Last month Absa Bank Kenya in partnership with Visa unveiled a new Absa Infinite Debit and Credit metal card in a new first for the industry as the lender seeks to explore new revenues from card payments. 

The new value proposition is targeted at affluent clients and promises a range of cutting edge solutions in card payments and digital finance.

Customers with the Absa Visa Infinite card will receive buyer protection for valuables bought in store or online, medical protection for travel and adventure activities, unlimited airport lounge access, cover for all flight cancellations or lost luggage, shopping rewards and luxury accommodation offers among others. 

The Infinite card has a refined vertical design and integrates seamlessly with user’s mobile wallets like M-PESA, PayBill and Till payment options as well as automated Buy Now Pay Later options that allows purchases to be structured in periodic installments. 

Absa Bank Kenya management is bullish that the launch of the Visa Infinite Card, a first in the Kenyan market, will bolster the firm’s array of payment solutions, giving the lender an edge in the country’s competitive financial services sector. 

“Our digital lending preposition is a key growth engine for the organisation,” Absa Bank CEO Abdi Mohamed said during the firm’s recent investor briefing. “A lot of work has gone into the credit and debit card prepositions. We continue to be number one in the credit card market with a significant market share and that is an area we continue to innovate and support the market.” 

The launch of the Visa Infinite card comes on the back of Absa Bank Kenya’s renewed investment into card payment solutions even as more financial service providers today are betting heavily on mobile payments and App-based solutions.

Data from the Central Bank of Kenya, CBK and Financial Sector Deepening, FSD-Kenya indicate that card payments still report lower uptake  in the face of other channels. 

According to the latest Finaccess Household Survey released in 2024, just 0.7 per cent and 1.5 per cent of respondents in rural and urban areas respectively reported to use POS or card machine swipes to access banking services on a regular basis. 

“Bank branches remain the most common banking access point (52.8 percent), with women slightly preferring physical interactions (53.5 percent against 52.3 percent for men),” stated FSD and CBK in the survey report.

“Mobile banking apps are popular, especially among urban residents (45.7 percent), but a gender gap persists, with 40.2 percent of men using apps compared to 33.7 percent of women, reflecting a digital gender divide,” reads the report in part.

Data from the CBK indicates that the number of card transactions at ATMs and POS machines stood at 3.6 million during the month of June 2025, a 14 per cent drop compared to June last year. 

This raises the question of why the numbers still remain low and what industry players and regulators can do to boost uptake.

The launch of the Visa Infinite card is a bold gambit by Absa Bank to explore new growth avenues in card payments and at the same time respond to market needs, particularly the evolving demands of affluent customers.

“We are meeting the market’s needs while redefining what modern banking looks and feels like by merging luxury, global access, and digital integration into one exclusive payment experience,” said Absa Bank Kenya’s Head of Card Payments, Linda Kimani during the launch of the Infinite card.

Absa Bank Kenya’s Director of Consumer Banking Moses Muthui said the Visa Infinite card is the first in a phased rollout of refreshed card solutions and a response to the evolving demands of the Kenyan market.

“Whether tapping on a smartwatch, phone, or Garmin device, paying through a Till number, traveling internationally, or converting a transaction in the Absa Pay App, customers are assured of security, fluidity, and convenience wherever they are,” he said. 

The launch of the new Visa Infinite Metal debit and credit cards come months after the lender launched the LaRiba credit card, revamped virtual prepaid cards and the Business Credit Card to support SMEs in business cashflow.

The latter provides businesses the opportunity to optimise their cash flows with flexible interest-free credit options of up to 50 days and comes with a digital card management dashboard.