OPay is a popular mobile-money service in Nigeria, operated by OPay Digital Services Limited, which appears on the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) mobile-money-operator licence list. If you have family, friends or a supplier in Nigeria, you can use Coinepay Global Remittance to send a cross-border transfer that lands in their OPay wallet. This guide walks through what you need from the recipient, how the transfer works, and what to do if something looks wrong.
Where OPay is used and what currency to expect
OPay operates in Nigeria, so payouts are made in Nigerian naira (NGN). When you send with Coinepay from another country, you fund the transfer in your own currency and the recipient receives naira in their OPay wallet. The exchange rate and any fees for the conversion are shown clearly in the Coinepay app before you confirm, so you always see the amount involved before committing.
Coinepay can send to every country and region except those under comprehensive sanctions, and all transfers are subject to identity verification, sanctions screening and local regulations. Services related to virtual assets are not available to residents of mainland China, and some services are not available in every jurisdiction.
What you need from the recipient
OPay documents transfers by phone number and transfers by account number separately, so it matters which identifier you collect. Ask your recipient for:
- The phone number registered to their OPay wallet, or their OPay account number — confirm which one the Coinepay payout flow asks for.
- Their full name exactly as it is registered on OPay. The name must match their verified identity; a mismatch can hold up or reject the transfer.
Do not assume an OPay phone number and account number are interchangeable — OPay treats them as distinct identifiers. Ask your recipient to open their OPay app and read the details back to you so you enter them exactly. If Coinepay shows a confirmation name after you type the identifier, check it against the name your recipient gave you before you continue.
About OPay verification levels and wallet limits
Nigerian mobile-money wallets are tiered. Under CBN rules, an individual Tier 1 wallet must have an electronically validated BVN or NIN, and Tiers 2 and 3 require both BVN and NIN; Tier 1 wallets without the required identifier were set to be blocked from transactions from March 1, 2024. Higher tiers generally allow larger balances and larger cumulative transactions than lower tiers.
Because the exact ceiling displayed for any individual OPay customer depends on their tier and OPay's current settings, ask your recipient to confirm in their own app that their wallet can receive the amount you plan to send. If their wallet is only lightly verified, an incoming transfer may be held or bounced until they complete the next verification level with OPay. Coinepay does not set OPay's wallet limits.
Step by step: send to OPay with Coinepay
- Register and complete KYC. Create your account with Coinepay and finish identity verification. You must use your real identity and real details. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Start a remittance. In the Coinepay app, open Global Remittance and choose Nigeria as the destination.
- Choose the OPay / mobile-wallet payout method. Coinepay supports bank deposit, mobile wallets and cash pickup; select the mobile-wallet option for OPay.
- Enter the recipient's details. Type the registered OPay phone number or account number exactly, and the recipient's full name as registered. Double-check every digit of the number.
- Enter the amount and review the quote. Coinepay shows the exchange rate and fees before you confirm. Review the naira amount your recipient will receive.
- Confirm and authorise. If the details and quote are correct, confirm the transfer and authorise it with your Coinepay security credential.
- Track the status. Every transfer has status tracking in the app. Watch it move from submitted to paid out, and share the reference with your recipient if they want to follow along.
You may be asked for additional information during a transfer — for example, the purpose of the payment or the source of funds. This is part of normal compliance and sanctions screening. Providing it promptly helps your transfer clear.
How the recipient sees the money arrive
When the payout completes, the funds appear in your recipient's OPay wallet balance in naira. OPay notes that a notification alert can sometimes arrive later than the money itself, so it advises checking the OPay balance rather than treating a missing alert as proof of non-receipt. If your recipient does not see the balance update, ask them to refresh the app and check their transaction history before raising a problem.
Troubleshooting
Wrong phone number or account number
Always verify the identifier and the displayed recipient name before you confirm — this is your main protection. OPay's own FAQ notes that for a mistaken transfer to a wrong account number it advises contacting that recipient directly and states that OPay is not responsible for recovering the money; whether the same process applies to a wrong phone-number wallet transfer is not something we can confirm. If you spot a mistake on a Coinepay transfer that has not yet paid out, contact Coinepay support immediately with your reference.
Name mismatch
If the name you entered does not match the name registered on the OPay wallet, the transfer may be delayed or rejected. Ask your recipient to confirm their exact registered name in the OPay app and re-enter it precisely.
Wallet limit reached
If your recipient's wallet cannot accept the incoming amount because of a tier limit, the payout can fail. Ask them to check their wallet tier and balance ceiling in OPay, and consider whether they need to upgrade their verification level before you try again.
Unverified or restricted wallet
A wallet missing the required BVN or NIN validation may be blocked from transactions. Your recipient should complete OPay's verification steps directly in their app before you resend.
Compliance review
Transfers can be paused for identity verification or sanctions screening. If Coinepay requests documents such as the purpose or source of funds, respond through the app. Coinepay does not serve sanctioned persons or residents of jurisdictions under comprehensive sanctions, and all counterparties are screened.
Debited but not received
Network conditions can delay when a transfer appears. First confirm the Coinepay status in your app and ask your recipient to check their OPay balance. If the Coinepay transfer shows as paid but the recipient still cannot see it, contact Coinepay support with your reference; your recipient can also open the transaction in OPay and use its "Chat with OPay Support" option to send OPay the details.
Stay safe
Never share your PIN, login, token or card details with anyone who claims to be helping with a transfer — OPay states its staff do not ask for them, and neither does Coinepay. If your recipient's phone is lost or stolen, OPay publishes the account-block code *955*131#. For help with your Coinepay remittance, reach the team through the support centre or Telegram, available 24/7.
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FAQ
What details do I need to send money to an OPay wallet?
You need the recipient's OPay-registered phone number or account number and their full name exactly as registered on OPay. Confirm which identifier the Coinepay payout flow requests, and verify the displayed recipient name before confirming.
Which currency does my OPay recipient receive?
OPay operates in Nigeria, so your recipient receives Nigerian naira (NGN) in their OPay wallet. You fund the transfer in your own currency, and Coinepay shows the exchange rate and fees before you confirm.
What if the recipient's name does not match their OPay wallet?
A name mismatch can delay or reject the payout. Ask your recipient to read their exact registered name from the OPay app and re-enter it precisely, then resend.
My money was sent but the recipient sees no alert. What should I do?
Alerts can arrive later than the money, so OPay advises checking the OPay balance rather than relying on the alert. Confirm the status in your Coinepay app; if it shows paid but the balance still hasn't updated, contact Coinepay support with your reference.
Can the recipient's wallet limit stop my transfer?
Yes. OPay wallets are tiered and a lower-verified wallet may not accept larger incoming amounts. Ask your recipient to check their tier and complete any needed verification in the OPay app before you send.
