e-Payment Options in Ghana

1. Airtel Money

Airtel owns about 13% of the mobile phone subscriber base as at April 2012. Their Airtel Money service allows you to send money over their network to another Airtel Money account. They already provide the ability for users to top up their call credit and pay for utility bills.

Just recently, they launched two major projects which is likely to grow the use of the payment platform. They are UT fonbank and the Airtel Money Market

UT fonbank allows subscribers of Airtel Ghana to open traditional bank accounts at UT bank with all the features that comes with it like saving and earning interest on money without physically visiting the bank, all of this happens via the mobile device using the Airtel Money platform.

Airtel Money Market is a platform that allows airtel money wallet holders to shop for various products. It can be accessed from any internet enabled device including mobile devices which is cool. Users can browse by store or product items. The platform is powered by Rancard's Mobility Rendezvous. 

2. MTN  Money

MTN Money has been around in Ghana since 2009 and in some other countries. With their current subscriber base of more than 10 million users, they can help increase the adaption of a cashless system.

MTN in Ghana has a reputation with local developers who want to develop VAS and other platforms on their infrastructure, some find it difficult. Others with good reputation have little issues. Like most institutions, it not the CEOs doing but those who work for them.

MTN Money launched with 9 banks (CAL Bank, Ecobank, Fidelity Bank, GTBank, Intercontinental Bank, Merchant Bank, UBA, Stanbic and Zenith Bank) in 2009 and rolled out to others since then.

Opening an account on the platform is supposed to be simple, walk into any MTN service center and talk to them about opening an account. You can send money to both subscribers and non MTN subscribers as well as top up call credit for now. I was hoping MTN Play, their download portal for music, caller ringtunez and others will use the service too but the site is not explicit about that.

3. i-Wallet

Been around probably longer than most of the others but launched last year by DreamOval  in 2011 after being in development for some years now. i-Wallet hopes to increase local merchants and their products' presence on the internet.

The platform currently provide online payment for some online shops; Walkers Pizza, Legacy and Legacy Bookshop, Odo Asem and Woimex.

i-Wallet supports Airtel Money (another plus for Airtel Money) so topping up i-Wallet account is pretty cool for those on that platform.  You can also purchase mytxtbuddy credit with i-wallet.

4. Ozinbo Pay

New kid on the block, with good documentation on their API. Yes they have API for the community to consume and expand on.

Ozinbo Pay is brought to you by the people from nFortics. nFortics managed by Sam Paapa Opoku provides branchless banking services to financial institutions in SSA.

Though they recently went live, they boast of over 30 verified merchants currently integrating into their platform. Some of these merchants are yougora, misumobo and Eliba Collection.

They are currently hiring for tight ruby developers to complete pending integration work across africa so if interested send your CV to career@ozinbopay.com