Mastercard and Flowcart Launch In-Chat Payments to Transform Social Commerce in Africa

Mastercard and Flowcart have launched a strategic collaboration to embed secure card payments directly into social and conversational commerce platforms. Starting in Kenya, the initiative targets the growing "chat-to-pay" market, allowing fintech providers to capture transactions within messaging apps where African consumers already spend their time, significantly reducing checkout friction and improving payment completion rates.

What was announced

The collaboration introduces an embedded payment solution designed to allow consumers to discover products, place orders, and complete payments within a single chat-based journey. By removing the need to redirect users to external websites or mobile applications, the initiative aims to capitalize on the dominance of conversational commerce in African markets. In Kenya, for instance, WhatsApp already handles more than 20% of all online shopping orders, surpassing traditional e-commerce websites in volume.

The solution utilizes Flowcart’s AI-powered commerce orchestration platform alongside Mastercard’s global payment network. Payments are processed within the conversation using embedded links, QR codes, or native checkout flows. These are powered by Mastercard Gateway, a component of the Mastercard Merchant Cloud portfolio that simplifies payment acceptance through a single connection. To facilitate repeat purchases, the system uses tokenized card details, ensuring a frictionless experience for returning customers.

Initially launching in Kenya, the collaboration is set to expand across East Africa and into other high-growth markets, specifically South Africa, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire. This geographic reach is intended to support the rapidly growing creator economy and informal commerce segments. Data from the 2026 Mastercard SME Confidence Index indicates that 80% of Kenyan SMEs view simple, user-friendly payment methods as a top requirement for future growth, a need this partnership directly addresses by providing digital payment tools that do not require traditional point-of-sale systems.

"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.

The companies involved

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry that connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, and governments across more than 210 countries and territories. The company provides a range of payment solutions, including the Mastercard Gateway, which helps businesses streamline operations and secure digital transactions. Mastercard has been a frequent subject of industry analysis, with 19 previous reports covering its various expansions and technological integrations.

Flowcart is an AI-powered commerce orchestration platform focused on transforming how businesses transact through social channels. Led by Founder Ananth Gudipati, the company enables independent social sellers, SMEs, and large enterprise brands to utilize messaging platforms like WhatsApp as core commerce channels. By integrating with existing commerce systems, Flowcart allows businesses to manage the entire customer journey—from product discovery to final payment—within a conversational interface. This collaboration marks a significant step in Flowcart's efforts to digitize informal and creator-led commerce segments across the African continent.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the evolution of digital payments and the security challenges inherent in social messaging platforms. Recent reports include Group-IB Warns Gulf Investors of Deepfake Stock Scams and Fake Crypto Platforms on WhatsApp, which highlights the risks associated with commerce on chat apps. In the broader card issuing space, we covered how Lithic and Monavate Partner to Streamline Fiat and Digital Asset Card Issuing, reflecting the industry's push for more flexible payment stacks. Additionally, the shift toward localized digital solutions was seen when Zoho Expands Retail Footprint with Launch of VAT-Compliant POS Solution Across GCC Markets. We also noted the rising volume of digital transactions in Crypto Goes Mainstream: OKX Card Reports 280% Surge in Everyday Spending Across Europe.

What this means

The shift toward conversational commerce represents a fundamental change in the digital storefront. In markets like Kenya, where chat platforms already outperform traditional websites for order volume, the friction of redirecting a user to an external browser is a significant barrier to conversion. By embedding payments directly into the chat, the industry is moving toward a model where the transaction is a native feature of the social interaction. This puts immense pressure on traditional e-commerce platforms that rely on centralized web traffic. The primary challenge for the sector moving forward will be maintaining security and consumer trust in an environment where social engineering and deepfake scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated.