Selcom partners with Tigo & Mastercard to enable seamless digital payments with virtual card
Through Selcom’s card-as-a-service (CaaS) platform, Tigo Pesa customers no longer need a bank issued card to make online payments; Mastercard linked directly to Tigo Pesa wallet makes e-commerce simple
From right: Selcom’s Executive Director, Sameer Hirji, Tigo’s Chief Officer for Mobile Financial Services (MFS) Angelica Pesha, & Mastercard’s Head-Telco Commercial and Partnerships for the Middle East and Africa region, Lenin Oyuga officially launch the Tigo Pesa’s VCN service.
Dar es Salaam: Selcom, Tigo Tanzania, and Mastercard Inc. have announced a strategic partnership that will see the three industry leaders revolutionise the digital payment ecosystem by enabling convenient online payments globally through the Tigo Mastercard virtual service. This partnership will empower Tigo Pesa customers to transact on global payments platforms and benefit from Mastercard’s technology which will enable new digital commerce opportunities for consumers and merchants, through simple and secure payment experiences.
Selcom, the leading payment systems provider in Tanzania and Mastercard principal member, has been instrumental in successfully deploying Tigo’s Mastercard virtual card service through Selcom’s card-as-a-service (CaaS) platform. The company's commitment to continuously future-proof and enhance its infrastructure has been crucial in being able to support and offer increasingly sophisticated and relevant payment instruments for partners to deploy effortlessly.
Attendees watching the demo of how one can issue a virtual card through the Tigo Pesa app or by dialling USSD short-code *150*01# during the launch event held in Dar es Salaam today.
Tigo’s Chief Officer for Mobile Financial Services (MFS) Angelica Pesha said, ”As the leading digital lifestyle company in Tanzania we are always on the look out, for such partnerships, our customers will now be able to complete online transactions that requires MasterCard credentials, while using funds from their Tigo Pesa wallets. It also means that this service will allow customers to quickly and conveniently pay for goods and services in the international market, we hope this partnership will improve user experience and accessibility to a vast array of MFS services”.
“This partnership further cements our position as a provider of choice for Mobile financial services and we believe this venture will increase the number of transactions for cross-border business, this showcases that Tigo Pesa is a fully-fledged financial services in Tanzania.The virtual card allows for Tigo consumers to easily make payments at any online purchase point where Mastercard is accepted without the need for a bank account or credit card. To create the virtual card, customers should dial Tigo Pesa menu (*150*01#) or use Tigo Pesa App and follow the simple steps. Once the card is created, the virtual card is ready for use for online payments,” remarked Pesha.
Selcom’s Executive Director, Sameer Hirji, speaking at the launch event.
The launch of the virtual card will ensure Tigo’s ability to provide its customers access to products and services previously a preserve of physical credit card holders while diversifying its mobile money portfolio. Additionally, the partnership will result in a wide range of cutting-edge digital payment solutions being introduced in Tanzania and connect Tigo customers in Tanzania to a global online market place across multiple digital payment use cases and provide access to Mastercard’s global network of merchants.
In a statement, Selcom’s Executive Director, Sameer Hirji expressed his enthusiasm for the groundbreaking collaboration, "At Selcom, we take pride in our unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence in the payment industry. We are thrilled to join forces with esteemed partners like Tigo Pesa and Mastercard to unveil our state-of-the-art mobile money wallet-linked virtual card. By constantly investing in our infrastructure and refining our market presence, we aim to deliver cutting-edge, dependable solutions that foster growth and success for our partners and customers alike."
Ngozi Megwa, Senior Vice President, Digital Partnerships EEMEA, Mastercard said, “ Mastercard recognizes that consumers today are looking for simple and secure financial products that add more value to their daily lives. Our innovation approach is focused on enabling the digital transformation of our partners so that millions of customers can enjoy seamless access to a global payments eco-system with a superior user experience. Our technology is fully equipped to empower our partners to launch innovative and relevant solutions that will create a strong value proposition for all our customers. With our deepened relationships with the telecommunications industry players, this partnership with Tigo embeds our commitment to further expand customer choice and access to digital commerce.”
The combination of mobile phone adoption, affordable smartphones, high-speed networks, and digital entrepreneurship has created a fertile environment for the growth of m-commerce in Africa and this in return has increased the need for secure and convenient online payment options for both banked and unbanked consumers.
About Selcom:
Selcom is a forward-thinking, ever-evolving payment service provider in Tanzania with a strong focus on m-commerce, e-commerce, and issuing, acquiring and over-the-counter (OTC) transaction processing services. Selcom has a vision to enhance financial inclusion across Africa through strategic partnerships and alliances to facilitate the seamless movement of funds electronically at all levels.
About Tigo:
Tigo Tanzania is Tanzania's leading digital lifestyle telecommunications company. Tigo started its operations in Tanzania in 1995. Through its distinctive and diverse product portfolio in voice, SMS, high-speed internet and mobile financial services, Tigo has pioneered digital innovations such as the first Smartphone in Swahili, Free Facebook in Swahili, TigoPesa App, Tigo Mobile App as well as the first East African cross-border mobile money transfer with currency conversion.
Tigo is a part of Axian Telecom Group, a pan-African telecommunications services provider operating in eight markets through its subsidiaries in Madagascar, Comoros, Reunion, Mayotte, Senegal, Togo, Uganda and Tanzania.
About Mastercard:
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. www.mastercard.com