If you sell online in Ghana, mobile money isn't optional. Most of your customers will pay with MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash or AirtelTigo Money, and many don't have a card at all. A payment gateway is what lets your website, app or store take those payments and confirm them automatically.
This guide compares six ways to accept mobile money online going into 2027: four payment gateways, a local option, and a platform that handles the gateway for you.
Fees were checked on each company's website in October 2026 where they were published. Fees and requirements change, so confirm with each provider.
Gateway or platform?
- A payment gateway (Paystack, Flutterwave, Hubtel) gives you the lowest fee per payment. You usually need a registered business, and a developer to connect it to your website or app.
- A selling platform (Paylead) has the gateway built in. You get a store, payment links, invoices and checkout without writing code or applying for a merchant account, and pay a higher fee per sale.
Neither is "better". It depends on whether you have a developer and documents, or want to start selling today.
Quick comparison
| Option | Fee on MoMo | Setup | Settlement or payout | Recurring MoMo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paystack | 1.95% (local) | Business verification, developer for websites | To your bank | No |
| Flutterwave | 2% | Business verification, developer for websites | 1.5% to MoMo, GH₵ 10 to bank | Check their site |
| Hubtel | 1.95% (headline) | Business account | Hourly settlement | Check their site |
| ExpressPay | Check their site | Business account | Check their site | Check their site |
| theteller | Check their site | Business account | Check their site | Check their site |
| Paylead | 4% + GH₵ 1, all included | Sign up free, no code | GH₵ 5, next working day | Yes, with reminders |
1. Paystack
Best for: registered businesses with a developer.
Paystack charges 1.95% on local payments in Ghana, including mobile money, cards and bank transfer. It has well-documented APIs, payment pages and plugins for popular website builders.
- Strengths: low fees, excellent developer tools, a trusted brand.
- Watch out for: you need business verification, and Paystack's mobile money channel can't do recurring payments. If you sell subscriptions, your customers on MoMo have to pay by hand every month.
2. Flutterwave
Best for: businesses that take payments in several African countries.
Flutterwave charges 2% on mobile money in Ghana, 2.6% on local cards and 4.8% on international cards.
- Strengths: one account for many countries and currencies, international cards.
- Watch out for: payouts cost 1.5% to mobile money or GH₵ 10 to a bank, so moving GH₵ 10,000 to MoMo costs GH₵ 150. See Flutterwave's Ghana pricing.
3. Hubtel
Best for: Ghanaian businesses that want fast settlement and local support.
Hubtel's headline fee is 1.95%, and it advertises hourly settlement. It also offers point-of-sale, SMS and other business tools.
- Strengths: local company, quick settlement.
- Watch out for: check the requirements for opening a merchant account and the fee for your business type.
4. ExpressPay
Best for: businesses that want a local gateway with bill payment options.
ExpressPay is a Ghanaian payments company that offers online checkout with mobile money and cards.
- Watch out for: fees and onboarding requirements aren't all published, so ask for a quote.
5. theteller
Best for: businesses that want another established local option.
theteller is a Ghanaian payment gateway with mobile money and card checkout for websites.
- Watch out for: as with ExpressPay, ask for current fees and settlement times before you integrate.
6. Paylead
Best for: sellers who want to take MoMo payments today, without a developer or merchant account.
Paylead is not a gateway you integrate. It is a selling platform with mobile money already built in. You get:
- A store, product pages, payment links and invoices that take MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AirtelTigo Money, Visa and Mastercard.
- A buy button for any website, including WordPress, by pasting a short snippet: add a buy button to your website.
- Subscriptions on mobile money, with reminders before each payment is due. See how to charge monthly subscriptions with mobile money.
- An API and webhooks on paid plans, if you do want to connect your own app.
Fees: free to start. 4% + GH₵ 1 per payment, processing included, or let the customer pay the fee. Withdrawals are GH₵ 5, next working day.
Watch out for: per payment, a gateway is cheaper. On 200 payments of GH₵ 100, Paystack's 1.95% comes to about GH₵ 390, and Paylead's 4% + GH₵ 1 to about GH₵ 1,000. You are paying for the store, checkout, receipts, reminders and tools, and for not needing a developer.
Start taking MoMo payments free →
How to choose
- You have a registered business and a developer: Paystack or Hubtel for the lowest fee.
- You sell across several African countries: Flutterwave.
- You sell subscriptions and your customers pay by MoMo: check recurring support carefully. Paystack's MoMo can't do it.
- You want to start selling this week without code: Paylead.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best mobile money payment gateway in Ghana in 2027?
For the lowest fee, Paystack and Hubtel both list 1.95%, and Flutterwave 2% on mobile money. They suit registered businesses with a developer. If you want to accept MoMo without code or a merchant account, Paylead has it built in for 4% + GH₵ 1 per payment.
Do I need a registered business to accept mobile money online?
Most payment gateways ask for business documents. On Paylead you can start with your name and a MoMo wallet. Registering later still helps: see how to register a business in Ghana.
Which gateways accept MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash and AirtelTigo Money?
All the options in this guide accept mobile money. Check each one's checkout for the exact networks before you integrate.
Can I accept recurring mobile money payments?
Not on every gateway. Paystack's mobile money channel doesn't support recurring payments. Paylead sends reminders so subscribers on MoMo can renew in a tap. Read how to keep subscribers paying with mobile money.
Read next: how to accept mobile money payments online in Ghana, accepting payments in your app without a gateway and mobile money charges for sellers.
