Fee comparisons are one of the most-shared topics in Nigerian creator WhatsApp groups, and for good reason. A 2% difference in platform fees sounds small until you multiply it across a year of sales. Then it starts to look like a month of earnings you gave away without realising it.

This post lays out what Selar, Nestuge, and Kreddlo actually charge, in plain numbers, so you can make an informed choice before you commit to a platform.

How platform fees work

Most creator platforms charge a percentage of each transaction. Some also charge a flat fee on top. What gets confusing is that the platform fee is often separate from the payment processor fee (Paystack, Flutterwave, Stripe), which also takes a cut before money reaches you.

When comparing platforms, you need to look at the total deduction, not just the headline platform fee. That is the only number that tells you what you actually receive.

Fee comparison table

Here is a side-by-side breakdown based on publicly available information at the time of writing:

Platform Platform fee Payment processor fee Escrow / protection
Selar 5% per sale Included None
Nestuge 3% per sale Included None
Kreddlo Competitive % per transaction Included Built in

Note: Platform fees change over time. Always verify current rates directly on each platform before making a decision. Kreddlo's exact fee is shown clearly on the pricing page.

What your earnings actually look like

Here is what a creator selling a product at 10,000 NGN would receive after fees, assuming each platform's standard rate and no additional payment gateway costs:

Example: 10,000 NGN sale, after platform fees
Selar (5%) 9,500 NGN
Nestuge (3%) 9,700 NGN
Kreddlo See pricing page

The difference between Selar and Nestuge on a single 10,000 NGN sale is 200 NGN. Across 100 sales, that is 20,000 NGN. Across a year of consistent selling, the gap compounds into a meaningful sum.

The fee you are not seeing on other platforms

Here is what the fee comparison tables in WhatsApp groups usually miss: what does the fee actually buy you?

On Selar and Nestuge, the platform fee covers the infrastructure for listing and selling digital products. That is it. There is no escrow, no buyer protection, no dispute resolution, and no contract system.

On Kreddlo, the fee covers all of that plus escrow-backed payment protection, formal dispute resolution, KYC-verified profiles, and the ability to take custom orders and send invoices from the same account.

The real comparison is not platform A vs platform B. It is "what happens if something goes wrong?" On Selar or Nestuge, a non-paying client or a disputed delivery is your problem to handle alone. On Kreddlo, there is a process for it.

When lower fees are not actually cheaper

Imagine you deliver a custom design project through a bank transfer or Paystack link because your product platform does not support custom orders. Your client ghosts you after delivery. You have no escrow, no contract, no recourse.

You saved 2% in platform fees. You lost 100% of the payment.

This is not a hypothetical. It is the most common complaint in Nigerian freelancer communities. The "cheaper" platform ends up costing more when it cannot handle the full transaction safely.

Free plans: what you can do without paying

All three platforms let you get started for free. There are no monthly subscription fees to list products or create an account. You only pay when you make a sale, as a percentage of each transaction.

This makes all three accessible to creators who are just starting out. The fee question only becomes critical once you are making regular sales and the cumulative cost starts to show up.

Which platform gives you the best value?

If you sell only digital products and have no interest in taking custom client work, Nestuge's lower rate makes it worth considering over Selar, all else being equal.

If you do any custom work, invoicing, or project-based client payments, the only relevant question is whether the platform can handle your full income safely. Selar and Nestuge cannot. Kreddlo can.

For a full comparison of what each platform supports beyond fees, see Kreddlo vs Selar vs Nestuge. For a look at how the unified approach works in practice, read One Link, Three Ways to Get Paid.

Bottom line

Know what you are paying and know what you are getting for it. A fee comparison that only looks at percentages misses the most important variable: what protection does that fee buy you when something goes wrong?

See exactly what Kreddlo charges and what is included on the pricing page.