Airtel, Mastercard Launches GlobalPay Card for Africa

Airtel Africa, in partnership with Mastercard, launched the Airtel Money GlobalPay Card, a new service that connects customers across Africa to global online marketplaces.

This was confirmed by Ian Ferrao, the CEO of Airtel Money, in a statement on Wednesday.

According to him, the partnership with Mastercard will enable Airtel’s 150 million mobile customers across 14 African nations to conduct safe international transactions by giving them access to Mastercard’s global merchant network.

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Ferrao claims that the Airtel Money GlobalPay Card is a virtual payment method that is not made of plastic and is connected to Airtel Money wallets directly.

The card can be used to pay for a number of international online services, including Facebook, Netflix, Uber, Amazon, Google, AliExpress, and Alibaba, he said.

“Users will also be able to make payments for travel bookings, utilities, subscriptions, and international purchases—all from their mobile phones,” ferrao said.

He continued by saying that the payment solution intends to assist small businesses involved in cross-border trade and satisfy Africa’s increasing demand for digital payments.

“By integrating Mastercard’s secure virtual payment solution with Airtel Money, we are simplifying international payments and making them more accessible.

“Mastercard’s global network and expertise in payment solutions will be vital in supporting financial inclusion efforts across Africa.

“The initiative also aligns with Mastercard’s commitment to bringing one billion people, 50 million small businesses, and 25 million women entrepreneurs into the digital economy by 2025,” he said.

Senior Vice President for Digital Partnerships at Mastercard Middle East and Africa, Muhammad Nana, said the strategy focused on enabling the digital transformation of partners.

Nana said the partnership would allow customers to access a seamless global payment ecosystem.

“With over 150 million Airtel Africa consumers now connected to the global digital economy, we are helping more people access the benefits of e-commerce,” he said.

African consumers were in a good position to benefit fully from the new solution, according to Nana, because mobile internet access was growing and smartphones were becoming more and more affordable.

NAN