Mastercard, Flowcart Bring In-Chat Payments To Kenya

Mastercard has partnered with Flowcart to introduce in-chat card payments for social and conversational commerce, starting in Kenya before expanding to other African markets. The collaboration will allow consumers to discover products, place orders and make card payments within a chat-based interaction without being redirected to a separate website or application.

Following the Kenyan launch, the service is expected to expand across East Africa and into markets including South Africa, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. The partnership comes as social messaging platforms become increasingly important channels for commerce in Kenya. WhatsApp, in particular, has emerged as a major channel for businesses and informal sellers to interact with customers, advertise products and receive orders.

For merchants, the Mastercard and Flowcart solution is intended to connect the purchasing and payment stages within the same conversation. Payments can be completed through embedded links, QR codes or checkout flows supported by Mastercard Gateway and its acquiring partners.

“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,” Shehryar Ali, Senior Vice President and Country Manager for East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands at Mastercard, said.

The companies said the service will also target Kenya’s growing creator and social-selling economy, where individuals and small businesses increasingly use messaging and social platforms to sell directly to audiences.

Ananth Gudipati, Founder at Flowcart, said: “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.”

The partnership also comes as Kenyan small and medium-sized enterprises continue to prioritise easier digital payment options. According to Mastercard’s 2026 SME Confidence Index, 80% of Kenyan SMEs identify simple and user-friendly payment methods as a key requirement for future growth.

The integration is designed to support businesses ranging from individual social sellers and small enterprises to larger companies, allowing them to accept card payments without necessarily requiring a dedicated website or traditional point-of-sale system.

The expansion reflects a wider shift towards embedded payments, where transactions are built directly into digital platforms and customer interactions rather than requiring consumers to move between separate applications.

Mastercard and Flowcart plan to extend the service beyond Kenya as they seek to support social and conversational commerce across additional African markets.