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Safaricom has received a Payment Facilitator Certificate from Visa, further strengthening its partnership and expanding its payment acceptance models. This collaboration follows the 2022 introduction of the M-PESA GlobalPay Visa virtual card, which allowed Safaricom customers to make seamless payments across Visa’s global merchant network. The virtual card, accessible via the M-PESA app or by dialing *344#, enabled users to monitor their M-PESA balances while conducting cashless transactions worldwide.
In December 2023, Safaricom extended its services by introducing tap-to-pay card payments in partnership with Visa, marking a significant expansion beyond the virtual card offering. This new feature allows M-PESA customers to accept mobile payments, as well as online and in-person card transactions, enhancing payment flexibility for both consumers and merchants.
Building on the success of the GlobalPay Visa Virtual Card, Visa has committed to growing the partnership by bringing more innovative payment solutions to the market. Chad Pollock, General Manager and Vice President of Visa East Africa, expressed the company’s excitement about awarding Safaricom the Payment Facilitator Certificate, emphasizing that this milestone will elevate their collaboration to new heights.
“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 a broader consumer base,” Pollock stated.
Esther Waititu, Chief Financial Services Officer at Safaricom, highlighted that this partnership has greatly enhanced their payment offerings. She noted that the integration of Visa’s CyberSource gateway for card payments aligns with Safaricom’s goal of providing merchants with diverse, secure payment options.
Through Visa’s advanced payment technology, Safaricom merchants will now have the ability to offer a wider range of payment solutions to their customers. The introduction of card payments will not only increase convenience and flexibility for merchants but also ensure greater security through Visa’s CyberSource gateway, providing a reliable and seamless payment processing experience.
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