There are some things that have come to stay.
Things that have changed the way we see the world, interact with people across different locations and even seal deals.
Most of you may not really know what life will be like without your social media platforms. This is because the internet and the trappings that come with social media alongside other online platforms have come to play a major role in our lives.
The same can be said for startups, businesses and even entrepreneurs.
There have been amazing solutions that have made businesses and trade seamless over the years.
Most of these solutions have enabled virtual meetings to hold across different locations, enabled business to work with freelancers on short-term projects, and have assisted platforms to scale the hurdle of payment plans.
Payment for goods and services have over the years received a massive revolution.
This goes to say that businesses that have not keyed into the online payment plans are ones that have not seen the amazing opportunities in it.
These days, one of the thriving payment plans that are powering businesses to process payment across Africa is Flutterwave.
Founded in the year 2016 by iyinoluwa Aboyeji and Olugbenga Agboola. Flutterwave is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with a clear mission to inspire a new wave of prosperity across Africa by building payment infrastructure to connect Africa to the global economy.
Apart from building a formidable payment plan, Flutterwave is a payment technology company that helps individuals, banks and businesses build secure payment solutions and seamless payment solutions for customers using their platforms such as Rave and Barter.
Flutterwave and the solutions they provide are providing opportunities for entrepreneurs to expand their client base while also gaining access to data that can be used to predict consumer behaviors, spending patterns and emerging trends in financial technology.
Flutterwave was created by a team of ex-bankers, entrepreneurs and engineers, who provide the award-winning technology core needed to provide businesses all around the world a powerful, reliable and intelligent payment gateway. Flutterwave is a technology you can rely on to grow your business. Flutterwave is an integrated payments platform ready for your business growth.
With Flutterwave you can accept payments, make payouts and manage your business funds from one integrated platform that helps you connect globally.
FEATURES OF FLUTTERWAVE
Global reach: Flutterwave makes it easy for your customers to pay in their preferred payment method and currency with flexibility. Flutterwave’s services are currently active and can send and receive money in over 30 African countries. That’s a lot.
One-Time Setup: Flutterwave helps you create a payment experience across your brick and mortar, online stores and mobile app that is flawlessly consistent.
Perfect Match: Flutterwave has integrations with all the major online tools like Shopify, WooCommerce, and QuickBooks that will help boost your business. With flutterwave, your business can do more online in places where you are already working.
Flutterwave has two online payment products and they include:
Rave online payment gateway and Barter app
RAVE online payment gateway
Rave by Flutterwave is a service that enables merchants to accept global payments from card, bank accounts, and USSD. Rave is the easiest way to make and accept payments from customers anywhere in the world. Rave payments solution makes it easier with secure and reliable tools. Whether you need a simple payment link or to manage payouts for hundreds of people, flutterwave have designed a completely integrated global payments platform.
With rave’s mobile SDKs, you can collect payments from 7 African countries with the following payment methods: cards, Nigerian bank accounts, Mpesa for East African countries, Ghana mobile money, Uganda mobile money, Tanzanian mobile money and Rwandan mobile money. And most importantly Rave is very easy to set-up.
So in order to provide your customers with the best possible checkout experience you need to set up your business with speed, ease, and functionality.
BARTER APP
Barter app is designed to help you focus more on enjoying life and less on how to spend, send and borrow money. Flutterwave can take care of making those happen. Barter makes it easier for you to manage payments and subscriptions. With barter app, you can add your bank account to your dashboard and manage funds in your local and foreign currency
AMAZING FEATURES OF BARTER APP
PEER TO PEER PAYMENT: Barter app makes it easier for you to have peer to peer payment that is sending money to friends near you easily.
SMART REMINDERS: Barter gives smart reminders barter makes it easier for you to know where your money is moving next to and giving you full control over how much you are spending by giving you notifications. With Barter, you can add your bank account to your app dashboard and manage funds in your local currency. With barter, you can get detailed reports that show your spending patterns and insights.
Barter was created because managing your funds should be the easiest task on your to-do list.
FLUTTERWAVE SERVICES
Flutterwave helps individuals, bank and businesses build secure and seamless payment solutions for customers using their platforms such as Rave and Barter.
Flutterwave makes it easier for banks and businesses to process payments across Africa.
Flutterwave‘s services allow consumers to pay for things in their local currency. Flutterwave takes care of integrating banks and payment-service providers into its platform so businesses don’t have to take on the expense and burden.
Developers use flutterwave’s API to power payments for industry solutions.
Users also get options of either direct debit card or account transfer transactions.
PROS {ADVANTAGES } OF FLUTTERWAVE
Multiple currency transactions can be carried out on the Rave platform and users are allowed to open dollar cards for payments across several international services and content providers such as Facebook, Amazon, and Spotify on the Barter app.
Users get the option of either direct debit card or account transfer transactions
Flutterwave has a zero setup fee policy for integration is a great incentive for SMEs and startups
CONS{DISADVANTAGES} OF FLUTTERWAVE
Flutterwave takes time to respond to their customer care services.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Flutterwave is currently sponsoring the on-going Start.Ng and Hng internship which is an ambitious attempt, to change the way education is done in Africa. It’s the bridge between learning to code and becoming the best in the world.
Flutterwave’s technology has been responsible for processing over $1.2 billion dollars across 10 million transactions.
Since the founding of Flutterwave in May 2016, Flutterwave has processed over $2.3 billion in payments across 60 million transactions and partnered with Standard Bank, First Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, United Bank for Africa, and Ecobank.
Flutterwave has over 25 investors which include:
Y Combinator: Y Combinator is a platform that provides seed funding for startups. Seed funding is the earliest stage of venture funding. It pays your expenses while you’re getting started.
Aaron Harris a partner at Y Combinator made it clear that Flutterwave is changing how money moves for an entire continent by saying:
“When you look at how payments work in the developing world, you start to realize that it’s a lot more complicated than in the US. There’s a huge number of different payment options and different reasons for people to use each. By making it easy for any merchant, no matter where they are located, to process all of the available payment options, Flutterwave is changing how money moves for an entire continent. That’s a huge idea, E has an incredible team to attack it.”
-Aaron Harris, Partner at Y Combinator
Y Combinator also made it clear on their platform that Flutterwave is building digital payment infrastructure for Africa.
Singularity Investments: is dedicated to accelerating the growth of early-stage companies in Africa and North America. Whose focus is on scaling businesses and leveraging their team’s network to build market-leading portfolio companies. LEXI NOVITSKE the Principal Investment Officer Singularity Investments invested in Flutterwave. Lexi Novitske said that she is “investing in and partnering with African entrepreneurs that will change the world. And that “Strong talent driving new tech models in Africa would generate the continent’s next wave of economic growth.”
Flutterwave has been proven to be one of the well-regarded startups of Africa’s fin-tech space and has quickly become a leading player in online payments processing 60 million transactions worth over $2 billion.
Flutterwave have truly proven to be the giant of financial solution for the African market and the world at large.
Written by: Olive Uzoma
