The partnership integrates secure card payments into social and conversational commerce journeys. This approach aims to make payments a native part of customer engagement, moving toward an embedded commerce model.
The rollout will start in Kenya, where WhatsApp already processes more than 20% of eCommerce orders. Following the initial launch, the collaboration will expand into East Africa and high-growth markets, including South Africa, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire.
By combining Mastercard's payment network with Flowcart's AI-powered commerce orchestration platform, the companies intend to help merchants increase transaction frequency and repeat purchases. The solution specifically targets underserved and informal commerce segments.
The initiative is designed to support Kenya's creator economy, allowing social sellers to monetize their audiences through a 'chat-to-pay' loop. This system is intended to reduce friction from discovery to purchase to improve conversion rates.
