Payment gateway for Uganda that accepts every wallet
Boldrails is a licensed payment gateway provider for Uganda. We accept MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money, MTN MoMoPay, cards and bank transfers through one integration, then settle in Ugandan shillings to your bank account or mobile wallet. We serve high-volume and high-risk businesses across East Africa, with onboarding in 3 to 14 days, depending on your case.
- MTN MoMo & Airtel Money
- One integration for wallets and cards
- Settle in UGX to a bank or wallet
- Onboarding in 3 to 14 days
Last updated: July 2026
How it works
How to accept online payments in Uganda
Uganda is a mobile-money-first economy built on two networks, MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money, so wallets come before cards. Mobile money is the dominant way Ugandans pay online, well ahead of cards and bank transfer. Boldrails is a licensed principal provider, not a broker: we acquire and settle payments ourselves, not through a third party. One integration connects MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money and MTN MoMoPay, plus Visa and Mastercard cards and bank transfers. You launch once, then go live.
- 1
Apply and share your business documents, including your certificate of incorporation, TIN and director NIN.
- 2
We complete KYC and KYB checks and review your business model and risk profile.
- 3
Integrate once with our API or hosted checkout, using sandbox keys and webhooks before you launch.
- 4
Go live to accept both mobile-money wallets plus Visa and Mastercard cards.
- 5
Settle your funds in Ugandan shillings to a bank account or a mobile wallet.
Payment methods
Which payment methods can you accept in Uganda?
Yes, you can accept mobile money payments online in Uganda. You can accept MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money, plus MTN MoMoPay for merchant collections and USSD for feature-phone users, alongside Visa and Mastercard cards and bank transfers. Every method runs through one integration, so you add wallets and cards without separate contracts or extra code.
| Method | What it is | Settles to |
|---|---|---|
| MTN Mobile Money | MTN's mobile-money wallet, the dominant way Ugandans pay. | Bank account or wallet |
| Airtel Money | Airtel's mobile-money wallet, the second network in the duopoly. | Bank account or wallet |
| MTN MoMoPay | Merchant-pay tier of MTN Mobile Money for business collections. | Bank account or wallet |
| USSD | Feature-phone push payments for customers without a smartphone. | Bank account or wallet |
| Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) | Local and international card payments, processed PCI DSS compliant. | Bank account |
| Bank transfer | Direct bank transfers for larger business payments. | Bank account |
Mobile money handles most consumer payments in Uganda, so card-first gateways are built for the wrong market. Lead with the two wallets, then add cards for travelers and larger businesses. Uganda has no M-Pesa: the market runs on MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money.
One integration
One integration for the MTN and Airtel APIs
Each Ugandan wallet has historically meant a separate integration. MTN publishes the MTN MoMo API, with Collections, Disbursements and a sandbox; Airtel exposes the Airtel Money API. Each requires its own onboarding, keys and go-live approval, so developers end up building and maintaining two connections at once. That is slow to build and slow to fix.
Boldrails gives you one licensed integration instead: a single mobile money API for both wallets. You connect once and accept collections across MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money, plus cards, with a sandbox and webhooks built in. The same integration sends payouts, so you take money in and send money out without a second provider. We handle the MTN and Airtel onboarding under one contract.
- One API for MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money collections
- Sandbox keys and webhooks before you go live
- Collections and payouts on the same connection
- Settle in Ugandan shillings to a bank or wallet, with USD for eligible exporters
You can pay suppliers, agents or customers at scale from the same balance. Every transaction is reconciled and exportable, so your finance team keeps clean records for tax and audit. Onboarding takes 3 to 14 days, depending on your case.
The Stripe gap
Why global card-first gateways miss Uganda
Global card-first gateways such as Stripe are not built for Uganda: they do not support local mobile money and settle in foreign currency, not shillings. In a market where mobile money drives most payments, a gateway that leads with cards and cannot pay you in shillings is built for the wrong place.
To accept the wallets Ugandans actually use and get paid locally, you need a licensed local acquiring route. That is what Boldrails provides. We hold the necessary licences required in the markets we serve, so your funds land in Ugandan shillings in a local bank account or mobile wallet. You accept MTN Mobile Money and Airtel Money, and you get paid where your business banks.
Who it's for
Who Boldrails serves in Uganda
We work with high-volume and high-risk operators, including businesses that other providers decline.
- e-commerce & retail
- forex and CFD brokers
- iGaming operators, where locally licensed
- SaaS & subscriptions
- cross-border and remittance senders
- marketplaces needing mass payouts
We assess each business on its merits and hold accounts to our compliance standards. High-risk acceptance is a capability we offer, subject to your documents and to local licensing where a vertical requires it.
Compared
Payment gateways in Uganda compared
Here is an honest view of the Ugandan market. Most providers quote fees only after you request access, and each covers a different slice of wallets, cards and payouts.
- Local and pan-African providers like Pesapal, DPO Pay, DusuPay and Yo! Payments cover the core wallets and cards.
- Pesapal is the biggest local brand and adds Amex alongside Visa and Mastercard.
- Some split collections from payouts, so you run two separate setups; Yo! Payments leads on bulk mobile-money payouts but is light on cards.
- Elemitech positions openly for high-risk verticals like forex and gaming; most mainstream providers do not.
- Few publish an honest fee and coverage table upfront.
| Capability | Boldrails | Pesapal | DPO Pay | DusuPay | Yo! Payments | Elemitech |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTN Mobile Money | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Airtel Money | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MTN MoMoPay | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not listed |
| USSD | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| Cards (Visa / Mastercard) | Yes | Yes (+Amex) | Yes (+Amex) | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Collections + payouts, one API | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | Bulk payouts | Yes |
| Cross-border / regional | Yes | Limited | 34+ Africa | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| High-risk acceptance | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Yes |
| Settlement | To bank or wallet | To bank or wallet | Daily / structured | Local or international | Local | Multi |
| Settlement currency | UGX (+ USD) | UGX, USD | UGX / USD / GBP | Multi-currency | Multi | Multi |
Not listed means not publicly stated, not confirmed unavailable. Fees are quote-gated by most providers.
Boldrails covers both mobile-money wallets plus MTN MoMoPay and USSD, and combines collections with bulk payouts on one integration, which most local providers split. We accept high-risk verticals and settle in Ugandan shillings as a licensed principal.
Pricing
How much does a payment gateway cost in Uganda?
Fees in Uganda depend on your volume, method mix and risk profile. As market context, a published Uganda payments guide and Google's live AI Overview both put processing in these ranges:
| Fee | Typical range (market) | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Card transaction (MDR) | about 4% to 5% per transaction | on each card payment |
| Mobile-money transaction | about 2.5% to 3.5% per transaction | on each wallet payment |
| Mobile-money withdrawal tax | 0.5% excise duty | on mobile-money withdrawals |
| Setup fee | varies; several providers charge nothing | one-time, at onboarding |
One cost that most gateway pages skip: the mobile money withdrawal tax. Uganda levies a 0.5% excise duty on mobile-money withdrawals, set by the Excise Duty (Amendment) Act 2018. It applies to every provider's payouts, so plan payout timing and batching around it. Setup fees vary widely, so treat setup as negotiable. Boldrails confirms your exact rate at onboarding, based on your volume and methods.
Regulation
Is a payment gateway regulated in Uganda?
Yes. The Bank of Uganda licenses and oversees payment providers under the National Payment Systems Act 2020 and its 2021 Regulations. No person may operate a payment system, offer a payment service or issue a payment instrument without a licence from the central bank. There are three licence categories: a payment gateway or aggregator operates under a Payment Systems Operator licence; issuing e-money, the wallets themselves, needs a Payment Service Provider licence; and cards or instruments need a Payment Instrument Issuer licence.
Boldrails operates within that framework as a licensed principal. We hold the necessary licences required in the markets we serve, and we safeguard merchant funds accordingly. Card acceptance meets PCI DSS, and we run KYC and KYB checks at onboarding using your certificate of incorporation, TIN, director NIN and settlement bank account. Requirements depend on your business, but you will typically need a registered company and a local settlement account, which we help you line up. Ugandan shillings are the only legal tender, so we settle in shillings.
Start accepting payments in Uganda
Tell us about your business and we'll set up collections, settlement and payouts on one integration. Onboarding takes 3 to 14 days, depending on your case.
FAQ
Uganda payments: common questions
Last updated: July 2026