What is a mobile money API?
A plain explanation of mobile money APIs: what they do, who uses them, and what to look for when you need to pay out to or collect from wallets across Africa.
Mobile money, programmatically
Mobile money lets people hold and send money with a phone number. A mobile money API lets your software do the same: create a payout to a phone number, request a payment, and receive a status update.
Typical operations
- →Payout: send money to a wallet.
- →Collection: request payment from a wallet.
- →Status: receive updates by webhook.
- →Name check: confirm the wallet holder before sending, where supported.
Direct or through an aggregator
Connecting to each network directly means separate contracts and integrations per country. An aggregator gives one integration across networks and countries.
ElementPay’s approach
ElementPay connects to mobile money networks including M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, Airtel Money, Orange Money and Wave across 20 African countries, alongside bank rails and USDC and USDT, through one platform and API.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mobile money API?
A set of endpoints that lets software send money to, and request money from, mobile money wallets such as M-Pesa and MTN MoMo.
Do I need a separate API for each network?
Not with an aggregator. ElementPay covers many networks across 20 countries through one integration.
Who uses mobile money APIs?
Fintechs, marketplaces, payroll providers, lenders, NGOs and any business paying or collecting from wallets.
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