Little App, Absa and Visa Introduce Innovative Payment Feature

Little App, a leading Pan-African “everyday everything” app, has joined forces with Absa Bank Kenya PLC and Visa, a world leader in digital payments, to unveil an innovative Near Field Communication (NFC) payment feature.

This collaborative effort aims to streamline and expedite the payment process on Little App taxis by allowing drivers to accept card-based payments using an Android smartphone, offering enhanced efficiency for both customers and drivers.

The convenient, fast, and secure option leverages Absa’s Mobi Tap app solution which turns a smartphone into a point of sale (POS) allowing customers to simply tap their contactless debit or credit cards on the driver’s Android phone or tablet to make a payment.

“We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Absa and Visa, two industry leaders in their respective domains,” said Mr. Kamal Budhabatti, CEO at Little App. “The introduction of the NFC payment feature reinforces our commitment to revolutionize convenience and efficiency within the ride-hailing industry. By incorporating Visa’s renowned expertise and Absa’s local insights, we are confident that this partnership will greatly enhance our users’ payment experience.”

The newly introduced NFC payment feature simplifies the transaction process for card holders, ensuring a swift and hassle-free experience. To utilize this feature, customers can follow these straightforward steps:

1. Once the driver has entered the transaction amount, place your contactless card directly under the driver’s phone, holding it briefly for a successful connection.
2. Once you have completed the payment, wait for the confirmation, which will be displayed on your Little App.
3. Confirm the successful payment with the driver.

Absa Bank Kenya PLC Business Banking Director, Elizabeth Wasunna-Ochwa has hailed the new payment feature as yet another market-first solution that incorporates state-of-the-art security measures that will provide a safe and reliable medium for taxi drivers to receive payments.

“As part of our innovation agenda, Absa is committed to such partnerships that work together to make doing business easier, faster and safer for our customers, particularly those in the Small and Medium-sized (SMEs) category. With the Absa Mobi Tap App, drivers on Little will be able to accept payments on their phone from any debit, credit, or prepaid card, making it faster for consumers to transact while also assisting them in evolving with the latest payment trends.”

On her part, Eva Ngigi-Sarwari, Visa Kenya’s Country Manager said: “This unique partnership with Absa and Little is part of Visa’s ongoing commitment to enable SMEs accept digital payments by offering cost effective, fast, and secure innovations. Through this collaboration, any Little App driver can start accepting card payments on their NFC enabled smartphone without the need to purchase a separate POS machine. We look forward to enabling all the drivers in the Little App ecosystem as we continue to expand access to digital payment options.”

Little App, known for its extensive reach across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Somalia, Senegal, Ghana, and India, serves as a leading ride-hailing service, offering mobility, delivery, and payment solutions. By seamlessly connecting customers to drivers and delivery agents, Little App has revolutionized convenience and transparency for hundreds of thousands of users.

This NFC feature has been thoughtfully designed to optimize payment experiences, improving overall transaction efficiency for Little App users and drivers alike.

The NFC payment feature for cards is now available on the Little App across all participating cities. For more information, please visit www.little.africa.