EBANX has officially launched OPay recurring payments in Nigeria, allowing global digital businesses to process subscription charges for 40 million monthly OPay users who lack access to traditional credit cards.
The integration gives participating merchants access to OPay’s reported 40 million monthly active users, equivalent to roughly one in three Nigerian adults, according to EBANX. The service targets digital businesses such as streaming platforms and software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers that want to collect recurring payments from Nigerian customers.
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EBANX says it is the first global payments company to launch OPay Direct Debit for recurring transactions.
How OPay Recurring Payments Work
Customers authorise recurring payments once through the OPay app. Participating merchants can then collect subsequent subscription charges without requiring customers to be present or re-enter payment details for every billing cycle.
The arrangement gives international businesses an alternative to conventional card-based subscription billing. Merchants using EBANX can add OPay as a checkout option, while customers can manage recurring payments through their wallet.
However, the launch does not mean every international subscription service now accepts OPay. Neither company has named a first global merchant using the new recurring-payment option, so availability will depend on individual businesses integrating and enabling the service.
Addressing the Credit Card Gap
The launch targets a mismatch between how Nigerians access digital services and how international businesses typically collect subscription payments.
According to World Bank data cited by EBANX, only 5% of Nigerian adults own credit cards, while mobile phone penetration among adults stands at 84%. World Data Lab figures analysed by EBANX indicate that 95% of online spending in Nigeria comes from consumers without credit cards.
Digital wallets and bank transfers already account for 65% of the country’s e-commerce transaction volume, according to Payment and Commerce Market Intelligence data cited in the announcement.
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For subscription businesses, accepting a widely used local payment method could help reach customers who might otherwise struggle to pay for international digital services using traditional card-based billing.
Global Reach and Local Payments
Nigeria is the latest market in EBANX’s push to support recurring payments through locally popular payment methods.
In South Africa, the company enabled Canva to offer recurring payments through Capitec Pay’s account-to-account solution, allowing customers to pay for subscriptions directly from their bank accounts.
EBANX says it supports recurring alternative payment methods across 13 emerging markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America, including Nigeria and South Africa. This effort potentially reaches more than 1 billion consumers who use local payment methods such as digital wallets and account-to-account transfers.
Eduardo de Abreu, EBANX's chief product officer, said the integration reflects an opportunity to expand subscription access beyond traditional card payments. OPay Chief Commercial Officer Elizabeth Wang said the service would give Nigerians another way to pay for international digital services while retaining control over their subscriptions.
Why it Matters to African Fintechs
Recurring payments are an important part of the business model for streaming services, productivity tools, online learning platforms and other subscription businesses. But a payment method that works for one market may not suit another.
EBANX’s integration with OPay illustrates how payment providers can adapt recurring billing to local financial habits rather than relying exclusively on international cards.
For Nigerian fintechs, the development also highlights the growing importance of digital wallets as infrastructure for more complex financial transactions, moving beyond one-off transfers and purchases to automated payments.
The next test will be merchant adoption. If international subscription businesses enable OPay Direct Debit at checkout, the integration could make it easier for more Nigerian consumers to access digital services and for global merchants to collect recurring revenue in a market where credit-card ownership remains limited.
Engagement
