EBANX Launches OPay Direct Debit Recurring Payments

In Short

• EBANX says it is the first global payments company to go live with recurring payments through OPay Direct Debit in Nigeria.
• The integration lets subscription merchants offer recurring charges using OPay’s wallet, after a one time in app authorisation.
• EBANX says the option can help merchants reach OPay’s 40 million monthly active users.

What Happened: How EBANX Enables Recurring Payments Via OPay In Nigeria

EBANX announced that its integration with OPay Direct Debit is live in Nigeria. EBANX described OPay Direct Debit as a new solution for recurring transactions inside the OPay digital wallet.

EBANX said global subscription businesses, including streaming services and SaaS (software sold as an ongoing subscription), can now offer this payment option at checkout through EBANX. EBANX said this gives merchants access to OPay’s 40 million monthly active users, which it said represents one in three adults in Nigeria.

According to EBANX, OPay Direct Debit works through a one time authorisation inside the OPay app. After that, merchants can collect future subscription charges without requiring customers to be present or re enter payment details for every transaction.

EBANX also shared market context on why recurring payments are hard to scale with cards in Nigeria. It cited World Bank data saying credit card ownership is 5% among adults, while mobile phone penetration is 84%. EBANX also cited World Data Lab data saying 95% of all online spending in Nigeria comes from consumers without a credit card, and that this share is expected to remain nearly unchanged for the next 10 years.

Why It Matters: Subscription Payments Beyond Cards In Nigeria

Recurring payments are a common way to pay for subscriptions, but they often rely on “card on file” (saving a card to charge later). EBANX is positioning OPay Direct Debit as an alternative that uses a digital wallet.

EBANX cited Payment and Commerce Market Intelligence data saying digital wallets and bank transfers together account for 65% of Nigeria’s e commerce volume. It also cited World Data Lab data analysed by EBANX valuing Nigeria’s e commerce market at USD 30 billion, and projecting 32 million new consumers added to the consumer class by 2036.