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Overview

Ephemeral Merchant Balance onramps create short-lived NGN virtual accounts (25-minute TTL) that convert deposits at a guaranteed rate and credit your internal Daya balance instead of settling on-chain immediately. This model is ideal for aggregating deposits and withdrawing later in larger batches.

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When to Use

Deposit Aggregation

Collect many small deposits before withdrawing

Lower Gas Costs

Reduce on-chain fees by batching withdrawals

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Key Characteristics

PropertyValueMeaning
Lifetime25 minutesVirtual account expires after 25 minutes
FX rateLocked to rate_idFirm quote within validity window
ReuseNoVA is never reused
SettlementMerchant balanceFunds are credited internally
On-chain txDeferredHappens only when you withdraw
Settlement to merchant balance is immediate after FX execution. There is no on-chain confirmation delay.

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Settlement Behavior

Converted USD is credited to your merchant balance immediately after FX execution.
  • No destination address required
  • No on-chain confirmation delay
  • Withdrawals are initiated separately
{
  "settlement": {
    "mode": "MERCHANT_BALANCE"
  }
}

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Deposit Lifecycle (High Level)

  1. User transfers NGN within the 25-minute window
  2. Deposit is received and FX is executed
  3. USD equivalent is credited to merchant balance
  4. Deposit reaches SETTLED state
There is no pending withdrawal phase for this onramp type.

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Comparison with Auto-Withdraw

FeatureMerchant BalanceAuto-Withdraw
Settlement speed~1–2 minutes~2–5 minutes
On-chain txDeferredImmediate
Gas feesBatch-optimizedPer deposit
DestinationFlexible (later)Fixed at creation
Best forAggregationDirect payouts

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Late Deposit Handling

Deposits are FLAGGED if they:
  • Arrive after the 25-minute onramp expiry
  • Arrive after the bound rate_id expires

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Limits

  • Per-deposit maximum: $1,000
  • Per-merchant daily limit: $10,000
See Limits & Risk.

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Next Steps

Create Onramp API

API reference for onramp creation