PayKato helps African freelancers, agencies, digital sellers, and merchants create payment links, send invoices, track settlements, and receive local payouts through supported licensed partners. PayKato charges a platform fee on successful payments; processor, FX, payout, bank, refund, chargeback, and country-specific costs are charged by the licensed payment and banking partners that move the money. This page explains each component and shows how they combine on a sample transaction. Final pricing is confirmed during merchant onboarding based on country, merchant category, and partner approval.
From 1.5% of each successful transaction. There are no monthly fees, setup fees, or minimum volume requirements to create a PayKato account.
The exact rate for your account is confirmed during onboarding and may vary by country, merchant category, payment method, and risk profile.
Card networks and licensed payment processors charge their own fee for accepting card and alternative payment methods. This fee is set by the processor and typically includes a percentage of the transaction plus a small fixed amount per payment.
The applicable processor and rate depend on the country, payment method, and currency used by your customer.
When a customer pays in a currency different from your settlement currency, the payment processor or banking partner converts the funds and applies an FX margin on top of the mid-market rate.
PayKato does not set FX rates. The margin is determined by the partner handling the conversion and is disclosed before settlement.
Payouts to a local bank account are processed by a banking partner that may charge a per-payout fee, an FX margin (if converting from the settlement currency to your payout currency), and any standard local bank charges.
Payout availability, timing, and fees depend on country, currency, and partner approval.
When you refund a transaction, the PayKato platform fee on the original payment is generally not returned. Some processors also retain or charge an additional refund fee. Any FX loss between the original payment and the refund is borne by the merchant.
If a cardholder disputes a payment with their bank, the card network and processor charge a chargeback fee per case, regardless of the dispute outcome. The full transaction amount is reversed during the dispute. See the Chargeback Policy.
PayKato or its partners may hold a portion of settlements as a rolling reserve to cover refunds, chargebacks, and compliance risk. Reserves are based on country, merchant category, processing history, and partner requirements. See the Reserve & Hold Policy.
Each transaction shows the gross amount, the platform fee, the processor fee passed through by the partner, any FX conversion details, and the estimated merchant settlement before payout. The final amount that lands in your bank account reflects payout fees applied by the banking partner.
Estimate fees for a Nigeria pilot transaction. Actual processor, FX, and payout costs depend on the licensed partner and are confirmed during merchant onboarding.
Indicative only. Actual rate is set by the licensed banking partner at payout time.
| Customer pays | $100.00 |
| Estimated processor fee (3.2%) | − $3.50 (incl. $0.30 fixed) |
| PayKato platform fee (1.5%) | − $1.50 |
| Estimated FX margin (~1%) | − $1.00 |
| Estimated payout fee (flat) | − $1.50 |
| Estimated net settlement (USD) | ≈ $92.50 |
| Estimated net NGN payout | ≈ ₦143,375 |
Estimated payout timing: 1–3 business days
The processor fee shown is an estimate. Your actual processor fee, FX margin, payout fee, and any reserve are confirmed during onboarding and visible per-transaction in your PayKato dashboard.
Pricing on this page is informational. Binding fees and rates for your account are confirmed during onboarding and in your signed merchant agreement. PayKato is built to integrate with licensed payment processors and banking partners; specific partners and availability are confirmed during onboarding based on country, merchant category, and partner approval.
Illustrative estimates only. Assumes an example processor fee of 3.2% on an international card transaction, plus the standard PayKato platform fee of 1.5%. FX and payout fees vary by partner and are not included.
| Customer pays | Processor fee | PayKato fee | FX / payout fee | Estimated settlement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100.00 | − $3.20 (example only) | − $1.50 (1.5%) | Varies | ≈ $95.30 |
| $500.00 | − $16.00 (example only) | − $7.50 (1.5%) | Varies | ≈ $476.50 |
| $1000.00 | − $32.00 (example only) | − $15.00 (1.5%) | Varies | ≈ $953.00 |
The processor fee above is an example only. Your actual processor fee, FX margin, and payout fee are confirmed during onboarding and shown per-transaction in your PayKato dashboard.
Illustrative estimates only. Each example assumes an international card payment at the pilot processor rate (3.2%) and the standard PayKato platform fee (1.5%). FX margin, payout fees, refunds, chargebacks, and reserves are not shown here and will appear per-transaction in your dashboard.
| Use case | Customer pays | Estimated merchant receives (before payout) |
|---|---|---|
| Freelancer invoice | $100.00 | ≈ $95.30 |
| Agency project | $1000.00 | ≈ $953.00 |
| Digital product sale | $49.00 | ≈ $46.70 |
| Consulting retainer | $2500.00 | ≈ $2382.50 |
| Online course / coaching | $250.00 | ≈ $238.25 |
"Merchant receives" is an estimate of the settlement amount before payout fees and FX margin. Actual processor rates depend on the licensed partner, the customer's card and country, and your merchant category. Use the calculator above to model your own scenarios.