NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 15 – Global payments firm Visa says it is engaging Uber to restore card payment services in Kenya after the ride-hailing platform stopped accepting Visa cards.
In a statement, Visa confirmed that its cards are currently not supported on the Uber app in Kenya but said discussions are ongoing to resolve the issue.
“We are aware that Visa cards are not currently being accepted by Uber in Kenya. We are in touch with the Uber team and are working to resolve this as soon as possible,” Visa said.
Uber on Tuesday announced it had discontinued Visa card payments in the country, citing rising global payment processing costs. The company said it routinely reviews payment methods across markets to manage costs while minimising disruption to users.
“We regularly review our payment methods on a market-by-market basis to ensure we’re keeping costs reasonable while balancing any potential impact on consumer experience,” an Uber spokesperson said, adding that the decision followed such a review.
The move affects only Visa cardholders, with other payment options such as Mastercard, American Express, M-Pesa and cash remaining available on the platform.
Visa is the dominant card payments provider in Kenya, supported by a wider cardholder base and a larger ATM network. However, card usage continues to face strong competition from mobile money services, particularly M-Pesa, which remains the preferred payment option for most Kenyans due to its widespread adoption and relatively low card penetration.
