Ghana had 491,057 active mobile money agents in 2025, so the question is not whether the business exists; it is whether the next one, yours, pays. This page gives what MTN requires, the capital the published guides quote, what a container costs, the commission bands, and then the honest part: nobody has published what an agent actually clears in a month, so here is how you count yours.
Written 19 September 2026 from MTN's agent pages, the Bank of Ghana's 2025 report, and 2025 to 2026 agent guides. Each figure carries its source and date.
That is what the 2025 and 2026 guides say it takes to open. Registration itself is free. The money is not spent; it is tied up, and it earns commission only when it moves.
| Requirement | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | A valid Ghana Card; two passport photos | Accra Street Journal, Dec 2025, updated Mar 2026; Asetena Pa, Apr 2024 |
| Business | A registered business with a TIN (one guide says the certificate is "optional but preferred"; MTN's own line is that agents must be registered) | |
| Place | A permanent shop or container with signage at a physical location; home-based is not allowed; MTN inspects the site | |
| How to apply | *5051#, the MTN merchant application site, or an MTN office; registration is free | |
| Wait | Approval 1 to 3 weeks; the merchant SIM has taken 15 to 20 working days, and issuance has been paused at times (April 2024) |
Wooden kiosks and umbrella stands are reported not to qualify as a structure; a used 10-foot container was listed at about GH₵ 5,000 and kiosks from GH₵ 3,700 on Jiji in September 2026 (classified listings, not a survey).
MTN's own pages, read 8 Oct 2026: to get an agent SIM MTN lists a business certificate, a Ghana Card and a secured shop or kiosk (requirements), and you apply at an MTN service centre or online (how to apply). Whether you are approved depends on your location and how many agents are already nearby. MTN's pages state no capital amount, no fee and no waiting time, so the cash figures below are guide authors' estimates, not MTN's.
| Item | Guide figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cash float to start | GH₵ 4,000 to 10,000 (Accra Street Journal); minimum GH₵ 4,000 (Asetena Pa); GH₵ 3,000 to 20,000+ (High Street Business) | High Street Business, Dec 2025 and the two above |
| E-cash | The same amount again on the agent SIM | High Street Business |
| Kiosk or container set-up | GH₵ 1,000 to 5,000 | High Street Business |
| Registration | Free | Asetena Pa |
None of these are MTN figures; they are the authors' estimates, and they agree with each other within a range. The float is not a cost; it is capital you must have and must not need for anything else, because the moment it runs out you cannot serve the next customer.
Agent commission on cash-out, effective 1 March 2024, as reported when it was raised (YEN, Feb 2024; same table on Asetena Pa):
| Cash-out amount | Agent commission |
|---|---|
| Below GH₵ 50 | GH₵ 0.20 |
| GH₵ 50 to 2,000 | 0.4% |
| Above GH₵ 2,000 | GH₵ 8 flat |
A second commission is paid on cash-in; its rate is not published. Both are paid monthly by MTN. Commission rates are set by MTN and are not negotiable. MTN's own help centre prints a different-looking table (1% and GH₵ 20 flat) that matches the customer fee, which is why the commission page shows both and tells you to check your own statement.
Put in a normal day. Nothing leaves your phone.
Cash-in commission is not included because MTN has not published its rate; whatever it is, it is on top.
Commission is paid a month later; your count is tonight. Say the commission on each transaction and the costs as they happen:
| You say | CountMy writes |
|---|---|
| "Commission 4" | Earned, commission, GH₵ 4 |
| "Commission 8" | Earned, commission, GH₵ 8 |
| "Airtime 10" | Sale, airtime, GH₵ 10 |
| "Rent 300" | Cost, rent, GH₵ 300 |
| "How much today?" | It answers out loud |
At month end the commission line on MTN's statement has a number of yours to stand against. A cash-out itself is not a sale, so the app never inflates your figures with money that only passed through.
Say it: "Commission 4"Free. No password, no MoMo PIN, no Ghana Card. It never touches your agent SIM.
Guides quote GH₵ 4,000 to 10,000 of cash float plus the same in e-cash, and GH₵ 1,000 to 5,000 for the structure. Registration is free.
No published agent earnings exist for 2025 or 2026. Commission is 0.4% on most cash-outs, GH₵ 8 above GH₵ 2,000, plus an unpublished cash-in rate. Your volume decides.
You hold cash and e-cash. A cash-out gives the customer cash and moves e-cash to you; a cash-in is the reverse. MTN pays commission monthly on both.
The guides say no: MTN requires a permanent physical structure with signage and inspects it.
"Liquidating" moves earned commission from the commission balance to your main wallet. MTN Ghana has not published the menu path; the *502# code found online is Nigeria's. Dial the agent menu on your agent SIM and follow it.
Every figure above is quoted from the linked source with its date; the calculator uses only what you type. General information, not business advice. Questions: message us on WhatsApp.