How we rate African FinTech.
The YTC FinTech Trust Index scores wallets, payment platforms, remittance services, lenders, and investment apps on whether they deserve your money and your trust. Never influenced by advertisers or affiliate commissions.
Licensed on paper is not enough
A license shows a company is allowed to operate. It doesn’t show how customers are treated when something goes wrong. We score both.
Within trust, conduct counts more than credentials
In our most heavily weighted dimension, conduct carries 60% and standing 40%. Fund freezes, communication, support, and disputes can pull a score down even when the paperwork is perfect.
Evidence, not rumor
A single viral complaint never moves a score. Patterns across regulator records, independent platforms, and our own tests do. Companies get a right of reply before we publish a serious finding.
One index. Five dimensions.
Each dimension is scored 0 to 10, multiplied by its weight, and summed to a maximum of 100. Three score caps can then apply. Always read the dimension scores in a review, not just the total.
YTC FinTech Trust Index
Applied to mobile wallets, payment platforms, remittance services, digital lenders, and investment apps.
What we measure and how
Open each dimension to see what we check and what each score range means.
Extra checks by product type
These inform the dimension scores above. They are not separate scores.
Wallets and payments
Transaction and balance limits, dormant-account policy, and agent network reliability.
Remittance
Total cost to the recipient, delivery time, and payout options.
Digital lending
Full annualized cost of credit, disclosure before signing, collection practices (including contact-list access and public shaming), data access permissions, and data protection registration.
Investment apps
Custody arrangements, regulatory approval for the products offered, and risk disclosure.
Three rules that protect readers
Caps apply to the final total, whatever the other dimensions say. If more than one applies, the lowest is used; caps are never added together. Both editors review the evidence first, and every cap is stated openly in the review.
Licensing cap: 39
No verifiable license or registration in a market served caps the total at 39 (Poor).
“Verifiable” means it appears on the regulator’s public register or the regulator confirms it in writing. A partner’s license counts only if we can verify it and that it covers the product. If a product is unlicensed in one of its markets, the cap applies to that market’s review.
Conduct cap: 54
Applies if the Conduct score is below 5, or there is a documented pattern of unresolved fund freezes or unresponsive support. It caps the total at 54 (Below average).
A “documented pattern” means at least three independent sources within 12 months, including at least one regulator record or our own testing. Reports of the same incident count once.
Integrity cap: 54
Applies when Standing is below 5 because of a serious sanction, license suspension, or undisclosed breach in the last 36 months. It caps the total at 54 (Below average).
It is lifted when the regulator confirms the matter is resolved and we have verified the remediation.
See how the score is built
Adjust each dimension from 0 to 10, try a preset, or switch caps on and off to see how the final score is calculated.
Final YTC FinTech Trust Index
What the numbers mean
Scores are honest signals, not marketing tools. A score of 70 is genuinely good, but check the dimension scores for weak spots. Scores within about 3 points of each other are broadly equivalent.
How we keep scores consistent
Half-points and rounding
Dimensions are scored in half-points. A score at the top of a band means all criteria are met with margin; the bottom means at least one is met only narrowly. Totals are rounded to the nearest whole number.
Minimum evidence
At least three support contacts across two or more channels and different days. At least 30 test transactions across three or more types, plus external evidence, for Reliability. Each review states its test counts and which markets we tested directly. Untested markets are labeled “claimed, not verified”.
From first account to published score
Hands-on testing
Real accounts, real transactions, and real support contacts, alongside regulator registers, fee schedules, and community reports.
Verification
Every claim is cross-checked against multiple independent sources.
Dimension scoring
Each editor scores every dimension independently, before discussion. Dimensions are then weighted and summed.
Editorial review
Both Oscar and Diana review the evidence. Any dimension where our scores differ by 2 points or more is re-reviewed with the evidence side by side before publication.
Right of reply
Before we publish a Trust & conduct or Fees & value score below 5, apply a cap, or make a factual allegation of misconduct, hidden charges, or predatory practice, the company has 7 days to respond. Material corrections are reflected in the score, and we note if a company declined to respond.
Living score
Scores are re-verified at least every 6 months, and sooner after a regulator action, major outage, reported breach, license change, or ownership change. Every update is date-stamped, and older reviews are labeled as possibly out of date.
No scores for sale
Fairness and conflicts of interest
Scores are never influenced by advertising, affiliate commissions, or sponsored partnerships. Free access to a product does not guarantee a favorable score.
We do not penalize a legitimate AML or KYC hold, or a company for withholding the reason where the law prohibits disclosure. We score whether the customer was told a hold exists, what they can do next, and when to expect an update.
If you believe a score is incorrect or outdated, contact us. We respond within 48 hours.
What a score can’t tell you
A score is a snapshot. Our tests use limited samples, we may not be able to test every market a product claims, and a good score is not a guarantee. Products can change after we publish.
The YTC FinTech Trust Index is editorial opinion, not financial, investment, or legal advice. Check a provider’s current terms and regulatory status before using any service.
See our scores in action
Browse our African fintech reviews to see the YTC FinTech Trust Index applied to real products.
Browse African FinTech → AI tools methodology