have constantly shown that financial institutions have lost up to N42.6 billion to fraud in Nigeria. Hence, this is a very essential factor to consider when choosing a payment processor.
Ensure that the provider has:
- Advanced fraud detection
- AI/ML risk scoring
- Real-time/Automated fraud checks, etc.
4. Determine Settlement Speed & Transparency
Don’t fail to ask your provider salient questions about their settlement features.
- How fast do they respond to settlement charges - Same day, T+1, T+2, or more?
- Are they available during weekends and holidays?
- Are they transparent about all relevant fees?
5. User-Friendly Integration Setup
Every good payment processing provider should have:
- A Clean API documentation
- Sandbox environment
This helps you understand their product offerings properly and simplifies your onboarding process.
6. Compliance & Regulation Review
A good payment processing provider in Nigeria must be PCI-DSS compliant, licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), NDPR-compliant for data protection, and more.
Hence, make sure to do your due diligence.
Red Flags to Watch For
- Frequent downtime or unexplained transaction failures
- Poor or unresponsive customer support
- Hidden fees and unclear pricing
- Lack of proper licensing or non-compliance with relevant regulations.
- Poor reviews
Final Thoughts
With the growing inefficiencies in Nigeria's payment services, it’s crucial to choose a payment processing provider that suits all your needs.
From automated pay-ins/pay-outs to real-time fraud checks, Miden helps businesses streamline payment workflows and unlock faster, more secure revenue growth.
Make smarter decisions today.
Found in:
Marketing