NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 22 – Craft Silicon has launched TouristTap, a mobile app that turns any NFC-enabled smartphone into a secure point-of-sale device, allowing international visitors to pay directly with their Visa or Mastercard.
The move seeks to ease payments for visitors in Kenya, where paying for a safari, buying curios at Maasai markets, or grabbing snacks at roadside kiosks has often required cash due to limited card acceptance.
“Most visitors, and even some of my own friends, struggle to pay when they visit Kenya. Very few shops accept cards, especially at roadside stalls or Maasai markets. With TouristTap, your phone becomes your own PDQ. Just tap, enter your PIN, and you’re done,” said Kamal Budhabatti, Head of Product Dreams and Designs at Craft Silicon, Little, and Blubeetle.
The app leverages Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to enable payments to mobile money wallets, till numbers, bank accounts, and other apps.
“Security is central for us. The app is certified by Visa and Mastercard, compliant with global standards such as PCI-DSS, and uses PIN-on-Glass technology to ensure transactions are encrypted and safe,” Budhabatti added.
The rollout comes as Kenya records surging digital payments. Data from the Central Bank of Kenya shows card payments rose to Sh538.5 billion in 2024, underlining a shift toward cashless transactions.
Kelvin Munga, Head of Merchant Acquiring and Payments at Craft Silicon, said the platform is designed to serve the entire tourism value chain.
“We wanted to make sure a visitor can buy a bead bracelet at a Maasai market as easily as they can pay for a five-star hotel stay,” he said.
TouristTap is already available on Google Play and the Apple App Store for NFC-enabled phones, with expansion plans targeting other African tourism hubs.
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