Payment Gateways Overview (Democratic Republic of Congo)
This guide explains how online fee collection works in Digitex SMS and which payment gateway to choose for schools in the DRC.
Why online payments?
Parents can pay school fees without visiting the office:
- Instant payment via Mobile Money (Orange, Airtel, M-Pesa/Vodacom)
- Manual proof upload if they already paid at an agent or bank
- Shareable invoice link — send by WhatsApp or SMS
Supported gateways (DRC)
| Gateway | Best for | Mobile operators (DRC) | Currencies |
|---|---|---|---|
| PawaPay (recommended) | Direct API — payment prompt on parent's phone | Orange, Airtel, Vodacom M-Pesa | CDF, USD |
| CinetPay | Redirect checkout page (very popular in Francophone Africa) | Orange CD, M-Pesa CD, Airtel CD | CDF, USD |
| Flutterwave | Pan-African platform + cards | DRC mobile money, cards | CDF, USD |
You enable one gateway at a time per school in Finance → Payment Methods.
How the flow works
Option A — Pay instantly (gateway)
- Parent opens invoice pay link (
/pay/...) - Chooses Pay instantly
- Enters phone number and amount
- PawaPay: PIN prompt on phone
CinetPay / Flutterwave: Redirect to secure checkout
- Gateway confirms payment → invoice marked Paid automatically
Option B — Upload proof (manual)
- Parent pays at Mobile Money agent or bank outside the system
- Opens pay link → Upload proof
- Enters date/time, transaction ID, uploads receipt photo
- Status: Pending until accountant approves
- Accountant approves → invoice updated → parent notified
What you must configure (admin checklist)
- Payment Methods — Enable Orange Money, Airtel, bank transfer, etc.
- Gateway provider — Choose PawaPay, CinetPay, or Flutterwave
- API credentials — From gateway dashboard (see dedicated guides)
- Webhooks — Copy URLs from Payment Methods page into gateway dashboard
- Online payments — Toggle ON
- Manual proof — Toggle ON (recommended as backup)
Menu path: Finance → Fees & Collection → Payment Methods
Webhook URLs (copy from your school)
After saving Payment Methods, your system shows three webhook URLs. Register them in your gateway dashboard:
https://YOUR-DOMAIN.com/webhooks/payments/pawapay
https://YOUR-DOMAIN.com/webhooks/payments/cinetpay
https://YOUR-DOMAIN.com/webhooks/payments/flutterwaveReplace YOUR-DOMAIN.com with your live domain (e.g. e-digitex.com).
Why webhooks matter: When a parent completes payment on their phone, the gateway sends a secure notification to your server so the invoice is marked paid automatically — even if the parent closes the browser.
Sandbox vs Production
| Environment | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Sandbox | Testing with fake money — use during setup |
| Production | Real payments — switch only when API keys are live |
Always test in Sandbox first, then change environment to Production in Payment Methods settings.
Related guides
- Configure payment methods
- PawaPay setup
- CinetPay setup
- Flutterwave setup
- Online payment links
- Review payment proofs
Common questions
Q: Can I use more than one gateway?
A: Only one active provider per school at a time. You can switch in Payment Methods settings.
Q: What if the gateway is down?
A: Keep Manual proof upload enabled so parents can still submit receipts.
Q: Who pays gateway fees?
A: Transaction fees are defined by PawaPay/CinetPay/Flutterwave — check their pricing pages.
Q: Do parents need an account?
A: No. Pay links are public. Parents only need invoice number + admission number for lookup.