Online Transactions Are Failing Nigerian Businesses. This App Is Fixing the Parts Nobody Talks About
Esther Kenneth4 min read·Just now--
The internet has gradually become a scary place to conduct business.
A client once asked me, “How do I know you're legit?” My default response in clearing such doubts is directing the client to testimonials from previous customers, but that didn’t cut it for this client. They followed up with, “I've been scammed online before, and the page looked legit, with all the testimonials and reviews.” While I was concerned with proving my authenticity, I couldn’t help but empathize with them.
It isn’t only money you lose when you’re defrauded, you lose trust in online businesses, and even in your own sense of judgement.
And it isn’t only consumers who fall victim to online scams. I’ve witnessed cases of professionals handing over deliverables, only for the client to disappear—no pay, no further contact.
So how do legitimate businesses re-establish trust with genuine customers and vice versa?
This is where the concept of “escrow” becomes not just relevant, but necessary.
I encountered this concept more tangibly last month at the launch of Payinto, an event I’d describe less as just an app launch and more as the unveiling of a solution to problems many Nigerians have been living with. At the heart of it was a feature that directly addressed this trust gap: escrow.
At its core, escrow introduces a middle ground, one where neither party has to rely solely on trust. Instead of payments moving directly from buyer to seller, funds are held securely within the platform until both sides fulfill their part of the agreement.
In practice, this means a buyer can make payment without the fear of being ghosted, while the seller can confidently deliver, knowing that the funds are already secured. It shifts the dynamic entirely from “who should trust first?” to “how can both parties be protected?” No one has to take on all the risk.
While the escrow feature is easily the standout for me, Payinto solves several other problems that Nigerian professionals and everyday users know all too well.
Fraud isn't the only way money slips through the cracks. Somewhere between delivering good work and actually getting paid, many professionals lose money they were never going to recover, not to scammers, but to vagueness.
For freelancers and small business owners especially, chasing payments without a proper invoice is one of the fastest ways to lose money you’ve already earned. Informal arrangements like "just send your account number" might feel convenient in the moment, but they leave you with no documentation, no clarity, and no recourse when a client decides to play games. Payinto’s built-in invoice generator changes that.
You can create and send professional invoices directly from the app, building a paper trail that protects you and signals professionalism to clients, which makes it harder to be ignored or underpaid.
Beyond invoicing, the app also protects your money from something far more routine but equally frustrating: unnecessary charges. Payinto allows users to receive money without incurring inflow fees, regardless of the amount. In simpler terms, you no longer have to deal with that familiar ₦50 deduction on incoming transfers of ₦10,000 and above. It also reduces transfer charges to other banks, while transactions between Payinto users remain 100% free.
And when your money needs saving from you, the app delivers on that front as well. Its Cashflow Monitor and Expense Tracker help you track where your money goes, down to the last naira, much like a personal accountant in your back pocket.
With the added ability to set spending limits, it doesn’t just track your habits; it helps you build better ones.
As digital transactions become an even bigger part of everyday life, the expectations have also changed. It’s no longer enough for platforms to simply move money, they have to protect it, legitimize it, optimize it, and help users manage it better. Payinto is designed to do all of that, seamlessly.
And while I could go on about what the app offers, I’d rather you experience it for yourself. The app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store—click here to download.
When you do try it, I’d love to hear what you think.
