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USSD

Generate USSD string for offline payments.

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Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) payments provide a reliable, internet-free option for customers to complete transactions using their mobile devices. This is particularly useful for offline users.

Most Nigerian banks support USSD payments and allow customers to authenticate transactions using their PINs.

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Feature Availability

USSD payments are only available for NGN (Nigerian Naira) collections.

Requirements

Before you begin, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

  1. Read the introduction section of this documentation.
  2. Retrieve your API keys from the Flutterwave dashboard.

How USSD Payments Work

To initiate a USSD payment, a USSD code (string) is generated for the customer. The format and length of this code vary by bank.

The customer dials the code using the phone number linked to their bank account and enters their PIN to authorize the transaction. Once authorized, the bank debits the customer's account and Flutterwave sends a successful webhook to your server.


Payment Flow

Follow these steps to collect USSD payments from customers:

  1. Collect the customer's details and initiate the transaction. Ensure you include required fields such as amount, currency and transaction reference.
  2. Send the bank_code to generate the USSD string.
  3. Listen for webhooks to know when the customer has completed the payment.
  4. Verify the status, amount, customer_id and transaction_id before providing the value to the customer.

Steps to Collecting USSD Payments with Flutterwave

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Integration method

This guide follows the general integration flow. Please refer to the orchestrator flow for the alternative integration method.


Step 1: Create a Customer

Send a request to the create customer endpoint with relevant fields such as name, email, phone, and address.

While only the email field is required, we recommend collecting as much customer information as possible to support robust transaction records and future payments.

To retrieve existing customer details, use the retreive customer endpoint. This is useful when initiating payments for returning users.

curl --request POST \
--url 'https://api.flutterwave.cloud/developersandbox/customers' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer {{YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN}}' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'X-Trace-Id: {{YOUR_UNIQUE_TRACE_ID}}' \
--header 'X-Idempotency-Key: {{YOUR_UNIQUE_INDEMPOTENCY_KEY}}' \
--data '{
   "address":{
      "city":"Shirley",
      "country":"US",
      "line1":"175 E Parkview Dr",
      "line2":"",
      "postal_code":"11967",
      "state":"New York"
   },
   "name":{
      "first":"John",
      "middle":"Agba",
      "last":"Doe"
   },
   "phone":{
      "country_code":"1",
      "number":"6313958745"
   },
   "email":"[email protected]"
}'

You'll get a response similar to this:

{
    "status": "success",
    "message": "Customer created",
    "data": {
        "id": "cus_IpH7CKCUtD",
        "address": {
            "city": "Shirley",
            "country": "US",
            "line1": "175 E Parkview Dr",
            "postal_code": "11967",
            "state": "New York"
        },
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "name": {
            "first": "John",
            "middle": "Agba",
            "last": "Doe"
        },
        "phone": {
            "country_code": "1",
            "number": "6313958745"
        },
        "meta": {},
        "created_datetime": "2025-01-24T13:51:48.758121209Z"
    }
}

Step 2: Get the Account Bank Code

Retrieve the list of supported banks and display it to the customer for selection.

Use the get banks endpoint with the query parameter country=NG to fetch Nigerian bank codes. 

curl --request GET \
--url 'https://api.flutterwave.cloud/developersandbox/banks?country=NG' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer {{YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN}}' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'X-Trace-Id: {{YOUR_UNIQUE_TRACE_ID}}' \

You'll get a response similar to this:

{
  "status": "success",
  "message": "string",
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "bnk_cYjd92Qk",
      "code": "044",
      "name": "Access Bank"
    }
    ...
  ]
}

Step 3: Create a USSD Payment Method

Create a USSD payment method by sending a request to the create payment method endpoint. In your request:

  • Set the type to "ussd".
  • Include a ussd object with account_bank set to the bank_code obtained in Step 2 (Get the Account Bank Code).
curl --request POST \
--url 'https://api.flutterwave.cloud/developersandbox/payment-methods' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer {{YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN}}' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'X-Trace-Id: {{YOUR_UNIQUE_TRACE_ID}}' \
--header 'X-Idempotency-Key: {{YOUR_UNIQUE_INDEMPOTENCY_KEY}}' \
--data '{
  "type": "ussd",
  "ussd": {
    "account_bank": "044"
  }
}'

You'll get a response similar to this:

{
    "status": "success",
    "message": "Payment method created",
    "data": {
        "type": "ussd",
        "ussd": {
            "account_bank": "050"
        },
        "id": "pmd_ZAIDy7RYiL",
        "meta": {},
        "created_datetime": "2025-01-24T15:19:21.639115327Z"
    }
}

Step 4: Create the Charge

Initiate the USSD charge by sending a request to the create charge endpoint with the following parameters:

  • customer_id: The ID returned from Step 1 (customer creation).
  • payment_method_id: The ID returned from Step 2 (payment method creation).
  • Transaction details including: amount, currency, and a unique reference for the transaction.
curl --request POST \
--url 'https://api.flutterwave.cloud/developersandbox/charges' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer {{YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN}}' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'X-Trace-Id: {{YOUR_UNIQUE_TRACE_ID}}' \
--header 'X-Idempotency-Key: {{YOUR_UNIQUE_INDEMPOTENCY_KEY}}' \
--data '{
    "reference": "185878aa-5647-47b6-b4d5-2f34bf596814",
    "currency": "NGN",
    "customer_id": "cus_IpH7CKCUtD",
    "payment_method_id": "pmd_ZAIDy7RYiL",
    "redirect_url": "https://google.com",
    "amount": 250,
    "meta": {
        "order_id": "WOO_534643534_53453",
        "product_desc": "Hand Bag"
    }
}'

You'll get a response similar to this:

{
    "status": "success",
    "message": "Charge created",
    "data": {
        "id": "chg_fDxiSR16UF",
        "amount": 250,
        "fees": [
            {
                "type": "vat",
                "amount": 0
            },
            {
                "type": "app",
                "amount": 0
            },
            {
                "type": "merchant",
                "amount": 0
            },
            {
                "type": "stamp_duty",
                "amount": 0
            }
        ],
        "currency": "NGN",
        "customer_id": "cus_IpH7CKCUtD",
        "settled": false,
        "settlement_id": [],
        "meta": {
            "order_id": "WOO_534643534_53453",
            "product_desc": "Hand Bag"
        },
        "next_action": {
            "type": "payment_instruction",
            "payment_instruction": {
                "note": "Please dial *1414# to complete this transaction"
            }
        },
        "payment_method_details": {
            "type": "ussd",
            "ussd": {
                "account_bank": "044"
            },
            "id": "pmd_ZAIDy7RYiL",
            "customer_id": "cus_IpH7CKCUtD",
            "meta": {},
            "created_datetime": "2025-01-24T11:34:29.674Z"
        },
        "redirect_url": "https://google.com",
        "reference": "185878aa-5647-47b6-b4d5-2f34bf596814",
        "status": "pending",
        "processor_response": {
            "type": "pending",
            "code": "02"
        },
        "created_datetime": "2025-01-24T11:56:53.935554048Z"
    }
}

Step 5: Authorize the Payment

The response from the charge initiation contains the next_action object with a payment instruction. The instructions guide the customer on how to authorise and complete their payment.

"next_action": {
      "type": "payment_instruction",
      "payment_instruction": {
         "note": "Please dial *1414# to complete this transaction"
       }
 }

For USSD payments, the customer gets a prompt to enter the PIN after dialling the USSD string on their mobile.

Flutterwave will then send a webhook notification with the final transaction status once the payment is completed and funds are received.


Step 6: Verify the Payment

Before you provide value to the customer, confirm the transaction's final status and amount. You can verify the transaction information either using webhooks or by retrieving the charge details:

  • Webhooks: It is important to have webhooks enabled on your Flutterwave dashboard. If you have webhooks enabled, we'll call your webhook URL with the payment details when the transaction is completed or fails. Below is a sample webhook payload:
{
  "webhook_id": "wbk_RBHC8wDvzKn1OrFCoZVU",
  "timestamp": 1737719972231,
  "type": "charge.completed",
  "data": {
    "id": "chg_fDxiSR16UF",
    "amount": 250,
    "currency": "NGN",
    "customer": {
      "id": "cus_IpH7CKCUtD",
      "address": null,
      "email": "[email protected]",
      "name": John Agba Doe,
      "phone":+16313958745,
      "meta": {},
      "created_datetime": "2024-11-30T11:27:03.179Z"
    },
    "description": null,
    "meta": {
	"order_id": "WOO_534643534_53453",
       "product_desc": "Hand Bag"
    },
    "payment_method": {
      "type": "ussd",
      "ussd": {
        "account_bank": "044"
      },
      "id": "pmd_asxEDBpcgj",
      "customer_id": "cus_IpH7CKCUtD",
      "meta": {},
      "device_fingerprint": null,
      "client_ip": null,
      "created_datetime": "2025-01-24T11:59:27.080Z"
    },
    "redirect_url": null,
    "reference": "185878aa-5647-47b6-b4d5-2f34bf596814",
    "status": "succeeded",
    "processor_response": {
      "type": "approved",
      "code": "00"
    },
    "created_datetime": "2025-01-24T11:59:27.088511152Z"
  }
}

  • Retrieve the Charge: You can manually check the status of a charge by calling the retrieve a charge endpoint using the charge ID, which is returned in the data.id field of the response after successfully initiating a charge.
curl --request GET \
--url 'https://api.flutterwave.cloud/developersandbox/charges/id' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'X-Trace-Id: <YOUR_UNIQUE_TRACE_ID>' \
--header 'X-Idempotency-Key: <YOUR_UNIQUE_INDEMPOTENCY_KEY>' \

You'll get a response similar to this:

{
    "status": "success",
    "message": "Charge fetched",
    "data": {
        "id": "chg_fDxiSR16UF",
        "amount": 250,
        "fees": [
            {
                "type": "vat",
                "amount": 0
            },
            {
                "type": "app",
                "amount": 0
            },
            {
                "type": "merchant",
                "amount": 0
            },
            {
                "type": "stamp_duty",
                "amount": 0
            }
        ],
        "currency": "NGN",
        "customer_id": "cus_IpH7CKCUtD",
        "settled": false,
        "settlement_id": [],
        "meta": {
            "order_id": "WOO_534643534_53453",
            "product_desc": "Hand Bag"
        },
        "next_action": {
            "type": "payment_instruction",
            "payment_instruction": {
                "note": "Please dial *1414# to complete this transaction"
            }
        },
        "payment_method_details": {
            "type": "ussd",
            "ussd": {
                "account_bank": "044"
            },
            "id": "pmd_ZAIDy7RYiL",
            "customer_id": "cus_IpH7CKCUtD",
            "meta": {},
            "created_datetime": "2025-01-24T11:34:29.674Z"
        },
        "redirect_url": "https://google.com",
        "reference": "185878aa-5647-47b6-b4d5-2f34bf596814",
        "status": "pending",
        "processor_response": {
            "type": "pending",
            "code": "02"
        },
        "created_datetime": "2025-01-24T11:56:53.935Z"
    }
}

Testing your Integration

Testing your integration requires no extra configuration or special data. Initiate the USSD charge, and we'll return a response on how to complete the charge.


Next Steps

That’s it! You’ve completed your integration with USSD. It doesn't end there, there is more:

  • Learn about settlements of successful payments into your Flutterwave balance.
  • For cases where refunds are necessary, see the refunds guide for more information on how to process transaction refunds.

Updated about 24 hours ago