Payments

What is the Fapshi PIN?

Your Fapshi PIN is a 5-digit code used to authorise any money leaving your account, including:

• Transfers to other Fapshi users
• Payouts to Mobile Money or bank accounts
• Bulk payments

You must set your PIN before using these features.

💻 Set Your PIN via Dashboard

Step 1: Log into your Fapshi dashboard
Step 2: Click the Create button in the top-right corner and choose:
“A pin (transfers and payouts)”
Step 3: Enter your 5-digit PIN and click Submit

📱 Set Your PIN on the Mobile App

Step 1: Open the Fapshi mobile app
Step 2: Go to Settings → Security → Set PIN
Step 3: Enter your 5-digit PIN and confirm

🚫 Do Not Share Your PIN!

Never share your PIN with anyone — not even a Fapshi team member.
Your PIN protects your money. If someone has it, they can drain your account.
Fapshi will never ask for your PIN.

If you forget your PIN, check the Forgot PIN Guide to change it.

Fapshi lets you transfer money from your account to other Fapshi users quickly and securely.

Note: The minimum amount you can transfer is 500 FCFA.

Steps

Step 1: Log into your Dashboard
Go to More → Payments → Transfers in the left menu.

Step 2: Click “Make a Transfer”
Click the button at the top right of the Transfers page.

Step 3: Fill in the required details:

• Recipient's email (must be registered with a Fapshi account)
• Amount
• Reason for the transfer
• Your PIN

You need a PIN to do Fapshi transfers.
• See how to set your PIN
• Forgot your PIN? Here's what to do

If you want to send money to someone who’s not on Fapshi (e.g., Mobile Money users), use a payout instead.

Step 4: Confirm the Transfer
Once submitted, you’ll see the transaction:

• On your Transfers page
• Reflected in your account balance

Fapshi charges a 0.5% transfer fee.
Use our pricing calculator to estimate the cost for your amount.

The Fapshi API offers two powerful methods for collecting payments: Direct Pay and Initiate Pay. Each serves distinct use cases, balancing control, ease of integration, and user experience. This article breaks down the differences, benefits, and ideal scenarios for using Direct Pay and Initiate Pay, helping you choose the right approach for your application. Whether you're building a custom payment flow or need a quick solution, Fapshi's API has you covered. For more details, check the official Fapshi API documentation.

Understanding Direct Pay

Direct Pay allows developers to initiate payments directly from a user's mobile wallet without redirecting them to an external page. With this method, you have full control over the payment form and user experience, building a seamless checkout process within your application. However, this comes with the responsibility of handling validations, user input, and the payment flow on your end. The Fapshi backend processes the transaction, ensuring security and reliability, while you manage the front-end experience.

Key Features of Direct Pay

• Full Customization: Design the payment form to match your brand and user interface.
• No Redirects: Users stay within your app or website, creating a frictionless experience.
• Developer Responsibility: You handle input validation, error handling, and transaction status verification.
• Use Case Flexibility: Ideal for apps requiring tailored payment flows, such as in-app purchases or integrated checkout systems.

How It Works

1. Your application collects payment details (e.g., phone number, amount) via a custom form.
2. The app sends a payment request to Fapshi's API using your apiuser and apikey for authentication.
3. Fapshi processes the request and prompts the user to confirm the transaction on their mobile wallet.
4. Upon completion, you receive a transId (transaction ID) with a status code of 200 for successful requests or a 4XX code with an error message for failures.
5. You can use the transId to check the transaction status (SUCCESSFUL or FAILED) via the API or receive updates through a configured webhook.

Note: Direct Pay transactions do not expire, and their final state is either SUCCESSFUL or FAILED. Ensure secure handling of credentials, as misuse may lead to account suspension per Fapshi's Terms & Conditions.

Understanding Initiate Pay

Initiate Pay simplifies the payment process by providing a prebuilt, Fapshi-hosted checkout page. Users are redirected to this page to complete their payment, and Fapshi handles the entire payment flow, including validations and user prompts. This method is ideal for developers who want a quick, low-effort integration without building a custom payment interface.

Key Features of Initiate Pay

• Prebuilt Checkout: Fapshi provides a ready-to-use payment page, reducing development time.
• Simplified Integration: Minimal coding required—just generate a payment link and redirect users.
• Fapshi Handles Flow: The platform manages validations, user prompts, and transaction processing.
• Less Control: You rely on Fapshi's checkout design, which may limit customization.

How It Works

1. Your application sends a payment request to Fapshi's API with details like the amount and user's phone number.
2. Fapshi generates a unique payment link and returns it in the API response.
3. You redirect the user to the Fapshi-hosted checkout page.
4. The user completes the payment on their mobile wallet via the hosted page.
5. Fapshi notifies you of the transaction status (SUCCESSFUL or FAILED) via a webhook (if configured) or through a status check using the transId.

Note: Like Direct Pay, Initiate Pay transactions are processed securely, and you must protect your API credentials to avoid misuse.

Comparing Direct Pay and Initiate Pay

Both methods leverage Fapshi's robust backend for secure payment processing, but they differ in control, complexity, and integration effort. Here's a detailed comparison:

Best Use Cases: When to Use Direct Pay vs. Initiate Pay

Choosing between Direct Pay and Initiate Pay depends on your application's needs, development resources, and desired user experience. The table below outlines the best scenarios for each method:

Pros and Cons

Direct Pay

Pros:

• Seamless user experience with no redirects.
• Full control over the payment form and branding.
• Flexible for complex or unique payment flows.

Cons:

• Requires more development effort to build and maintain the payment form.
• Developers are responsible for input validation and error handling.
• Higher risk of errors if not implemented correctly.

Initiate Pay

Pros:

• Quick and easy to integrate with minimal coding.
• Fapshi handles the entire payment flow, reducing developer workload.
• Ideal for rapid prototyping or small-scale projects.

Cons:

• Limited customization, as the checkout page follows Fapshi's design.
• Redirects may disrupt the user experience or increase drop-off rates.
• Less suitable for apps requiring a fully integrated payment process.

Getting Started

To implement either method, start by reviewing the Preliminary Knowledge section in the Fapshi API documentation. Ensure you have your apiuser and apikey ready for authentication, and test in the sandbox environment before going live. For Direct Pay, focus on building a secure, user-friendly payment form, and for Initiate Pay, generate and test payment links. If you encounter issues, contact support@fapshi.com or join the Fapshi Slack developer community for assistance.

Conclusion

Direct Pay and Initiate Pay cater to different needs in the payment integration spectrum. Direct Pay is best for developers who prioritise a tailored, in-app payment experience and have the resources to build and manage a custom checkout flow. Initiate Pay is perfect for those seeking a fast, low-effort solution with a prebuilt checkout page. By understanding your business requirements—such as customisation, development time, and user experience—you can choose the method that best aligns with your goals. Explore the Fapshi API documentation to dive deeper and start integrating today.

You can start collecting donations on your WordPress website in minutes using Fapshi Payment Links — no plugins or coding needed.

This method is perfect for individuals, nonprofits, churches, student projects, and small businesses that want to accept support or donations online easily.

💡 What You Need

• A Fapshi account
• A simple payment link or donation link generated via your dashboard
• A WordPress website or blog

🛠️ Step-by-Step: How to Add a Donation Link on WordPress

✅ Step 1: Create a Payment Link

1. Log in to your Fapshi Dashboard
2. Go to Payment Links
3. Click Create a Link
4. Choose:
   • Simple Payment Link if the amount is fixed
   • Donation Link if you want donors to enter the amount themselves
5. Add a name like “Support My Project” or “Church Donations”
6. Click Create, and copy the generated link

✅ Step 2: Add the Link to Your WordPress Site

There are 3 simple ways to do this:

Option 1: Add a Button
Go to your WordPress editor and add a Button Block

• Label: “Donate Now” or “Support Us”
• Paste your Fapshi payment link as the URL

Option 2: Text Link
Write something like:

If you’d like to support our mission, click here to donate.
Replace with your actual link.

Option 3: Widget or Sidebar
Use WordPress widgets to place the donation button or text in your sidebar or footer.

🎯 Bonus Tips

• Customise your payment link image and description from the Fapshi dashboard for better branding
• Use Bitly to shorten the link for social media or newsletters
• Track all donation activity directly in your Fapshi dashboard

If you have a WooCommerce store or want to sell stuff on your WordPress website, use our WordPress plugin to collect payments instead.

💬 Need Help?

Contact support@fapshi.com.

If you’ve forgotten your PIN or suspect someone else knows it, you can request to reset it securely through our support system.

🔄 How to Reset Your PIN

Step 1: Go to the Fapshi support page

Step 2: Choose the subject: "Change my pin"

Step 3: In the message, provide:

• Your email address
• Your support PIN

How to get your support PIN:
Click the user icon (at the top-right of your dashboard) and copy the Support PIN shown.

Once support approves your request, follow the same steps in How to set your PIN to create a new one.

📱 On the Mobile App

Go to Settings → Forgot your Fapshi PIN?
Follow the prompts to submit a reset request.

🚫 Do Not Share Your PIN!

Never share your PIN with anyone.
Even Fapshi staff will never ask for your PIN.
Anyone with your PIN can access your funds.