ElyonPay Launches Request to Pay: Pay Your Loved Ones in Africa from Anywhere

1What Is Request to Pay?

Request to Pay is a feature that reverses the traditional flow of money transfers. Instead of the sender abroad having to find a transfer service, enter the beneficiary's information, and pay high fees, the beneficiary in Africa initiates the request directly from their ElyonPay app. They enter the desired amount, add a payment reason (rent, school fees, medical emergency, etc.), and generate a secure payment link. This link can be shared in one click via WhatsApp, SMS, email, or any other messaging channel. The payer abroad does not need any app or ElyonPay account to complete the payment.

2How It Works, Step by Step

The Request to Pay process has been designed to be as simple as possible, with a four-step journey that takes less than two minutes on the requester's side and less than one minute on the payer's side. The generated payment link is secured by a unique time-limited token (72 hours) and protected by a 256-bit SSL certificate. The payer accesses a payment page hosted by ElyonPay where they can clearly see the requested amount, the applied exchange rate, and the transaction fees before confirming payment.

1. The requester opens the ElyonPay app and taps "Request to Pay"
2. They enter the amount in XAF (or any other supported currency) and add a reason
3. ElyonPay generates a secure payment link that the requester shares via WhatsApp, SMS, or email
4. The payer clicks the link, selects their payment method (Visa/Mastercard card, bank transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay), and confirms
5. The money is instantly credited to the requester's ElyonPay wallet or Mobile Money account

3Use Cases: Diaspora, B2B, and Group Payments

Request to Pay addresses many use cases beyond simple family transfers. For the diaspora, it's the ideal tool when a family member back home has an urgent need: hospital bills, school enrollment, everyday expenses. The family member creates the request with the exact amount and reason, providing full transparency on how the funds will be used. For B2B, small African businesses can send payment requests to their international clients or suppliers, replacing pro-forma invoices sent by email and slow, expensive bank transfers. Finally, the group payment feature allows a requester to send the same request to multiple payers, ideal for tontine contributions, family collections, or community crowdfunding.

4Supported Currencies and Payment Methods

ElyonPay's Request to Pay supports a wide range of currencies and payment methods to cover the main African diaspora corridors. The requester can formulate their request in XAF (CFA Franc CEMAC), XOF (CFA Franc BCEAO), KES (Kenyan Shilling), NGN (Nigerian Naira), or in USD and EUR. The payer can settle in EUR, USD, GBP, CAD, or CHF with their Visa or Mastercard card, via SEPA bank transfer (for payers in Europe), or through Apple Pay and Google Pay on compatible devices. Currency conversion is performed at the real-time interbank rate with a transparent 0.5% margin, clearly displayed on the payment page before confirmation.

5Fees and Transparent Pricing

Pricing transparency is at the heart of ElyonPay's philosophy. Request to Pay charges a flat fee of 1.5% on the transaction amount for card payments and 0.8% for SEPA transfers, with no hidden fees or surprises at checkout. The 0.5% exchange rate margin is included in the displayed rate, meaning the payer sees exactly how much they will pay in their currency and the requester knows precisely how much they will receive in theirs. By comparison, a 200 EUR transfer via Western Union costs an average of 14 EUR in fees plus 4 EUR in hidden exchange rate margin, totaling 9% of the amount. The same transfer via ElyonPay Request to Pay costs 3 EUR in fees and 1 EUR in exchange rate margin, totaling 2% of the amount. The savings are immediately visible and significant.