Mastercard and Flowcart partner to enable WhatsApp payments in Kenya

Mastercard has partnered with commerce platform Flowcart to integrate secure card payments directly into WhatsApp conversations. The initiative is launching in Kenya before expanding to other African markets, including South Africa, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire.

The collaboration enables a conversational commerce model where consumers can discover products, place orders, and complete payments within a single chat interface, removing the need to visit external websites. Flowcart utilizes AI to automate the transition from customer requests to completed transactions, while Mastercard provides the payment infrastructure through its gateway and tokenized card details to support repeat purchases.

This move addresses the rising dominance of social commerce in the region. In Kenya, WhatsApp reportedly handles over 20% of all online shopping orders, surpassing traditional e-commerce websites. The service is designed to support a wide range of users, from individual social sellers and creators to larger brands, by providing a native checkout flow without requiring a physical point-of-sale system or a dedicated website.