Mobile wallet PalmPay has attracted substantial interest in Kenya. Those keen to try it are asking, does PalmPay work in Kenya? Read to learn if it is available and the reasons it's popular.
Mobile wallets are a safe, secure, and convenient way to send money and pay for goods and services.
In Africa, they have helped to accelerate financial inclusion by giving millions of unbanked citizens an easily accessible savings platform.
One of the fastest-growing mobile wallets on the African continent is PalmPay, which has experienced rapid growth since it started in 2019.
Such has been its growth and popularity that people outside its main market of Nigeria want to sample its services. Among those who have expressed interest are Kenyans.
The question, though, is, does PalmPay work in Kenya?
Let’s find out.
What is PalmPay, and what does it do?
PalmPay is a Nigerian financial services platform that serves both consumers and merchants. The fintech’s consumer product is a mobile wallet billed as a super app that can do everything.
For merchants, PalmPay provides online payment and offline POS-acquiring services through its PalmPartner app.
PalmPay was established in Nigeria in 2019 and has over 25 million users and 800,000 agents.
To highlight its goal to use the power of technology to accelerate financial inclusion in Africa, the company claims that for 20% of its +5 million users, the PalmPay was their first-ever financial account.
‘A smarter way to pay’
The PalmPay mobile wallet allows users to send money and pay conveniently. The company claims users can create and start transacting within minutes of downloading the app.
Through their mobile wallets, PalmPay users can:
- Transfer money to other PalmPay users or a bank account
- Pay for purchases in shops,
- Split bills
They can also:
- Buy electricity and airtime,
- Pay bills and make government payments,
- Pay for TV subscriptions,
- Request refunds,
- Apply for credit and loans,
Users can also earn rewards and cashback for using the PalmPay app. There is also a feature on the app that lets users refer their friends and relatives. Successful referrals trigger a cash reward.
Is PalmPay available in Kenya?
PalmPay is not available in Kenya. The mobile wallet and POS system are only available in Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania, but there are plans to roll them out to other African countries.
Why do people use PalmPay?
PalmPay has grown rapidly since its founding in 2019. A big part of its appeal is its rewards and perks and user-friendly mobile app.
Users of the mobile wallet enjoy rewards like:
- Free money transfers to other PalmPay users,
- 90 free bank money transfers per month,
- Unlimited free to any financial institution within the first month,
- Ability to offset transactions charges with reward points, cash coupons, and cashback,
PalmPay operates with over 500 billers and service providers across Nigeria, so users can conveniently pay bills and buy goods and services using just their mobile phones.
You can top up your airtime from your PalmPay mobile wallet, enjoying up to 100% cashback and a 100 MB data bonus. New users can enjoy up to 100% cashback when they buy mobile phone data with their mobile wallets.
Perhaps the biggest benefit PalmPay provides for its users is the savings they can potentially make. The company claims that users can save as much as N10,000 by switching their payments to PalmPay.
Certified fraud detection and security systems
The security of funds and personal data is a big concern for digital wallet users. PalmPay reassures its users that their platform is safe thanks to PCI-DSS certification.
PalmPay is NDPR-compliant, guaranteeing the secure transmission of personal and payment information during payments and transfers.
What is the best PalmPay alternative in Kenya?
The best PalmPay alternative in Kenya will be Pesapal, which offers similar services, including a mobile payments app and offline POS infrastructure.
The ubiquitous M-Pesa mobile money wallet is another alternative that’s always worth considering.
With that said, both Palmpay and Pesapal are more geared towards consumers. The two aren’t suitable for business users.
For a digital wallet and online payments solution with business-friendly tools and features that is available in Kenya, IntaSend stands head and shoulders above the competition.
IntaSend is an online payment, money transfers, and business payment platform for businesses. In other words, where PalmPay is consumer-focused, IntaSend targets business users.
Unlike PalmPay’s POS-acquiring service that lets merchants accept in-person payments offline, IntaSend offers a payment gateway service that allows merchants to accept online payments on their website, app, or online store.
Ideal for freelancers, SMEs, and unregistered businesses, IntaSend users also get a digital wallet they can use to send payment requests to clients, and make bulk and scheduled business payments.
Among other benefits, IntaSend users pay suppliers, service providers, and salaries from one place. They can also request a virtual Visa or Mastercard they can use to pay for goods and services online and have multiple ways to fund and withdraw from accounts, including ACH and M-Pesa.
Sign up for IntaSend to get paid from anywhere, send money securely everywhere, and do more with your money.
