Multi-split Payments

Multi-split enables merchants to split the settlement for a transaction across their payout account, and one or more subaccounts.

You can implement multi-split by:

Merchants will be able to create and manage their transaction splits using the Transaction Splits^API endpoints and their Paystack Dashboard.

Creating a transaction split

Transaction split depends on subaccounts to work its magic. If you already have subaccounts, you can proceed. Otherwise, you'll need to create a subaccount first.

You can create a transaction split by sending a request to the Create Split^API endpoint with the following information:

The type of split (flat or percentage)
An array of subaccounts and their respective shares

Show Response

1curl https://api.paystack.co/split
2-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY"
3-H "Content-Type: application/json"
4-d '{ "name":"Percentage Split", 
5      "type":"percentage", 
6      "currency": "NGN",
7      "subaccounts":[{
8        "subaccount": "ACCT_z3x6z3nbo14xsil",
9        "share": 20
10    },
11    {
12        "subaccount": "ACCT_pwwualwty4nhq9d",
13        "share": 30
14    }], 
15      "bearer_type":"subaccount", 
16      "bearer_subaccount":"ACCT_hdl8abxl8drhrl3"
17    }'
18-X POST

1{
2  "status": true,
3  "message": "Split created",
4  "data": {
5    "id": 142,
6    "name": "Test Doc",
7    "type": "percentage",
8    "currency": "NGN",
9    "integration": 428626,
10    "domain": "test",
11    "split_code": "SPL_e7jnRLtzla",
12    "active": true,
13    "bearer_type": "subaccount",
14    "bearer_subaccount": 40809,
15    "createdAt": "2020-06-30T11:42:29.150Z",
16    "updatedAt": "2020-06-30T11:42:29.150Z",
17    "subaccounts": [
18      {
19        "subaccount": {
20          "id": 40809,
21          "subaccount_code": "ACCT_z3x6z3nbo14xsil",
22          "business_name": "Business Name",
23          "description": "Business Description",
24          "primary_contact_name": null,
25          "primary_contact_email": null,
26          "primary_contact_phone": null,
27          "metadata": null,
28          "percentage_charge": 20,
29          "settlement_bank": "Business Bank",
30          "account_number": "1234567890"
31        },
32        "share": 20
33      },
34      {
35        "subaccount": {
36          "id": 40809,
37          "subaccount_code": "ACCT_pwwualwty4nhq9d",
38          "business_name": "Business Name",
39          "description": "Business Description",
40          "primary_contact_name": null,
41          "primary_contact_email": null,
42          "primary_contact_phone": null,
43          "metadata": null,
44          "percentage_charge": 20,
45          "settlement_bank": "Business Bank",
46          "account_number": "0123456789"
47        },
48        "share": 30
49      }
50    ],
51    "total_subaccounts": 2
52  }
53}

We don't accept decimal figures for subaccounts shares if the split type is percentage
The sum of the percentage splits should not be more than 100%
Share amounts for flat splits are fractional monetary units (kobo, cents, pesewas, etc)
The sum of the flat splits should not be more than the transaction amount

Through the APIs, you can add, remove, and update the subaccounts in a Split, as well as change the active state of a Split.

You can't change the type of a split. Instead, you can deactivate the Split and create a new Split with a different split type.

Using transaction splits with payments

After creating a transaction split, you can make use of it when:

Initializing a transaction

You can initialize a transaction with a Transaction Split by adding a split_code to the payload you send to the Transaction Initialize^API endpoint.

Show Response

1curl https://api.paystack.co/transaction/initialize
2-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY"
3-H "Content-Type: application/json"
4-d '{ "email": "customer@email.com", "amount": "20000", 
5      "split_code": "SPL_98WF13Eekw" }'
6-X POST

1{
2  "status": true,
3  "message": "Authorization URL created",
4  "data": {
5    "authorization_url": "https://checkout.paystack.com/nkdks46nymizns7",
6    "access_code": "nkdks46nymizns7",
7    "reference": "nms6uvr1pl"
8  }
9}

Charging an authorization

To charge an authorization with a Transaction Split, add a split_code to the payload you send to the Charge Authorization^API endpoint.

Show Response

1curl https://api.paystack.co/transaction/charge_authorization
2-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY"
3-H "Content-Type: application/json"
4-d '{ "authorization_code" : "AUTH_12abc345de", "email": "mail@mail.com", 
5      "amount": "300000", "split_code": "SPL_UO2vBzEqHW" }'
6-X POST

1{
2  "status": true,
3  "message": "Charge attempted",
4  "data": {
5    "amount": 300000,
6    "currency": "NGN",
7    "transaction_date": "2020-05-27T11:45:03.000Z",
8    "status": "success",
9    "reference": "cn65lf4ixmkzvda",
10    "domain": "test",
11    "metadata": "",
12    "gateway_response": "Approved",
13    "message": null,
14    "channel": "card",
15    "ip_address": null,
16    "log": null,
17    "fees": 14500,
18    "authorization": {
19      "authorization_code": "AUTH_12abc345de",
20      "bin": "408408",
21      "last4": "4081",
22      "exp_month": "12",
23      "exp_year": "2020",
24      "channel": "card",
25      "card_type": "visa DEBIT",
26      "bank": "Test Bank",
27      "country_code": "NG",
28      "brand": "visa",
29      "reusable": true,
30      "signature": "SIG_2Gvc6pNuzJmj4TCchXfp",
31      "account_name": null
32    },
33    "customer": {
34      "id": 23215815,
35      "first_name": null,
36      "last_name": null,
37      "email": "mail@mail.com",
38      "customer_code": "CUS_wt0zmhzb0xqd4nr",
39      "phone": null,
40      "metadata": null,
41      "risk_action": "default"
42    },
43    "plan": null,
44    "id": 696105928
45  }
46}

Dynamic Splits

Sometimes, you can't determine a split configuration until later in the purchase flow. With dynamic splits, you can create split on the fly. This can be achieved by passing a split object to the Transaction Initialize^API endpoint or to popup. The split object can take the following properties:

Param	Required?	Description
type	Yes	Value can be `flat` or `percentage`
bearer_type	Yes	Value can be `all`, `all-proportional`, `account` or `subaccount`
subaccounts	Yes	An array of subaccount object. e.g. `{ "subaccount": 'ACCT_', "share": 60` }
bearer_subaccount	No	Subaccount code of the bearer. It should be specified if `bearer_type` is `subaccount`
reference	No	Unique reference of the split

Show Response

1curl https://api.paystack.co/transaction/initialize
2-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY"
3-H "Content-Type: application/json"
4-d '{ "email": "customer@email.com", 
5      "amount": "20000", 
6      "split": {
7        "type": "flat",
8        "bearer_type": "account",
9        "subaccounts": [
10          {
11            "subaccount": "ACCT_pwwualwty4nhq9d",
12            "share": 6000
13          },
14          {
15            "subaccount": "ACCT_hdl8abxl8drhrl3",
16            "share": 4000
17          },
18        ]
19      } 
20}'
21-X POST

1{
2  "status": true,
3  "message": "Authorization URL created",
4  "data": {
5    "authorization_url": "https://checkout.paystack.com/nkdks46nymizns7",
6    "access_code": "nkdks46nymizns7",
7    "reference": "nms6uvr1pl"
8  }
9}

Webhooks

For successful transactions, we'll populate a split parameter in the charge.success webhook with information on the Split:

JSON

1{
2  "event": "charge.success",
3  "data": {
4    "id": 697123356,
5    "domain": "live",
6    "status": "success",
7    "reference": "12k81tq3my",
8    "amount": 10000,
9    "message": null,
10    "gateway_response": "Approved",
11    "paid_at": "2020-05-28T13:54:57.000Z",
12    ...
13    "split": {
14      "id": 10,
15      "name": "Example Split",
16      "split_code": "SPL_98WF13Eekw",
17      "formula": {
18        "type": "percentage",
19        "subaccounts": [
20            {
21              "share": 20,
22              "subaccount_code": "ACCT_zpu16k4uhxycmxu",
23              "id": 12850,
24              "name": "Ayobami UBA"
25            }
26        ],
27        "integration": 80
28      },
29      "shares": {
30        "paystack": 140,
31        "subaccounts": [
32          {
33            "amount": 2000,
34            "subaccount_code": "ACCT_zpu16k4uhxycmxu",
35            "id": 12850
36          }
37        ],
38        "integration": 7860
39      }
40    },
41    ...
42  }
43}

Fees on Multi-split

By default, the main account bears the Paystack transaction fees. However, you can change this by setting the bearer_type to either account, all or subaccount.

Bearer Type	Description
all	Fees will be shared equally by the main account and all subaccounts.
all-proportional	Fees will be charged according to the share of the main account and subaccounts.
account	Fees will be charged to the main account only.
subaccount	Only the subaccount set in the `bearer_subaccount` will be charged

A required parameter when the bearer_type is set to subaccount. The value of bearer_subaccount must be a subaccount code that's in the split group.

Multi-split Payments

In a nutshell

Creating a transaction split

Before you begin

Warning

Updating a Split

Using transaction splits with payments

Initializing a transaction

Charging an authorization

Dynamic Splits

Webhooks

Fees on Multi-split

Bearer Subaccount