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Jovan Mwesigwa
Jovan Mwesigwa

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Why MTN and Airtel make you sign contracts before seeing their API docs (and how to start building without waiting)

#api #discuss #mobile

The Compliance Gate Problem

If you've ever tried to integrate mobile money payments in Africa, you know the drill:

  1. Find the provider's API documentation (if it exists)
  2. Get redirected to a compliance form
  3. Wait weeks for approval
  4. Finally get access to docs that are... underwhelming

This is the reality for developers trying to work with MTN, Airtel, M-Pesa, and other African mobile money providers. But why does this happen, and more importantly, how can you start building without waiting?

Why Providers Gate Their Documentation

1. Regulatory Compliance Requirements

African mobile money providers operate under strict financial regulations. They need to ensure that anyone integrating with their systems:

  • Has proper business registration
  • Complies with anti-money laundering (AML) requirements
  • Meets know-your-customer (KYC) standards
  • Has appropriate financial licenses

2. Risk Management

Mobile money involves real money transactions. Providers need to vet potential partners to:

  • Prevent fraud and money laundering
  • Ensure proper transaction monitoring
  • Maintain system security and integrity
  • Protect their reputation and regulatory standing

3. Resource Allocation

API documentation and support are expensive to maintain. Providers want to focus their resources on:

  • Verified, serious businesses
  • Partners who will generate significant transaction volume
  • Companies with proper compliance infrastructure

The Developer's Dilemma

This creates a classic chicken-and-egg problem:

  • You need to see the API to understand if it fits your use case
  • You need to build a prototype to get stakeholder buy-in
  • You need to test integration to estimate development time
  • But you can't do any of this without compliance approval

The FundKit Solution

This is exactly why we built FundKit. Here's how we solve the compliance gate problem:

1. Unified API Documentation

We provide comprehensive, always-available documentation for all major African mobile money providers:

// MTN Mobile Money API
const mtnPayment = await client.collection({
  provider: "mtn",
  amount: 1000,
  currency: "UGX",
  accountNumber: "+256700000000",
});

// Airtel Money API
const airtelPayment = await client.collection({
  provider: "airtel",
  amount: 1000,
  currency: "UGX",
  accountNumber: "+256700000000",
});
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2. Sandbox Environment

Test with virtual mobile money without any compliance requirements:

const client = new PaymentClient({
  apiKey: "sk_test_your_key",
  environment: "sandbox",
  providers: ["mtn", "airtel", "mpesa"],
});
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3. Real Provider Integration

When you're ready for production, simply switch your API keys:

const client = new PaymentClient({
  apiKey: "sk_live_your_key",
  environment: "production", // <-- change variable to production 
  providers: {
    mtn: { apiKey: "your_mtn_key" },
    airtel: { apiKey: "your_airtel_key" },
  },
});
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Getting Started Today

Ready to start building without waiting for compliance approval?

  1. Sign up for FundKit (free, no compliance required)
  2. Get your sandbox API key (instant access)
  3. Start building with our comprehensive documentation
  4. Test with virtual mobile money in our sandbox
  5. Deploy to production when you're ready

Next Steps

The future of mobile money integration shouldn't be gated behind compliance paperwork. Start building today with FundKit.

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