Build a merchant fee scenario
Choose the merchant country and an officially listed channel. Currency is locked to that country. Monthly and target-net figures are deterministic planning, not forecasts or quotations.
Reviewed transaction fee rules
| Merchant country | Supported channel | Rule used | Tax treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | Local channels | 1.5% + NGN 100; fixed part waived below NGN 2,500; total fee capped at NGN 2,000 | No tax inferred |
| Nigeria | International Visa, Mastercard or Verve | 3.9% + NGN 100 | No tax inferred |
| Nigeria | International American Express | 4.5% | No tax inferred |
| Ghana | Local or international | 1.95% | No tax inferred |
| Kenya | Local card / M-PESA / international | 2.9% / 1.5% / 3.8% | No tax inferred |
| South Africa | Local card / EFT / international | 2.9% + R1 / 2% / 3.1% + R1 | 15% VAT added because published rates are VAT-exclusive |
Amounts are shown to two decimal places. For target-net planning, the engine searches each applicable waiver or cap branch and returns the smallest currency cent that meets the target; the previous cent must fail. Paystack’s general mark-up formula includes +0.01, but this tool does not append that cent blindly when a waiver or cap changes the branch.
Your Paystack dashboard and merchant agreement remain the final transaction record, especially for negotiated or product-specific pricing.
Paystack fee planner questions
Is the amount below NGN 2,500 fee-free?
No. For a Nigerian local transaction below NGN 2,500, Paystack waives only the NGN 100 fixed component. The 1.5% percentage fee still applies.
Does the planner include tax on Paystack fees?
It adds 15% VAT only to South African fees because Paystack publishes those rates as VAT-exclusive. It does not infer tax for Nigeria, Ghana or Kenya.
Are payout and stamp-duty charges included?
No. Payout transfer fees, Nigerian transfer stamp duty, refunds, chargebacks, foreign exchange, custom pricing and settlement timing are excluded.
When were these Paystack rates checked?
The Paystack transaction-pricing source was updated on 20 May 2026 and AfroTools reviewed it on 23 July 2026. Paystack does not publish a single effective date on that source. This calculator blocks after 21 October 2026 until reviewed again.