Nium for Platforms vs Paystack
Nium for Platforms
nium.comPaystack
paystack.comSide by side
| Figure | Nium for Platforms | Paystack |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | 1 NGN/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 10 |
| Spec score · Cross-Border Payment Platforms | 7.7 (#10) | 8.8 (#5) |
| Headquarters | Singapore and San Francisco | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Support | Nium says integration support includes a dedicated solutions engineer, a private Slack channel, and 24/7 on-call support during the launch window. | Paystack says its Customer Success team is available around the clock. |
| What it does | Nium lets business platforms embed payouts, multi-currency accounts, cards, and FX through one API. | Paystack is a payment service provider for African businesses supporting online and in-person payments. |
| Who it serves | Nium supports spend management, payroll, treasury, marketplaces, gig economy, SaaS, and B2B embedded finance platforms. | Paystack describes its customers as businesses ranging from startups and entrepreneurs to large corporations and global brands operating in or serving Africa. |
Plans
Paystack
- AccountFree
- Paystack transaction pricing (Nigeria)Free
- Dedicated virtual accounts1 NGN a month
- Nigeria local transactions1.51 NGN a month
- Nigeria international transactions3.91 NGN a month
- Nigeria transfers up to NGN 5,00010 NGN a month
- Nigeria transfers NGN 5,001–50,00025 NGN a month
- Nigeria transfers above NGN 50,00050 NGN a month
- Test SmartPeak P1000 terminal85,000 NGN, paid once
- Live SmartPeak P1000 terminal100,000 NGN, paid once
In their own words
Nium for Platforms
Nium for Platforms lets business platforms embed payouts, multi-currency accounts, cards, and foreign exchange through one API. It serves spend management, payroll, treasury, marketplaces, gig-economy services, SaaS, and B2B embedded-finance platforms. Nium says it processes $84B annually across 190+ countries. Real-time payouts can reach 190+ countries in 100+ local currencies through fiat and stablecoin rails. Platforms can provide locally branded accounts, hold balances in 100+ currencies, convert funds, and pay recipients. Branded physical and virtual cards support fiat or stablecoin funding, limits, merchant controls, permissions, and live spend tracking. Developer resources include APIs, SDKs, guides, an OpenAPI specification, Postman collection, and production-like sandbox. A web portal supports card workflows, reporting, and sandbox access. Nium also describes localized onboarding, identity checks, KYB/KYC, monitoring, fraud controls, reconciliation, reporting, and signed HMAC-SHA256 webhooks. Pricing is on request; fees are set out in a separate Fee Schedule.
Paystack
Paystack helps businesses in Africa accept online and in-person payments from customers around the world. Listed channels include cards, bank accounts and transfers, USSD, POS, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa QR, and mobile money. Its APIs support one-time and recurring payments through an app or website, instant transfers, and customer identity verification. The dashboard provides reporting, alerts, exports, transaction reports, customer search, and purchase insights. Listed integrations include WooCommerce, Shopify, Chargebee, Zapier, Wix, and Xero; developer materials include an API and SDKs for Android, iOS, and Flutter. Paystack says its automated and manual fraud systems help protect against fraudulent transactions and related chargeback claims. It states that it is PCI DSS Level 1, ISO 27001:2022, and ISO 27701 certified. The pricing page lists no subscription, integration, or maintenance fee, but transaction fees apply. In Nigeria, local transactions cost 1.5% plus NGN 100; that NGN 100 is waived under NGN 2,500, with local fees capped at NGN 2,000. Automatic settlement is free and generally reaches the merchant's bank account the next working day.