Kenswitch, Kenya's domestic payment switch, has partnered with Wibmo, a PayU company, to enhance authentication for online card payments and support e-commerce transactions. This collaboration will provide financial institutions connected to Kenswitch with access to Wibmo's Access Control Server (ACS), which uses EMV 3-D Secure technology. This technology helps verify that online purchases are made by authorised cardholders, ensuring secure transactions. The partnership aims to improve the security of online transactions and promote the growth of e-commerce in Kenya.
The partnership will enable eligible cards issued by participating financial institutions to be used for online transactions routed through Kenswitch. This will be subject to applicable payment-network rules, issuer participation, commercial agreements, technical integration, and regulatory thresholds. The enhanced online acquiring capabilities of Kenswitch will assess transaction risk in real-time, determining whether a payment can proceed without additional verification or requires cardholder authentication. Supported authentication methods include one-time passwords, biometrics, and push-based approvals.
The collaboration between Kenswitch and Wibmo is expected to strengthen protection against unauthorised online card use while minimising interruptions to legitimate purchases. For participating banks, this partnership will provide an additional layer of security for online transactions. John Mukono, CEO of Kenswitch, highlighted the importance of this partnership, stating that it will enable Kenswitch to deliver international-standard authentication solutions to banks connected to the Kenswitch network.
Shailesh Paul, CEO of Wibmo, expressed his company's delight in partnering with Kenswitch to advance secure digital commerce in Kenya. He noted that the Wibmo Payment Authentication suite will enable Kenswitch to strengthen cardholder protection while providing global-standard authentication experiences for its clients. This partnership reflects Wibmo's commitment to working with payment infrastructure providers to enable secure, scalable, and trusted digital payment journeys.
The partnership brings together Wibmo's payment-authentication technology and Kenswitch's shared infrastructure, which connects banks, SACCOs, microfinance institutions, and mobile network providers across multiple payment channels. This collaboration will enhance Kenswitch's domestic e-commerce payment processing for local and global merchants. With over 2,500 ATMs, 50,000 POS terminals, 80,000 agents, and e-commerce and digital payment channels, Kenswitch provides a comprehensive payment infrastructure for its member institutions.
Wibmo, a PayU company, operates across entities in India, the US, and Indonesia, and is a global full-stack PayTech company and industry leader in payment security and digital payments in emerging markets. Wibmo offers comprehensive fraud and risk management solutions, digital financial services, prepaid solutions, and a broad range of merchant acquiring services. Kenswitch, on the other hand, is a domestic payment switch and shared payments infrastructure provider regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
The partnership between Kenswitch and Wibmo is a significant development in Kenya's payments ecosystem, as it aims to promote secure and convenient digital payment experiences. By leveraging Wibmo's payment-authentication technology and Kenswitch's shared infrastructure, the two companies can support the growth of e-commerce in Kenya while ensuring the security of online transactions.
Key points
- Kenswitch partners with Wibmo to enhance online card security and support e-commerce growth in Kenya.
