PayOnlime
PayOnlime is a UK FCA-authorised fintech operating a mobile wallet and remittance platform that enables diaspora communities to send money across 11 corridors and pay bills in Sierra Leone. It serves diaspora senders, domestic users, SMB merchants, and government bill payers via iOS, Android, and web.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What PayOnlime does
PayOnlime is a UK-headquartered fintech operating a mobile-first digital payments and remittance platform under FCA Authorisation (FRN 540518) and HMRC Money Services Business registration. Its core offering is the PayOnlime Wallet, accessible via iOS and Android apps and a web-based remittance portal, which supports inbound and outbound international transfers to bank accounts, mobile money wallets (Orange Money and Afrimoney in Sierra Leone), and cash pickup across eleven outbound corridors from the UK plus domestic Sierra Leone activity. The platform is built on proprietary RemitOne compliance and transaction-monitoring software that automatically reflects FCA and HMRC regulatory changes into its AML filters. Product surface extends beyond remittance to QR-code merchant scan-and-pay, utility and government bill payment (EDSA, SLRSA, university fees, national ID, passports, birth/death certificates), and an upcoming Virtual Card funded by the wallet for online payments.
The business model is transaction-based: PayOnlime earns fees on outbound transfers (variable by corridor, method, and amount) and FX spreads on cross-currency payouts, supplemented by credit-card convenience fees in certain jurisdictions. Wallet-to-wallet transfers between PayOnlime users are free, supporting network-style acquisition. Go-to-market is product-led and community-led, relying on app-store distribution, customer testimonials, country-specific subdomains, and diaspora community networks across UK-based Turkish, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Sierra Leonean, Ivorian, Senegalese, Gambian, Guinean, Liberian, Bulgarian, and Northern Cypriot populations.
PayOnlime serves four primary customer segments: diaspora and immigrant communities sending remittances to Africa and other regions (primary), domestic Sierra Leone users paying bills and conducting P2P transfers, SMB merchants accepting QR-code payments, and government/utility bill payers. The group includes a UK entity (PayOnlime Limited, formerly Aktive UK Limited, operating since 2005) and a Sierra Leone regional entity (Payonlime Africa Ltd). Operations are supported by a physical cash-deposit shop in Stoke Newington, London, and a local-language call centre in Freetown. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, management team, or revenue figures.
PayOnlime firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PayOnlime
- Legal name
- PayOnlime Limited
- Website
- https://payonlime.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PayOnlime is a UK FCA-authorised fintech operating a mobile wallet and remittance platform that enables diaspora communities to send money across 11 corridors and pay bills in Sierra Leone. It serves diaspora senders, domestic users, SMB merchants, and government bill payers via iOS, Android, and web.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PayOnlime industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Remittances
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Bill Pay & Cross-Border Airtime/Top-Up (FSAGAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB), Payouts, Disbursements & Mass Payments Infrastructure (FSAGABAN), Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms (BPAMAFAF)
Keywords
Where PayOnlime is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
PayOnlime business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Transaction Fees: PayOnlime charges fees on money transfers that vary depending on transaction type, payment method, amount, destination country, and receiving currency. Fees apply to transfers to mobile money wallets, bank accounts, and cash pickups. Wallet-to-wallet transfers are free.
- Foreign Exchange Spread: When a sender pays in one currency and the payout is in another, PayOnlime earns a margin on the foreign exchange conversion. The exchange rate provided to customers includes a currency conversion spread. The company guarantees the payout amount in local currency, with the FX margin covering this risk.
- Credit Card Convenience Fee: PayOnlime may apply a convenience fee for processing credit card transactions in certain jurisdictions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Free wallet-to-wallet transfers between PayOnlime users |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Variable-fee international transfers (mobile money, bank account, cash pickup) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
PayOnlime product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PayOnlime operates a digital payments and remittance platform accessible via iOS/Android mobile app and web portal, enabling users to send money internationally across UK-Africa corridors and conduct domestic digital payments in Sierra Leone. The platform integrates with multiple mobile money networks (Orange Money, Afrimoney) and supports wallet-to-wallet transfers, mobile money payouts, bank account transfers, cash pickups, QR code merchant payments, and utility/government bill payments.
Product overview
PayOnlime is a digital payments and remittance platform offering a unified ecosystem centered on the PayOnlime Wallet. The core offering consists of the PayOnlime App (iOS/Android) and PayOnlime Online Remittance Portal for conducting international money transfers and domestic transactions. The platform provides multi-currency wallet functionality with instant international transfers, bill payment services (electricity, university fees, government services), and a Virtual Card (coming soon) for online payments. Additional modules include Merchant Payment Solutions via QR code/POS scanning for retail transactions. The International Money Transfer service enables remittances to multiple African countries and other destinations. The ecosystem integrates with mobile money platforms (Orange Money, Afrimoney) and supports transfers via bank accounts, mobile money wallets, and cash pickup.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PayOnlime Mobile App
Quantifiable outcome
- Instant international wallet-to-wallet transfers to mobile money agents across Sierra Leone
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use PayOnlime
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PayOnlime technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
PayOnlime partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.
- FCA (Financial Conduct Authority)corePayOnlime Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the Payment Service Regulations 2009 (FRN 540518) and was granted payment services authorisation from 1 November 2009. FCA registration is a core regulatory requirement enabling PayOnlime to operate legally as a payment services provider in the UK.
- HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs)corePayOnlime is a Money Services Business regulated by HMRC and registered for Anti-Money Laundering Supervision (MLR registration number: XLML00000191121). HMRC AML supervision is required for all money service businesses operating in the UK.
- National Crimes Agency (NCA)corePayOnlime reports to the National Crimes Agency (NCA) when appropriate in line with its AML obligations. The NCA is the UK agency responsible for tackling serious and organised crime.
- RemitOnecoreRemitOne is PayOnlime's proprietary compliance and monitoring software programme used to track all payments in accordance with FCA and HMRC AML procedures. The software has built-in Money Laundering filters and automatically reflects regulatory changes.
- Orange Money (Sierra Leone)keyPayOnlime integrates with Orange Money mobile money platform in Sierra Leone, enabling users to send to Orange Money wallets. Testimonials confirm seamless transfers to Orange Money recipients.
- Afrimoney (Sierra Leone)keyPayOnlime integrates with Afrimoney mobile money platform in Sierra Leone, allowing users to send to Afrimoney wallets. Users can send to both Orange Money and Afrimoney from the same PayOnlime wallet.
- PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)coreCredit and debit card details are fully protected by PCI DSS certification, indicating compliance with international payment card security standards. PCI DSS is a certification granted following assessment of data security practices.
- Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS)minorCustomers who are not satisfied with PayOnlime's complaint resolution may refer their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, Harbour Exchange Square, London E14 9SR.
- Local Banks and Financial InstitutionskeyPayOnlime partners with local banks and financial institutions to safeguard customer funds, process transactions, and facilitate payouts in destination countries. All funds are held by respected leading banks and financial institutions.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PayOnlime competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Paystack: Nigerian payments gateway acquired by Stripe, focused on merchant and bill payment rather than remittance. Regionally comparable as an African digital payments platform, though not a direct remittance competitor.
Emerging players
- Chipper Cash: Pan-African mobile money and cross-border payments app with US/UK-to-Africa corridors. Adjacent competitor for diaspora remittance plus intra-Africa payments.
Broad incumbents
- Onafriq (formerly MFS Africa): Pan-African payments infrastructure network connecting mobile money operators across the continent. Provides the underlying mobile money interoperability rails that PayOnlime leverages.
Direct peers
- Mukuru: African remittance and digital wallet platform with strong presence in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and other African markets. Comparable mobile money interoperability focus to PayOnlime.
- LemFi: Diaspora-focused remittance platform serving immigrants from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and other African countries. Targets the same UK-based African diaspora segment as PayOnlime.
- WorldRemit (now part of Zepz, alongside Sendwave): Cross-border digital money transfer service with extensive Africa payout network including mobile money. Overlaps directly with PayOnlime on UK-to-Sierra Leone and other West African corridors.
- Wise (formerly TransferWise): Global cross-border money transfer platform with strong UK-to-Africa corridors. Directly competes with PayOnlime on UK-based diaspora remittance, but operates at vastly larger scale with broader corridor coverage.
- Taptap Send: Mobile-first remittance app focused on diaspora corridors to Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Competes for the same UK-based immigrant senders that PayOnlime targets.
- Remitly: US/UK-based digital remittance app targeting diaspora corridors to emerging markets including West Africa. Direct competitor for PayOnlime's UK-based immigrant user base, with much larger marketing spend.
- Mama Money: Africa-focused remittance operator with mobile money payout options and diaspora community-led GTM. Comparable niche positioning to PayOnlime in African corridors.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PayOnlime social profiles
Digital presencePayOnlime compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
PayOnlime financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PayOnlime leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PayOnlime funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PayOnlime M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PayOnlime
What does PayOnlime do?
PayOnlime operates a digital payments and remittance platform accessible via iOS/Android mobile app and web portal, enabling users to send money internationally across UK-Africa corridors and conduct domestic digital payments in Sierra Leone. The platform integrates with multiple mobile money networks (Orange Money, Afrimoney) and supports wallet-to-wallet transfers, mobile money payouts, bank account transfers, cash pickups, QR code merchant payments, and utility/government bill payments.
Is PayOnlime a public or private company?
PayOnlime is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was PayOnlime founded?
PayOnlime was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PayOnlime based?
PayOnlime is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does PayOnlime make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are foreign Exchange Spread and credit Card Convenience Fee.
Who are PayOnlime's main competitors?
Paystack is listed as a regional player. Chipper Cash is listed as an emerging player. Onafriq (formerly MFS Africa) is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Mukuru, LemFi, WorldRemit (now part of Zepz, alongside Sendwave), Wise (formerly TransferWise), Taptap Send, Remitly and Mama Money.
Does PayOnlime have an API?
No public API is recorded for PayOnlime.
What industry is PayOnlime in?
PayOnlime's product category is Digital Remittances. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAKAM, International Bill Pay & Cross-Border Airtime/Top-Up, with a secondary code of FSAGALAB, Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets). Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 6199.