Visa and Direct Pay Online Group (DPO), African online payment provider, has announced a partnership that will facilitate mobile commerce in Kenya and connect more people and businesses to the global economy. The companies will enable 20,000 more merchants to accept mVisa payments.
Consumers will be able to use Visa’s mobile payment solution at airlines, hotels, travel agents and tour operators across the country.
mVisa is a mobile payment solution, backed by Visa’s global payment network, which enables consumers to pay merchants or send money to friends and family directly from their bank account via their mobile banking app. mVisa also offers merchants of all sizes a way to accept electronic payments.
Consumers can pay merchants by scanning a QR code on a smartphone or by entering a merchant number into a feature phone. The payment is pushed directly from the consumer’s bank account into the merchant’s account and provides real-time notification to both parties.
“Visa’s partnership with Direct Pay Online is an important milestone in our mission to enable digital commerce across Africa,” says Sunny Walia, General Manager, East Africa for Visa. “Now even more merchants and customers will benefit from the speed, convenience and security that mVisa offers whether they are making online or in-store payments.
“Enrolled merchants will receive a unique QR code that customers can scan to make mobile payments such that funds move within the banking system into their account at no extra cost. Consumers control the payment using either a QR scan for smartphones or a USSD code for feature phones, and they can send money anywhere in the world that mVisa is accepted” he added.”
Eran Feinstein, DPO Group CEO says: “We are very excited to partner with Visa. This partnership offers our merchants and their customers the freedom to pay and be paid with ease and convenience. It is a great addition to the payments options we are currently offering our merchants. At Direct Pay Online, we remain committed to providing solutions that bring ease while making payments online and this partnership with Visa helps us live up to this commitment.”
Direct Pay Online was established in Kenya in 2006 and has since expanded to Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. The Group processes merchant payments, mobile money and e-wallets.
Key Kenyan merchants that will now be able to accept mVisa payments through this partnership include Fly 540, Nation Media Group, Amref Flying Doctors, Travel Creations and Azam TV.
Staff Writer
