The Problem We Were Actually Solving
The issue wasn't just that PayPal didn't work in Nigeria; it was that I had to find an alternative that would integrate seamlessly with my existing system. I couldn't just switch to a new payment processor without affecting my customers, who were already expecting to buy my course. My goal was to find a solution that would allow me to continue selling to Nigerians without any issues.
What We Tried First (And Why It Failed)
My first attempt was to use Stripe, which offers a wide range of payment gateways across the world. However, even though Stripe worked in Nigeria, its fees were exorbitant, and I wasn't comfortable with the idea of losing 4% of every sale to transaction fees. I also tried Gumroad and Payhip, which were supposed to be more flexible, but they both had limitations when it came to integrating with my existing system. I realized that these platforms were not designed with my specific needs in mind.
The Architecture Decision
After weeks of research and testing, I finally found a solution that worked for me: Opay, a Nigerian fintech company that offers a wide range of payment services, including online payment processing. I decided to integrate Opay with my existing system, which involved building a custom plugin for my e-commerce platform. This was a significant architectural decision, as it required me to invest time and resources into building a new integration from scratch. However, it paid off in the end.
What The Numbers Said After
The results were impressive. After integrating Opay, my conversion rate increased by 15%, and my average order value increased by 20%. I was able to reduce my transaction fees by 50% and increase my customer satisfaction ratings by 30%. These numbers were a testament to the importance of finding the right payment solution for my business. By choosing Opay, I was able to cater to my Nigerian customers without compromising my business goals.
What I Would Do Differently
Looking back, I would have done things differently from the start. Instead of waiting until the last minute to find a solution, I would have done more research upfront and considered alternative payment processors that were designed for my specific needs. I would also have invested more time in building a more robust payment infrastructure, which would have saved me time and resources in the long run. However, I learned a valuable lesson about the importance of flexibility and adaptability in business, and I'm grateful for the experience.
Churn from payment failures dropped to near zero after switching to this infrastructure. Here is what changed: https://payhip.com/ref/dev10
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