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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions about AfriRoute APIs and services.

🚀 Getting Started​

How do I get started with AfriRoute?​

  1. Sign up for free account
  2. Verify your email
  3. Get your API key from the dashboard
  4. Make your first API call
  5. Review the Quick Start Guide

Do you offer a free trial?​

Yes! All new accounts get:

  • $10 free credit (no credit card required)
  • Full API access to all services
  • 14-day trial of Pro features
  • Unlimited test environment access

What programming languages do you support?​

We provide official SDKs for:

  • JavaScript/Node.js
  • Python
  • PHP
  • C#/.NET
  • Go

Plus REST API support for any language.

💳 Billing & Pricing​

How does pricing work?​

Pay-as-you-go model:

  • Only pay for what you use
  • No monthly minimums
  • Volume discounts available
  • Enterprise custom pricing

View detailed pricing →

When am I charged?​

  • Prepaid credits: Purchase credits upfront
  • Monthly billing: Enterprise plans only
  • Auto-recharge: Optional (avoid downtime)

What payment methods do you accept?​

  • Credit/Debit cards (Visa, Mastercard)
  • Mobile money (M-Pesa, Telebirr, etc.)
  • Bank transfer (Enterprise only)
  • PayPal

Can I get a refund?​

  • Unused credits: Yes, within 30 days
  • Usage-based charges: No refunds (already delivered)
  • Pro/Enterprise plans: Prorated refunds available

📱 SMS API​

Which countries can I send SMS to?​

54+ African countries including:

  • 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, 🇰🇪 Kenya, 🇳🇬 Nigeria
  • 🇿🇦 South Africa, 🇬🇭 Ghana, 🇹🇿 Tanzania
  • View full coverage →

What's a sender ID?​

The name/number that appears as the SMS sender. Examples:

  • Alphanumeric: "YourBrand", "BankAlert"
  • Numeric: "+251911234567"

Some countries require sender ID registration.

Why wasn't my SMS delivered?​

Common reasons:

  • ❌ Invalid phone number format (use E.164: +251911234567)
  • ❌ Number is not in service
  • ❌ Carrier blocked (spam filters)
  • ❌ Insufficient balance
  • ❌ DND (Do Not Disturb) enabled by recipient

Check delivery status via API or webhook.

How long does SMS delivery take?​

  • 95% delivered: Within 30 seconds
  • 99% delivered: Within 2 minutes
  • Bulk sends: May take 5-10 minutes

💬 WhatsApp API​

Do I need a WhatsApp Business Account?​

Yes. We'll help you:

  1. Create WhatsApp Business Account
  2. Get approved by Meta
  3. Verify your business
  4. Connect to our API

Typically takes 3-5 business days.

What's the 24-hour messaging window?​

WhatsApp rules:

  • First message: Must use pre-approved template
  • After user replies: Send any message type for 24 hours
  • Window expires: Must use template again

How much does WhatsApp cost?​

Per conversation pricing:

  • User-initiated: $0.02
  • Business-initiated: $0.05
  • Service messages: $0.01

View WhatsApp pricing →

📞 Voice API​

Can I receive inbound calls?​

Yes! Purchase phone numbers from:

  • 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
  • 🇰🇪 Kenya
  • 🇿🇦 South Africa
  • 🇳🇬 Nigeria

Configure webhooks to handle incoming calls.

Do you support IVR?​

Yes! Build interactive menus with:

  • Text-to-speech (40+ languages)
  • DTMF input (keypad)
  • Speech recognition
  • Call recording
  • Call transfer

View IVR tutorial →

What languages does TTS support?​

40+ languages including:

  • English (US, UK, AU, IN, NG)
  • French, Portuguese, Arabic
  • Swahili, Amharic, Hausa, Yoruba

View all languages →

💰 Payments API​

Which payment methods do you support?​

Mobile Money:

  • Ethiopia: Telebirr, CBE Birr
  • Kenya: M-Pesa, Airtel Money
  • Nigeria: Paystack, Flutterwave
  • Ghana: MTN Momo, Vodafone Cash

Cards: Visa, Mastercard (all countries)

Bank Transfer: Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya

How long do payments take?​

  • Mobile money: 10-60 seconds
  • Cards: 2-5 seconds
  • Bank transfer: 1-3 business days

Are payments secure?​

Yes! We're:

  • ✅ PCI DSS Level 1 certified
  • ✅ ISO 27001 compliant
  • ✅ SOC 2 Type II audited
  • ✅ All data encrypted (TLS 1.3, AES-256)

What are your transaction limits?​

Varies by provider:

  • M-Pesa (Kenya): 150,000 KES/transaction
  • Telebirr (Ethiopia): 50,000 ETB/transaction
  • Cards: No limits (subject to fraud checks)

🔧 Technical​

What's your API rate limit?​

PlanRate Limit
Free10 req/sec
Standard100 req/sec
Pro500 req/sec
EnterpriseCustom

Contact sales for higher limits.

Do you have a sandbox environment?​

Yes! Use test credentials to:

  • Test all APIs without charges
  • Simulate success/failure scenarios
  • Test webhooks
  • Debug integrations

View test credentials →

How do webhooks work?​

Webhooks notify your server of events:

  1. Configure webhook URL in dashboard
  2. We POST events to your URL (JSON)
  3. Your server responds with 200 OK
  4. Automatic retries (up to 10x over 24 hours)

View webhook guide →

What's your uptime SLA?​

PlanUptime
Standard99.5%
Pro99.9%
Enterprise99.95%

View full SLA →

🔐 Security & Compliance​

Is my data secure?​

Yes! Security measures:

  • ✅ TLS 1.3 encryption in transit
  • ✅ AES-256 encryption at rest
  • ✅ Regular security audits
  • ✅ SOC 2 Type II certified
  • ✅ ISO 27001 certified

Are you GDPR compliant?​

Yes! We comply with:

  • GDPR (EU)
  • NDPR (Nigeria)
  • POPIA (South Africa)
  • CCPA (California)

View privacy policy →

Where is my data stored?​

Data centers in:

  • 🇰🇪 Kenya (primary)
  • 🇿🇦 South Africa (backup)
  • 🇳🇬 Nigeria (regional)

Enterprise customers can choose region.

📞 Support​

How do I contact support?​

Email: [email protected] Chat: Available in dashboard (Pro & Enterprise) Phone: Enterprise customers only

Open a ticket →

What are your support hours?​

PlanSupport
StandardMon-Fri, 9 AM - 5 PM EAT
ProMon-Fri, 24 hours
Enterprise24/7/365

Do you offer technical consulting?​

Yes! Enterprise customers get:

  • Dedicated account manager
  • Technical architecture review
  • Custom integration support
  • Monthly check-in calls

Contact [email protected]

🚀 Still Have Questions?​

Can't find your answer? Contact Support →