PAPSS: How to Send Money Across Africa in Local Currency (2026)
PAPSS is the AU / Afreximbank rail that lets you send in naira and receive in cedis directly — no US dollar, no correspondent bank. Settlement completes in under 120 seconds, but you transact through your own bank (app, branch, internet banking or USSD), not through any third-party app or this site.
This guide aggregates what each bank publishes separately (UBA, Zenith, Ecobank, CalBank), plus the practical limits and real-world friction the bank promos omit.
Which countries use PAPSS in 2026? (16 live)
Coverage has grown steadily since the January 2022 launch.
Detail pages live: Nigeria · Ghana · Kenya. More countries coming.
How PAPSS actually works
1. Instant payment (the part that affects you). You initiate the payment from your bank (app, branch, internet banking or USSD) in your local currency. Compliance, sanctions and AML checks run inside PAPSS. The recipient is credited in under 120 seconds in their local currency, irrevocably. No USD touch, no correspondent bank.
2. Pre-funding (behind the scenes). Participating banks pre-fund clearing accounts at their central bank. Direct Participants integrate with the national RTGS; Indirect Participants fund via a Direct Participant.
3. Net settlement (each day). Every business day at 11:00 UTC, Afreximbank performs net settlement between the national central banks. This is pure back-office — you never wait for 11:00 to see the credit; the recipient is credited instantly, and the central-bank settlement happens in parallel. ISO 20022 messaging throughout.
How do I send money with PAPSS?
You always transact via your OWN bank — mobile app, branch, internet banking, or USSD depending on the bank. There is no consumer PAPSS app, no website to transact on. Typical steps:
- Log into your app / internet banking, or visit a branch.
- Pick "International transfer" or "PAPSS" — wording varies by bank.
- Pick the destination country and bank; enter the recipient's account number.
- Enter the amount in your local currency. The bank shows the PAPSS exchange rate and the receive amount.
- Confirm with your PIN, OTP or token. The recipient is credited within 120 seconds.
PAPSS limits (and the bank-promo blind spot)
Individuals : up to ~USD 2,000-equivalent per month without documentation.
SMEs / corporates : up to ~USD 5,000-equivalent per month without documentation.
Above : full FX documentation required. In Nigeria, that's the CBN FX Manual; in Ghana, BoG. Requirements vary by sending country.
Corridor-specific friction : The Nigeria-to-Ghana corridor has a separate per-transaction cap of ~GHS 10,000, with proof of funds and stated purpose required. This is exactly the kind of real friction the bank promos omit — see our Nigeria → Ghana corridor page.
PAPSS fees vary by bank — typically described as "competitive" or "low" in bank communications. We do NOT publish an invented fee table. For exact cost, ask your bank or check their tariff schedule before transacting.
What payment types does PAPSS support?
PAPSS Instant Payment (PIP). The core service: direct account-to-account transfer, in local currency, in under 120 seconds.
Request to Pay (R2P). The recipient sends a payment request to the payer, who approves from their bank. Useful for cross-border commercial invoices.
Escrow. Escrow for commercial transactions — funds held until delivery / execution is confirmed.
Remittance. Personal remittance flows, optimised for intra-African diaspora corridors.
Proxy Addressing. Identify the recipient with a simple alias (phone, email) instead of a full account number + bank code.
Wider ecosystem: PAPSSCARD (card) and PACM (Pan-African Currency Marketplace) are companion products beyond the standard transfer service.