Airtel Mobile Commerce N.V., the Netherlands-based fintech arm of Airtel Africa, plans to launch a virtual cost card in Kenya, organising a brand new contest with Safaricom over worldwide online spending.
Developed with Mastercard, the Virtual Card Number (VCN) will combine with Airtel Money wallets, enabling clients to pay for companies on international platforms corresponding to Amazon and Netflix and not using a conventional checking account.
The launch places Airtel Money Global Pay in direct competitors with M-PESA GlobalPay, Safaricom’s virtual Visa card launched in 2022. Airtel is coming into a market the place Safaricom has a longtime lead, however the contest is about greater than the cost networks behind the playing cards. It additionally considerations how clients fund transactions, handle online spending, and entry credit score when their pockets balances run low.
The M-PESA GlobalPay card can draw on Fuliza, an overdraft facility that lets eligible clients full online payments when their M-PESA steadiness is inadequate. Airtel Money’s pay as you go card lacks this characteristic, requiring clients to fund it earlier than making a purchase order.
Data from the Communications Authority of Kenya reveals M-PESA’s cell cash market share has slipped to 88.8% in June 2026, down from practically 95% in 2023. Airtel Money’s share rose to 11.1% over the identical interval. The figures point out a gradual shift within the aggressive steadiness, though Safaricom’s lead stays substantial.
Global commerce affords a brand new income stream
Kenya’s rising use of digital companies provides each operators a purpose to compete for worldwide payments. Streaming subscriptions, software program companies, and abroad e-commerce platforms enable cell cash suppliers to succeed in spending that may in any other case movement via financial institution playing cards.
Netflix, which entered Africa in 2016, is one instance of how worldwide digital companies have turn into a part of on a regular basis spending. Virtual playing cards let clients with out financial institution accounts pay these retailers by way of cell cash, extending wallets’ attain past home transfers and service provider payments.
For operators dealing with stress on home cost fees, cross-border transactions additionally provide a approach to earn income from worldwide commerce. Foreign foreign money conversion and service provider payments can generate revenue past the core enterprise of transferring cash between native accounts.
Safaricom’s international payments operation, which incorporates cross-border transfers, virtual playing cards, and app retailer billing, generated KES 4.76 billion ($37.2 million) within the monetary 12 months ended March 2026, up 22.3% from the earlier 12 months. M-PESA generated KES 182.7 billion (323.1 billion) in transaction worth throughout 46.4 billion transactions.
The figures present why even a comparatively small slice of M-PESA’s enterprise is necessary. Global payments can contribute to income progress with out requiring Safaricom to win a comparable share of Kenya’s home cell cash market. The alternative for Airtel is to seize a portion of that spending as extra clients use its pockets for online purchases.
Across 14 African markets, Airtel’s cell cash operation generated $1.3 billion in income, up from $747 million. The firm has issued greater than 875,000 virtual playing cards in Uganda, Zambia and Tanzania since 2025 and plans to introduce the service in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon.
Credit and safety separate the playing cards
The two merchandise take completely different approaches to funding online payments. M-PESA GlobalPay hyperlinks to the client’s M-PESA pockets. In distinction, Airtel’s VCN mannequin requires clients to switch funds from their major Airtel Money pockets to the virtual card earlier than making a purchase order.
The setup lets Airtel clients ring-fence cash for online purchases, maintaining the remainder of their pockets steadiness separate from card transactions. It additionally provides them higher management over subscription payments and their online spending.
Customers nonetheless want to guard their account credentials and monitor transactions. The extent of safety additionally relies upon on the controls out there to freeze or handle the card, to dispute unauthorised payments, and to forestall additional fees.
Safaricom’s unique virtual Visa card design used a card verification worth (CVV) that clients generated via the M-PESA app after coming into their PIN. Each code lasted half-hour and could possibly be used solely as soon as, limiting the window during which it could possibly be used if uncovered.
Safaricom introduced the overdraft choice for GlobalPay in 2026, permitting eligible clients to finish online payments when their pockets steadiness is inadequate. The characteristic can assist forestall subscription payments from failing, but it surely additionally means automated fees might draw on credit score, leaving clients with an overdraft to repay.
Airtel’s pay as you go mannequin doesn’t provide an equal overdraft facility, so clients will need to have enough funds on the virtual card to finish a purchase order. This could also be much less handy, but it surely additionally prevents the card from extending spending via an equal credit score line.
A challenger nonetheless faces a scale drawback
Safaricom’s giant buyer base provides GlobalPay a longtime viewers, whereas familiarity with M-PESA could make clients much less inclined to modify cost strategies.
Airtel’s card might enchantment to clients who already use Airtel Money and need a direct path to worldwide retailers. Its regional rollout additionally provides the corporate expertise to attract on because it enters the Kenyan market.
Customers will want to match overseas change fees, transaction limits, acceptance charges, dispute dealing with and the benefit of managing card particulars. Airtel’s pricing will be notably necessary as a result of a lower-cost card might entice price-sensitive customers, whereas unclear charges might blunt the enchantment of its pay as you go design.
Airtel has but to reveal all the small print Kenyan clients will have to assess the service, together with its overseas change fees. Safaricom’s GlobalPay applies a overseas change markup, making the full price of a purchase order a related level of comparability.
The launch will not erase Safaricom’s lead in cell cash. Still, it will give Airtel one other approach to compete for buyer spending, this time on the online checkout quite than via home transfers.
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