Mastercard has partnered with Flowcart to enable consumers in Kenya to discover products, place orders, and pay by card without leaving social or messaging platforms, starting with WhatsApp.
The partnership is designed to simplify digital payments for social sellers, small and medium-sized businesses and larger merchants operating through conversational commerce. The companies plan to expand the service across East Africa and into markets including South Africa, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire.
Under the arrangement, Mastercard payments will be integrated into Flowcart’s AI-powered commerce platform, allowing transactions within a chat-based customer journey. Consumers can complete purchases through embedded payment links, QR codes, or native checkout experiences powered by Mastercard Gateway and its acquiring partners.
WhatsApp now accounts for more than 20% of online shopping orders in the country, according to the companies, overtaking traditional e-commerce websites as consumers increasingly use conversations to discover and buy products.
“Social commerce is redefining how consumers discover and engage with brands. Our collaboration with Flowcart enables us to embed secure, seamless payments directly into these experiences, unlocking new growth opportunities for merchants and expanding digital payment acceptance in one of Africa’s fastest-growing digital economies.” Said Shehryar Ali, senior vice president and country manager for East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands at Mastercard
The service is also intended to support Kenya’s growing creator and social-selling economy by allowing merchants to convert audiences into customers directly through the platforms where they already interact with them. Tokenized card details are designed to make subsequent purchases easier for returning customers.
For businesses, the integration lets them accept card payments without relying on a standalone website or traditional point-of-sale infrastructure. It can also connect with existing commerce systems, allowing merchants to incorporate in-chat payments into their current operations.
The partnership is expected to broaden digital payment acceptance among informal businesses and social sellers, while giving established brands another channel for customer transactions.
“We are excited to collaborate with Mastercard to transform how businesses transact in social channels, whether that’s an independent social seller, a fast-growing SME, or a large enterprise brand running WhatsApp as a core commerce channel. Together, we are enabling a future where commerce and payments happen seamlessly within conversations, driving higher conversion, repeat purchases and meaningful growth for merchants.” Noted Ananth Gudipati, founder of Flowcart
The companies said the initiative will initially focus on Kenya before expanding into other African markets. Mastercard’s 2026 SME Confidence Index found that 80% of Kenyan SMEs consider simple, seamless, and user-friendly payment methods a top requirement for future growth.
Real ESG impact doesn’t happen in panels alone, it happens in the rooms where financiers, operators, and policymakers actually align. Our GreenShift Forum 2026 cuts the noise, bringing together the people rewiring Africa’s sustainability and energy frameworks for one focused day in Nairobi. Secure your seat.
Go to TECHTRENDSKE.co.ke for more tech and business news from the African continent and across the world.
Follow us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. Send tips to editorial@techtrendsmedia.co.ke
