5 Trusted Payments Options For Nigerian Freelancers

For many young Nigerian freelancers, freelancing is the difference between a stable financial life and chaotic financial instability.

With unemployment rising due to economic failure and political instability, Nigerian freelancers’ work has become a primary source of income.

For many out of necessity rather than free choice.

Looking at the global market size of the gig talent freelancer economy, we can see that 35.4% of global freelancers are based in Europe, 28% in Asia, and 21.2% in Latin America.

Africa has 10.1% freelancers, ahead of 4.1% in North America and 1% in the Middle East.

These stats are based on Payoneer’s 2018 Freelancer Income Survey.

Payoneer’s report further points out that the Middle East and Africa are the world’s smallest outsourcing markets, at 9% and 7%, respectively.

Gigs in Nigeria’s slow economic growth can be attributed to several problems faced by freelancers, especially young freelancers who do not have the resources to run generators for a stable electricity supply.

These young Nigerian freelancers miss their team meetings, miss deadlines, and experience mental hardships knowing their performance is below their capabilities.

However, so many Nigerian freelancers have found a way to bypass these issues, to succeed in freelancing but there is one common challenge that a lot still go through and that we are focusing on in this article and that is the difficulty in receiving payment from their foreign clients. 

Trusted Payment Options for Nigerian Freelancers

That is why we have researched 5 trusted payment options for Nigerian freelancers:

1. Payoneer

Payoneer has to be one of Nigerian freelancers’ most popular payment options.

However, setting up your account as simple as it looks must be done right cause you miss it once, and the opportunity to fix it with your details is out the door.

So, be cautious.

To receive payments through Payoneer.com, simply create an account.

Payoneer is easy to use and widely accepted on major platforms.

Payment processing takes 3-5 business days, and it is available in over 200 countries, including Nigeria.

Payoneer has two withdrawal options.

You can choose a Payoneer debit card or send money with a local bank transfer.

Your money is usually available within 2 hours.

To create a Payoneer account:

• Enter the name, address, etc. listed on the identification card used for identity verification.
  
  
• Set your password, secret question, and answer, and select your identity type. Enter the required details for your valid ID. (National ID, Drivers Incense or International Passport)
  
  
• Enter your bank details, if required. You can Google your bank’s SWIFT/BIC code.

After this, you’ll wait for your account to be verified within 2 – 7 business days.

If you did everything right then your account should be verified.

Read: Can I Earn a Good Living as a Freelancer?

2. Stripe

This is another of the most used online companies around the world, an international company based outside of Africa, yet allowing Nigerians to receive payments legally and hassle-free.

Stripe is an Irish-American financial services and software-as-a-service company with two headquarters in San Francisco, CA, and Dublin, Ireland.

The Company primarily provides payment processing software and application programming interfaces for e-commerce websites and mobile applications.

How to open his Stripe account:

• Sign up on the official website
  
  
• Fill in the data with your email account information.
  
  
• A valid card is required (ID card, incense stick, or international passport)

These are the main things you need to set up and authorize your account.

Read: How to Create a Biweekly Pay Schedule For Freelancers

3. Flutterwave

Since its integration with Paypal, Flutterwave has become a payment platform that freelancers can use to receive payments from clients around the world.

Simply, generate an invoice from the app, send it to your customer and receive your money instantly.

The only stress of using it is passing the identity verification process.

For the experience you’ll be having, I think it’s worth any hassle.

How to open your Flutter Wave account:

• Sign up on the official website.
  
  
• Fill in the data with your information.
  
  
• A valid card is required (ID card, incense stick, or international passport).

Read: Freelance Tips: Securing High-Paying Tech Clients Successfully

4. TransferWise

Do you know how Nigerian freelancers talk about exchangers?

Remember how they can also be great payment options but come with subjective exchange rates?

If not, TransferWise is the best option for freelancers in Nigeria.

TransferWise pulls the plug straight out of the middleman’s outlet regarding currency exchange.

Instead of selling your funds to a third party, TransferWise will process your transfer and receive the appropriate amount based on your geographic location will do so.

Eliminate traditional bank fees and send money up to 8x cheaper than banks.

This platform also supports over 750 currency routes and is available in 6 African countries, including Nigeria.

Little side note:

If you have a Nigerian PayPal account that is limited to payments only and have not received payments, you can transfer money from PayPal to your TransferWise account and then withdraw it to your local bank account.

However, you cannot send money from TransferWise to PayPal.

Here’s how to open an account with TransferWise.

1. Sign in to the TransferWise website.
   
   
2. Enter your data
   
   
3. Add a Naira account to work.

Your account will be fully operational.

Read: 7 High Paying Freelance Writing Niches

5. Paypal

Last but not least is PayPal.

I know many of you may have been anticipating it, and here it is.

However, I should disclose that it is not my favorite.

Traditionally, PayPal is an escape route for Nigerian freelancers.

But here’s a hack to access it.

Self-responsibility.

Get around the limit.

We often hear about VPNs, dedicated US phone numbers, and other jargon that can spin your head.

We make it easy. 

Please note that using a VPN to access PayPal risks, and in most cases, will result in your account being suspended if fraudulent activity is detected.

The solution to PayPal problems is to create an account with PayPal Lesotho.

It has everything you need as a freelancer or online creator, including the ability to receive payments.

How to Open a PayPal Account in Lesotho

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to open a PayPal account in Lesotho.

• Sign in and select the business account option. Enter your email address and click Next. You will be required to enter your personal and business information. Make sure it matches the legal information on your documents and debit card. Company name can be any name.
  
  
• Select Nigeria for the phone number and enter the number. Select the currency you want to use and select the USD option. Click I agree, then click Continue.
  
  
• You will be asked to enter your business description. Select a business category and subcategory. Be sure to omit the URL option. do not include Click Next to go to the owner information page.
  
  
• To verify your account, you must verify your identity. Enter Nigeria as your nationality and select National ID Card or International Passport. Upload the required documents.
  
  
• After clicking Submit, you’ll be taken to another page where you can verify your email address, activate your account, and set up your payment. Once that is done, you will be redirected to your account.

This works 80% of the time.

You may need to notify your bank that you plan to receive international transfers from this account.

Now, remember I said PayPal was not my favorite?

Well, that is because of two things.

First, the trouble you go through just to get your payment is too much.

Also, the rates are not favorable.

So, I’ll give 2 bonus payment options to make up for it.

Western Union

This payment receipt pattern is used by Africans in the West African region.

It allows you to receive cross-border payments within your country if you are based in West Africa.

How to receive payments with Western Union:

The bank supplies this process.

• Must have an account with a bank based in Nigeria.
  
  
• When you open a bank account, you will need a national ID such as your voter card, driver’s license, or ID card. This will allow you to validate the Who process by going to your bank and completing the setup.

Cryptocurrency

Don’t be too shocked.

We are in the world of cryptocurrencies.

Digital currency is the future even if some countries do not want to agree.

However, that doesn’t stop many freelancers from using it to receive client payments. 

You can pay with popular coins like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin and convert them to whatever you like.

This option requires basic knowledge of cryptocurrencies and platform operations.

Crypto is used and allowed as a payment option for many foreign clients, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States. 

Conclusion

As a Nigerian Freelancer, any of the above payment options should work for you, if it doesn’t, shoot questions to your community or hour mentor.

You’ll get the adequate help needed.

Also, be sure not to divulge your details to just anyone so your funds are not withdrawn without your knowledge or used for fraudulent activities.

The country is hard enough; don’t make it harder on yourself.

Before You Go…

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