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Flutterwave, the Nigerian-founded payments infrastructure company, has partnered with US-based Caliza to offer its customers dedicated USD accounts connected to both domestic and international payment rails through a single integration.
Through the partnership, Flutterwave customers can now receive USD through ACH, Fedwire, RTP, SWIFT, and other local payment methods, hold balances in their own name, and move funds between currencies, including fiat and stablecoins such as USDC and USDT.
“Received USD funds can remain in individual customer accounts, move between accounts and currencies (stablecoins or fiat), or be consolidated for settlement and treasury management,” says Caliza.
Founded in 2021 by Ezra Kebrab, Caliza offers real-time payment solutions and USD account services for businesses worldwide. The US FinTech company is backed by VCs including Initialized, New Form, Better Tomorrow Ventures, Abstract Ventures, Valor Capital, Quona Capital, and many more.
Previously, accessing a USD account typically required African businesses to establish a US legal entity and navigate complex onboarding processes.
Caliza removes that barrier by providing the underlying account infrastructure directly, so businesses can hold and receive dollars without leaving the Flutterwave platform. The deal addresses a structural problem for businesses operating in African markets.
The integration also handles Flutterwave’s own internal treasury operations, covering everything from funding operating accounts to moving large USD and stablecoin positions across liquidity reserves and custody platforms.
According to the company, account activity, transfers, conversions, and payment statuses will be managed programmatically through APIs and a web platform, allowing Flutterwave to automate operations while maintaining full control over the customer experience.
“We wanted to give African businesses access to global payment infrastructure without passing that complexity on to them. Caliza allows us to combine a broad range of financial services, currencies, and payment rails within a single infrastructure layer while maintaining control over the customer experience,” said Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, CEO of Flutterwave.
This system can handle everything from small payments like remittances and payroll to large transactions over $1 million. As a result, Flutterwave can grow without complicating its payment processes or reducing profits.
Caliza provides the underlying infrastructure for accounts, payments, liquidity, and compliance, while Flutterwave remains the orchestration layer and continues to own the customer relationship.
“The partnership between Flutterwave and Caliza demonstrates how modern financial infrastructure can remove the barriers created by traditional payment systems and expand access to international commerce for African businesses. By bringing together multiple financial capabilities within a single platform, the solution makes cross-border transactions faster, more predictable, and more cost-effective, increasing operational efficiency and enabling new business opportunities,” says Caliza.
The announcement comes a few days after Flutterwave’s collaboration with Xara, the AI-powered banking assistant, to power the latter’s WhatsApp-based payment solution. Recently, the FinTech unicorn also secured backing from blockchain firm Ripple and Circle Ventures.
It’s also worth mentioning that Flutterwave obtained its Nigerian banking licence in April to enable more efficient financial services and settlement flows for consumers, businesses, and enterprises.
The Nigerian-founded FinTech also secured strategic backing from blockchain firm Ripple and Circle Ventures recently.
