When making purchases, customers nowadays are faced with two options: shop online or visit a physical store. However, the factors influencing this decision depend on the availability of the product you want, the offers, how much time you have, and most importantly, the convenience and flexibility of payment.
Customers today demand faster access to products and services they desire, which means they also require a quicker and easier way of paying for them. And with the commerce industry growing at a faster rate, nothing comes in handier than anything that delivers the world to you through convenience – such as the M-PESA GlobalPay virtual visa.
Safaricom and Visa recently launched the M-PESA GlobalPay Virtual Visa card, a convenient product that allows customers to shop on international eCommerce websites using the cash on their M-PESA.
The M-PESA GlobalPay is linked to your M-PESA account as a virtual visa card. It lets you make payments to International online merchants for goods and services using card details that are automatically generated, just like the actual visa card.
Most eCommerce platforms typically have different online payment methods to consider, each promising to provide an intuitive and secure checkout experience. But with M-PESA being the primary mode of payment and transaction across Kenya, you now get the same convenience of paying for products without any limitations on international online stores like Amazon or Alibaba. Here’s how to shop online with the M-PESA GlobalPay virtual visa:
Activate M-PESA GlobalPay Visa
The first step is downloading the M-PESA App on Google Playstore or Apple Store. Next, open the app and:
- Log in to your M-PESA
- Select Pay tab
- Select M-PESA
- Select the GlobalPay tab to activate your M-PESA
- Select your card
- Enter PIN
- You will receive an SMS with the card number and expiry
OR
- Select the Grow
- Select the GlobalPay tab to activate your M-PESA
- Select your card
- Enter PIN
- You will receive an SMS with the card number and expiry
On M-PESA USSD (*334#):
- Dial *334#
- Select Lipa Na M-PESA
- Select M-PESA GlobalPay
- Accept terms and conditions
- Enter M-PESA PIN
- You will receive a 16-digit number in a flash. This is your M-PESA GlobalPay Visa credential (PAN)
- You will also receive the validity period of the card in a separate flash (Expiry)
Once your card is activated, you can now begin shopping online.
Shopping Online with M-PESA GlobalPay
Log in to an eCommerce website where you want to shop, such as Amazon, Alibaba, Aliexpress, and eBay, among others. Browse the category of products you want to buy and fill your shopping cart by clicking “Add to Cart” or “Add to Bag.”
After you are done, click on the shopping cart first, review it, and choose the “Checkout” button. Here, fill out your details, including your shipping address, then select ‘Credit Card’ as your payment method.
If the eCommerce platform has that option, choose the type of credit card you’re using, e.g., Visa.
Next,
- Log in to your M-PESA Super App
- Tap the Grow button
- Choose GolbalPay
- Then click on ‘Show Card Details’ to display the 16-digit number for the transaction and the CVV
- Enter your info as it appears on your GlobalPay virtual visa (this includes the credit card number, expiration date, and security code (CVV)
If you are using the USSD Code:
- Dial *334# on the number linked to your M-PESA GlobalPay
- Choose ‘Lipa Na M-PESA’
- Select’ GlobalPay’
- Then click on Option 1 for ‘View Card Details’
- Enter Your M-PESA Pin – you will receive a flash SMS with your card number.
- To enter the security code for the checkout, repeat the steps from 1 to 3
- After choosing GlobalPay, choose ‘Generate CVV.’
- Enter your M-PESA PIN, confirm your PIN, and you will receive a message with a CVV that expires after 30 minutes.
After that, you can enter your billing address, then verify your information by checking whether everything you have entered is correct. Once you’ve ensured that everything is accurate, click the Checkout button to make your purchase.
Things to Keep in Mind While shopping with M-PESA GlobalPay
- You can only pay to international online merchants such as Netflix, Amazon, AliExpress, etc. For a transaction initiated to a local online merchant, e.g., Jumia, the M-PESA Customer will receive an appropriate message on the checkout option advising them to use Lipa na M-PESA option.
- You cannot use Fuliza with M-PESA GlobalPay to pay for goods and services
- M-PESA customer limits will apply, i.e., the minimum amount of 110 shillings and a maximum of 150,000 shillings per transaction with a maximum transaction limit of 300,000 shillings per day. The minimum amount will change based on the prevailing USD – KES rate.
Have you activated your M-PESA GlobalPay yet? Download the M-PESA Super App today, activate it, and be among the first ones to enjoy rewards on Eliud Kipchoge’s limited-edition merchandise. You can only buy them using the virtual visa card.
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