mcp-flutterwave

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables AI assistants to interact with the Flutterwave API — create payment links, charge customers directly, manage transfers, collect via virtual accounts, pay bills, and more.

> Note: This server currently targets the Flutterwave v3 API. Support for v4 is coming soon.

Also ships with a built-in web app that connects to the MCP server and lets you talk to a Claude-powered Flutterwave assistant directly in your browser.

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Contents

- Features
- Installation
- Available Tools
- Card Charge Flow
- Virtual Accounts
- Bill Payment Flow
- FX Trade Flow
- Verification
- Stablecoins
- Web App
- MCP Server Setup
- Usage with Claude Desktop
- MCP-UI Components
- Contributing
- Changelog
- Security
- License

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Features

- Checkout — Create hosted payment links and disable them
- Direct Charges — Charge customers via card, bank account, mobile money, M-Pesa, or USSD
- Full card auth flow — PIN, AVS (Address Verification), 3D Secure redirect, and OTP validation all handled automatically
- Charge Validation — Validate OTP-based charges with a dedicated tool
- Transactions — Verify by ID or reference, view event timeline, resend failed webhooks
- Transfers — Initiate single transfers, manage beneficiaries
- Payment Plans — Create and retrieve subscription plans
- Virtual Accounts — Generate dedicated account numbers for NGN and GHS bank transfer collection (static or dynamic)
- Bill Payments — Pay airtime, data, cable TV, electricity, internet bills and more (Nigeria)
- FX Trade — Convert between NGN, GHS, and USD with live quotes (RFQ → trade in two steps)
- Verification — BVN identity verification, bank account name resolution, and card BIN lookup
- Stablecoins — Send USDC/USDT to Polygon wallets, or convert NGN/USD fiat into stablecoins
- Rich UI — Every tool returns a branded HTML card rendered inline in supported clients
- Web App — A standalone browser chat interface powered by Claude + this MCP server

---

Installation

npm

npm install -g mcp-flutterwave

npx (no install needed)

npx mcp-flutterwave --tools=all

Docker

Pull the image:

docker pull ghcr.io/bajoski34/mcp-flutterwave:latest

The server communicates over stdio, so it must be launched by an MCP client — not run standalone. Configure Claude Desktop to use the Docker image as the MCP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "flutterwave": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run", "--rm", "-i",
        "-e", "FLW_SECRET_KEY=YOUR_SECRET_KEY",
        "-e", "FLW_ENCRYPTION_KEY=YOUR_ENCRYPTION_KEY",
        "ghcr.io/bajoski34/mcp-flutterwave:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

The -i flag keeps stdin open so Claude Desktop can communicate with the server over stdio.

Requirements: Node.js 20 or later (for npm/npx).

---

Available Tools

Checkout

| Tool | Description | |---|---| | create_checkout | Create a hosted Flutterwave payment link | | disable_checkout | Disable an existing payment link |

Direct Charges

| Tool | Description | |---|---| | charge_card | Directly charge a debit or credit card — handles PIN, AVS, 3DS, and OTP flows | | charge_bank_account | Debit a bank account (NGN / GHS) | | charge_mobile_money | Mobile money — Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Francophone Africa | | charge_mpesa | M-Pesa charge (KES) | | charge_ussd | USSD charge (NGN) | | validate_charge | Validate a pending charge using OTP |

Transactions

| Tool | Description | |---|---| | read_transaction | Get transaction details by ID | | read_transaction_with_reference | Get transaction details by tx_ref | | read_transaction_timeline | View the event timeline for a transaction | | resend_transaction_webhook | Resend a failed webhook |

Transfers

| Tool | Description | |---|---| | create_transfer | Initiate a bank transfer | | create_beneficiary | Save a new transfer beneficiary | | list_beneficiaries | List all saved beneficiaries |

Payment Plans

| Tool | Description | |---|---| | create_payment_plan | Create a recurring payment plan | | get_payment_plans | List payment plans with optional filters |

Virtual Accounts

| Tool | Description | |---|---| | create_virtual_account | Create a dedicated bank account number for a customer (NGN or GHS) | | get_virtual_account | Retrieve a virtual account's status and details by order_ref | | update_virtual_account | Link or update the BVN on an NGN virtual account | | list_virtual_account_bulk | List all accounts created in a bulk batch |

Bill Payments

| Tool | Description | |---|---| | get_bill_categories | List available bill categories (AIRTIME, CABLEBILLS, UTILITYBILLS, etc.) | | get_bill_providers | List billers/providers for a category | | get_bill_items | List payable items for a specific biller | | validate_bill_customer | Validate a customer account before payment (meter number, smartcard, etc.) | | pay_bill | Submit a bill payment | | get_bill_status | Check payment status and retrieve prepaid tokens (electricity) |

FX Trade

| Tool | Description | |---|---| | request_fx_quote | Submit a Request For Quote (RFQ) for a currency conversion | | get_fx_quote | Poll the quote status — wait for READY before trading | | initiate_fx_trade | Lock in a READY quote and execute the trade | | get_fx_trade | Poll trade status until SETTLED or FAILED |

Verification

| Tool | Description | |---|---| | initiate_bvn_verification | Begin a BVN identity check — returns a single-use customer consent URL | | get_bvn_details | Retrieve full BVN identity data after consent is given | | resolve_bank_account | Look up the account holder name for a bank account number | | verify_card_bin | Look up card brand, type, issuer, and country from the first 6 digits |

Stablecoins

| Tool | Description | |---|---| | get_stablecoin_fee | Get the transfer fee before sending — shows net amount the recipient receives | | send_stablecoin | Send USDC or USDT to a Polygon wallet address | | convert_to_stablecoin | Convert NGN or USD fiat balance into USDC or USDT |

---

Card Charge Flow

Direct card charges are multi-step. The charge_card tool handles every stage automatically and tells Claude what to do next.

1. charge_card(card details)
        │
        ├─ mode: "pin"        → ask customer for PIN
        │       charge_card(same params + authorization: { mode: "pin", pin: "..." })
        │               │
        │               ├─ mode: "otp"      → validate_charge(flw_ref, otp)
        │               └─ mode: "redirect" → send customer to 3DS URL
        │
        ├─ mode: "avs_noauth" → ask customer for billing address
        │       charge_card(same params + authorization: { mode: "avs_noauth", city, address, ... })
        │               │
        │               ├─ mode: "otp"      → validate_charge(flw_ref, otp)
        │               └─ mode: "redirect" → send customer to 3DS URL
        │
        ├─ mode: "redirect"   → send customer to 3DS URL, then read_transaction to verify
        │
        └─ (none)             → charge complete — read_transaction to verify

Authorization parameters

When a second call is needed, pass authorization alongside the original card details:

// PIN flow
{ "authorization": { "mode": "pin", "pin": "3310" } }
// AVS flow

{ "authorization": { "mode": "avs_noauth", "city": "Lagos", "address": "12 Victoria Island", "state": "LA", "country": "NG", "zipcode": "100001" } }

AMEX cards

American Express transactions require the card_holder_name field in addition to standard card details.

Payload encryption

Card payloads are encrypted with 3DES-ECB using your FLW_ENCRYPTION_KEY before they are sent to Flutterwave (PCI DSS requirement). The encryption is handled automatically — set the environment variable and the server does the rest.

---

Virtual Accounts

Virtual accounts give each customer a dedicated bank account number to make transfers into. Flutterwave notifies your webhook when a payment arrives.

| Feature | NGN | GHS |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic (one-time) | ✓ — set amount, expires in ~1 hr | ✓ — use frequency and duration |
| Static (reusable) | ✓ — is_permanent: true, BVN required | ✓ — is_permanent: true |
| BVN required | Static accounts only | No |

NGN static account

{
  "email": "customer@example.com",
  "currency": "NGN",
  "tx_ref": "VA-NGN-001",
  "is_permanent": true,
  "bvn": "22415929481"
}

GHS dynamic account

{
  "email": "customer@example.com",
  "currency": "GHS",
  "tx_ref": "VA-GHS-001",
  "amount": 500,
  "frequency": 5,
  "duration": 7
}

After creation, save the order_ref — it is the key for retrieving or updating the account via get_virtual_account and update_virtual_account.

---

Bill Payment Flow

Bill payments follow a 6-step discovery flow. Skip validate_bill_customer for airtime and mobile data.

1. get_bill_categories
        ↓ choose a category (e.g. UTILITYBILLS)
2. get_bill_providers(category)

        ↓ get biller_code (e.g. "BIL127" for IKEDC)
3. get_bill_items(biller_code)

        ↓ get item_code and amount info
4. validate_bill_customer(item_code, customer_id)   ← skip for AIRTIME / MOBILEDATA

        ↓ confirm customer name and details
5. pay_bill(biller_code, item_code, customer_id, amount)

        ↓ returns reference
6. get_bill_status(reference)

        ↓ confirms completion

          for electricity: prepaid token is in extra.token — share it with the customer

Supported categories

| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| AIRTIME | Mobile airtime top-up |
| MOBILEDATA | Data bundle purchase |
| CABLEBILLS | Cable TV (DSTV, GOTV, StarTimes) |
| INTSERVICE | Internet service subscriptions |
| UTILITYBILLS | Electricity (prepaid & postpaid) |
| TAX | Government tax payments |
| DONATIONS | Charitable donations |
| TRANSLOG | Transport / logistics |
| DEALPAY | Deal payments |
| RELINST | Religious institutions |
| SCHPB | School / education payments |

> Bill payments are available for Nigeria only (country: NG).

---

FX Trade Flow

Currency conversion uses a two-step quote-then-trade flow. Quotes are valid for 5 minutes and available weekdays only (Monday–Friday).

1. request_fx_quote(base_currency, target_currency, quantity)
        ↓ returns quote_id, status: NEW
2. get_fx_quote(quote_id)   ← poll until READY or FAILED

        ↓ READY: contains rate, approved_quantity, total_value, expiry
3. initiate_fx_trade(quote_id, narration)

        ↓ locks in rate, returns trade_id, status: NEW
4. get_fx_trade(trade_id)   ← poll until SETTLED or FAILED

        ↓ SETTLED: converted funds credited to target currency wallet instantly

Supported currency pairs

| Pair | Sell | Receive |
|---|---|---|
| NGN/USD | Nigerian Naira | US Dollar |
| GHS/USD | Ghanaian Cedi | US Dollar |
| USD/NGN | US Dollar | Nigerian Naira |

Quote statuses

| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| NEW | Quote is being priced |
| READY | Rate locked — call initiate_fx_trade now |
| PROCESSING | A trade has been initiated on this quote |
| EXPIRED | 5-minute window passed — submit a new quote |
| FAILED | Pair unsupported, minimum not met, or account limit exceeded |

Trade statuses

| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| NEW | Trade queued |
| PENDING | Executing |
| SETTLED | Funds exchanged and credited to target currency wallet |
| FAILED | Insufficient balance or processing error |

Key constraints

- Minimum trade: $1,000 USD equivalent in the base currency
- Quote lifetime: 5 minutes from issuance (READY state)
- One-time use: Each quote can only be used for one trade
- Approved quantity: May differ from requested quantity due to liquidity or account limits — always use approved_quantity for reconciliation
- Account enablement: Contact hi@flutterwavego.com to enable FX trading on your account

---

Verification

Bank Account Resolution

Verify a recipient's account details before sending a transfer. Always show the resolved name to the user before proceeding.

{ "account_number": "0690000040", "account_bank": "044" }

Common bank codes: 044 Access Bank · 057 Zenith Bank · 058 GTBank · 033 UBA · 011 First Bank

Card BIN Lookup

Identify card metadata from the first 6 digits of a card number.

{ "bin": "553188" }
// → { brand: "MASTERCARD", type: "CREDIT", issuer: "NEXUS MERCHANT BANK", country: "NIGERIA" }

> AMEX cards identified via BIN require the card_holder_name field when calling charge_card.

BVN Verification (Nigeria)

Two-step consent flow — customer must approve data sharing on the NIBSS portal.

1. initiate_bvn_verification(bvn, firstname, lastname, redirect_url)
        ↓ returns reference + single-use consent URL
2. Customer visits consent URL → approves data sharing on NIBSS portal

        ↓ webhook (bvn.completed) fires OR poll:
3. get_bvn_details(reference)

        ↓ returns name, DOB, gender, phone, NIN, state of origin, watchlist status

> Requires Flutterwave account enablement — contact hi@flutterwavego.com. If the customer has already consented, initiate_bvn_verification returns url: null and you can call get_bvn_details immediately.

---

Stablecoins

Send USDC or USDT over the Polygon network, or convert NGN/USD fiat balances into stablecoins. Always call get_stablecoin_fee first so the user knows the net amount the recipient will receive.

Wallet-to-wallet transfer

1. get_stablecoin_fee(amount, currency: "USDT", debit_currency: "USDT")
        ↓ shows fee and net amount
2. send_stablecoin(wallet_address, amount, currency, debit_currency)

        ↓ returns reference and transfer status

Fiat-to-stablecoin conversion

1. get_stablecoin_fee(amount, currency: "USDC", debit_currency: "NGN")
        ↓ shows fee (percentage-based) and net USDC amount
2. convert_to_stablecoin(merchant_id, amount, currency, debit_currency: "NGN")

        ↓ deducts NGN from your fiat wallet, credits USDC/USDT

Key constraints

| Constraint | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network | Polygon only — no Tron, Solana, or Stellar |
| Coins | USDC and USDT |
| Wallet format | EVM address: 0x + 40 hex characters (42 total) |
| Fiat sources | NGN or USD for convert_to_stablecoin; stablecoin must match currency for send_stablecoin |
| Fee type | Flat fee for same-currency; percentage fee for fiat → stablecoin |

---

Web App

The app/ directory contains a standalone browser chat interface that wraps this MCP server with a Claude-powered conversation loop.

How it works

Browser  →  POST /api/chat
               ↓
           Claude (Sonnet) — all MCP tools injected via advanced-tool-use beta
               ↓  tool_use
           MCP Server (this repo, spawned via stdio)
               ↓
           Flutterwave API

The web app uses three Anthropic Advanced Tool Use features:

- Tool Search — non-core tools are deferred and loaded on demand, reducing token usage by ~85%
- Programmatic Tool Calling — Claude can write code that calls multiple tools in sequence without inflating the conversation context
- Tool Use Examples — curated input_examples for every tool improve parameter accuracy from ~72% to ~90%

The app returns a rich branded UI card for every tool response — checkout links, transaction details, charge states, transfer summaries, virtual accounts, bill receipts — rendered inline in the chat.

Running the web app

Prerequisites

| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| FLW_SECRET_KEY | Yes | Your Flutterwave secret key |
| FLW_ENCRYPTION_KEY | For card charges | Your Flutterwave encryption key |
| ANTHROPIC_API_KEY | Yes | Your Anthropic API key |

Get your keys from the Flutterwave Dashboard under Settings → API Keys.
Get your Anthropic key from the Anthropic Console.

Build and start

```bash