The Nigerian fintech brings its multi-currency wallet, virtual dollar card and M-Pesa integration to Kenya as part of a wider African expansion. A Nigerian fintech brings dollar wallets, virtual cards and M-Pesa integration to one of Africa's most active mobile payment markets.
Cardtonic has launched in Kenya, giving local users access to a USD wallet alongside a KES wallet for local transactions — a product the company describes as a bid to connect Kenyans to the global digital economy rather than a standard remittance service. The launch centres on two core products: a USD wallet for dollar access and a KES wallet for local on-ramping.
Multi-Currency Wallet: Users can access up to five different wallets, with a USD wallet created automatically upon sign-up. Supported currencies include KES, USD, NGN, GHS and ZAR. Free and Instant Currency Conversion: Conversions between supported currencies are instant with no explicit conversion fees and no stated conversion limits.
Virtual Dollar Card: Users can create multiple virtual dollar cards for different spending categories. Each card is loaded and withdrawn from separately. Gift Card Trading: Users can trade gift cards on the platform. In Kenya, settlements can be received in KES or stablecoin, subject to availability.
Airtime and Data Top-Ups: Cardtonic routes airtime and data payments through international bill aggregators to serve local users. KES Rates in the Rate Calculator: Users can check real-time KES rates alongside USD and NGN in the platform's rate calculator. M-Pesa Integration: Users can withdraw to their M-Pesa mobile wallet.
Top-up via M-Pesa is not yet available. The Kenyan launch is part of a deliberate expansion across Africa and beyond. Cardtonic CEO Emmanuel Sohe described it as a significant step: "While we continue to broaden our footprint globally, this is a major milestone towards our goal of building a business with the infrastructure and ambition to serve every customer irrespective of their geo."