OnePurze Taps Nigeria’s Cross-Border Payments Surge with USD Cards, Multi-Currency Transfers
A new Nigerian fintech startup is throwing its hat into the ring of one of Africa’s busiest financial battlegrounds. OnePurze, which launched earlier this year, is betting that growing demand for fast cross-border payments, dependable virtual dollar cards and easy access to foreign currencies will carve out a lasting space for it in a market already crowded with rivals.
The company says it built its platform for Nigerians and other Africans who need to send money abroad, receive international payments, settle foreign bills, and manage balances in different currencies, all from one place. That demand has been climbing fast. More Nigerians are now freelancing for clients overseas, working remote jobs paid in dollars, shopping on international sites and running businesses with customers outside the country. Yet many still struggle with failed transactions, unclear charges and long delays whenever money needs to cross a border.
OnePurze says it has already pulled in more than 750 customers organically since launch, without spending a kobo on advertising. That number may look small next to bigger fintech names, but it signals real appetite for tools that quietly solve everyday international payment headaches.
Founders Ologun Damilola and Bako David say the platform was designed to tackle the specific frustrations Nigerians face with cross-border payments: slow transfers, weak exchange rates, unreliable cards and limited foreign currency options. “One of the biggest problems people face is that making payments outside Nigeria can still be stressful. We want to make cross-border payments fast and seamless, with clear pricing and no hidden charges,” Damilola said.
That promise of transparency sits at the heart of OnePurze’s pitch. Its cross-border payments product, which went live in May, lets users send, receive and save money in multiple foreign currencies at what the company describes as low, clearly stated fees, aimed at everyone from small businesses paying overseas suppliers to freelancers collecting income from abroad.
Its standout offering, though, is the virtual USD card. Dollar cards have become near-essential for Nigerians paying for Netflix, iCloud, Meta ads, Google subscriptions and online shopping, but users often complain that one card works on some platforms and fails on others. OnePurze says its card is built to work across a wide spread of merchants, including PayPal, Amazon, Google, LinkedIn, Canva and Meta, cutting down on the need to juggle multiple fintech apps just to keep payments running smoothly.
The opportunity is real. Nigeria’s fintech sector has nailed local payments, but cross-border finance remains shaky for many users thanks to dollar shortages, shifting card policies, FX swings and tighter compliance demands. OnePurze is positioning itself for Africans who increasingly earn, spend and save across multiple currencies, including diaspora families sending money home and digital entrepreneurs running borderless businesses.
Still, the competition is steep, and OnePurze will need to prove its cards hold up consistently, its pricing stays competitive, and its support scales as more users sign on. Trust, compliance and liquidity will likely decide whether the startup turns early traction into long-term staying power in Nigeria’s fast-moving cross-border payments market.
