- Kenya's Safaricom, a mobile network operator, has received a Payment Facilitator Certificate from Visa, a payments giant.
- This development is expected to strengthen Safaricom’s merchant ecosystem by expanding its payment acceptance options, including the addition of card payments that support all card networks through Visa's CyberSource Payment Gateway.
- The move falls under the umbrella of an ongoing multi-year partnership that began with the launch of the M-PESA GlobalPay Visa Virtual Card in June 2022.
In 2022, Safaricom partnered Visa to introduce the M-PESA GlobalPay Visa virtual card, accessible via the M-PESA app or with the code *344#. This enabled customers to make cashless payments through Visa's global merchant network, while also allowing users to track their M-PESA balance using the card.
Additionally, in December 2023, M-PESA built on its partnership with Visa to offer tap-to-pay card payments, broadening its service offerings beyond the virtual card. M-PESA customers would use this payment option to receive mobile payments, as well as online and in-person card payments.
Building on the success of the Visa Virtual Card launched in 2022, “Visa said the partnership will continue to grow and bring innovative payment solutions to the market.”
Chad Pollock, General Manager and Vice President of Visa East Africa, expressed the company’s delight in awarding Safaricom the certificate, taking their partnership to the next level.
Pollock further noted, "While we opened the world to M-PESA consumers in 2022 with the GlobalPay Visa Virtual Card, we are now providing over 600,000 merchants with access to the consumer world."
Esther Waititu, Chief Financial Services Officer at Safaricom, acknowledged that the partnership with Visa has contributed to enhancing their payment options. She added that the introduction of card payments through Visa’s CyberSource gateway aligns with Safaricom’s vision of offering merchants diverse and secure payment options.
Visa’s payment technology would now allow Safaricom merchants to offer a wider range of payment options to their customers. The introduction of card payments aims to provide greater flexibility and convenience to merchants, as well as enhanced security through Visa’s CyberSource gateway, ensuring reliable payment processing.
