Ride-hailing giant Uber has restored Visa card payments for riders in Kenya, eight months after removing the option over rising payment costs.
The move reverses a decision that had pushed Visa users to rely on M-PESA, cash and other payment methods. It comes as Uber reviews costs across its business, including a global restructuring that will cut about 3,300 jobs.
The Visa option is now available in the Uber app, where riders are prompted to add their card with a message that says, “Pay with Visa! Add your Visa card and enjoy a seamless payment experience on Uber.” Visa cards appear alongside M-PESA, PayPal and Airtel Money in the payment menu.
Uber stopped accepting Visa cards in Kenya in January after reviewing its payment methods in the market. The company said at the time that rising global payment costs had prompted the change. It, however, did not disclose how much it paid to process Visa transactions or why Visa was affected while other card and payment options remained available.
“Payment costs globally are on the rise, which impacts businesses and their consumers,” an Uber spokesperson told TechCabal in January. “We regularly review our payment methods on a market-by-market basis to ensure we’re keeping costs reasonable while balancing any potential impact on consumer experience. We’ve taken this step as a result of this review process.”
The reversal comes as Uber is cutting costs across its wider business. The company said on Wednesday that it would cut about 3,300 corporate jobs, about10% of its workforce, in its largest round of cuts since the Covid-19 pandemic. Uber had about 34,000 employees globally at the end of 2025.