> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.ligdicash.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Payout — Introduction

> Send funds to your customers or service providers: Customer payout to a LigdiCash wallet, or Merchant payout directly to a mobile money account.

Payout lets you send funds from your LigdiCash merchant account to a recipient. Two methods exist depending on whether the recipient has a LigdiCash account or not.

## Customer payout vs Merchant payout

**Customer payout** — you send to the recipient's LigdiCash account number. Funds arrive instantly in their LigdiCash wallet. You then choose, via the `top_up_wallet` parameter, whether the funds stay in their LigdiCash wallet or whether LigdiCash automatically triggers a transfer to their mobile money account.

**Merchant payout** — you send directly to a mobile money number, without going through an intermediary LigdiCash wallet. This method is not instant: processing can take from a few seconds to several days depending on the operator.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Customer payout" icon="wallet" href="/en/payment-api/payout/to-ligdicash-wallet">
    To a LigdiCash wallet. Instant. With an option to auto-transfer to mobile money.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Merchant payout" icon="paper-plane" href="/en/payment-api/payout/to-mobile-money">
    Directly to a mobile money number. Not instant.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Decision table

| I want to…                                                                               | Method          | `top_up_wallet` |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- | --------------- |
| Send to the recipient's LigdiCash wallet, they handle the withdrawal themselves          | Customer payout | `1`             |
| Send to the recipient's LigdiCash wallet, then LigdiCash transfers to their mobile money | Customer payout | `0`             |
| Send directly to a mobile money number (no LigdiCash account required)                   | Merchant payout | —               |

<Note>
  With Customer payout (`top_up_wallet: 0`), funds always land first in the recipient's LigdiCash wallet — instantly. It is the subsequent automatic transfer to their mobile money that can take time.
</Note>

## Merchant accounts and per-operator balances

Your LigdiCash merchant account is made up of **distinct sub-accounts per operator** activated in your contract. Payments received via Orange Burkina feed your Orange Burkina sub-account. Those received via Moov Burkina feed your Moov Burkina sub-account, and so on.

On a payout, funds leave the sub-account matching the operator of the recipient's number.

<Warning>
  If the sub-account of the relevant operator is not sufficiently funded, the payout fails — even if your other sub-accounts have available balance. Make sure the right sub-account is credited before initiating a payout.
</Warning>

## Typical use cases

* **Refunds** — refund a customer after an order cancellation
* **Winnings and cashback** — distribute winnings, rewards, or commissions
* **Paying service providers** — settle freelancers or partners
* **Salaries** — disburse compensation to mobile money accounts

## Fees

Every payout is subject to the fees defined in your LigdiCash contract. These fees are always deducted by LigdiCash — there is no zero-fee payout. The amount actually received by the beneficiary may therefore be lower than the amount sent, depending on the pricing structure of your contract.

<Warning>
  Plan for fees in your business logic. A 5,000 XOF refund will not necessarily send 5,000 XOF to the beneficiary. See your LigdiCash contract for the applicable schedule.
</Warning>

## Prerequisites

* The relevant operator sub-account must have a sufficient balance.
* Payout must be enabled on your API project.
* **Your server IP addresses must be whitelisted by LigdiCash.** Payout requests from non-whitelisted IPs are rejected. Share your IP addresses with the LigdiCash team before starting integration.

To enable payout and whitelist your IPs, contact [developper@ligdicash.com](mailto:developper@ligdicash.com).

## In this section

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Customer payout" icon="wallet" href="/en/payment-api/payout/to-ligdicash-wallet">
    `POST /pay/v01/withdrawal/create` — to LigdiCash wallet with the `top_up_wallet` option
  </Card>

  <Card title="Merchant payout" icon="paper-plane" href="/en/payment-api/payout/to-mobile-money">
    `POST /pay/v01/straight/payout` — direct transfer to mobile money
  </Card>

  <Card title="Verify the status" icon="circle-check" href="/en/payment-api/payout/verify-status">
    `GET /pay/v01/withdrawal/confirm` — track the result of a payout
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use cases" icon="lightbulb" href="/en/payment-api/payout/use-cases">
    Refunds, salaries, winnings — concrete examples
  </Card>
</CardGroup>