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Payments are the core functionality of Pooler. This guide provides an overview of how payments work, the payment process, and key concepts you need to understand.

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What are Payments?

Payments in Pooler are transfers of funds from your account to recipient bank accounts. Pooler handles the complexity of routing payments through various payment networks, currency conversions, and compliance requirements.

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Payment Types

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Local Payments

Payments within the same country:
  • NIP (Nigeria) - Instant bank transfers in Nigeria
  • Local Bank Transfers - Standard bank transfers within country
  • Mobile Money - Mobile money transfers (where supported)

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Cross-Border Payments

Payments between different countries:
  • SWIFT - International wire transfers
  • Regional Networks - Regional payment networks
  • Corridor-Specific - Optimized routes for specific corridors

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Payment Process

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Two-Step Payment Flow

Pooler uses a two-step payment process for transparency and control:
1

Initiate Payment

Create a payment quote with fees and exchange rates.
2

Review Quote

Review the quote including:
  • Payment amount
  • Fees
  • Exchange rates (if applicable)
  • Total amount to deduct
3

Confirm Payment

Confirm the payment to execute the transfer.
4

Processing

Pooler processes the payment through selected route.
5

Completion

Payment is completed and recipient receives funds.

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Payment States

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Payment Statuses

Payments progress through various states:
StatusDescription
initiatedPayment quote created
pendingPayment confirmed, awaiting processing
processingPayment is being processed
completedPayment successfully completed
failedPayment processing failed
rejectedPayment was rejected

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Key Concepts

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Payment Amounts

Amount TypeDescription
Source AmountAmount you want to send (in source currency)
Destination AmountAmount recipient receives (in destination currency)
Exchange RateRate used for currency conversion
FeesTransaction and processing fees
Total DeductionTotal amount deducted from your account

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Payment Routes

Pooler selects optimal payment routes based on:
  • Destination - Recipient country and bank
  • Currency - Source and destination currencies
  • Amount - Payment amount
  • Speed - Processing time requirements
  • Cost - Route fees and exchange rates
See Route Management for details on how routes are selected and optimized.

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Currency Conversion

When sending payments in different currencies:
  • Exchange Rates - Real-time or quoted rates
  • Conversion Fees - Fees for currency conversion
  • Rate Lock - Quotes may lock rates for a period
See Conversion Rates for details on exchange rates and conversions.

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Fees

Payments may include various fees:
Fee TypeDescription
Transaction FeesFixed or percentage-based fees
Route FeesFees for specific payment routes
Conversion FeesCurrency conversion fees
Processing FeesAdditional processing costs
See Transaction Fees for a detailed breakdown of fees.

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Payment Features

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Idempotency

Use idempotency keys to prevent duplicate payments: 
// Include Idempotency-Key header
headers: {
  'Idempotency-Key': 'unique-key-per-payment'
}

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Payment References

Provide custom references for tracking:
FieldDescription
ReferenceYour internal reference for the payment
DescriptionPayment description
MetadataAdditional metadata

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Payment Limits

Payments are subject to limits:
Limit TypeDescription
Per-Transaction LimitsMaximum amount per payment
Daily LimitsMaximum total per day
Monthly LimitsMaximum total per month
Contact support to adjust limits based on your needs.

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Best Practices

  • Always review payment quotes before confirming to understand fees and rates.
  • Always use idempotency keys to prevent duplicate payments.
  • Store payment references and IDs for tracking and reconciliation.
  • Set up webhooks to monitor payment status in real-time.
  • Implement proper error handling for failed payments.