GoChapaa announces “Merchant Pay” to let African sellers accept crypto with zero fees

The company says the new tool will route payments directly to a seller’s GoChapaa wallet, enabling “instant settlement” the moment a customer scans a QR code or clicks a payment link. By bypassing traditional card networks and payment processors, GoChapaa aims to eliminate the “insane charges” that many small‑business owners cite as a barrier to adopting digital payments. The service is marketed as a “zero‑fee” solution, positioning the platform against rivals such as Flutterwave, Paystack and local banks that still levy transaction fees on crypto‑related transfers.

Crypto‑enabled point‑of‑sale solutions have been gaining traction across the continent, where high inflation and limited access to conventional banking services have pushed both merchants and consumers toward alternative payment methods. According to a recent World Bank report, over 70 % of sub‑Saharan Africans remain unbanked, while a 2023 survey by the African Development Bank found that 42 % of small‑business owners have experimented with digital currencies for cross‑border trade. GoChapaa’s move dovetails with these trends, offering a locally‑hosted wallet that can hold both fiat and digital assets, thereby reducing exposure to volatile exchange rates and foreign‑exchange fees.

GoChapaa’s entry into the crypto merchant space could accelerate adoption among informal traders who have already embraced mobile money platforms like M‑Pesa and Airtel Money. “If you can accept Bitcoin or USDT the same way you accept cash, the friction disappears,” said Lina Ochieng, a fintech analyst at Disrupt Africa. “Zero processing fees are a compelling hook, especially for vendors operating on razor‑thin margins.”

The rollout will be supported by a suite of integration tools, including QR‑code generators, API endpoints for e‑commerce platforms, and a simple “pay‑by‑link” feature for on‑the‑go transactions. GoChapaa also promises that the service will be compatible with existing GoChapaa accounts, meaning merchants won’t need to open a separate crypto exchange account to start receiving payments.

Early adopters are already being courted through a social‑media campaign that encourages business owners to “tag a business owner who needs this RIGHT NOW.” The promotional tweet, which includes a visual of the Merchant Pay interface, highlights the service’s applicability across “in‑store, online, or on the street” scenarios.

If the service lives up to its promise, it could reshape the payment landscape for millions of micro‑entrepreneurs who have been waiting for a cost‑effective, instant way to tap into the growing crypto economy.

Source: here