The Problem We Were Actually Solving
The project 'OpenAid' is an OSS platform to help non-profits collect and allocate funds more efficiently to grassroots projects in sub-Saharan Africa. We decided to allow contributors to receive funding through the platform in the form of bank transfers. This was to help reduce transaction fees that come with traditional payment methods like PayPal and Stripe. At first, it seemed like a simple problem to solve but little did I know that I would be venturing into a rabbit hole of international payment systems.
What We Tried First (And Why It Failed)
We initially decided to use Gumroad and Payhip to handle transactions, but it turned out that these platforms did not have a presence in Nigeria. I didn't think much of this at first, assuming that it was just an issue with the platforms since PayPal and Stripe did not work either. However, we soon realized that it was not our problem to solve but rather the platforms we were using. Contributors were getting frustrated with the lack of payment options available, which in turn affected the overall morale of the project. This was when we started to look for alternative solutions that would work in Nigeria.
