Airtel Mobile Commerce BV, a subsidiary of Airtel Africa PLC, has launched the Airtel Money GlobalPay Card, a new virtual payment solution designed to connect Airtel Money customers across Africa with global online marketplaces.
Developed in collaboration with Mastercard, the GlobalPay Card will provide Airtel’s 150 million mobile phone users across 14 African countries with access to Mastercard’s extensive global merchant network. This innovation enables safer and more secure international transactions, allowing users to make purchases on major platforms such as Amazon, Netflix, Uber, Google, Facebook, AliExpress, and Alibaba.
The Airtel Money GlobalPay Card is a non-plastic, virtual card that links directly to a customer’s Airtel Money wallet. Users can make payments for travel bookings, subscriptions, utilities, and international purchases with ease, directly from their mobile phones. Airtel Money customers can activate the GlobalPay Card without additional documentation or registrations. The process is simple: customers opt in for the card, load funds from their Airtel Money wallet, and start transacting globally.
Airtel Money CEO Ian Ferrao said the initiative aims to enhance customer experience by simplifying international payments and making global e-commerce more accessible. Mastercard, through its digital transformation strategy, is committed to bridging the financial gap in Africa. Muhammad Nana, Senior Vice President for Digital Partnerships at Mastercard Middle East and Africa, emphasized the role of partnerships in enabling seamless global payments.
Mastercard has committed to bringing one billion people, 50 million small businesses, and 25 million women entrepreneurs into the digital economy by 2025. The Airtel Money GlobalPay Card is a key step toward achieving this goal, as mobile internet access and smartphone adoption continue to rise across Africa.
Customers can link their Airtel Money GlobalPay Card by downloading the MyAirtel App, selecting Airtel Money, entering their PIN, opting in for the card, and topping up from their Airtel Money wallet. With this innovation, Airtel Money and Mastercard are revolutionizing digital payments in Africa, making international transactions more accessible for millions of mobile money users.
